Register Now for Discovering Christ
We invite you to experience “Discovering Christ” starting next Sunday, September 22 at St. Rita Church. Consider inviting a friend or loved one to share the experience with you. Please register online here or by calling Julie Cohn at the Parish Office (585) 671-1100 x 13.
“Discovering Christ” is an eight-week experience where anyone and everyone, from the baptized in the pews to the un-churched, is invited to hear the Good News and personally encounter Jesus Christ. Discovering Christ helps people enter into or renew a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, experience the love of God the Father, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as God's children.
“Discovering Christ” consists of seven weekly Sunday sessions and one Saturday retreat day. The weekly sessions begin at 5:30pm and include four components:
Meal - A time to share hospitality, foster relationships, and grow in friendship with one another.
Prayer - Consists of singing together a few songs that offer time to the Lord and help everyone become comfortable praying together.
Video Teaching - The videos proclaim, with beauty and simplicity, the core Gospel message and invite participants to make a personal response to Jesus Christ.
Small Group Discussion - A place for people to freely share what they think and feel about the topic discussed in the teaching.
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An Introduction to Sunday's Scripture Readings - September 8, 2019
An Introduction to the Scripture Readings for
the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
In the hope that you will enter more fully into the Mass
“Anyone Who Does Not Renounce All His Possessions
Cannot Be My Disciple”
 This Sunday's scripture readings ask us to consider the cost of true discipleship. Like a builder before starting work, we should consider the cost and the resources needed for that task. Our first reading gives us a glimpse into one of the resources available to us—the Wisdom of God.
In our first reading (Wisdom 9:13-18), we hear about the unfathomable wisdom of God. It is an excerpt from “Solomon’s Prayer” wherein Solomon asked God to “Give me wisdom”. He knows that even the things of this world are little understood. And yet, the things of God are so much more beyond our understanding. It is only with the help of the Holy Spirit that we discern any of it. This reading helps set the tone for our Gospel reading; this is the supreme God whom Jesus tells us must be before all else.
Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.
In our Epistle reading from the Letter of St. Paul to Philemon (9-10, 12-17), St. Paul gives us an example of the cost of discipleship. Paul is writing from his “imprisonment for the Gospel” in a Roman jail. Paul sends Onesimus, a former runaway slave, back to his master Philemon. Baptized, Onesimus is now "more than a slave, a brother" in Christ.
I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment; I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord. So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
In our Gospel reading (Luke 14:25-33), Jesus cautioned the crowds following him to consider the cost of discipleship before following him. It is not for the weak of heart. Jesus outlined three requirements of discipleship. The first is that Jesus must come before everyone else in our lives—even our own family. Jesus used the words “hate” one’s family in the Hebrew context that more closely means “to love less”—we must love Jesus more than everyone else. The second requirement is that we must take up our cross and walk the walk that Jesus walks, bearing our suffering in union with his. The third is complete detachment - from all our possessions and worldly desires. They become an anchor weighing us down and keeping us from Jesus.
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
Imagine telling God, “I’m sorry God, but my family comes before you” - or my wealth or my possessions or my hopes and dreams or desires. What Jesus may really be telling us is, whomever you love, love me more; whatever you love, detach yourself and love me more. As we see in our first reading, with the gift wisdom from the Holy Spirit, "thus were the paths of those on earth made straight."
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News
Our next gathering is Monday, September 16
6:30-8:00pm in Room 1 All are Welcome!
We support one another in our faith journey and meet to discuss topics that explore our faith and the challenges we face day to day and deepen our relationship with Jesus.
Come to as few or as many meetings as you desire. No commitment is required.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free reach out to John Matina at jmatina@rochester.rr.com
ST. RITA SOCIETY
Is hosting their annual
Pot Luck Supper & Fun Auction
Tuesday, September 17
at 5:00pm in the Parish Center
Our first event of the season is our ever popular Pot Luck Supper and Chinese Auction!
Please bring a small basket (or two) filled with 3-4 related items that can be raffled off in our Chinese Auction. $5 will buy you a strip of tickets and hopefully will win you one of the baskets. All proceeds will go to the Sisters at St. Rita’s Convent to be used for their food cupboard. This tradition began decades ago when the Society was first started.
Society members will provide beverages, but we ask that you bring a dish to share using the list below.
A – I Salad
J – R Casserole
S– Z Dessert
All are welcome! If you have any questions or need a ride please call Elaine at 671-4930.
Thursday, September 19
at 7 pm in Room 1
All who have experienced the loss of a loved one through death are invited to attend. All are welcome!
For those who are not familiar with "The Mountain", it is a Franciscan Mountain Retreat House affiliated with St. Bonaventure University located outside of Olean, NY, about a 2 hour drive from Webster. Their website is www.mounti.com. A group of Franciscan Friars who live there will be our hosts. And what hosts they are!
The format is very relaxed and is designed for a lot of quiet, contemplative time for yourself or with others in the group. We typically arrive by 6:00pm Sunday evening for dinner and evening prayer. Monday starts with breakfast, followed by morning prayer. The day is pretty open from there. There are plenty of hiking trails and places to spend time in restful thought with our Lord, our companion and our friend- perhaps some quiet time in conversation with our God will be refreshing.
We meet again for lunch and again for dinner. Monday evening we will have Mass followed by confession for those who desire. We end the retreat Tuesday morning with breakfast and morning prayer. We are usually on the road about 9:00am Tuesday morning.
They have limited space; Therefore, the sooner you can check your schedules and confirm with me your attendance, the better!
If you have any questions, please email me at James.Fien@dor.org. or call me at (585) 233-0334.
Peace,
Deacon Jim
Saturday, October 12
from 9:00am – 3:00pm
VENDORS: We have 8 gym spots and 2
classroom spots open for our Annual Craft Sale. For more info see,
http://stritawebster.org/craft-sale-quicklinks.html
Click on the image to pay online.
Saturday, October 19
from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
The Theme is: Rebuilding the Family
at Home ~ in the Church ~ through Sports
at St. Jude the Apostle Parish
(4100 Lyell Rd, Rochester)
Join us at 8:30am for Mass with Bishop Matano. Hear presentations from nationally known speakers including: Tom Nash, Fr. Joseph Freedy and Dr. Ray Guarendi. The day includes morning snacks and lunch. Cost is $55 Students are $15.
For complete details and to REGISTER go to: www.exultrochester.org
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