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© copyright stannes4/2000

March 3rd, 2002

Third Sunday of Lent

Let Us Pray For Those Seriously Ill

People will remain on sick list for 2 weeks unless otherwise notified:
Bridget Burke, Dorothy Ensmenger, Aida Ramos, Angel Ramos, Barbara Scocco, Joseph DeFonce, Cheryl Wood, and Corey Joseph Wood.

Vocation reflections

After meeting Jesus, the Samaritan woman went into town and testified to the people. Many came to believe in Him because of this woman’s testimony. Do you wish to lead others to Jesus? Do you want to testify to the many good things the Lord has done for you? Consider doing this by living your life as a priest or religious brother of sister.

 If you feel this call, “inquire within” and Please contact the Vocations Office the Vocations Office at (973) 497-4365 or by E-mail at kellyric@rcan.org. Or visit our web site at www.rcan.org. 

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STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
               

When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a drink of water, He opened the door for a life-changing relationship with Him. Scripture says her testimony drew many others to Him as well. We, too, must be ready to respond whenever and wherever the Lord speaks to us and be prepared for it to change our lives.

OUR WEEKLY OFFERING
February 2002
February 23/24                         $5,600.
Month’s Total                         $23,366. 
Month’s Average                      $5,842.
Mailed in                                     $213.

We thank you!

WEEKLY AVERAGE COMPARISONS:
Month  ‘01 Monthly Avg.     ‘02 Monthly Avg.
January   $6,957.                $5,657.

February $6,070                  $5,842.

HOLY HOUR FOR PRIESTS
  Every Tuesday the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the church from 3PM to 4PM. It is an hour of prayer for the priests and religious men and women of the church. Prayers are also said for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. We invite you to come and spend time with the Lord for these intentions and for your personal requests. The Holy Hour closes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. If you cannot join us in church, we ask you to join us from a quiet spot in your home and pray with us, asking the Lord to guide and protect our priests. 

Second Collection
The annual Peter’s Pence Collection will take place next weekend, March 9/10. This collection
gives us all an opportunity to join in partnership with the Holy Father to help relieve the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable, those who suffer the devastating impact of war, oppression, disease, and natural disasters.

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Passover Seder
As noted above, the banquet of the Last Supper will take place on Sunday, March 17th. We will be reenacting this ancient Jewish festival the way Jesus and his disciples celebrated. The reliving of the exodus out of Egypt, the receiving of the Law on Mount Sinai, and the covenant made by God with the Hebrew people, has been the heart of the family ritual since Moses and Joshua led the Hebrews out of the desert to the land of Canaan.
From the time Jesus was a young boy, he traveled to Jerusalem with Joseph, Mary, and the rest 
of his family for the Passover. It is the obligation of each family to relive the Passover story so the
next generation knows what God did for them in the land of Egypt.
Jesus chose this special night to establish a new covenant with his Apostles and with us. When he took the bread and wine, as his body and blood, he told them to remember Him and we do. At each Mass, we relive that night with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, just as we did that night in Jerusalem.

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Teachers’ Information Meeting
From the Archdiocese of Newark Office of Superintendent of Schools
Please plan to attend one of our Teachers’ Information Meetings if you are considering pursuing the New Jersey Alternate Route to a career in teaching, or perhaps returning to the field after an absence of several years, but need some information about the Alternate Route and teaching in the Archdiocese of Newark. This meeting will take place at the Archdiocesan Center, 171 Clifton Ave., Newark on Monday, March 18th. The afternoon session starts at 2 p.m. and the evening session starts at 7 p.m. To register call: 973-497-4260 or email KAVANAAN@RCAN.ORG. Please give your name, number attending and which session you plan to attend.

Baby Shower
The Padre Pio Group is proud to announce their plans for a baby shower to benefit the Precious Babies at Hudson Cradle. The babies at Hudson Cradle range from newborn to 18 months. This joyous event will be celebrated on Saturday, April 20th at 2 p.m. in St. Anne’s Church auditorium (Congress Street entrance). Guest speaker will be Father Robert Langdon. Everyone is welcome. We ask that gifts remain unwrapped. For more information, you can contact Fran at 201-653-1318 or Terry at 201-798-3394.
Bible Study and Reflection
Everyone is invited to a Bible Study and Reflection of the Word of God every Friday for one hour 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. in Parish Center #4, except First Fridays and Good Friday. Father Jose and Father Julio conduct these gatherings. Prayer meeting follows, however, optional for the attendees. For more information, contact Tina at (201) 653-4785, Arlene (201) 792-2255 or Father Jose/Father Julio at the rectory (201) 656-2490.

Wedding Anniversary Celebrations
The Archdiocese of Newark is having their Wedding Anniversary Masses at the Cathedral Basilica in Newark as follows:
5th & 25th Wedding Anniversary
April 7, 2002 at 4:30 p.m.
50th Wedding Anniversary
April 14, 2002 at 4:30 p.m.
*Deadline for April 7 reservations: March 27th *Deadline for April 14 reservations: April 3rd
Come to rectory to fill out form before deadline!

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MONDAY 2 Kgs 5:1-15a Ps 42:2-3;43:3-4 Lk 4:24-30
TUES. Dn 3:25,34-43 Ps 25:4bc,6-7bc,8-9 Mt 18:21-35
WED. Dt 4:1,5-9 Ps 147:12-13,15-16,19-20 Mt 5:17-19
THURS. Jer 7:23-28 Ps 95:1-2,6-9 
Lk 11:14-23
FRIDAY Hos 14:2-10 Ps 81:6c-11b,14,17 Mk 12:28b-34
SATURDAY Hos 6:1-6 Ps 51:3-4,18-21b Lk 18:9-14
NEXT SUNDAY - FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT - 1Sm 16:1b,6-7,10-13a Ps 23:1-6 Eph 5:8-14 Jn 9:1-41

Registration
St. Anne’s Elementary School will have open registration for new students the week of March 11th thru March 15th. Requirements are:
- Birth Certificate
- Baptismal Certificate (for Catholics)
- Registration fee: $100
- Age Requirements:
For Pre-K: Child must be 4 yrs. old by 9/30
For Kind.: Child must be 5 yrs. old by 9/30

Feast of St. Joseph
On Tuesday, March 19th we will celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph with a 7 p.m. prayer service in church followed by refreshments in the auditorium. Tickets are $3 and are available at the rectory. Your ticket donation will help defray refreshment costs and is greatly appreciated.
CCD NEWS
* Congratulations to all children from our parish who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation last Saturday for the first time. As they begin their preparation for First Holy Communion in April, please keep them in your prayers.
* There will be a First Communion Parent Meeting today at 1 p.m. in Chapel Hall. Please be present - papers will be given out to choose communion date.
* At the 9 a.m. Mass on Sundays during Communion preparation, First Communion children will be bringing up gifts and presenting worksheets to the celebrant. Different children will be chosen each Sunday before Mass begins.
* Parent Club Meeting today in Parish Center #3 from 10-11:15 a.m. 
* Practice for Presentation of Last Supper for Communicants will be March 7th, 11th, and 12th from 3-4:30 p.m. in Chapel Hall. If your child skips practice, he cannot be in Presentation!
* All 7th and 8th graders attending the Youth Rally on March 13th need to bring in their permission slips by March 7th.

Gift Shop
Attention Communion Parents: Communion sets for boys and girls are now available in the Gift Shop, located in the rectory. These sets include a prayer book, rosary, scapular and pin. We also have white ties for the boys. 
The Gift Shop has an assortment of Communion and Baptismal gifts. We are open every Sunday
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or you may come during the week (Monday-Thursday) until 5 p.m.

Columbia Avenue (JC) Association
The next meeting date for Columbia Avenue Association will be Thursday, March 7th at 7 p.m. in St. Anne’s rectory basement.

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                                          Our Website

                     http://stannesjc.com         

When you log on and browse around you’ll see all kinds of information about our parish. Included, of course, will be the current activities for the many different organizations as well as an update as to what is going on with our parish family.
Do not let evil defeat you: Instead, conquer evil with good!!

By your wounded heart: teach us love, teach us love, teach us love..... -Daphne Fraser

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Personal Meditation 

March 3rd, 2002
Reflections

Third Sunday of Lent 

Exodus 17:3-7, Psalm 95, Romans 5:1-2,5-8, John 4:5-42
We live in a world of progress reports, work evaluations, and periodic reassessments. We hope to get a higher wage or a better position because of our improved output or more efficient management. Today's readings tell of a God whose graciousness does not depend on our work ethic or our desire to succeed. God's desire to promote our cause is based solely on God's love for the sake of loving. For our God, love is its own reward.
The Exodus passage speaks of a place called Massah and Meribah. Yahweh tends to the needs of Yahweh's people in the desert. Nevertheless the people attack the very purpose of the Exodus: "Why did you bring us out of Egypt?" (Exodus 17:3). Israel seems to reject God's plan of salvation, yet the Lord will continue meeting their needs because it is the nature of God to do so.
Paul writes today about the peace that comes from being right with God. Through the ups and downs of life, the Christian knows God in Jesus. Paul insists that Christ freely chose to die for godless humans. The self-giving of Christ seems so incomprehensible; his death is the great proof of God's love.
John writes that the sending of the Son is grounded in God's love for the world (see John 3:16). Jesus brings the living water, God's revelation, to the Samaritans -- who were considered renegade or second-class by the Jews. Jesus talks not only with a Samaritan but with a Samaritan woman, a reversal of acceptable practice in first-century Judaism in Palestine. The woman brings the message of Jesus to her people who then accept Jesus as the Savior of the world. For John this is the fulfillment of Jesus' mission: "God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:17).

Thought For The Day
Love is to be given unconditionally in the manner of our God whose very essence is to look to the welfare of others. In a pragmatic world the gospel's message is: Love is its own reward.