Home     Pastoral Sharings     Divine Mercy     Catholic Resources     7 Sacraments     The Passion     Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit     EWTN Live     Area Church Bulletins     Catholic News     Our History     Contact Us     Site Map      

 

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time   

   February 5

 

On leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them (Mark 1:30-31).

 

Sunday Readings

The first reading is taken from the Book of Job 7:1-4, 6-7. The author cries out in his misery, speaks of life and death, cites his restlessness and life's struggle and notes that he will not see happiness again.

 

The second reading is from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. In this section of his letter St. Paul is encouraging his Corinthian converts to be always ready to forgo their own rights when the edification or spiritual welfare of a neighbor is at stake.

...more 

Church News

  • St John's Kids

    • Parish News & Service

    •  

    Our Daily Bread

    • Pastor

    Rev. Father Michael Phillippino

     

    Deacon

    Rev. Mr. John R. Hancock

     

    Principal

    Mr. Bob Fritz

    blairgrsec@yahoo.com

     

    Director of Religious Education

    Kathryn Connolly


    Parish Administrative Secretary
    Mrs. Megan Burke
    StJohnSecretary@comcast.net
       

    Parish Bookeeper

    Ms. Patty Holmes

    StJohnBook@comcast.net

     

    Sexton

    Michael Keleher

    StJohnSexton@comcast.net

     

    Choir Director

    Bryan Cosham

     

    Parish Office Hours
    Monday through Friday

    8AM to 3PM

    Closed weekends, holidays & holy days

     

    Parish Council
    Meets every 3rd Thursday of the month at 7 PM in the Rectory; all parishioners are welcome to attend

     

      

    "The Mother Church of The Norwich Diocese"

    Mass Schedule

    Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM

    Sunday Mass: 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM

    Weekday Masses: 8:00 AM Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat

    No 8AM Mass on Wed

    Eucharistic Adoration begins in the chapel at 9AM after morning Mass

    on the 1st Friday of each month and ends at 6PM, in observance of the 6:30 Stations of the Cross, with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and a Benediction.

    Monday Night: Miraculous Medal Novena in the Chapel

    Thursday Night: 7PM Prayer Group in the Chapel

    First Fridays: 8AM Mass and Devotions to the Sacred Heart

    First Saturdays: 8AM Mass and Holy Rosary

    Confession: Heard Saturdays, 3:00-3:30PM

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Sample Texts

     

     

        Defending Religious Liberty

     

       A Letter from Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich

     

    My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

     

    I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith.  The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people—the Catholic population—and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

     

     The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception.  Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write.  And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

     

     In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty.  And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled either to violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so).  The Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

     

     We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law.  People of faith cannot be made second class citizens.  We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom.  Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights.  In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties.  I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same.  Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

     

     And therefore, I would ask of you two things.  First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored.  Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible.  Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience, to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Administration’s decision.

     

     Entrusting this grave matter to the intercession of Our Blessed Lady, Mother of the Lord and Mother of the Church, I remain 

     

     

    Sincerely yours in Christ,

     

    Bishop of Norwich

     

    Mass of Healing and Anointing of the Sick

    St. Francis of Assisi Church, Middletown, presents A Mass of Healing and Anointing of the Sick on Saturday, February 11th, 2012 at 10:00 AM. Church is located at 10 Elm Street, Middletown. All are invited. For more information email office@saintfrancisofassisi.com .

    Discover Mercy

    “Discover Mercy” is a Saturday morning program offered on March 31, 2012 for fifth, sixth and seventh grade girls and their parents to get their first look at Mercy by enjoying activities, student performances and informal conversations with Mercy students, parents, administrators and faculty. For more information visit www.mercyhigh.com

     

    Holy Family Retreat Center

    303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT 06107-3119

    Valentine’s Day Buffet Dinner and Wine Tasting-Per Person: $65.00 Join us for the celebration of Mass followed by a delicious buffet and wine tasting prepared by Holy Family’s chef Joe Ethier. Tue, Feb 14, 2012, 6:00 PM-For reservations, call 860-521-0440 or register online at www.holyfamilyretreat.org/store/events/special-events/

     

    May 18th: “Nightwatch” & 911 Memorial

    In conjunction with the First Congregational

    Church in Portland, St. Mary's of Portland's

    youth ministry will be attending the

    “Nightwatch” program at St. John Divine

    Cathedral in NYC on May 18/19, 2012. This

    event is for high school students only. There

    will also be a tour of the 911 Memorial. The

    cost is $48 with a $24 deposit due by November

    1st, with the balance due by April 1st. for more

    information call St. Mary's office: 860-342-2328.

    Xavier High School’s 20th Auction

    February 11, 2012, 6 – 10 p.m.

    The theme for this year's auction is a "Mardi Gras Celebration" featuring "A Taste of Xavier" where several area restaurants will present items from their menus to delight the attendees. The event will feature a Silent and Live Auction. Tickets: $40 advance sales or $50 at the door. Advance sales at www.xavierhighschool.org/auction2012  For more info, email webmaster@xavierhighschool.org.

     

    St. John Church Trip to Italy: April 2012

    St. John Church will be sponsoring a trip to Italy, April 14-22, 2012. For more information, contact Debra Liistro (Sanditz Travel) at 860-346-5511.

     

    St. John Church 

    of Cromwell

    Save the Date- Monday, Feb. 27 and Tuesday Feb. 28, 2012, 7:00pm-8:00pm. Ralph Martin of Renewal Ministries will lead their 2012 Lenten Mission. Ralph Martin is Director of Graduate Theology Programs in Evangelization and an assistant professor of theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit. He holds a doctorate in theology from the Angelicum University in Rome. The topics of his talks are “Called to Holiness” and “Called to Mission”. There will be refreshments each evening and Ralph will be available to greet the audience. Admission is free. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Vatican Website

               St. John          Norwich Diocese 

    St. John Church Nativity
    Window Ornament click here
     

    Saint John School

    Bob Fritz - Principal

    Grades K - 8

    5 St. John Sq.

    Middletown, CT 06457

    860-347-3202

    blairgrsec@yahoo.com

    stjohnschoolmiddletown.org

     

    Click here to see our gifts featuring the antique sacred art stained glass windows in our historic church

     

     

     

         

     

     

    Master of the Gospels-Hitda

    Jesus Heals Peters Mother-in-law

    Illustration from Gospel Book

    1020

    Hesse State University Library, Germany

     

    The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family. The first three and a half weeks of February fall within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green, the symbol of hope, is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The remaining days of February are the beginning of Lent. The liturgical color changes to purple — a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart.

    Preparing for the Mass - February 5, 2012

    Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Reading I: Job 7:1-4, 6-7
    Responsorial Psalm: 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
    Reading II: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23
    Gospel: Gospel: Mark 1:29-39


    Sunday Bible Reflections by Dr. Scott Hahn

    For adults: The website, The Center for Liturgy, will help you prepare for Mass. For children: the website, Sadler, will help our kids get ready for Sunday readings. 

    The heroic minute, immediately upon waking - the first battle of the day  

    5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark 1:29-39

     

    Rising very early before dawn, [Jesus] left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.

     

    After exorcising a demoniac, healing St. Peter’s mother-in-law, and curing many others, Jesus teaches us the absolute primacy of the interior life by rising early the next morning, before it was day, so as to go to a deserted place and pray.

    ...more

    We're on a Mission from God

    The Bible is not just for Churches and Synagogues. Portions of it are read as literature, even in secular university classrooms. Invariably, when you look at the syllabus of such courses, you find Job.

     

    It’s not hard to see why. Job poignantly expresses what all human beings experience at one time or another–the feeling that life is a burden, that our daily routine is drudgery, that our suffering is meaningless, that there’s not much hope

     ...more

    Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jesus Heals  

    The gospel reading for today is presented as a contrast to the first reading.  The first reading is Job's lament.  The Book of Job is a long book in the bible.  It has 42 chapters.  The first two chapters of this book and the last ten verses of chapter 42 are the story framework most of us are acquainted with when we think about Job.  This is where we hear about Job being a just man who is beset by all sorts of horrible suffering.  He says, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be

    ...more 

    Bishops Issue Letters Objecting to HHS Mandate

    On Feb. 1, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia issued an action alert on the Health and Human Services mandate, joining more than 100 other bishops in voicing objection to violation of Catholic conscience in health care.

     

    “Bishops and lay Catholic leaders across the United States have made it clear that we cannot comply with this unjust law without compromising our convictions and undermining the Catholic identity of many of our service ministries,” he wrote.

    ...more

    Updated: *153* Bishops (Over 80% of Dioceses) Have Spoken Out Against Obama/HHS Mandate 

    In the past I’ve compiled a list of all the bishops speaking out on a particular controversial issue (for instance, over Notre Dame’s invitation to President Obama) — here are the bishops who have spoken out against the Obama/HHS mandate.

    ....more

    Catholics, Get Ready to Suffer 

    I remember coloring in the lions on the paper my Catechism teacher had handed out. The lions in the coliseum were approaching a group of huddled Catholics.

     

    My CCD teacher asked us if we too were willing to suffer for our faith the way the martyrs of old did? I remember looking at those cartoon lions and deciding that yes, I very much had the stuff to stare down a cartoon lion. Easy.

    ...more

    I Thirst For You – Amazing Prayer of Mother Theresa  

    Do you have a basic faith in God, but struggle to believe that Jesus really loves you on a personal basis? Do you believe that He knows you intimately, and wants to have a close relationship with you? Sometimes we know all these things in our head, but the truth of the matter has not made it to our hearts. 

    ...more

    The Fatima Story and Prayers of Reparation

    Would world peace be a bigger miracle than the Sun dancing at Fatima? Fatima prayers, along with the rosary, are a part of what has been called Our Lady of Fatima’s Peace Plan from Heaven! The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto (pictured above), six times in 1917 at the Cova da Iria near the town of Fatima in

    ...more

    Pope: Christ's Prayer in Garden of Gethsemane Shows God's Constant Providence

    Christians should trust in the loving providence of God, even when going through dark periods in life, Pope Benedict XVI said in his Feb. 1 general audience.

     

    “In prayer we must be able to bring before God our fatigue, the suffering of certain situations and of certain days, our daily struggle to follow him and to be Christians, and even the weight of evil we see within us and around us, because he gives us hope, makes us aware of his nearness, and gives us a little light on the

    ...more

    Why You Should Wear the Miraculous Medal

    When I was still Protestant, I remember reading St Ephrem the Syrian. I was amazed by how often he spoke of the Mother of Christ and how much he praised her in his poetic hymnody. Ephrem was a Syrian Christian living from AD 306 – 373. He is early and he undoubtedly teaches that Mary was without stain, unlike other humans. He is probably the earliest and most explicit Patristic witness to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

    ...more

    PASTORAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE YEAR OF FAITH

    Made public today was a Note from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith containing pastoral recommendations for the Year of Faith. Summarised extracts of the English-language version are given below.

     

    "With the Apostolic Letter of 11 October 2011, 'Porta fidei', Pope Benedict XVI declared a Year of Faith. This Year will begin on 11 October 2012, … and will conclude on 24 November 2013, the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal

    ...more

    Three Prophesies About Christ That Couldn't Have Been Made Up 

    In the New Testament, Jesus is depicted as fulfilling numerous Old Testament Messianic prophesies.  These prophesies provide objective verification that He is Who He claims to be.  But how can we know that these things really happened?  In other words, how do we know that the New Testament writers didn't just make up these details, to make Jesus look like the Messiah?

     

    I want to suggest three sets of prophesies that the New Testament writers couldn't have manipulated, because they were outside of their control.

    ...more

    The Soul is Meant to be a Kind of Heaven 

    Towards the beginning of the Confessions of St. Augustine, he asks the Lord to enter his heart.  This house he explains is too small and too cluttered to be a dwelling place for God, but when the Lord enters in, He has the power to expand this sacred chamber of our being and to purify it.  He makes it into heaven -- that spiritual place where He reigns over all.

     

    The soul is meant to be a kind of heaven, a place where the reign of God is on earth as He is in Heaven, where his will is done, and where his Kingdom comes.

     ...more

    Divine Doctoring, and the Church's Least Understood Sacrament 

    We Sheas tend toward the hefty end of the spectrum. Some of that is genetics. Some of it is how the family tends to relate to food and (fails) to govern its appetites. Sin has a generational aspect to it. And sin is, among other things, enslaving (as anybody struggling with addiction will tell you). That’s why, after nearly fifty years of grappling with my renegade appetites and watching my weight balloon into dangerous obesity, I finally (after my priest suggested it) asked for the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick a few years ago.

    ...more

    Is Prayer to the Saints Pointless? 

    In my experience, Catholic-Protestant dialogues about praying to Saints tend to have two steps. In the first stage, prayer to the Saints is viewed as something suspect, or even evil. In the second stage, prayer to the Saints seems harmless, but also pointless.  Let's address each stage in turn. 

     

    Is Prayer to the Saints Evil?

     

    The first of these objections is simple enough.  The Old Testament prohibits divination, witchcraft and mediums (Deuteronomy 18:10).  This is why King Saul was sinning when he visited the witch of Endor, and persuaded her to conjure up the spirit of the deceased prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 28).

    ...more

    Mother Teresa's 15 tips to help you become more humble... 

    I’m sentimental. My appreciation for nostalgia is a balanced one now, but when I was a kid I kept everything because of sentimental value. Between old homework assignments and feathers from the backyard, my room was a mess of clutter and I was proud of everything I had that attracted dust. In one of several drawers overflowing with “memories,” was a photo album stuffed with my collection of holy cards for every occasion, most of which didn’t apply to an 8 year old – marriage, death of a child, ordination, lost causes. Sifting through my album when packing up for college, I came upon a yellowed scrap of paper with typewriter font with a litany entitled “Mother Teresa’s Humility List.”  Since then each time I read it is like choking down humble pie; and, it always leaves me starving for Christ, yearning to imitate Him. 

    ...more

    Ten Must-See Web Resources for Catholics 

    Thanks to these 10 ministries, a wealth of Catholic teaching, history, art, music and culture is a click away.

     

    When I was coming into the Church (back in 1987, when Pangaea was breaking up) one of the big challenges for somebody who wanted to know what the Church taught was simply finding material that made the faith intelligible to people who

    ...more

    Proud to be Catholic 

    Pride is a complex development in all human nature.  The plethora of connotations of pride confuses common man.  Pride is referred to as positive, as in: “My daughter won the spelling bee!  I am so proud.”  “I am proud of my recent promotion at work.”  Pride drives us to improve ourselves.  Pride eliminates complacency.  However, pride is a negative when we are too proud to apologize, we are too proud to admit we are wrong, we insist we are always right.  The Ancient Greeks called it hubris – extreme pride that results in one’s downfall.

     ...more

    Envy is THE Diabolical Sin 

    A short while back we read from First Samuel at daily Mass and encountered an envious Saul. Upon David’s return from slaying Goliath the women sang a song praising him. Saul should rejoice with all Israel but he is resentful and envies David as he hears the song: Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought: “They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me. All that remains for him is the kingship.” And from that day on, Saul looked upon David with a glarring eye.

    ...more 

    Why the Magisterium makes sense to me

    I am married to a Korean national.  I mention this not just because it is cool (and it is cool) but I’ve learned quite a few things about my Faith from being close to someone of a very different culture.

     

    Because of my wife’s nationality I know quite a few Koreans by association.  They come from education backgrounds that make your humble scribe feel quite inferior, or at least I’d feel that way if they weren’t so humble about it.  And one of the core components of this education is learning the English language.

    ...more  

     

     

                                      Live streaming video from our church from 8am to 8pm. There may be a short 30 second commercial.

     

    Make Custom Gifts at CafePress