The Fifth Sunday of Lent

Sunday, March 18, 2018

MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Evening:

4:00-4:30 p.m. Reconciliation 5:00 p.m. Mass

Sunday Morning: 9:15-9:45 a.m. Reconciliation

10:00 a.m. Mass Holy Days 6:00 p.m. Mass

CHURCH OFFICE Secretary: Nadine Crosby (912) 437-4750

E-Mail: nativity@darientel.net

Website: www.nativitydarien.us

OFFICE HOURS Monday: 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Closed Holidays

Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Church

“A Catholic Community With A Welcoming Heart”

1000 North Way (Hwy 17), P.O. Box 1079, Darien, Ga 31305 Fr. Timothy McKeown, Pastor Fr. Christopher Ortega, Parochial Vicar

Please patronize our advertisers.

PRIESTS’ OFFICE Fr. Tim and Fr. Chris have offices at St. Francis Xavier

Church located at 405 Howe St., Brunswick, GA 31520.

The office is open Monday - Friday from 9 am - 4 pm.

The SFX Church Office: (912) 265-3249

(Fr. Tim Ext. 11 and Fr. Chris Ext. 12)

Fr. Chris is in the Nativity office on

Tuesdays 10 am—2 pm

Answers: 1-A, 2-B, 3-B, 4-B, 5-C

Www.mikemurphykia.com

CATHOLIC TRIVIA ~ The Stations of the Cross Part 4 1. A fifteenth station is sometimes shown. Which station is this? A. the Resurrection B. the Assumption C. the Ascension D. the de scent of the Holy Spirit 2. The Catholic Church particularly encourages meditation on the Stations of the Cross at a certain time of year. What time of year is it? A. Christmas B. Lent C. Pentecost D. every Sunday 3. Are the stations of the cross ever an obligation for Catholics to attend or perform? A. They must be venerated once a year. B. No. C. They must be ven erateed once during the pre-Easter period. D. They must be venerated once on Good Friday. 4. According to Catholic tradition, where was St Joseph, the Foster Father of Jesus, throughout the events of the crucifixion? A. He had been executed. B. He had died much earlier. C. The local police had arrested him. D. He was there the whole time, but nobody saw him. 5. Where was Saint John the Baptist while all these events leading to the crucifixion were going on in Jerusalem? A. He was praying in a cell for a miracle. B. He was leading an army of supporters into Jerusalem to protest peacefully. C. He had been execut ed by order of Herod at an earlier time. D. He was arguing with the sol- diers all the way to Calvary.

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. John 12:24

"The Breastplate," St. Patrick's poem of faith and trust in God:

"Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in

danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."

Exert from Catholic Online

Please pray for: The repose of the soul of Fr. Lindsey, Dody Sheppard, Lou Casebonne, BrandonO’Brien, Michelle Skolnitsky, James Karwacki, Lorraine Karwacki, Jack Salay, Michael Pistritto, Linda Moore, Clare Moore, Cori Kusik, Meg Wallace, Caryn Pinto, Patricia Kusik, Star Purcell, Dionne Pierce, M.J. Hogan, Courtney Cobb, Michele Meyers, Wayne Doke, Carol Whitson, Sammy Gale, Carla Mucha, Cory Adamson, Madison Woolett, John Tompkins, Michael Higgins,

Saundra Leon, Brigett Conlin, Ann Doherty, Glenford John, Rosa Marie Santos, Maria Bourget, Bob Walczak, Bruce Lowie, Kathy Tailer, Scarlett Bosque, Dorothy Thomas, Randy Morris, Bill Reale, Jennifer O’Day, Donna Cole (Shuman) , Doll Gale, Vikki Kicklighter, Joan Vann and Tim-my Tindall. Also, for all of our loved ones serving our Military and for the Christians in the Middle East

~ WELCOME TO NATIVITY OF OUR LADY PARISH ~ March 18, 2018 ~ ~ the fifth Sunday of lent ~

If you are not taking your bulletin with you, please return them to the back table. Thank you. If you are not taking your bulletin with you, please return them to the back table. Thank you.

March 10 & 11 Offertory $1,833.10

Candles $9 Food Pantry $11.25

BAA $10 Mass Intentions $20 Rice Bowls $39.16

Catholic Relief $534 There will be a second collection March 30 for

the Holy Land

Around the Diocese Nativity News

Mass Intentions

Saturday 24 @ 5 pm GREETER: Mary Joiner READER: Yvette Powell COLLECTORS: Jerry Meyer & Bill Wikoff EUCH MIN: Carol O’Con-nor ALTAR SERV: Abby Sipe & Amanda Wood Sunday 25 @ 10 am GREETER: Sandy Stalgaitis READER: John Daniel COLLECTORS: Nuris Copeland & Bob Humkey EUCH MIN: Paula Gardner(stairs) ALTAR SERV: Grace Daniel & Roxanne Kranz

Liturgical Ministry

Schedule

March 2018

Come and pray the DIVINE CHAPLET OF MERCY—Fridays @ 3 pm during Lent

Saturday, March 17 † Mark Thompson

RB Collado & Reyes Families

Sunday, March 18 † Mark Thompson

RB Collado & Reyes Families

Father’s Reflection ~ Create a Clean heart in Me, O God!

Nativity Ladies’ Luncheon is the 3rd Tuesday of every month at Skipper’s in Darien at 11:45 am. All Nativity la-dies are welcome. The next luncheon is March 20th.

*For feet washing.at mass on Holy Thursday at 7 pm *For Easter Egg Hunt.

LENTEN DINNER, STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND ADORATION

On Fridays during Lent, we will be having a Lenten Din-ner starting at 5:45 pm, then the Stations of the Cross at 6:30 with Adoration to follow. We have a signup sheet for those who wish to prepare a Lenten meal.

Each month, the USCCB Office for Child & Youth Pro-tection livestreams the Rosary on it’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/usccb for victims/survivors of cler-gy sexual abuse. On March 21, 2018 at 10:00am the Rosary will be streamed from the Chapel at the Catho-lic Pastoral Center in Savannah. If you are in the area, please join us here as we keep the intentions of vic-tims/survivors and their healing in our prayers; other-wise, please join in prayer with us via Facebook.

ROSARY - 1st and 5th Sundays We say a Rosary before Sunday masses every 1st and 5th Sunday of the month. All are welcome to join.

The Nativity Knitters will be on hiatus until April 11. They will resume knitting on Wednesdays at 10 am after that.

Holy Thursday, March 29—Mass at 7 pm Good Friday, March 30—Service at 7 pm Holy Saturday, March 31—Mass at 7:45 pm Easter Sunday, April 1—Mass at 10 am

Mark your calendars: The Diaconate Ordinations will take place on Saturday, May 19 at 9:30 AM at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah. Most Reverend Gregory J. Hart-mayer, OFM Conv., Bishop of Savannah will Ordain 2 Transitional Deacons and 11 Permanent Deacons. Transitional Deacons Theodore Agba Peter Lanshima Permanent Deacons Ray Adriano Grovetown Bernard Bosse Americus Daniel Craig Augusta Timothy Hughes St. Marys Jason Lanham Augusta Michael Leach Albany Steven Mancuso Ray City Henry Nieves St. Marys Francisco Penela Bainbridge Brian Rollock Moultrie Reginald Russell Macon The Priestly Ordinations will take place on Saturday, June 30 at 10:00 AM at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah. Most Reverend Gregory J. Hart-mayer, OFM Conv., Bishop of Savannah will Ordain 2 Men to the Priesthood. Priestly Ordinations Deacon Christopher Hassel Deacon Drew Larkin All are invited to attend.

Today at Holy Mass we pray a famous penitential Psalm, number 51, sometimes called the Miserere. It is a cry for mercy and forgiveness. You are probably familiar with some of the lines. "Create a clean heart in me, O God… Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me." These are themes that tie in very nicely with Lent. What you may not know is who the author is and why he wrote it. That, as Paul Harvey says, is the "rest of the story." The author is King David who was a warrior-king. David was a shepherd boy whom God chose as His servant to be King of Israel. One of the first Bible stories we learn as children is his valiant fight against the giant Goliath. David would go on to reign as king for forty years. Later in his kingly service, he added an infamous chapter to his life. It is a chapter that, if we examine closely, we may find very instructive. We learn from II Samuel 11 that one spring David stayed home from the military campaigns. Usually he was with his troops in the field. This season he stays at the palace. During his idle time he spies a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. He lusts for her and has her sent to him and fulfills his lust. Later Bathshe-ba sends word that she is pregnant. He schemes how to get out of this predicament. Bathshe-ba's husband, Uriah, is a soldier who is away at war. David sends him for him to give him a furlough. He wants him to spend some time with his wife so that he will think that he is father of the child. When this doesn’t work he orders Uriah to be sent to the front of the battlefield so that he will be killed.

Look how far David has fallen. From a lazy stroll on the rooftop to becoming a mur-derer and adulterer. Sin is like cancer. It has a way of spreading if it is not cut out from the body. David's deeds becomes known and he is confronted by Nathan the prophet. Isn't it in-teresting that when we choose sin we are in a type of fog? David walks around with this evil for almost a year. Finally, David is confronted on his adultery and murder and in a moment of grace he is stung to the heart. He says, "For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always." He utters the words that make up Psalm 51. He realizes he has damaged his very soul through these sins so he cries out, "Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me." He realizes that by his very actions he has rejected God and broken his relationship. He cries out, "Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me." Could you think of a more terrible sin than King David's? Yet, the amazing thing is that God forgives him! God in his great mercy forgives David. This is good news for us. No matter how bad our sins, no matter how far we have fallen, God will take us back, if we repent. No-tice the key here is repentance. Had David's heart been hard he could not have asked for for-giveness. Forgiveness is a gift and like all gifts it must be received. We are all sinners. Whether our sins are many or few we have all gone astray. We cry out as the human race, "Create a clean heart in me, O God." This is something that only God can give. We cannot earn this. It is given to us by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. The grain of wheat that died to give us life. Repentance is an important aspect of our Lenten journey. I am called to come face to face with my sins. The Good News is that Jesus has already died to take those sins away. A practical way to live this out is through the Sacrament of Confession. As part of our Lenten journey we should all examine our conscience and make a good confession. Like King David we cry out to God, "Create a clean heart in me, O God." Don't let sin disqualify you from God's work. Moses murdered a man. King David committed murder and adultery and yet, after they repented, God was able to use them to do great things. If the only workers in God's kingdom were the perfect there would be no workers. We are not perfect but we can be forgiven. When we are forgiven we can exclaim with David, "Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow…Give me back the joy of your salva-tion, and a willing spirit sustain in me." And what ever became of King David and Bathsheba? They would later have a child named Solomon who would become one of the great kings of Israel's history. 1,000 years lat-er a child would be born in the City of David who was from the line of David. His name? Jesus Christ. And now you know the rest of the story! -Fr. Tim McKeown

“VIRTUS classes are scheduled throughout the Dio-cese. This training is required for Safe Environment Compliance for any adult who will come into contact with youth as part of their ministry (a listing of those ministries can be found at http://bit.ly/1yU4Yk6), and must be completed before they begin ministry. To reg-ister, go to www.diosav.org, and find the training listed on the Upcoming Events Calendar.” Date/Time Location 03/16/2018 6:00 PM Our Lady of Lourdes Church (Columbus) (Columbus) 03/19/2018 5:00 PM St. Francis Xavier SCHOOL (Brunswick) 03/21/2018 5:30 PM Blessed Sacrament SCHOOL (Savannah) 04/05/2018 5:45 PM St. Anne CHURCH (Columbus) (Columbus) 04/07/2018 2:00 PM St. Teresa CHURCH (Albany) (Albany) 04/14/2018 9:00 AM St. Joan of Arc (Louisville)

R.I.P. Fr. Lucien Lindsey—Parochial Vicor of St. Mary on the

Hill Parish in Augusta.

IN NEED OF: A 10 X 10 canopy/tent to borrow for the Blessing of the Fleet. Contact the church office if you have one you’d like to lend.

Friends of Scouting campaign for McIntosh County is underway. Those who wish to contribute, contact George Trexler or Jedon Lilliston (912) 577-0098

BLESSING OF THE FLEET Nativity of Our Lady will be participating in The Blessing of the Fleet on Saturday, April 14th. We will be raffling off a quilt, ,made by our pianist, Kathy Clark. Thank you!!! Please consider signing up for a 2-hour block of time on that day to help

Nativity participate in this community wide event. Sign up sheet is at the back of the church. Raffle tickets will be available to buy/sell prior to that weekend and will be one for $1 or 6 for $5.

On April 17th, the Tuesday Morning Women’s Discussion Group (TMWDG) from St. William will come to Nativity of Our Lady for a special day of prayer. Recently, they completed the series,

“Holy Mary, Mother of God” and are making this mini-pilgrimage here in honor of Our Lady and as their final program for the sea-son. Fr. Chris will celebrate Mass at 10am. Immediately follow-ing Mass, Deacon Patrick May is presenting a Five Georgia Mar-tyrs program in the Hall. All Nativity of Our Lady women are in-vited. After Mass and the presentation, all are invited to attend lunch at Skippers with Msgr. Kennelly, Fr. Chris, Fr. Tim, and Deacon Patrick. SEE BACK BULLETIN BOARD FOR MORE INIFORMATION.