St. John the Baptist R. C. Church 895 Piermont Avenue, Piermont, New York 10968

www.stjohnspiermont.org admin@stjohnspiermont.org 845-359-0078

Sept. 17th, 2017 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Rev. Tom Kunnel, C.O. Administrator

frtomkunnel@gmail.com

Deacon John Cunningham Deacon Robert Pang

Kathleen Dunn Religious Education Director

May Pang Parish Admin: admin@stjohnspiermont.org

MASSES

Saturday: 5:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM

1:00 PM (Spanish) Weekdays: 8:00 AM Saturday: 9:00 AM

Holy Days: As Announced

Rectory

Mon – Fri 10:15 AM – 4:00 PM

Sat 9 AM – 11 AM (Spanish)

“In Memory of Deacon Gene Cummins”

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE APP ‘ST JOHN PIERMONT’

Dear Parish Family, The third Sunday of September has been set aside by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as Catechetical Sunday. We began our Catholic religious education pro-

grams last Sunday and I am personally grateful to our Religious Edu-cation Teachers and Volunteers for their generosity. I repeat to them the great promise of Jesus, “If you witness me before others, I will witness you to the Father.” What a sure promise of Eternal Life! Sec-ond to the celebrations of the sacraments, there is nothing more im-portant than the formation of our children in our Catholic Faith. The Reading from Sirach sums up the goals of Catholic education: think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor (forgiveness), remember God’s sacred covenant and “overlook faults” or be patient with others. These are four great themes for Catholic education.

The Gospel narrative of this Sunday focuses on forgiveness. For-giveness is a major ingredient of imitating God. People do not always do right, and we need to forgive them. This is the gift and the goal. Our culture has some pretty diverse understandings of what forgiveness means. For some it is a condescending act performed only by one per-son who is higher than another— a Superior or judge, who leans down to grant pardon. Or a boss, or a media star. For others it means “I can forgive but I can never forget.” Perhaps this means, I will remain angry forever but will never act upon it. Such a stance includes an uncom-fortable attitude: “I will choke back my hurt and anger by a sheer act of the will. I may have been attacked by someone, but I will suppress my reaction.”

On Easter Sunday of 1960, the great seer of truth and lover of God, Dag Hammarskjold, wrote an interpretation of forgiveness thus: For-giveness breaks the chain of causality because he who ‘forgives’ you—out of love—takes upon himself the consequences of what you have done. Forgiveness, therefore, always entails a sacrifice. You ab-sorb these sacrifices, out of love. In the story that Jesus narrates, the master forgave the debtor “an impossible to repay sum.” The master then asks the forgiven servant, “Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?”

Underneath this plea lies the principle of ‘breaking the chain of causal-ity.’ The real motivation for forgiveness is gratitude based on love. If someone has had pity on me out of love, then my authentic reaction will be deep appreciation. I will want to pass the gift on. Especially if it is God who has forgiven me, I will want to pass on to someone else the liberation I have received. Especially if that person has hurt me.

So can we halt the chain of causality and pass forward love instead of hate? At every Eucharist, we are forgiven and given the power to for-give others. In the final analysis in NOT breaking the chain of causali-ty (‘un-forgiveness’) we hurt ourselves multiple times and with greater intensity. Forgiveness is the greatest gift we give to ourselves.

Fr. Tom Kunnel C.O.

THE SANCTUARY LAMP

Is Being Offered this week Nick Pennella

By Janet Zahn

Please remember in your prayers the Sick and/or Homebound of our Parish Family. Thomas Mooney, John Beckley, Ron Rebers, Ginny Terzer, Virginia McCauley-Cook.

As a Parish Family, let us remember in our prayers all our beloved departed members of our Parish Community, Theresa Sforca, Madeline Ventriglia, Angelina Benicasa, Frank Walsh, Nelida Cortes, Joseph Iorio, father of Lee McGarvey, Ken Melia, Angelo Mercurio, Michael K . McGuiness, Jr., Mi-chael K. McGuiiness, Theresa (Patti) Veen, John McCann, Charlie Card, Beverly Pane PLEASE ADVISE THE RECTORY (359-0078) WHENEVER A PARISHION-ER BECOMES HOMEBOUND, ILL, OR HOSPITALIZED SO ARRANGE-MENTS CAN BE MADE FOR A PRIEST, DEACON OR EUCHARISTIC

Sat 9/16 5:00 PM Madeline Ventriglia by Joe & Flo D'Auria

Sun 9/17

8:00 AM Nancy Panebianco by Ted Simone

10:30:AM Michael & Mary McLaughlin by Armstrong Family

Mon 9/18 8:00 AM Julia Acceste by Ann Ely

Tue 9/19 8:00 AM Jimmy O'Connor By Catherine O'Brien

Wed 9/20 8:00 AM Jacquelin Taylor by Ann Ely

Thu 9/21 8:00 AM Mary Ann Gallucci by Lee Mc Garvey

Fri 9/22 8:00 AM Sophia Koza by Helen, Anthony, Kathy Koza

Sat 9/23

9:00 AM Betty Sedlack by Family

5:00 PM Jean Luckie by John Luckie

Sun 9/24

8:00 AM Annabell Courtney by Angelina & Ron Vazquez

10:30 AM Michelle Arroyo by Arroyo Family

Liturgy Schedule Sept. 23/24

Day Time Lector Eucharistic

Minister Altar Servers

Saturday 9/23 5:00 PM Oscar Nordstrom Elaine Laurino

Sunday 9/24

8:00 AM Fran Loftus Lynne Dennerlein Oliver Young Owen Young 10:30 AM Jeanine Kennedy May Pang Aoife Kennedy Daniela Carpio 1:00 PM Carlos Hernandez Nelson Zamora Dayana Agustin Marleni Lemus Kenia Agustin Mario Zamora Kathy Ruballos Hilda Alarcon

**URGENTLY NEEDED!**

We find ourselves with a huge 6th grade class and only one teacher. We will not have classes tomorrow evening (see below), but we are so hoping to find a second 6th grade teacher who could begin on September 25th. Please, please call me at 942.2908 ASAP if you can take on this ministry. You will get all the help you need to get started. Pinky promise!!! NOTE: There will be NO CLASSES for Grades 6, 7 and 8 on Monday, September 18, 2017 due to the blacktopping of the parking lot. Just wait and see the beautiful and practical changes this will make to our already lovely parish. There are NO CLASSES for the Sunday children next Sunday, Sep-tember 24, 2017.

UPCOMING MEETINGS - PLEASE READ

CONFIRMATION PARENTS & CANDIDATES: Monday, October 2 at 7 pm in Church

MEETING FOR ALL PARENTS: Monday, October 16 at 7 pm in Church (ALL PARENTS MEANS KINDERGARTEN - GRADE 8 ENGLISH & SPANISH)

FIRST COMMUNION PARENTS MEETINGS: SPANISH - Sunday, October 15 at 11 am in Hall

ENGLISH - Sunday, October 22 at 9:15 am in Church

23rd Sunday in Ord. Time

Readings No. 922 A

An in depth study of the most loved part of the Bible “The Psalms”

Every Tuesday at Lower Parish House at St. Catharine, Blauvelt, guided by Fr. Tom

Sun 17-Sep

9AM Religious Ed

10:30AM Family Mass

11:30AM Legion of Mary

11:30AM Spanish Religious Ed

1PM Spanish Baptism

7PM AA Meeting

Mon 18-Sep

Tue 19-Sep

10AM Scripture Class

7PM Baptism Prep

7PM Altar Server Prep

Wed 20-Sep

Thu 21-Sep

1PM CDA Knitting

7PM Amigos de Jesus

7PM Rios de Agua Viva Group

Fri 22-Sep

10AM Fri Renew Group

7PM Spainish Prayer Group

7:30PM Youth Group

Sat 23-Sep

9/10/17 Will be reported next week

9/10 $4,317

Home & Latin America Mission $1,164

TODAY'S READINGS

FORGIVENESS Nearly ten years before, a son and father had parted ways when the business they shared went bankrupt. The son blamed the father. They did not speak to each other again. Then the father became seriously ill. The mother called the son and told him he had better come soon. The son walked sheepishly into the hospital room. The father motioned his son to him and whispered: "Did you ever think you could do anything that would keep me from loving you?" Resentment and anger are foul things, the first reading from Sirach tells us. Remember the last things. Stop hating. Live by the commandments. As Saint Paul writes to the Romans, we are to live for the Lord and die for the Lord. Jesus' parable in today's Gospel reminds us of God's compas-sion. The immense sin of humanity has been forgiven and stricken from the record. We are to forgive others in the same way.

First Reading -- Remember the commandments and hate not your neighbor (Sirach 27:30 -- 28:9). Psalm -- The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion (Psalm 103). Second Reading -- Whether we live, or whether we die, we do so for the Lord (Romans 14:7-9). Gospel -- Forgive one another from your heart (Matthew 18:21-35).

Contact Deacon Rob Pang (robpang1@optonline.net) if you are interested in

joining the RCIA program.

Soul Exercises Finding Spiritual Health Through

Contemplative Silence

Increase inner peace, decrease stress, value the gifts of life more intensively and

deepen your relationship with God Find all this and more in Silence: Silence is the great revelation

Silence is transforming Join us for a 4 session group exercise on pursuit of con-

templative silence. 10/8 & 22 and 11/5 & 19 from 6-7:30PM 1/17 & 21 and 2/4 & 18 from 6- 7:30 PM

Fr. George Torok, CO is the Spiritual Guide. This is NOT a lecture series—you will be doing exercises to

increase your awareness of silenc.

Seating is very limited and you MUST reserve your place:

Email redirector@olshtappan.com or

call 845-627-0627 x112

We've already raised $301,000 in pledges, or 60% of our goal! We still need your support in order to fund our capital projects. For those of you who haven't been able to pledge, please stop by the rectory or pick up a pledge form in the back of the church. You generosity is greatly appreciated!

Construction and Campaign in Progress! Please note you can also give online at renewrebuild.org.

Dear Merciful Lord, Thank you for your gift of forgiveness. Your only Son loved me enough to come to earth and experience the worst pain imaginable so I could be forgiven. Your mercy flows to me in spite of my faults and failures. Your Word says to “clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” (Col. 3:14) Help me demonstrate unconditional love today, even to those who hurt me. I understand that even though I feel scarred, my emotions don’t have to con-trol my actions. Father, may Your sweet words saturate my mind and direct my thoughts. Help me release the hurt and begin to love as Jesus loves. I want to see my offender through my Savior’s eyes. If I can be forgiven, so can he. I understand there are no levels to your love. We are

all your children, and your desire is that none of us should perish. You teach us to “let the peace that comes from Christ rule in our hearts.” (Col. 3:15) When I forgive in words, allow your Holy Spirit to fill my heart with peace. I pray this peace that only comes from Jesus will rule in my heart, keeping out doubt and questions. And above all, I am thankful. Not just today, not just this week, but always. Thank you for the reminder, “Always be thankful.” (Col. 3:15) With grati-tude I can draw closer to you and let go of ‘unforgiveness’. With gratitude I can see the person

who caused my pain as a child of the Most High God. Loved and accepted. Help me find the compassion that comes with true forgiveness. And when I see the person who hurt me, bring this prayer back to my re-membrance, so I can take any ungod-ly thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5) And may the confidence of Christ in my heart guide me into the freedom of forgiveness. I praise you for the work

you are doing in my life, teaching and perfecting my faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. - Kristine Brown

FORM A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILIES AND SAY ROSARY AT OUR GROTTO IN OCTOBER. SIGN UP SHEET IS AVAILABLE IN THE VESTIBULE OF THE CHURCH

LECTURAS DE HOY Primera lectura -- No podemos fomentar el rencor y esperar que se nos perdonen nuestros pecados (Sirácide 27:30 -- 28:7). Salmo -- El Señor es bondadoso y misericordioso, lento a la ira y rico en compasión (Salmo 103(102)). Segunda lectura -- Ya sea que vivamos o muramos, lo hacemos en Cristo (Romanos 14:7-9). Evangelio -- Jesús dice que debemos perdonar no sólo siete veces sino setenta veces siete veces (Mateo 18:21-35).

PERDÓN Unos diez años antes, un padre e hijo se distanciaron cuan-do el negocio en el que eran socios se fue a bancarrota. El hijo culpó al padre. No se hablaron más. Entonces el padre se puso gravemente enfermo. La madre llamó al hijo y le dijo que viniera a verlo pronto. El hijo en-tró con vergüenza a su habitación en el hospital. El padre hizo un gesto para que se acercara y susurró: "¿Acaso pen-saste que podrías hacer algo que me hiciera dejar de am-arte?" El rencor y la cólera son abominables, nos dice la primera lectura de Sirácide. Piensa en tu fin. Deja de odiar. Vive conforme a los mandamientos. Como escribe san Pablo en Romanos, para el Señor vivimos y para el Señor morimos. En el decimosexto aniversario del 11 de septiembre de 2001, para nosotros en Estados Unidos todavía no nos es fácil perdonar. Sin embargo, la parábola de Jesús en el Evangelio de hoy nos recuerda la compasión de Dios. El inmenso pecado de la humanidad ha sido perdonado y bor-rado del libro. Tenemos que perdonar a otros de igual manera.

Para los cursos pre-bautismales llamar a: .Alex Aguilar 845-480-1502 y Natalia Lemus 845-480-1682. Los cursos se dan previa cita los martes 7pm y domingo 11am.

LECTURAS DE LA SEMANA

Lunes 1 Tim 2:1-8; Sal 28 (27):2, 7-9; Lc 7:1-10

Martes 1 Tim 3:1-13; Sal 101 (100):1b-3ab, 5-6; Lc 7:11-17

Miércoles 1 Tim 3:14-16; Sal 111 (110):1-6; Lc 7:31-35

Jueves Ef 4:1-7, 11-13; Sal 19 (18):2-5; Mt 9:9-13

Viernes 1 Tim 6:2c-12; Sal 49 (48):6-10, 17-20; Lc 8:1-3

Sábado 1 Tim 6:13-16; Sal 100 (99):1b-5; Lc 8:4-15

Domingo Is 55:6-9; Sal 145 (144):2-3, 8-9, 17-18; Fil 1:20c-24, 27a; Mt 20:1-16a

TRADICIONES DE NUESTRA FE

En 1535 los frailes mercedarios construyeron la primera iglesia en Lima Perú dedicada a su patrona, Nuestra Seño-ra de la Merced. Esta orden religiosa se remonta al siglo XIII, mientras algunos musulmanes tomaban prisioneros cristianos en España. Era su misión rescatar a los cautivos, incluso, hasta tomar su lugar si fuera necesario. Con el paso de los siglos, los mercedarios se han dedicado a rescatar todo tipo de cautivos del abuso social. Por tal razón, muchas imágenes de la Virgen de Nuestra Señora de la Merced la pintan con dos bolsitas de monedas usadas para comprar la libertad de los encarcelados o esclaviza-dos. En otras imágenes carga cadenas abiertas como sím-bolo de libertad. Esta patrona de Perú recuerda el deseo latinoamericano de la liberación. Este deseo de liberación se ha convertido en un compromiso urgente para la Iglesia latinoamericana en protesta por los muchos abusos por parte de militares, guerrilleros y carteles de la droga que amenazan la liber-tad. Jesús vino a liberarnos del pecado y sus consecuencias y su madre (la Merced) ayuda fielmente en esa obra. Su Iglesia no puede hacer otra cosa sino lo mismo.

Mi agradecimiento personal a aquellos de ustedes que se pusieron de pie para invertir en el futuro de San Juan.. Si aún no lo ha hecho, le pido con urgen-cia que envíe su "FORMULARIO DE PAGO" (PLEDGE FORM) antes del 20 de agosto. Se le enviará un re-cordatorio por correo. Por favor, sepa, estaría muy feliz de reunirme con usted personalmente para discutir con usted el compromiso de su campaña.

Mis sinceros agradecimientos a todos ustedes que ya hicieron una promesa de sacrificio a nuestra par-roquia. San Juan Bautista, ruega por nosotros. En Cristo,

Fr. Tom Kunnel

Predicadora: Yilma Asebedo Ministerio de Alabanza: Evelin Moran

Fecha: 14 de Octubre 2017 Informacion a los Telefonos ; 845 406—7087 845 274—

Te invita a vivir un retiro de parejas. Para mas informacion—845 499-9225

Sábado 30 de Sept.

8:30AM a

4:00PM

P A R I S H M I N I S T R I E S & C H A I R Buildings & Grounds Pat Miele, Alex Aguilar, Buzz Johnson Deanery TBD Eucharistic Adoration Dcn Robert Pang Health Mary Loftus Hispanic Community Mario Zamora, Marili Mendoza Palma Hospitality Robin Miller Men’s Club Bill Loftus. Ralph Olsen Ushers Jake Miraglia Music Elise Espinosa, Chris & Carolyn Yates, Spanish Choir Carlos Cerna, William Martinez Outreach Maria Nest Parish Council Scott Giblin Parish Worship Dcn John Cunningham Religious Education Kathleen Dunn RCIA Dcn Robert Pang, Jose Bolaños Right to Life Scott Giblin Social TBD Spiritual Life Johanna Krumm St. Vincent De Paul Fr. Tom Kunnel

P A R I S H C O U N C I L Kathleen Dunn, Scott Giblin. Paul Johnson, Andrew Lee, Martina

Lynch, William Martinez, Maria Nest , Ralph Olsen, May Pang, Alex Flores, Carolyn Yates, Janet Zahn, Rafael Mazariego

T R U S T E E S Phil McCartin James Pontone

Our Sacramental Life

Baptism: Please call the Rectory well in advance of the expected day of Baptism to arrange an appointment for an interview. Pre-baptismal meeting for parents is required. Godparents must be confirmed, practicing Catholics. Generally Baptisms are celebrated the third Sunday of each month at 12:00 pm.

Reconciliation: Confessions are heard from 4:30-5:00 pm on Saturday. You may also make an appointment with Fr. Tom. Spanish confessions is availa-ble from 12:30–1:00 PM on Sundays.

Marriage: Marriages should be arranged at least six months in advance. Participation in Pre-Cana is essential. Please call the Rectory to schedule an appointment with Fr. Tom.

Anointing of the Sick: Before you enter the hospital for elective surgery or other serious treatment, and for those who have need of spiritual healing. In an emergency, please call Fr. Tom’s mobile 845 608 9358.

Holy Orders: Any gentleman interested in exploring the question of vocation to the priesthood or the permanent diaconate should contact Fr. Tom Kunnel. We would also be happy to direct anyone interested in living their lives as Religious Sisters or Brothers.

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults: For instruction for Baptism, Confirma-tion and Eucharist for adults and to learn about Catholic Faith. If interested please contact Dcn Robert Pang.

For more details and forms—www.stjohnspiermont.org

Parish Registration: All adults (over age 21) should register in the parish themselves and should use envelopes or parishpay.com. Tithing is 5% of income. This registration is our only means of certifying anyone as a member of the parish, especially for Baptism and Confirmation sponsorship

Memorial Mass

” In Honor and Remembrance”

Monday, September 11, 7:30 PM