SAINT MARK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH
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900 N. Fourth Street, Altoona, PA 16601
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 814 944-6676 Administrator: Very Rev. Ronald V. Osinski, V.F. |
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SAINT MARK'S - Come hear our Three-Century Shop Bell. Our Bell has a long history in the City of Altoona. Memorial plaques have been placed. They are accessible and located in the Bell Tower area. A prayer bench has been added.
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We want it to ring for freedom and moments of reflection on Altoona's great railroad past and for all the dedicated railroad workers. Children and grandchildren of those workers will hear the same bell their parents and grandparents heard. We wanted to share the Bell with our community. We wanted to erect and maintain it for generations to follow. The Bell is located in an area easily accessible by all and open free of charge to the public.
"A BELL ISN'T A BELL UNTIL IT RINGS"
Rev. James B. Coveney
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Most Rev. Bishop Mark L. Bartchak, Bishop of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.
Father Ronald V. Osinski - Pastor of the Church of Saint Mark's and the Church of the Holy Rosary - Easter 2017
Here is one of many good reasons to go to Mass:
God has a special message for us. When we listen to the readings, the homily, and the prayers of the Mass, God speaks to us in a special way. We should come away from each Mass with at least one inspiration that will impact our lives in some way.
We just have to pay attention and be open to what the
Lord is trying to tell us.
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Here are some one liners to help you get through the day -
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
God made me on purpose for a purpose.
God calls each of us by name to a personal vocation; the challenge is to discover our role, to use our gifts well, and to respond generously to God’s call.
Practice trusting in God as you walk through the times of change and uncertainty in your life.
When you tell the truth, you don't have to have a good memory.
Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about;
be kind always.
Open the door for someone every chance you get.
GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME; ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD.
God has a special message for us. When we listen to the readings, the homily, and the prayers of the Mass, God speaks to us in a special way. We should come away from each Mass with at least one inspiration that will impact our lives in some way.
We just have to pay attention and be open to what the
Lord is trying to tell us.
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Here are some one liners to help you get through the day -
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
God made me on purpose for a purpose.
God calls each of us by name to a personal vocation; the challenge is to discover our role, to use our gifts well, and to respond generously to God’s call.
Practice trusting in God as you walk through the times of change and uncertainty in your life.
When you tell the truth, you don't have to have a good memory.
Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about;
be kind always.
Open the door for someone every chance you get.
GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME; ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD.
11th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JUNE 17, 2018
TODAY’S READINGS – In the first reading the people of God endure the pain of exile in a foreign land. But by God’s grace they will flourish once more in the Promised Land. In the second reading, faith is the source of Paul’s courage. He looks forward to one day being with the Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus tells two seed parables aimed at unfolding the mystery of the kingdom of God.
As we approach the first day of summer, we hear readings today that are set in nature. Ezekiel has a vision of God cutting a tender shoot from the top of a cedar and planting it on a lofty mountain where it grows into a majestic tree. Mark relates two of Jesus’ parables involving sowing seeds, one being the tiny mustard seed, which grows into a shady, hearty plant. As we listen to today’s readings, may the Lord’s word take root in us.
THE ROMAN MISSAL – Without God, we “can do nothing.” We ask for God’s grace, that we may follow God’s commands and be pleasing to him “by our resolve and our deeds” (Collect). The Eucharist is food for body and soul. We pray that this “sustenance…may not fail us in body or in spirit” (Prayer over the Offerings). Holy Communion is a foretaste of the promise of our union with God. We pray that this sacrament may “bring about unity in your Church” (Prayer after Communion).
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THIS WEEK’S SAINTS
…June 19 – Saint Romuald (c.950-1027) was born in Ravenna and led a self-indulgent life as a young man, but when he saw his father kill an opponent in a duel, he fled to a monastery. Romuald yearned for a stricter life than he found there, and so he withdrew to become a hermit. Eventually, he founded the Camaldolese branch of the Benedictine family, integrating community life with the solitary life. His monks live and work in individual hermitages but come together to celebrate the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours.
…June 21 – Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591) was born to a noble family in Italy who had him destined for the military. While recovering from an illness, he read the lives of the saints and spent time in prayer. As a result, Aloysius decided to dedicate himself to God as a Jesuit. Most of his family was against it, but he joined anyway, making his vows in 1587. In 1591, the plague broke out in Rome. Aloysius volunteered to care for the victims and became sick himself. He recovered, but he never became healthy, and he died within a few months. Many schools are named for him because he is the patron saint of Catholic youth.
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PRAYER OF PROTECTION – “The light of God surrounds me; the love of God enfolds me; the power of God protects me; the presence of God watches over me; wherever I am, God is.”
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When you make the Sign of the Cross, pause
to think of the precious and wonderful mystery it signifies. It is all at one time a creed and a
prayer, a proclamation and a promise to do all that we do “In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Also suggested is blessing yourself when you leave your
home, whether you are going to work or otherwise. That is your own silent prayer. It has
even been known to bless yourself when another family member is leaving your house – that
would be your silent prayer for them.
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Look above the altar at Saint Mark’s and there you will see the Trinitarian symbolism:
God the Father (the Hebrew letters above the main arch), God the Son (Crucifix),
and God the Holy Spirit (represented as a Dove) above the altar. We are blessed.
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Grant us, O Sweet Heart of Mary, peace of mind, peace which the world cannot give, peace with God, with our neighbors and with ourselves. Give us eternal peace in Heaven. Amen.
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Prayer to Saint Mark
O Glorious Saint Mark, through the grace of God our Father, you became a great Evangelist who preached the good news of Christ. May you help us to know Him well so that we may faithfully live our lives as followers of Christ. Saint Mark, we implore you to grant your special graces to our parish family. May our parish be a shrine of peace, purity, love, labor, and faith. Help us to share our talents, time, and treasures. Protect and bless all of us, absent and present, living and dead. Open our hearts to concern for others, hear our prayers, and obtain our petitions. Saint Mark, Pray for Us. Amen.
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SAINT MARK’S FACEBOOK - Justin and Christine David are doing a great job maintaining a Facebook Page for
Saint Mark’s. The Facebook page is loaded with information and lots of pictures. Just put the following into your search engine: www.facebook.com/saintmarksofaltoona - when you get there, “Like” the page so that it can reach many more of our Friends.
SAINT MARK'S WEBSITE is maintained direct from the Rectory. We are in the process of combining the two parishes, Saint Mark's and Holy Rosary onto this website.
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WORDS OF WISDOM: The best way to succeed is to get your wisdom from old people and
your enthusiasm from young people. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAYER FOR THE FAMILY
God of all life and love, I offer You thanks for the gift of my family. Help us to work together for harmony in our relationships. Give us the grace to accept each other’s faults and weaknesses. Protect us from harsh words and hurt feelings. Lead us to encourage each other’s strengths and gifts. May we always forgive each other’s failings. Let us rejoice in another’s successes. Watch over my family, Dear Lord, bless us with good health and happiness, and give us hearts full of love, patience and kindness for one another, now and always. Amen
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BELIEVE IN GOD’S LOVE - DO WHAT YOU CAN AND PRAY THAT GOD WILL GIVE YOU THE POWER
TO DO WHAT YOU CANNOT
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FEW TIPS FOR A BETTER LIFE - Try to make at least three people smile each day.
- Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
- Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
- Don’t take yourself so seriously; no one else does.
- You don’t have to win every argument; agree to disagree.
- Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
- Forgive every one for every thing.
- However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
- Envy is a waste of time; you already have all you need.
- Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about; be kind always.
- Don’t compare your life to others; you have no idea what their journey is all about.
PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED – FOR A FRIEND OR RELATIVE
Lord, please console my heart and my mind as I mourn the death of (Name), my dear friend/relative, who in life brought me great happiness, laughter, solace and companionship.
In your mercy, grant that (Name) may rest in peace until you awaken him/her to glory, for you are
the resurrection and the life. Amen.
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REASONS FOR ME TO ATTEND MASS EVERY WEEK or more
It takes me off center stage and puts God there. It nourishes me at the deepest possible level.
It makes me look at the purpose of life. It sends me forth to love and serve God.
It reconnects me with all God’s other children. It is like recharging my battery for the week.
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DO YOU WANT TO MAKE FRIENDS?
You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years
by trying to get other people interested in you. Forget yourself. People are not interested in you. They are interested in themselves – morning, noon, and after dinner. The New York Telephone Company made a detailed study of telephone conversations to find out which word is the most frequently used. It was the personal pronoun “I”. It was used 3,900 times in 500 telephone conversations.
When you hear a person’ name, repeat it several times and try to associate it with the person’s features, expression,
and general appearance. Remember that a person’s name is to them the sweetest and most important sound in the English language. You make people feel important by remembering and using their name.
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FAMILIES AND THE GOSPEL
Forgiveness is crucial to a healthy life. By holding onto an injury, we are hoping for a better past which will never happen. Forgiveness recognizes that we were unjustly treated and that it will not be corrected. Forgiveness does not condone the injustice; it is a decision to not let the injustices control your life.
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God has abundantly blessed each of us with a unique set of gifts. By recognizing our gifts and subsequently sharing them gratefully, we help create that for which we pray in the Lord’s Prayer:
Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
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PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL
Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God, thrust into Hell
Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.
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A PRAYER TO BRING SOMEONE BACK TO FAITH
Glory be to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are the center of my life; You are the source and the summit. My life is rooted in You. I want those I love to experience You this way, too. I want them to have deep faith and childlike trust in You. I want them to walk in the path You have chosen for them and to know You as a dear and compassionate friend. Please give my loved ones faith, Great God. Please help them to see that You are always with them, watching over them, calling them forward, loving them more than they will ever know. Amen.
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YOU ARE IMPORTANT - Your presence here on this website matters. Thank you for checking in. When we gather together for Mass, for the celebration of a sacrament, or for prayer, or here on this website, Jesus Christ is present and each of us becomes united with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Your presence makes you part of this connection which cannot be seen on the surface, but is a spiritual reality that strengthens our love for one another and reminds us that we are not alone. This is a movement of the Holy Spirit, who is constantly trying to draw us into God’s love. You may not have noticed these little tugs before, but while you are here, we hope that you will experience that gentle pull of the Holy Spirit. When you leave today, you will carry with you the love of Christ which has the power to instill new meaning and purpose in your life and in the lives of others.
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THIS is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it, or use it for some good purpose.
But what I do with this day is important to me
because I have exchanged a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever,
leaving in its place that which I traded for it.
Therefore, I hope I shall never regret the price
I paid for today.
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PATRON SAINTS FOR FAMILIES
Pope St. John Paul II – Pope St. John Paul, we pray for your intercession to protect our family and all families
throughout the world, now and forever. Amen.
St. Gianna Beretta Molla – St. Gianna, help us to follow your example of protecting human life at all costs. Amen.
Mary, Undoer of Knots – We all have some “knots” in our lives and Mary can untie them! The devotion to Mary,
Undoer of Knots, has become more popular ever since Pope Francis. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.
St. Joseph – Patron Saint of Husbands, Fathers, and the Working Individual – St. Joseph, pray for us.
St. John Bosco – Patron Saint of Youth – St. John Bosco, pray for me and for all who need your assistance.
St. Anne: Patron Saint of Grandmothers – St. Anne, pray for me and for all who need your assistance.
St. Joachim – Patron Saint of Grandfathers – St. Joachim, pray for me and for all who need your assistance.
PSALM 23:1,2,3,4,5,6
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage.
You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come.
PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE
Heavenly Mother, at Fatima thou has promised peace if the sinful world turns to Thy Immaculate Heart and does penance. We turn to Thee in spirit of penance and filial confidence. Merciful Heart, obtain for us peace, send a just and lasting peace to the world.
Make justice and righteousness triumph over all godless forces, over hatred, tyranny and sin. Mercifully protect our Holy Mother Church, our Holy Father, Bishops and Priests, guard our homes, our churches, and our Country. Watch over our loved ones exposed to the horrors of war and dangers of military life. Be ever with them and return them sound in body and soul to their loved ones, to enjoy true and lasting peace at home.
Finally grant, O Sweet Heart of Mary, peace of mind, the peace which the world cannot give, peace with God, with our neighbors and with ourselves. Give us eternal peace in Heaven. Amen.
HAIL HOLY QUEEN (SALVE REGINA)
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us. And after this our exile show unto us the blessed Fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
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God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission – I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created me for nothing. I shall do good. I shall do His work. Therefore, I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I cannot be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain; He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends; he may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me – still He knows what He is about.
…from the writings of Cardinal John Newman
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God’s wisdom often seems to be the opposite of what we are conditioned to think. For example, Jesus said that if you want to be great, you must put others first; it you want to win a conflict with your neighbor, you have to win him over with reconciliations. But the most counter-intuitive wisdom is what Jesus did on the cross – he achieved victory through self-sacrifice (John 12:24). When we submit to God’s will, we must often sacrifice our own will. We have a choice – trust ourselves, or trust God. Saint Paul’s advice to us is not to trust what our eyes and ears tell us is the wisdom of the world, but instead to trust what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us from God.
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PRAYER - Prayer is Powerful especially when two or more are praying for the same. Have you ever said to your spouse or someone you are talking to on the telephone “So and So needs a prayer, let’s say one together for them”? (the Our Father or Hail Mary is nice); you might want to try it. When you see someone struggling while walking along the street, say a silent prayer for them – it may be the only prayer they get all day. Do you hear a young parent scolding a child? Perhaps that’s the time to say a silent prayer for both of them. Do you still bless yourself when you pass a church? Perhaps we need to bring back some of these things so that we can pass it on to the younger generation. When something is lost, do you pray to Saint Anthony, the patron of lost things? Are you aware that the Little Infant of Prague also finds things by using this prayer: “Infant Jesus of Lost and Found, please help bring (lost article) around.”
PEACE PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Sr. M. Elaine Peters RSM and Secretary, Joyce Veckov