Pastor’s Corner . . . Lent is much more than a time of increased piety or resolutions

designed to break bad habits: Lent is the Church’s annual season of struggle against Satan. 

That struggle began over 2,000 years ago when the eternal Son of God, creator of the

universe, took on human flesh of the Virgin Mary and was born in Bethlehem.  The Creator

became a creature to free the only creature made in His image and likeness-US-from the power

of Satan and from the sway of his most potent weapon, death.  As one of the prayers for

Christmas Mass reads: “Hasten, Lord our God, do not delay, and free us by Your power from

the devil’s fury.”  What is “the devil’s fury”?  Moviegoers might imagine a scene from The

Exorcist, or some other cinematographic nonsense.  The devil’s fury is subtler and more

boringly mundane than anything Hollywood might imagine: the devil’s fury is daily

temptation, which Satan ratchets up as we seek to fight it off by the practice of virtue. 

By falling into sin, Satan wins, and his hatred of God bears fruit in our eternal damnation.

Lent is the Church’s great annual spiritual exercise with its focal point on the mystery of

Christ’s redemptive mercy, foretold in the Old Testament, realized in the mortal life of

Jesus, especially in His Passion, death, resurrection and ascension; and which is realized

in us by our worthy and frequent reception of the sacraments, especially Confession and Holy

Communion, and then in prayer, fasting, acts of mercy, spiritual reading, and a more intense

practice of the Christian virtues in our daily lives. In other words, we open ourselves more

readily to Christ’s transforming grace by living a more intense Christian life. “Three

things sustain faith, devotion, and virtue,” according to Saint Peter Chrysologus. “Prayer,

fasting, and mercy to others. Prayer knocks at God’s door, fasting wins us what we need, and

mercy is the hand cupped to receive . . . Let him who prays also fast; let him who fasts

have pity on others; let him who wishes to be heard hear those who ask his help, for such a

person alone has God’s ear whose own ear is not closed to the needs of others.” [Sermon 43] 

How to begin? Don’t make crazy resolutions that you’ll never keep. Decide to set sin

aside, instead, and to open your heart to doing God’s will as the most important guide for

all you do in your daily life.  Why? Gratitude to God for what He has done for you in

Christ. Use this first week of Lent to meditate on the Passion of Christ: look at His

sufferings for what they are—Jesus suffering to save you from Satan and eternal death.

“There is no greater stimulus to love our enemies [in which fraternal charity finds its

perfect form] than the contemplation of the marvelous patience of Him who . . . offered His

face to be spat upon and endured the other torments of His Passion  . . . Did anyone hear

those sweet and loving words of Christ from the Cross: ‘Father forgive them. . ?”  Blessed

Abbot Aelred continues, “If a man is to love himself rightly, he must not yield to carnal

pleasure.  If he is not to yield to carnal pleasure, let him center his affections on the

loving person of the Lord.” [Blessed Abbot Aelred, The Mirror of Charity, 3]. Start your

first week of Lent by reading and meditating on the Passion narratives in the four Gospels.

Read some each day, and think about them, and pray for a few minutes daily in gratitude to

God for thinking so highly of you, personally, that He sent Christ to die for you.  Express

that gratitude in acts of charity.  --Msgr. DiGiovanni

Please pray for the sick… Anne Marie Brutus, Gelanie Lops, Titian Tarantino, Jennifer

Tomasello, Janet Rodgers, Antoinetta Fiore, Lorraine Lindahl, Marilyn Fabio, Robert Geikie,

Alan Comier, Barbara Schuerger, Brady Rodgers, Gail Ruge, Msgr. Constantino Caldas, Madam

Wong Oi Ling, Fiona Farrell, Gerard Albert, Christina Hanlon, Lisa Farina, Corrie M. Evans,

Joseph M. Kirkland, Joan Bankowski, Evelyn Bauman, Resa Mestel, Felix D’Olimpio, David

Lloyd, Billy Therriault, Gloria Beverly

Please pray for those who have recently died… Marie Swanson, Neill Carey, Margorie Watkins,

Antoninette DeMott, Rose Harrington, Maria C. Roldan-Ranero, Frances C. Delaney, Mary Anne

Vagnone, Bridget Leen, Lou Tosches, John Darling, Joseph P. Valentine, Msgr. Edward Petty,

Robert A Kingsley, Rose A. Roman, Simone Parisi, Helen Carr, Bishop Han Dingxiang, in China;

Mary Ellen Armstrong, Eleanor Keating, William E. Thomson III, Neil Cary, Rev. Fr. Daniel

Kennedy

ASH WEDNESDAY . . . is February 6th: Ashes will be distributed during the 8:00 a.m. and

12:10 p.m. Masses, as well as during the day at the rectory office until 7:30 p.m.

LENTEN FAST AND ABSTINENCE . . .On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and all Fridays during

Lent, all Catholics age 14 and older are obliged to abstain from eating meat, and all

Catholics in good health between the ages of 18 and 60 are also obliged to fast. Abstinence

is not eating meat or meat products; fasting is having one full meal and two light meals

during the day, with no snacks between meals. Drinking water does not break a fast.  All

Fridays during Lent are days of abstinence from eating meat.
 
Lenten Parish Mission . . . will be March 3rd, 4th  & 5th at 7:30 p.m. with Fr. Benedict

Groeschel.  Plan to attend.

Natural Family Planning . . . A class will be held in the rectory on February 7th at 7:30

p.m. for all couples of the parish. Please contact the rectory [ext. 21] to make a

reservation, or call Alex and Lisa Frawley [203-254-6615]

Moms and children of all ages…Our monthly Holy Hour will next meet in the Church on Tuesday,

February 5th at 10:00 am immediately followed by a time to meet socially in the Church Hall.

Parents of our Religious Education Students…While your kids are in religious education class

on Sundays join us in the Parish Rectory with Father Walsh for a cup of coffee and learn

more about our Catholic Faith.

St. Monica Institute . . . Meets on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory.  We are

parishioners who study the writings of the early Church. YOU NEED NOT BE SCHOLARS: we read

everything in English and join in open discussions of the texts. The next meeting is

Wednesday, February 6th; this month is a study of the Roman Catacombs.

The Latin reading group will begin translating St. Augustine’s Confessions. All are welcome

on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 pm in the rectory, beginning Feb. 13th: If you have only

studied Latin during high school, please join us: you know more than you think!


Bible Study… We meet every third Thursday of each month. [Except in MARCH, which is Holy

Thursday]. We’re reading the Book of Revelation. All are welcome!

Sunday, January 27, 2008     $ 10,404.00

Sunday, January 28, 2007     $ 10,011.94

“I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”
---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Hymns for this weekend . . . (1) 118  (2) 208.  The Creed for the Noon Mass may be found in

the hymnal at No. 289.

Choral Music for the 12:00 Noon Mass . . . Mass Ordinary: Mass for Four Voices – William

Byrd, 1540-1623. Offertory motet: Bonum est confiteri – G. P. da Palestrina, 1525-1594 (It

is good to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing in honour of thy name, O Most High. [Ps.

92:2]). The Gregorian chants proper to this Sunday are: Introit Laetetur cor (Let the hearts

of those who seek the Lord rejoice; seek the Lord and be strengthened; seek his face for

evermore. Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; declare his deeds among the

gentiles. [Ps. 105:3,4,1]); Alleluia Adorabo ad templum I will bow down toward your holy

temple and give thanks to your name. [Psalm 138:2]); Offertory Bonum est confiteri Domino

(It is good to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing in honour of your name, O Most High.

[Psalm 92:2]); Communion Beati mundo corde (Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall

see God; blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God; blessed are

those who suffer persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[Matthew 5:8,9,10]).

Theology on Tap…. is expanding its horizons. In addition to our current program that will

continue in the Church Hall, we’re pleased to announce a NEW PROGRAM for men and women in

their 20’s and 30’s beginning February 11th at Bennigan’s Restaurant – just across the

street - from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  We will meet there the 2nd Monday each month - bring a

friend! February 11th will feature “Stump the Priest” night – bring your questions and bring

a friend.

Sacraments for Adults (RCIA) . . . Any adult, from 18 years and older, who has not yet

received the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, First Penance or Confirmation, are

invited to join us for adult catechism classes in order to receive the sacraments in the

spring.  We will meet every Tuesday evening in the rectory, at 7:30 p.m., beginning January

29th through April 8th. Please call the rectory [324-1553, ext 21] and leave your name with

the secretary, Providencia.

Birthright …needs YOUR Help!  Volunteer, please:
Birthright is an emergency pregnancy service offering practical help and encouragement to

any woman who is distressed by her pregnancy.  Eleven (11) chapters are in Connecticut Call

1-800-550-4900 for nearest chapter.

Coffee Hour… Please join us at the Msgr. Nagle Hall after the 10:00 a.m. Family Mass for

coffee and donuts.


St. John’s In the News…100 years ago, or so:

The Stamford Advocate:

February 3, 1910: LENTEN REGULATIONS. Orders and Exceptions for the Diocese of Hartford 

“The Lenten regulations in the Roman Catholic diocese of Hartford, as issued by Rev. John

Synnott, administrator, and Rev. John G. Murray, the chancellor, are as follows: I. Fast and

abstinence. The general law of the church imposes a two-fold obligation of fast and

abstinence. On fast days, only one full meal may be eaten. On abstinence days the use of

meat is forbidden. All the weekdays of Lent are fast days. All the Wednesdays and Fridays,

Ember Saturday and Holy Saturday are also abstinence days. The rigor of the law has been so

modified that on fast days it is permitted in the morning to take a cup of tea, coffee or

chocolate and a quantity of bread not exceeding two ounces, and in the evening to take a

collation not exceeding ten ounces of solid food. At this collation it is lawful to use

fish, eggs, cheese, milk and butter. Meat is allowed only at the principal meal of the day.

Those who prefer, may take the principal meal in the evening and the collation at noon.

Certain exceptions to the general law are made in favor of those who cannot reasonably

observe it: 1) All who are in delicate health are excused from both fast and abstinence. 2)

All who are under 21 or over 60 years of age are excused from fast – i.e., they are not

restricted to one full meal, but if they have the use of reason they are bound to abstain on

abstinence days, unless they are otherwise dispensed from abstinence. 3) All who are engaged

in a very exhausting occupation are excused from fast, but not from abstinence, unless they

belong to the laboring class or are otherwise dispensed from abstinence. 4) All who belong

to the laboring class, and all members of their household, are dispensed from abstinence by

special indult of the Holy See on all days except Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Wednesday and

Saturday of Holy Week. It may be noted here that this indult dispenses working people from

abstinence on all other days of the year except Fridays and Christmas Eve. Whoever takes

advantage of this privilege is expected to practice some other penance or modification on

days of abstinence. 5) Other persons may be dispensed from either fast or abstinence or from

both by their pastors or confessors for special reasons in each case. On no day of Lent, not

even on Sunday, is it lawful to eat both meat and fish at the same meal. Meat is, however,

allowed at all meals on Sunday. Any form of fat derived from meat may be used in cooking on

any day of the year.  II. Devotions and prayers. The rosary of the Blessed Virgin, the Way

of the Cross, Sermon and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament are recommended for the public

services in all parish churches during Lent. As this season is a time of prayer as well as

penance, all should attend the public devotions in the church if it is possible, and should

also unite in prayer in their homes. Every Catholic should approach the sacraments during

this season, in order to sanctify the other good works and fulfill the obligations of the

Easter duty.”  (Hartford was the single Catholic diocese that existed in Connecticut until

1953).
NOTE: The above Lenten regulations NO LONGER APPLY today.   2007 regulations are on page

three of today’s bulletin.

Join the Conversation . . . Bishop William Lori has started a “blog” to share news:

www.BishopLoriBlog.org.

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up

recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information

over the telephone.  Call 324-1553 x21.

Mass Intentions

Saturday, February 2
4:00 +William Thomson req. Mary Maloney

Sunday, February 3
  7:30 People of the Parish
10:00 +Eva. Charles, Anne & Joseph Kronk & Irene Churley req. Mary Churley
12:00 +Alexander Munro 30th Anniversary req. Family
 6:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine     Kane & Family

Monday, February 4
  8:00 Thanksgiving to God req. Fabiola Contreras
12:10 Special Intention Shirley Piacenza req. Piacenza Family

Tuesday, February 5
  8:00 Frederico
12:10 Special Intention Rose Giancola req. Piacenza

Wednesday, February 6
   8:00 Joakim H. Kim recover from sickness req. Mary & Joseph Kim
 12:10 Special Intention & Good Health Victor & Louise Chiappetta

Thursday, February 7
8:00 Special Intention Richard Paul Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim
12:10     Special Intention Fr. P. Check req. Sophia Grohs

Friday, February 8
  8:00 Special Intention Eleanor Theresa Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim
12:10 Ron Haggarty req. The Haggarty Family

Saturday, February 9
  8:00 God’s Blessings in her life Monika req. Mother
12:10    In honor of the Blessed Mother req. Stelle Joseph

Holy Name Society . . . for all men of the parish, meets in the rectory every Friday morning

for coffee, Eucharistic adoration Benediction & prayer, from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m.  Just

walk in the rectory front door.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wed. 7:00 -10:30 a.m., Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main

St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday,

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation Sponsors…are happily given to parishioners

of St. John’s, i.e. those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests or can be

verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

St. Maria Goretti Society…For the spiritual formation of girls from 9th - 12th grades meets

monthly in the Rectory.  For more information, please call Rosa Marchetti at 348-023.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of boys from 8th – 12th grades meets

monthly in the Rectory.  Any questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at 434-4734.

Novena of the Miraculous Medal:  Monday 8:30 a.m.

Be Perfect…Be Merciful”
                               (Revisited)                     -Fr. Terry Walsh
“At the Baptism of our Lord, ‘the Heavens were opened’ – the heavens that Adam’s sin had

closed – and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to

the New Creation”(ccc536).  At our own Baptism, ‘we followed Christ down into the water’ and

we were forever marked with the sign of faith – we became a dwelling place for the Holy

Trinity. At that moment, we became children of the Light, and so, we’re expected to be His

light – that is – to imitate Christ. And how do we accomplish this? How are we to imitate

Christ? Well, He tells us: “Be Perfect” – that is – be perfect in Love. “Be merciful.” Live

the Gospel. “Follow me.”

In order to fulfill this command, we must first recognize our imperfections and the

occasions we have not shown mercy and offer these to the Lord so that He may heal us. Then,

we’ll be operating with His Grace – His Strength – and we’ll be able to diffuse His light

throughout the world, preaching the Gospel by all that we think and say and do.

As we meditate on the Mystery of the Eucharist, let us contemplate our Lord’s words, “Be

Perfect” and “Be Merciful.” In light of His Humility, let us consider His Perfection, His

Mercy, coming to our rescue, culminating in the One Perfect Sacrifice upon Calvary where He

offers Himself for our salvation. He comes to us everyday, Sacramentally, most profoundly

through the Eucharist.

   Gaze upon our Merciful Lord on the Cross and see Perfect Love flowing from Him. Our

patron, St. John, writes: “…but when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead,

they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at

once there came out blood and water”(Jn 19: 33-34). Blood and water poured out of the Body

of our Crucified Lord – the Blood of the Eucharist, the cleansing waters of Baptism.

Consider the Glorified image of our Resurrected Lord – the Image of Divine Mercy – with Rays

of Red and White Light emanating from the wound of His Most Sacred Heart - left there by the

soldier’s lance. Now, streams of radiant light pour out from that pierced heart - washing

over all in His Presence, converting the hearts of all who seek to imitate Him in Mercy and

Love. 

 It’s good for us to meditate on the love and mercy of our Lord – to consider the COST of so

great a sacrifice – to contemplate “the abiding memorial of our Lord’s infinite and

inconceivable love.”

What an indescribable Mystery of perfect love and mercy: God entered the womb of the Blessed

Virgin Mary and took upon Himself – through Mary – our human nature. He was born into the

world for our sakes. And now, he enters into a tiny piece of bread in a mysterious way so

that He may be born into our souls and nourish and strengthen us in love. We, like Mary,

become “living tabernacles.”

He calls us to imitate Him – to love God with our whole heart and mind and soul and strength

– to love our neighbor as ourselves. He even calls us to love our enemies and pray for our

persecutors, just as He did – to be merciful and forgive those who sin against us. May our

response echo His Heart of love.

“My heart is ready, O God, / My heart is ready. /I will sing, I will sing your praise. /

Awake, my soul, awake lyre and harp, / I will awake the dawn!