St. John Neumann
Catholic Church

Lilburn, Georgia

 
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Connected to This Vine

Sunday, 15 November 2009

Msgr. David Talley

Msgr. Daniel J. O'Connor and Fr. Bryan Small will be at SJN this weekend, to assist Fr. Armando with the Masses. I will be with about fifty parishioners of SJN, on our annual retreat at Ignatius House. Please pray for us, as we will lift SJN in prayer.

Some other bits of news. Our Advent Penance Service is scheduled for Monday evening, the 30th of November, beginning at 7:30 PM. Like Joseph, we make ready the stable of our heart, for the birth of the Lord. Come and seek the mercy of the Lord and the power of being reconciled with your neighbor. There will be priests from around our Deanery present on the 30th, to assist you in this sacrament of the Lord's Presence. Come and see the goodness of the Lord.

After that Monday of prayer, come to our Table of Fellowship on the 5th of December, from 6 to 8 PM. Bring food and love to share, and see how the gifts are multiplied through the power of fellowship. This pot-luck meal will be take place in Donnellan Hall.

***

Have you noticed at the weekend Masses, that as the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion approach the Altar, they first go into the lower sacristy? For some time now, our EM's have been using a strong anti-bacterial cleaner, before they assist in offering Holy Communion to you. I have encouraged them to clean their hands after the time of communion is completed. The priests and deacons do the same. We are doing all we can to guard against any spreading of the H1N1 strain. Please remember what our Archbishop has said: if you are feeling sick, you should stay home. There is no obligation to attend the liturgy if you are ill; and there is an obligation to protect the health of your neighbor, sitting next to you at church. If you are feeling a bit low and may be on the verge of some illness, please refrain from coming to the cup. The gift of the Lord's Presence is given completely by the reception of the living bread.  The Archbishop's instructions are on the SJN web-site (www.sjnlilburn.com).

***

Those parishioners that are reading the Ralph Martin text with me have heard this quote from the great John Paul II. But for all, know that the beloved John Paul II urged each parish to be a school of the Lord's service... and a school of holiness. To love God with heart, soul, mind and strength... and to love neighbor as yourself... .this is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. This describes the Lord Jesus, and is meant to describe each of us. We are connected to the Lord Jesus in baptism, as branches are connected to the Vine of Life. It is an organic... living... connection. Let us stay connected to this Vine and bear much fruit... signs of God's Kingdom.

AMDG

Msgr. David Talley

Msgr. David Talley

 

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PreCana Ministry
PreCana is  a program  for engaged couples designed to cover topics that will help them in their married life.  It consists of 5 two hour sessions led by a trained married couple with an individual engaged couple.  The engaged couple prepares for each session by completing  readings and answering questions from a workbook.  Through group discussions of the workbook topics and questions, sharing of the facilitators own experiences, and personal reflection, engaged couples are guided through topics useful for a successful future marriage.  Some of the topics presented are; understanding the families we came from, the changing nature of marriage, personal growth, mutual decision-making, the elements of effective communication, conflict management, intimacy and expression of love, financial planning, marital spirituality,  essential elements of a Christian marriage, family planning, and parenting.

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Post from the Past

To Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico and Monroe

I am scheduled to offer a retreat to a group of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Haiti, beginning on Monday the 12th. While I am in Haiti, our deacons will offer Communion Services during the weekdays and visiting priests will be with you for the weekend liturgies. Please pray for the sisters and for me, that we may turn our whole hearts over to the Lord during the eight-day retreat. I will return home on the 21st.

***

For me, in just these few weeks, the new worship space already feels like home. During the next several months, we will continue to look at any outstanding issues in the worship space and in the eight lower level meeting rooms. Like any new facility, we 'll need a few months to iron out any and all problems. Please let me know if you have a concern about either the church or lower level.

 
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