Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass ©2001, 1998, 1970 CCD.

From the Pastor’s Desk

JUNE 28, 2020 | THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass ©2001, 1998, 1970 CCD.

The English translation of Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. 2

Inside this Issue Prayer _____________________ 3

Independence Day ___________ 3

Word of Life ________________ 3

Online Giving _______________ 4

Pastoral Ministry _____________ 4

Parish News ________________ 4

Parish App _________________ 4

Reflections __________________ 5

Bulletin Sponsor ______________ 5

Email Newsletter Sign-up ______ 5

Church Directory _____________ 6

Collections __________________ 6

Gospel Meditation ___________ 6

Discipleship _________________ 7

FORMED ___________________ 7

Mass Intentions ______________ 7

Sunday, June 28, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a/Ps 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19 [2a]/Rom 6:3-4, 8-11/Mt 10:37-42

Monday, June 29, Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles Acts 12:1-11/Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 [5b]/2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18/Mt 16:13-19

Tuesday, June 30, The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12/Ps 5:4b-6a, 6b-7, 8 [9a]/Mt 8:23-27

Wednesday, July 1, St. Junípero Serra, Priest Am 5:14-15, 21-24/Ps 50:7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 16bc-17 [23b]/Mt 8:28-34

Thursday, July 2 Am 7:10-17/Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 [10cd]/Mt 9:1-8

Friday, July 3, St. Thomas, Apostle Eph 2:19-22/Ps 117:1bc, 2 [Mk 16:15]/Jn 20:24-29

Saturday, July 4, Independence Day Am 9:11-15/Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14 [cf. 9b]/Mt 9:14-17

Sunday, July 5, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Zec 9:9-10/Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14 [cf. 1]/Rom 8:9, 11-13/Mt 11:25-30 ©LPi

This Week’s Readings and Observances

Forever I Will Sing The Responsorial Psalm (89) for Mass on the Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time repeats the refrain, “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.” It is a biblical notion that there will be music in Heaven. Angelic beings are presented as singing “Holy, holy, holy” to one another (Isaiah 6:3) and all are exhorted by Psalm 150 to praise the Lord with “blasts upon the horn…with harp and lyre…with tambou-rines and dance…with strings and pipes…with crashing cymbals…[and] with sounding cymbal.”

One of the main reasons that we have liturgical music (and we are blessed here at IC because of Dr. Ray and the outstanding singers/musicians) is that we would unite our hearts, minds, and voices with those of the heavenly hosts in song for the praise of God. Practically speaking, music helps to lighten our moods and to experience “the joy of the Lord” that is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). A quote attributed to St. Augustine, one of the great Doctors or Teachers of the Catholic Christian faith, is, “One who sings well prays twice!” The qualifier of “well” is not meant to grade the quality of a person’s sing-ing ability but rather to emphasize the overall intention of that song for glorifying God and offering fitting praise to Him.

Our sincerest hope is that the song of our life would not end here on Earth but would experience an eternal encore in the halls of Heaven. May we unite our lives to the source of all music and mercy with the Grace of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit both now and forever. Amen.  

Peace in Christ, Fr. James

JUNE 28, 2020 | THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 3 Visit our website: ICCSonline.org

“We often assume parenthood happens easily after ‘I do,’ but for many married couples, it does not. For some, the joy of concep-tion never happens. Others suffer repeated miscarriages. Still oth-ers experience secondary infertility: after giving birth to one or more children, they are unable to have another… If you experi-ence difficulty bringing a child into your family, know that you are not alone. God is with you, and his Church desires to walk with you.”

—USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, “Seven Considerations While Navigating Infertility”

Word of Life

Independence Day On July 4th, throughout the United States, we celebrate our free-dom. Our rights are protected and opportunities abound. We rec-ognize that freedom has a cost, one we celebrate and honor on days such as this. It's good to honor those who fight for our coun-try, who may well pay the ultimate price for the liberties we’re afforded. As faithful Catholics, we recognize that there is more to freedom than simply being at liberty to make our lives what we want them to be. St. John Paul II reminds us: “Freedom is not just doing what we can, it is doing what we ought.” We become freer within ourselves and within our relationships when we choose what is right and good. When we choose sin, we become trapped in egoism — less free, not more. This Independence Day, let’s continue to pursue virtue and good character and encourage others to do this same.

Celebrating Our Freedom

Heavenly Father, you have given us the gifts of life and liberty and entrust to your people the duty to guard these gifts wherever they are threatened.

Help us to protect the freedom of all to follow the Gospel of your Son, Jesus Christ, and to bring his light and truth to the ends of the earth.

Guide all who play a role in enacting legislation to uphold the freedom of conscience of all citizens.

Send us your Spirit to inspire in us the wisdom and courage needed to witness to the truth and to stand up for all whose religious liberty is endangered.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Mary Immaculate, Patroness of our country, pray for us.

Will You Pray for a Priest Each Day? Prayer Suggestion: Dear Jesus, hear my prayer on behalf of your priest, Father [N]. Give him a deep faith, a bright and firm hope, and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life. Be his comfort, his joy, and his strength. Amen.

June 28 - Rev. Thomas Hyde Sieg June 29 - Rev. Earl Clifford Simonson June 30 - Abp. Bernard Hebda, Bp. Andrew Cozzens July 1 - Pope Francis July 2 - Rev. James Peterson July 3 - Rev. Robert Sipe July 4 - Rev. Antony Skaria, CFIC

Please Join Us in Praying… ...for all those affected by the coronavirus.

A Prayer to Combat the Coronavirus Pandemic

Most merciful and Triune God, We come to you in our weakness. We come to you in our fear. We come to you with trust. For you alone are our hope.

We place before you the disease present in our world. We turn to you in our time of need.

Bring wisdom to doctors. Give understanding to scientists. Endow caregivers with compassion and generosity. Bring healing to those who are ill. Protect those who are most at risk. Give comfort to those who have lost a loved one. Welcome those who have died into your eternal home.

Stabilize our communities. Unite us in our compassion. Remove all fear from our hearts. Fill us with confidence in your care.

Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.

(Author unknown. Posted on AscensionPress.com)

Prayer

4 JUNE 28, 2020 | THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Pastoral Ministry

Anointing of the Sick Individual Anointing of the Sick is available by request—call the parish office at 763-788-9062.

In Need of Prayer? Please Call Us. To add a name to the Mass petitions or the bulletin, please call 763-788-9062. For private prayer (eight individuals offer confi-dential prayer for requested needs) call Larene at 763-789-4246.

Pray For Our Loved Ones Who Have Died Especially all who have died from Covid-19. May God grant them everlasting peace and joy in the kingdom of heaven.

Pray For All the Sick Especially: Bea Alain • Pat Alain • Paul Bona

Mary Fredenburg • Gerald Krawiecki• Steven Lauinger

Janet Mihalik • Danille Remarke • Teddy Miller

Shawn Moulzolf • Diane Redmann • Greg Sery

Tammy Swedzinski • Sandra Tabor • Elaine Thunstrom

Erin Wallin • Lois Weyers • Germaine Wolsfeld and all those on our prayer chain

If your name was removed and you would like to continue to be on the prayer list please call 763-788-9062 x 212.

If you choose to use your envelopes, you can mail them to the church, drop off at church or in the parish office.

Our parish is grateful for your continued support. Thank you!

Parish News

Mass Schedule Tuesday - Friday __________________________ 7:30 am Saturday _______________________________ 5:00 pm Sunday _____________________ 8:00 am and 10:00 am (en español) ____________________________ 12:00 pm

Reconciliation Saturday (IC parking lot) _____________ 3:00 - 4:45 pm

Eucharistic Adoration Monday - Friday (main church) _______ 8:30 - 10:30 am

Please note: An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists anywhere people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely conta-gious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and people with underlying medical conditions are especially vul-nerable to COVID-19. The Church of the Immaculate Conception has undertaken precautionary cleaning, disinfecting, and imple-mented social distancing guidelines to help reduce the risk of ex-posure. However, The Church of the Immaculate Conception can-not guarantee that visitors are 100% safe from exposure to COVID-19. Therefore, The Church of the Immaculate Conception recommends that people over 65 or with underlying health condi-tions not attend mass at this time and continue to worship online. Attendance at liturgies is at your own risk.

Stay in Touch With IC—Here’s How:

Watch for daily video messages from Father James and IC Masses online (available on our website, Facebook and our MyParish App)

Read our parish bulletin online—available on our website or sign up to have a bulletin delivered to your email inbox

Sign up online for Father James’ weekly email and IC General Announcement emails

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram

Download our My Parish app

Catholic Life Every Day with the Immaculate Conception App

Download our app today!

Text App to phone number 88202, or download at myparishapp.com.

*Available for Apple and Android devices.

Parish App

Reflections

Why Do We Do That?—Catholic Life Explained Calling Priests Father

Question: Why do Catholics call priests Father?

Answer: One of the common objections evangelical Christians have to Catholics is our practice of calling priests by the title Father. They will often cite a passage in Matthew’s Gospel in which Jesus tells his followers: “Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven” (23:19). It seems pretty straightforward, but when we put this verse in context, we see that Jesus is speaking out against religious leaders who had forgotten what their proper role was and who were bad examples through their own hypocrisy and elitist attitudes.

In other Gospels, we find Jesus himself using the title father for differ-ent characters, such as in the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31]) and the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). If we put the verse from Matthew into the full scope of Jesus’ teach-ings, he isn’t saying that we can’t use words like “father,” “rabbi,” or “master.” Rather, he is telling us that we should be mindful of the full meaning of those titles and not to misuse them.

To call a priest “Father” is more than a sign of respect for the office of the priesthood. It goes all the way back to the way St. Paul understood his own work as a missionary and evangelizer. Paul wrote, “I am writ-ing you in this way not to shame you but to admonish you as my be-loved children … It was I who begot you in Christ Jesus through my preaching of the Gospel. I beg you, then, be imitators of me. This is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful son in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:14-17).

Yes, we have God alone as our heavenly Father, but there are also those here with us who nurture and nourish our faith through their teaching and care. This is why the title of Father has been applied to the church’s pastors in different ways since the earliest days of the Church, including monks and nuns using the title “abbot” and “abbess” (from abba) for their spiritual leaders and Christians around the world recognizing the “Holy Father” or “pope” (from papa) as the head of the family that is the Church. The title Father is a reminder that priests have a special responsibility to care for, protect, feed, listen to, and nourish those who have been entrusted to them, all after the example of our Father in heaven who never ceases to give us what we truly need.

©LPi

Live the Liturgy—Inspiration for the Week

“Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” What do you understand these words to mean? Many see these words as an indication of what may come in eternal life. In actuality, they have more to do with our lives here and now. We are called to die to ourselves and offer our lives as gifts given generously to others. It is not about us. We are asked to serve God and not continue in our service of sin. Life is about learning to do what we really do not want to do because it brings us deeper into the mystery of God, our-selves, and others. Learning how to accept and live with the “small deaths” and sacrifices we encounter teaches us how to live with and ap-proach our final death. We can do so with a heart that has been touched by and is open to mercy or one that is self- focused and closed.

5 JUNE 28, 2020 | THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

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Thank Our Advertiser of the Week…

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6 JUNE 28, 2020 | THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Gospel Meditation

Church Directory

Emergency (Death or Anointing) .... 763-788-9062 (#9)

PARISH Parish Office ..................................................... 763-788-9062 (Open Monday - Friday, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm) Parish Fax ......................................................... 763-788-0202 Pastor, Fr. James Peterson ............................................. x 215 Accounting Specialist, Julie Mack ................................. x 204 Communications Coordinator, Sue Ashmore ............... x 205 Director of Music and Liturgy, Ray Bannon ................ x 214 Maintenance Supervisor, Doug Olson .......................... x 218 Pastoral Minister, Vicki Bazille ..................................... x 212 Parish Business Manager, Michael Wilde ..................... x 202 Reception Desk .............................................................. x 201 Records Coordinator, Terri Glaeser ............................. x 227 Special Event Coordinator, Jami Bridgeman ............... x 221 Wedding Coordinator, Barb Hartwick .......................... x 204

FAITH FORMATION Director of Faith Formation, Mary Nawrocki .............. x 210 Administrative Assistant, Mary Scott ........................... x 208

SCHOOL School Office .................................................... 763-788-9065 School Fax ........................................................ 763-788-9066 Principal, Jane Bona (jbona@immac-church.org) ......... x 220 Director of Advancement/School Business Manager, Mary Beth Pfeifer .......................................................... x 203 Administrative Assistant, Sherri Macko ....................... x 219

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL MEMBERS Dave Kellner Kathy Johnson Charles Karanja

Stacy McVary Marcus Paulson

Jane Bona (School Principal) Steve Smith (Parish Trustee)

Copies of the Parish Council meeting minutes are available in the pamphlet racks at the entrance to the church.

LOW GLUTEN HOSTS

Low gluten hosts (.002 gluten) are available. Come to the Sacristy before Mass to request one.

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time When we were baptized, we were baptized into Christ’s death. Take a moment to ponder these profound words. We were baptized into death. In every sense of the word, we are asked to die. This is not just about our final death but about daily deaths due to inconvenience, discomfort, pain, loss, or others’ needs. This is an incredible epiphany given the way we very often approach our lives. We do everything to avoid death, let alone encounter it! Many avoid pain, discomfort, in-convenience, uneasiness, change, interference, and suffering of any kind. We put a lot of energy into finding the easiest and least incon-venient way through many things. Even holding the door open for a stranger or saying hello to someone in the store can be major under-takings.

We are called to die. One of the biggest wake-up calls we can have is realizing that life is not about us! There are millions of other people sharing life on this planet with whom I have a relationship. Does my life celebrate those relationships? The most distracting question we can ask is, “What do I want to do?” The more focused, faith-filled question is, “What do I need to do?” What I need to do may not be what I want to do. However, asking this question more frequently will teach us how to more purposefully and intentionally live so we can be a life giving vessel for others. When we learn to live more sacrificial-ly, to put the needs of others before our own, and to not always seek our own self-interest, we become aware of what baptism into Christ’s death is really all about. These are the roots of virtue and the seedbed for justice, tolerance, solidarity, love, and peace.

Learning how to accept all the “small deaths” and sacrifices life calls us to teaches us how to approach our final death. All deaths ask us to empty ourselves into something or someone else. Whether we empty ourselves into the heart and soul of another human being or empty ourselves into God at the moment of our final death, new life is al-ways received and nurtured. A heart that exclusively seeks its own interest is a heart that is closed to love. A heart that pours itself out to others and is content with being emptied is a heart that has been touched by and open to mercy. It is a heart that overflows with joy.

©LPi

Through June 22, 2020

Sunday Envelopes ......................................... $ 1,500.00 Plate ............................................................... 876.25 Sunday Envelopes (mailed in) .......................... 7,125.80 WeShare Online Giving ................................. 1,227.50 Automatic Withdrawal .................................. 4,233.00

Total Collection ............................................ $ 14,962.55

THANK YOU!

7 Visit our website: ICCSonline.org JUNE 28, 2020 | THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Sunday, June 28 8:00 am ..... IC Parish 10:00 am ... +David Fuhrmann

Wednesday, July 1 7:30 am ..... +Russell Murzyn

Friday, July 3 7:30 am ..... +John Botzet, Jr.

Saturday, July 4 5:00 pm ..... IC Parish

Sunday, July 5 8:00 am ..... IC Parish

+Deceased

God Is Love I was recently at a Catholic conference and had a conversation with someone living in the thick of Hollywood culture. He was Catholic and spoke of how hard it was to live out his faith amid tremendous tempta-tion and negativity toward religion. He spoke about how going to daily Mass helped to keep him centered and stay strong in his faith. He was a great witness to living out one’s faith in the face of disbelief.

One thing that he told me stood out above all the rest. He spoke of his engagement to his fiancé and how important it was to him that God was a major part of their relationship and their lives as individuals as well. He told me he said something to her like, “If you don’t love Jesus more than you love me, this is never going to work.” What an amazing and truly moving witness!

Songs and books are written about the intense longing one human being can have for another. We can describe another as meaning everything to us. We speak of wanting to offer our complete selves to our beloved. However, true love is about more than wanting to be with that person. It is about wanting that person to know a love even greater than theirs: the love of God. No love can last without God. My Hollywood friend knew this to be the case. He showed his true love for his wife-to-be by sharing more than himself — he shared the very One who created love.

—Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS | ©LPi

Discipleship

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