Showing posts with label lenten activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lenten activities. Show all posts

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Teaching Mass - 18 March 2013


Have you ever been afraid to ask a question that might seem too simple?
Why do they hold that book in the air? 
Why do the priest and the deacon kiss the altar?

Why do they move those candles around? 
Why do we kneel, sit and stand at different times?
Everyone has at least one question about the mass!
Do you go week after week, but still feel like you still really don't "get it”?

Do you ever “tune out” or feel bored at mass?
Learning about the ritual of the mass will help make it
more meaningful and engaging!
Would you like to have a deeper understanding of your faith?
Lent is here!  This is the Year of Faith!  Don’t be afraid to go deep!
Please join us for a
TEACHING MASS
Monday, March 18th, 2013
at 6:45 p.m.
St. Benedict Church
3980 Main Street
Eggertsville, New York 14226
Everything from what the priest wears and does,
to the words he and the deacon say
and the postures we assume will be explored on this special evening 
as Fr. Mock and Deacon Bill share wisdom and
insights about this ancient form of worship which is so central to our faith. 
Be sure to invite non-practicing Catholics
as well as non-Catholic friends and relatives.
All are welcome!
For more information, contact Matt Smith at msmith@saintbenedicts.com
or call the St. Benedict Office of Life Long Faith Formation at (716) 836-6444.

New Bible Study - all welcome!

Why read the Bible?

We should read and study the Bible because it is God's Word to us. In this busy world of ours, how can we expect to hear God speak to us? The Bible can inspire us, can support us in times of trials. It is the Bible that reveals God to us. Just as we talk about our family members, Jesus talks to us about His heavenly Father in the Bible.

Bible reading is meant to deepen our personal relationship with Christ. We become closer to each other by spending time with each other. One hour a week (Mass time) is not enough to develop a close relationship with God and His Son.

So beginning Monday Feb 25, there will be a Bible Class during Lent. We will be meeting in the Tobin Room, 6:45pm - 8pm. Note to parents of Monday night Religious Education students - this is the time you drop your students off so you can stop in and join us!  We will be discussing Jesus' Passion and Resurrection. All are welcome!

The following is an outline of the class and you are welcome to attend any night.

February 25 - Brief introduction to the New Testament - Jesus' predictions of his passion

March 4 - Jesus' entry into Jerusalem Last Supper

March 11 - Trial of Jesus and His death

March 18 - The Resurrection

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Ash Wednesday 2013

close up of our main crucifix
ASH WEDNESDAY
St. Benedict's
15 HOURS OF ASHES

Return to the Lord!

Please join us at any time from 6:00 am right through 9:00 pm on Ash Wednesday, February 13th.

We have masses at 7 am, 8:15 am and 7pm. There is a prayer service at 12 noon. We highly encourage your participation in our liturgies or prayer service. Ashes will be distributed during Mass and at the prayer service.

Additionally, between 6am and 9pm, we will also be distributing ashes to those who wish to turn back to the Lord. Whether you have been away for one day, one year, or haven't set foot in a Catholic Church in decades, you are welcome to receive ashes as a sign of repentance and continual conversion.

Ashes are a biblical sign of penance. Here are some Biblical verses mentioning ashes - Jeremiah 6:26, Isaiah 58:5, Daniel 9:3, Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13.

Ashes in the Catholic Church are the burnt remains of last year's palms used on Palm Sunday. Ashes are placed on your forehead as a sign to others of your change of heart. You may hear either of these prayers as the minister puts ashes on your forehead: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return," OR "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."

Perhaps the most amazing result of keeping St. Benedict's Church open all day is seeing the hundreds of people, from all walks of life, truly striving to reform their lives.  Our priests are kept busy all day hearing confessions of people who want a fresh spiritual start. It is important not to let ashes become a hollow sign; we need to repent and confess our sins.  That is the first step to changing our lives to become more like Christ.

Will you repent with us this year? Don't worry if you forgot how to go to confession; we have information about the sacrament ready for you.   Click here for helpful reminders about this amazing sacrament, including a brief explanation of why we go to confession and instructions on how to go to confession.

Please invite your friends and family members to join us Ash Wednesday. Click here for directions.
 
We are here to be the welcoming hands of Christ.  Please join us.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Lent and Holy Week at St. Benedicts 2011

LENTEN MASS SCHEDULE

Beginning March 9
For the weekdays of Lent the weekly Mass schedule will be:
1.Monday through Friday 7:00 am and 8:15 am
2.Friday afternoons at 5:30 pm followed by Stations of the Cross.
3.Saturday at 9:00 am

Please consider making daily Mass or Stations of the Cross a part of your Lenten resolutions.
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
Wednesday Reconciliation 4:30 & 7:00 pm
Holy Thursday Supper 5:00 & Liturgy 7:00 pm
Good Friday Service noon & Stations 7:00 pm
Holy Saturday Blessing of the Baskets 3:00 pm
Easter Vigil Saturday at 8:00 pm
Easter Sunday Masses 8:00, 10:00, 11:30 am



PARISH ACTIVITIES FOR LENT
Weekly:
Daily Mass  - Monday thru Friday 7:00 & 8:15 am
Every Monday - Bible study at 5:30 pm

Every Monday
Vicariate Lecture Series (See the bulletin or website for information)

Every Friday
5:30 Mass followed by Stations of the Cross

Every Saturday
9:00 am Mass


Special Events
Saturday, April 2
Fr. Paul’s Steak Dinner

Sunday, April 3
Tour of the windows with Deacon Bill at 4:00 pm

Weekend of April 3
1st Sunday of Month Food Drive (bring food to Mass)

Wednesday, April 6
Parish Reconciliation 2:00 pm (St. Ben) and 7:00 pm (St. Leo)

Saturday, April 9
Diocesan Men’s conference at Cardinal O’Hara High School  8:00 to 3:00

Monday, April 11
Rosary Altar Society meeting with Deacon Bill as guest speaker
at 7:00 pm

Wednesday, April 13
Praying before the Blessed Sacrament in church 6:00-9:00 pm

PENANCE SERVICES IN LENT
At St. Benedict & St. Leo the Great

Wednesday, April 6 is our Lenten Penance Services. Again this year we will collaborate with St. Leo’s Parish to offer two services: an afternoon service at 2:00 p.m. at St. Benedict’s Church and an evening service at 7:00 p.m. at St. Leo the Great Church. Please plan to make the Sacrament of Reconciliation an essential part of Lent for you and your family.


WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR LENT?
The 12th Annual Lenten Series presents five North American Saints – their lives, their spirituality and what they might say to us today!

All sessions will take place at 7:30 p.m.

Monday, March 28 Fr. Nelson Baker
Msgr. Paul Burkhard will present the life, the spirituality, and the cause for canonization of the beloved ‘Padre of the Poor’ from Lackawanna.
Infant of Prague, 921 Cleveland Drive, Cheektowaga 634-3600
Monday, April 4 The North American Jesuit Martyrs
Fr. Fred Betti, S.J. will tell the gripping story of the life and spiritualities of six
Jesuit priests & their two lay companions who died for their faith.
St. Christopher Church 2660 Niagara Falls Blvd., Tonawanda 692-2660

Monday, April 11 Mother Cabrini
Spiritus Sanctus Players will present a one-woman dramatization of the life of
St. Frances Cabrini who dedicated her life to helping Italian immigrants.
(There will be a free will offering following the performance.)
St. Leo the Great Church, 885 Sweet Home Road, Amherst 835-8905


Why give up something for Lent when you can do something positive for your spiritual life?
No cost. No reservations required. Come and bring a friend.
Sponsored by the parishes in the Northern Erie Vicariate


LENTEN REGULATIONS
We are about to begin the season of Lent. Often there is confusion about what Catholics should or should not do during Lent. We hope the following descriptions will help you plan your Lenten journey for 2011.

ABSTINENCE: All Catholics who have celebrated their 14th birthday are bound to abstain totally from meat on the following days: Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent, including Good Friday.

FASTING: All Catholics who have celebrated their 18th birthday but have not yet celebrated their 60th birthday are also bound to observe the Law of Fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. This practice involves limiting oneself to a single full meal and avoiding food between meals. Light sustenance may be taken on two other occasions in the course of the day.


EASTER DUTY: All the faithful who have received their First Holy Communion are bound by the obligation to receive Communion at least once a year. This precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season, unless for a good reason it is fulfilled at another time during the year. This obligation may be fulfilled between March 13 (First Sunday in Lent) and June 19 (Trinity Sunday).

THE FOLLOWING SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED:
OTHER FRIDAYS OF THE YEAR: Catholics should be reminded that all other Fridays of the year remain as days of penance, in prayerful remembrance of the Passion of Jesus Christ.

OBLIGATION: The obligation which we have as members of the Church to do penance is a serious one. Furthermore, the obligation to observe, as a whole or “substantially”, the penitential days specified by the Church is a serious one.

While no one should hold himself or herself lightly excused, one should not become unduly scrupulous. Failure to observe individual days of penance is less serious than the failure to observe any penitential days at all or a substantial number of such days.

Stations of the Cross
Every Friday of Lent after 5:30 Mass we pray the Stations of the Cross. We are hoping you will join our church organizations in prayer.

1.March 11: RAS and Ladies of Charity;
2.March 18: Ushers
3.March 25: Holy Name Society
4.April 1: Lectors/Eucharistic Ministers
5.April 8: Respect Life
6.April 15: Home School Association
7.April 22: St. Vincent DePaul Society

Please come and join us.