COME DISCUSS YOUTH PROGRAM

A meeting will be held on Sunday, March 24th at 3:30pm in the cafeteria to discuss a youth program here at St. Agnes Cathedral. All are welcome whether you a young person, parent or interested adult. Please bring your ideas to share. All are welcome! Please stay tuned for further information

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!

Curtains!, the Musical, is coming to Springfield Catholic High School April 5, 6, 7. Tickets for the shows are available in the parish office. 417-831-3565.

SPECIAL NEEDS CLASSES

Saint Agnes Cathedral has a class for special needs children/adults with autism, Down syndrome, or any other processing disorder. We meet on Sunday mornings at 10am in the school. You don’t have to be a member of St. Agnes to attend. All are welcome! Please call Sabrina Schmidt (831-3565) if you have any questions.

From The Pastor’s Desk

Lent should be different than the rest of the Church year.  It should be set aside not only by the Church, but also by the people as a spiritual time to prepare for the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ.  This is the whole reason Christ came to earth.  It is through His dying that our Redemption is found, and it is in His rising that we rise to be with Him in His Father’s Kingdom.  It is not too late to make this Lent different, but we need to start now if we haven’t already done so.  It would not hurt anyone to give up something we like.  It would not hurt anyone to read a little each day in the Bible, or to spend a little extra time in prayer, or to do something for an elderly neighbor.  The list of opportunities to do something spiritually or to help others could go on forever.  The important thing is that we DO SOMETHING.

Lent is the season to walk with Christ on the road to Jerusalem and ultimately to Calvary. That is why we pray the Stations of the Cross together every Friday during Lent at 7 pm.  If we find them boring, perhaps we need to meditate upon the cross.  To walk the Stations of the Cross is to remind us just how much Jesus went through those last hours on earth.  Jesus the Son of God who created everything allowed humans to beat Him, kick Him, spit upon Him, force Him to carry a cross and then to die upon that cross.  The Stations of the Cross are a visible reminder of Jesus’ love for us.  However, if we do not sing, pray out loud, or take any kind of active role in the Stations, or any other liturgical prayer form, it’s like going to a ball game of your favorite team and never yelling, clapping, or cheering, and when the game is over, getting up and walking out.  The game would be boring.  Whether we lose sight of prayer and the purpose behind it or get lost in a class we may be taking, it will become boring.  If we find liturgical prayer boring, then we need to reflect upon how we responded while we were at that particular liturgy.

During the Lenten Season we find the parishes scheduling Reconciliation Services where more than the priest of the parish is present to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Many people find the Sacrament hard to celebrate, because it is hard to admit to another person our faults and failings.  But most people including myself feel refreshed and uplifted after celebrating the Sacrament.  I invite everyone to our St. Agnes Penance Service this coming Tuesday March 19 at 7 pm.

Bishop Rice is coming to the Springfield Area Bishop’s Walk!

Springfield Catholic High on Saturday, April 13, walk time is 1pm and check-in begins at 12:30pm. Cost $20 - individual and $50 for a family. Lunch will be provided.

Register online at www.ccsomo.org/2019-bishops-walk-registration-begins/  Register by March 22 to receive a t-shirt.

Your Bishop’s Walk registration helps move those in southern Missouri from poverty to self-sufficiency.

FOR ALL LADIES OF THE PARISH

April 26-27, 2019, the DCCW Annual Spring Assembly will be held here in Springfield, MO at the University Plaza Convention Center.  Bishop Emeritus John Leibrecht will be the keynote speaker along with other great speakers throughout the two days. I encourage all of the ladies in the parish to attend this two-day event. If you cannot make both days, consider at least attending part of the assembly. It would be great to have a large group attending from St. Agnes Cathedral.

There are registration forms in the back of church and in the parish office, as well as one in The Mirror. The forms give you details, but for those who mail it in by Mar. 26 the cost will be $50.; after the 26th it is $55.

If you have questions please call Judy Hauschildt at 641-751-6632 or email me at judyhauschildt@gmail.com.

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From The Pastor’s Desk

Lent has finally come.  It is the latest in the Church calendar.   In case you missed Ash Wednesday, you couldn't have missed the sanctuary without flowers or greenery and a purple altar cloth and purple wall hangings. It is the Lenten Season.  A time that when I was a kid, there was that question of what I was giving up to “mortify the flesh”, it meant give up something I really liked to eat or do. 

Now that I am an adult, not counting that I am a priest, the more important question is “what am I’m going to do EXTRA during this season?”  The question that many people, myself included may ask of ourselves, how can I fit a new activity into my schedule that already is filled to overflowing?  I’m too busy, and most of you are also.  We’ll never “find the time” for Lent or any other new activity.  We don’t “save” time for a day when we need more time.  We live time day by day, moment by moment.  No one’s going to give us more time and our time is not to be given to someone else who is needing a few extra hours in the day.  God has already given us all the time we will ever need.

If we are going to do more of something: Lenten extras, Easter preparations or celebrations of anything, we are going to have to do less of something else.  That is the essential rule of time management:  if you want a half hour here, you have to take a half hour from there.  It is a tradeoff.  DO NOT take that time from sleeping and from nurturing personal relationships.  Robbing yourself of sleep will take your energy, enthusiasm, efficiency, and none of us are spending enough time with the really important people in your life.

When I met with our Confirmation Candidates last month, I tried to impress upon them the importance to become a person/people of prayer.  That does not mean that we need to spend hours in prayer each day, although that would not be bad.  Being a person of prayer means taking the Lord along with you throughout your day.  Begin the day with a whispered thought/prayer as you get dressed for the day, on the way to work/school thank the Lord for the day/the gasoline in your gas tank, that you are not walking to work as so many people in the world.  How about thanking the Lord for your job/your freedom to go to school.  If it is going to be a hard day at work/school let the Lord be by your side, invite Him along.  Whispered thoughts/prayers do not take time, they take effort, a conscious effort to include the Lord in whatever you are doing.

We will be praying the Stations of the Cross along with Benediction on Friday evenings, make the time to come and spend 35 minutes in prayer, remembering that Christ chose to suffer and die for each of us.

Best Lent Ever

This year for Lent instead of giving up chocolate find ways to come closer to Jesus. It’s not too late to discover simple ways to transform your life by signing up for Best Lent Ever, a free email program designed to help you have a life-changing Lent.  Each day you’ll receive a short inspirational video that will help you...

1: Find areas for growth 

2: Build better habits 

3: Spark lasting change

Are you ready to have your best Lent ever?

Sign up at DynamicCatholic.com/signup

Bread & Water Movie Series at St. Agnes

Journey through Lent with films each week at 7pm about Knowing God and neighbor.

Bread and water for refreshments as a Lenten penance.

The movies and dates are:

3/12 The Gospel According to Matthew - 91min ‘NR’

3/19 No Movie (Penance Service in Cathedral, 7pm)

3/26 The Mission - 124min ‘PG’

4/2  The Other Side of Immigration - 55min ‘NR’

4/9  Juno - 96min ‘PG-13’

4/14 Spotlight - 129min ‘R’

Location is St Agnes school cafeteria, bring a friend!

Any questions, call Parish Office at 831-3565.

Childcare also available, please call the office if you plan to bring children so that we can expect them.

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From The Pastor’s Desk

Jesus was the greatest story teller that has ever lived. Through the use of His simple word-pictures he helped the people of His day and time to understand who God is, what His kingdom or reign is like and even as a reflection of themselves. The parables are made up of images and characters taken from the everyday life and world of the first century. Parables was one of the areas in which I took several of my electives in Theology, because I found them to be very interesting and stimulating.

Over a third of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke contain parables told by Jesus. His parables challenge us to discover what God is like and move us to make a response to God’s love and truth. Remember a picture can take the place of a thousand words. In His parables Jesus painted vivid pictures with short, simple and ordinary everyday events of His time. Parable of the mustard presents a determined woman looking for her lost coin, another a barren fig tree, the pearl of great price, the uninvited wedding guests, the Good Samaritan, the ten bridesmaids, the list goes on and on. Jesus’ parables may have been for a specific time and place, but they speak of timeless realities to people of every time and place.

Jesus used parables to help the listener search and discover the deeper meaning and underlying truth of the reality being portrayed. Most, but not all, parables bring out a lesson or a moral. Jesus also used parables to teach important truths about God and his kingdom and lessons pertaining to the way of life and happiness which God has for us. Jesus’ audience would have been very familiar with stories containing fig trees, wineskins, oil lamps, money, stewards, judges, wedding parties; these were illustrations of everyday life. Today we may have to do some “homework” to understand the social customs described.

Jesus’ parables have a double meaning. First, there is the literal meaning, apparent to anyone who has experience with the subject matter. Second, is a deeper meaning about God’s truth and His kingdom. The parables often involve an element of surprise or an unexpected twist. We may be taken off guard and have to take a second look. The true gift of the parables is when the story challenges us and invites us to further reflection.

It is interesting that Jesus tells his disciples that not everyone would understand his parables. Jesus was aware that some people would refuse to understand them and that they would close their hearts to what He was saying. God can only reveal the secrets of His kingdom to the humble and trusting person who acknowledges the need for God and for His truth. It is important not to get bogged down in the details of the parable. It is the main point that counts. Jesus meant for His parables to provoke a response.

Confirmation

On Saturday, February 16th, 33 young people from our parish were confirmed by Bishop Edward Rice at the 5:00pm Mass. Father Lewis Hejna, Father Joseph Stoverink & Father Patrick Mac Tran participated in the Liturgy. The following young people were confirmed:

Paige Bailey, Ethan Barber, Dakota Bazyn, Rebekah Bodine, Abigail Cardone, Ethan Carroll, Ella Collins, Eyan Collins, Kayla Cotter, Jeremy Cronkhite, Hannah Demster, Michaela Farrales, Trace Finley, Ariana Garnica, Isabella Gomez, Ralph Hall, Alexander Herrell, Jessica Jennerjohn, Shane Jennerjohn, Janie Le, Jared Lobdell, Grant Morris, Luke Morris, Joseph Nguyen, John Ogden, John Pham, Samuel Rapp, Grace Ray, Aaron Rolewicz, Michael Russo, Xavier Tenbrook, Dustin Waterhouse and Nicholas Winn.

We thank so many who helped to make the Confirmation Liturgy special for all involved. We thank all of our sponsors and families who supported our young people on this journey. We would also like to thank our youth choir and those who organized, set up and served at the reception following the Confirmation liturgy. Thank you for your willingness to give of your talent and time to make the sacrament so special. Please keep all of these young people in your prayers as they continue on their faith journey.

Bread & Water Movie Series at St. Agnes Parish

Journey through Lent with films each week at 7pm about Knowing God and neighbor. Bread and water for refreshments as a Lenten penance. The movies and dates are:

3/12 The Gospel According to Matthew 91min ‘NR’

3/19 No Movie (Penance Service in Cathedral, 7pm)

3/26 The Mission 124min ‘PG’

4/2 The Other Side of Immigration 55min ‘NR’

4/9 Juno 96min ‘PG-13’

4/14 Spotlight 129min ‘R’

Location is St Agnes school cafeteria, bring a friend!

Any questions, call Parish Office at 831-3565. Childcare also available, please call the office if you plan to bring children so that we can expect them.

ALL STUDENTS IN GRADES 8-12

There will be a Mardi Gras celebration just for you on Tuesday, March 5, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at Springfield Catholic High School. This celebration is for both Catholic and public school students. We’ll have great food and lots of fun activities. Come and join us for a great evening of fun and celebration! If you have any questions, please call Sabrina at the parish office.

From The Pastor’s Desk

So often I get asked, “Father what use is there in studying the Old Testament?” That was the wrong question to ask me, since I had chosen many of my electives in both College and Theology from Old Testament studies. I will grant you that the Old Testament is difficult to read. It has a large and diverse collection of ancient texts from a culture that is truly foreign to us today. The stories found in the Old Testament are many times frightening and even seem strange to us.

The Old Testament is the account of God the Father preparing His chosen people for the coming of the Messiah. It is God working among His people over thousands of years helping prepare them for a loving, merciful Messiah. The Second Vatican Council stated that the Old Testament is “a storehouse of sublime teaching on God, and of sound wisdom on human life, as well as a wonderful treasury of prayers” (Dei Verbum, No. 15)

It is important for us to read and study the Old Testament to help us understand who Jesus truly is and why He had to suffer and die. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies proclaimed and written by the Old Testament prophets. There are six Major Prophets and 12 Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. The rest of the books fall into these groups: The Pentateuch, 5 books, The Historical Books, 16 books, The Wisdom books, 7 books.

The Old Testament is filled with God shepherding His people as a liberator who delivers His people from famine, from slavery, from war. In the Old Testament we see God as active in all types of situations. He brings good out of bad and evil. He teaches hope and demands a personal response of friendship, loyalty and obedience. The Ten Commandments are the heart and soul of His laws. The Old Testament are the sacred scriptures that Jesus read and knew. He quoted them freely. If we are to understand His teachings, we need some understanding of the Old Testament.

As the Church grew after Pentecost, others began writing and those writings became the New Testament Scriptures. St. Paul wrote much of the New Testament and remember his background, he was a Jew. Paul was extremely knowledgeable in Jewish Law and in the Old Testament Scriptures. The other New Testament writers also had knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, thus you cannot divorce the parts of the Bible. To understand the New Testament and Jesus, you must study and understand the Old Testament, for the New Testament is built upon the Old Testament.

THE MIRROR SUBSCRIPTION

It’s that time of year again! The diocese will send us a bill in the coming weeks for each St. Agnes parishioner to receive this weekly newspaper. Each subscription is $14.00. Last year’s bill was over $9,000 and St Agnes paid nearly $6,000 that wasn’t covered by the envelopes. Please be sure to use your Mirror envelope and if possible include gift subscriptions for parishioners who may not be able to afford theirs.

Seniors Ash Wednesday Luncheon

SENIORS, Please mark your calendars for the Ash Wednesday luncheon on March 6 after the 12:15 Mass. The meal will be catered and paid for from money made at the bazaar. However, when it gets closer to the time, you will need to sign up in the office so we have enough food for all.

S Elizabeth Ann

Knights Fish Fry:

The St. Agnes Knights of Columbus annual Lenten fish dinner event will be Friday, March 8th from 5 to 7 PM

in the school cafeteria. Please join us. Proceeds benefit Catholic Charities Lifehouse.

From The Pastor’s Desk

This weekend, 33 Candidates received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Rice here at St. Agnes Cathedral. They began their preparation in August and it was one of choice, commitment, witness, and ministry. The candidates were asked over the months to take a good hard look at their practice of their faith life, to participate in the sacramental classes, perform apostolic works and make their own decision to ask for the sacrament. After meeting with each candidate for 15-20 minutes I happily recommended these candidates to our bishop. I celebrate and congratulate all those Confirmands who took the time of preparation prayerfully and seriously.

For those of us who are at least 30 years of age, we had very little or no preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Depending upon our parishes of the past, the bishop may have only come every three years, thus Confirmation was given at all different ages. I personally received the sacrament when I was in the eighth grade. Our Bishop along with our Presbyteral Council recommend that the age of celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation be lowered from Sophomore - Senior to no younger than 7th grade and before their Sophomore year. The exact years would depend upon how offer the bishop comes to the parish for Confirmation. The different programs used are still being decided. The Diocese had begun this discussion years about 12 years ago when I was a member of the Presbyteral Council. Our confirmands came from the freshman and sophomore classes. Next year the eighth grade and freshman will be offered the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is a special event in the life of an individual Catholic and the entire parish family. Its’ call and grace confirm discipleship. The gifts of the Holy Spirit help to form the Christian more fully in the image of Jesus Christ. We use the term, an adult Catholic, within the Church with all the responsibilities that parents had accepted when they asked to have their son or daughter baptized. Thus Vatican II decreed that the rite of the sacrament be revised, that those receiving the sacrament be fully educated so that its’ connection with the whole church and the rite of Christian Initiation be understood.

As early as the 7th Century, the post baptismal anointing with Sacred Chrism by the bishop became the regular practice in the Western Roman Catholic Church. Medieval theologians saw Confirmation as a gift of the Holy Spirit for the strengthening of the candidate’s inner life and social witness.

By the 16th century, the general practice after the Tridentine reforms was to confirm, as an affirmation or public profession, the baptismal commitment that had been made by parents and god parents at the time of Baptism.

Following Vatican II, two major understandings and approaches to the sacrament of Confirmation became accepted. The importance of Confirmation as a part of the RCIA with the Easter Vigil, and the maturity model as a person becomes more active within the Church, using their gifts and talents for the building up of Gods’ Kingdom by asking for the fullness of the Holy Spirit in ones’ life.

BE A CROSSLINES VOLUNTEER

St. Agnes helps 80 to 100 families at Crosslines every 4th Tuesday of each month. We need a couple of additional volunteers to help carry client’s groceries to their cars. Hours are from 9am to 2pm. You may choose to work morning or afternoon or both. The reward is the smile and thank you given by many of the people we help. For more information call 742-3358 or just show up at Crosslines on February 26th. We could not help others without the financial support of our generous parishioners and we thank each and every one of you.

OVERNIGHT WOMEN’S SHELTER

As you may have seen on TV, Grace United Methodist Church is now offering space for an overnight women’s shelter in their church. Volunteers are still needed. If you are interested in helping with this, call Nancy Crawford for details at 417-350-6108. There are always two volunteers PRESENT. Sr. Elizabeth Ann