STAND UP FOR THE UNBORN

I remember reading an article about the U.S. birth rate that had dropped for the second year in a row and the birth rate that year set the lowest level in a century. The experts thought it may be because of the recession or it may be because of a decline in immigration to the United States. Have they never heard of abortion?? Abortion kills approximately 4,000 babies in the womb each day. Can’t they do the math and see how this decreases the population? We must not sit back and let innocent babies be killed. We are Americans! Whatever happened to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all? Since when do we have the right to play God? To choose which baby lives or dies? We do not have that right. We must not sit back and let innocent babies be killed. Please do not be indifferent to the plight of the unborn. We have lived with this crime of abortion way too long. Stand up for life. Ruth Weber Davenport Iowa

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Jesus began his mission in a political, social and economic time that had many of the characteristics of our present economic system. The promised wave of Roman prosperity did not reach the bottom of society. Jesus challenged the political, financial and religious elite that created burdens for the people, rather than meeting the needs of the people. Global prosperity did not work for the Roman Empire, neither did it work for the British Empire and now we have found that it has not worked for the United States.

People during the time of Christ were searching for answers, good news and hope. Is that not the same today? The modern poor are confused, disappointed, uncertain and angry. The number of homeless continues to grow and the pandemic rages across our country with over 400,000 deaths in our country. The middle class is wanting answers and less taxation, while the rich upper class seems to get richer. Jesus talked about taxes, the plight of women, disability, social and economic exclusion and the arrogance of power. The mission of Jesus was not about offering the poor mirages, miracles or quick fixes. The mission of Jesus was about bringing the people back to His heavenly Father, and about accompanying vulnerable people in a struggle to make the structures of life resonant with the values and dignity of the individual in the light of the Gospel’s good news. We are in a time of change, and we must be certain that God is at the heart of the changes in our country and that the state or any individual does not become god and religion. We must look to the past and learn.

Our nation needs healing. There is a change in government whether people like it or not. The next four years can be a time of healing or it can be a continued time of anger, lies, death and a tearing down of our country. Rome the greatest empire in the western world was constantly attacked by barbarian tribes who eventually sacked the city of Rome, but what really drained her strength and destroyed her were the civil wars and political trouble on the inside. God needs to be the strength upon which our country relies. Please pray for our country.

THANK YOU! To the individuals, and to the Vietnamese Community, who enabled us to purchase our new (to us) piano!

WELL OF LIFE

For those who have considered becoming a Well of Life volunteer, I would like to tell you how it is being run during this time of Covid. Only 1 client at a time is allowed in the building and stays at least 10 feet from the interviewer. All clients and volunteers are masked. The food is packed up by volunteers and delivered to the porch. All surfaces that are touched by the clients are sanitized between clients. Temperatures are not currently taken. (I know of 4 people who had Covid and said they never had a temperature.) Other clients wait in the car after notifying volunteers they are waiting. They are called in turn. I understand very few clients are walking to the food pantry at this time. Generally once a client is seen, it only takes about 5 minutes per client. Call Sr. Elizabeth Ann at 831-3565 ext 103.

LADIES OF THE PARISH

There is a special envelope in your parish envelope packet in Feb for the Parish Council of Catholic Women. Please consider making a donation for PCCW. Like so many other organizations, PCCW was unable to hold any fundraisers in the past year. We still have bills to pay especially regional, state and national dues. We hope to begin our activities again soon as safety and health guidelines allow. Remember all women of the parish are automatically included in all activities. Thanks so much for your support and generosity.

CATHOLIC MEN'S CONFERENCE

All men, ages 18 and older, are invited to participate in the second annual Catholic Men's Conference featuring Super Bowl Champion Harrison Butker. Date: Sat., Feb. 20, 2021 Location: Springfield Catholic High School Speakers: Bishop Edward Rice, Fr. Joseph Kelly, Fr. Allen Kirchner, Fr. Patrick Nwokoye, Craig Henley, and featuring Super Bowl Champion, Harrison Butker **Masking, Social Distancing, and COVID-19 precautions will be enforced.

On Monday of this past week we moved into Ordinary Time in the church’s liturgical calendar. As I spoke with the students at Mass, we are simply walking with Christ on His daily life journey as He speaks to His disciples words of comfort, of conviction, and of hope: “The kingdom is here, repent and believe.”

Jesus and His disciples were living in an occupied country governed by the mighty Roman Empire and He was walking a very fine line of treason or religious heresy. The Pharisees believed in many of the things Jesus taught, but they also worked with the Romans and the Sadducees believed in the literal interpretation of the Law and in the rituals of the Temple. There were many voices that tried to silence the people’s ability to hear Jesus, but as the gospels proclaim the people hung on His every word. Later the Pharisees united with the Sadducees to condemn Jesus to death.

Today we live in a broken world, in a struggling country. There are many voices that scream destruction, violence and hate. One of the hardest confessions I have ever heard was at least 15-20 years ago. A person in confession stated their anger at all the news reports and false videos showing the Holocaust. “It never happened.” I stated at that time I had been to the Dachau Concentration Camp outside of Munich Germany where thousands of prisoners; Catholic priests, political prisoners and Jews were killed.” The response was no, that wasn’t true and I was called a liar. I was too shaken and gave absolution. I have reflected upon that event many times and worried how many people believe even in the face of eye witnesses and proof what they are told and want to believe. I have many times prayed for that individual.

Our world contains the reality of Jesus Christ and the recognition that not all is well despite Jesus’s power. To reconcile this, we must recognize that it is in weakness that Christ’s power is truly shown. The weakness of our lives, in the face of hatred, can be the witness the world needs to be overcome by love. Christ offered to the people great signs and wonders, but often, they were not converted, but by a humiliating death, he converted millions. Our lives, in order to show the world his word is true, must be one of humble service and weakness.

Weakness overcomes power when empowered by Jesus Christ. Be open to Christ’s power by being humble before him and the world. Offer your life and the world will notice and change.

HOLY TRINITY SUPER BOWL SMOKED MEATS

February 7, 2021 let the “holy smokers’ provide smoked meats for your Super Bowl. Available after the 8:30 am and 10 am Masses in the Holy Trinity Kitchen Hall. Social Distancing and Masks are required. Carry out pickup available at Kitchen Rear- call 417-773-9615 to order.

SLICED BRISKET $12.00/LB

PULLED PORK $12.00/LB

SMOKED BRATS 3 FOR $4.00

SMOKED POLISH SAUSAGE 3 FOR $4.00

~Cash or check only~

PARISH HEALTH MINISTRY

More suggestions to help us stay “watchful” and “alert” from Alexander Kern, Director of the Center for Spirituality at Northeastern University, Boston Massachusetts:

Create and sustain community. Listen compassionately to those who are similarly burdened. Practice empathy. Even while avoiding “close physical contact,” message the people you care about. Check in on folks. Call your family as well as your long-lost friends.

Unplug, judiciously. While staying aware of developments, do not let the Coronavirus-chaos govern you. Forgive yourself when and if it does.

Practice kindness. There is a temptation in health scares to view others as potential threats. Remember we are all in this together. While practicing health guidelines and appropriate caution, remember to engage one another. Bring good deeds and good energy into the world in any way that you can.

WELL OF LIFE

The Well of Life, the food pantry we run with 7 other churches, has been closed for a few weeks. It has now reopened on Fridays from 10 am until 4 pm. More volunteers are needed to keep this vital service to the poor open. Please consider if this is something that you would be interested in doing. Call Sr. Elizabeth Ann at 831-3565 ext 103.

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Each day we make hundreds of choices. Some of those choices involve making a moral decision. How do we make that decision? Is it the same way as choosing which shirt or blouse to wear that day? In making a moral decision, we are called to follow our conscience. Our conscience is actually our sense of the moral goodness or evil of something. Each of us has a duty to listen to God, to listen to the facts, to discern right from wrong, and finally, the responsibility to choose what is right. Morality is the “rightness or wrongness of an action.” I bring this to our attention this weekend because I had a very angry young man tell me I was wrong in requiring masks to be worn in the Cathedral.

He refused and walked out after a rather heated exchange telling me I should not believe everything I read. He would not listen to the fact that Fr. Allen and I minister at South Cox, even stating the doctors and scientists were wrong. At that point I said no more and told him he was welcome any time as long as he was wearing a mask to protect the people of our parish. He was not from the parish.

The question arises, especially in our society today, “How do we form our conscience?” Our conscience is formed by our faith in God and in God’s teachings. For the Muslim, conscience is formed through the Quran. For the Jew, conscience is formed through the Old Testament. For the Christian, the conscience is formed through Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament, and for the Catholic Christian, our conscience is formed through Jesus’ teachings along with 2000 years of Catholic teachings. Being guided by these three major religions we have a responsibility, a duty to care for one another. A mask is a small thing to ask of people if it helps to protect our neighbor. To take the vaccine shot is a choice each of us will need to make to protect ourselves.

When we look at moral issues today, many of these issues may not have been present at the time of Christ or the early church. However, there are issues that may have been close to, or of the same era. There were no nuclear weapons before the 1940s, but even in the Roman Empire, in the time of the Crusades, there were terrible wars that caused complete destruction of civilizations, even genocide. When the Catholic Church makes a decision on the morality of an issue such as abortion or gay marriage, it does not make that decision quickly or easily. Part of the study of that issue is to look to the past. What did the early church—the church that was coming from Christ through the Apostles—have to say on that issue or an issue close to it? The Catholic Church struggles in looking at the morality of certain issues, and sometimes the Church and her Bishops must make unpopular decisions concerning those issues.

What we cannot allow is for modern society to form our conscience. Neither can we allow politicians or even courts of law to form our conscience. All of these change as the winds of time blow. Our society has become driven by the news media and Hollywood. It has become a society that centers around the “me, myself, and I” attitude.

The Church not only has the right, it has the obligation to speak out on moral issues. If the Church remains silent from the pulpit, it becomes only a feel-good organization of service and does not follow in the footsteps of our founder, JESUS CHRIST!

Youth Activities

A special note of Congratulations to Augustus Marshall Nickels; son of Kristen and Christopher Nickels who was baptized here at St. Agnes Cathedral on Sunday, Jan, 3rd, 2021. We welcome Augustus (Gus) into our parish family. We pray for you and your family as you continue to grow in the grace of God!

Due to the Martin Luther King holiday, there will be no PSR on Sunday, Jan. 17th. Classes will resume on Sunday, Jan. 24th.

Confirmation Candidate Sponsor Meeting will be held Sunday. Jan, 17th at 10:00 AM in the library of the school. Candidates should complete service project forms and bring them to the session. If a sponsor cannot attend this session, the candidate can ask someone else to join them to take the place of the sponsor for that day.

A meeting will be held for parents of children who will receive First Eucharist on Tues, Jan 12th at 7:00 pm in the dining room. Please contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org with any questions.

32nd Annual Jack Frost 5k Run/2.5 k Walk

Date: Saturday, January 30th, 2021 Time: Packet Pick-up/Registration at 8:00 a.m. Race at 9:00 a.m. Packet Pick-Up: Friday, January 29th 4:00-6:00pm Place: O’Reilly Catholic Student Center 847 South Holland Avenue, Springfield, MO 65806 Fee: $40.00 (if received by January 29th, 4:00 p.m.) $45.00 (on the Day of the Race) Awards: Overall male & female and to 1st, place 5K finishers in each age group; Male and Female. Award ceremony immediately following race. Age Groups: Under 15, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, Over 69 T-shirts: T-shirt and finisher medal To the 1st 125 registered and paid participants. T-shirt size guaranteed if registration and fee are received by Jan. 7 th

For more information, call (417) 865-0802. All registrations are non-refundable.

Event details and schedule

Pre Packet Pick Up Jan 29th 4pm to 6:00pm or race morning until 8:45

Race Starts at 9am

PARISH HEALTH MINISTRY

We continue to stay “watchful” and “alert” amid a raging pandemic. The following are some helpful recommendations offered by Alexander Kern, Director of the Center for Spirituality at Northeastern University, Boston Massachusetts:

Carve out 5-10 minutes each day to meditate.

Focus your awareness on something enduring or beautiful in your surroundings. Discover again the realities for which you are grateful and in which you find again a sense of awe and wonder.

Acknowledge your fears, anxieties, concerns. Offer them up in prayer. Write them in a journal if you use one. Share them with others. Feel what you feel, honor it, and know that it is not the final word.

Remember you are not alone. Ever. You are surrounded by care and support. Reach out.

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Our Christmas season 2020, has been different than any Christmas I can remember. Instead of gathering together in church as a community, we were spread out in different places for the different masses. Throughout the world every nation was/is battling the deadly Covid-19 pandemic. Hospitals are full of patients. Many funeral homes are full of the dead. The pandemic has not only filled the world with concern but has also created a series of emptiness.

More than 2000 years ago, Christ came to earth amid the emptiness and unsettledness of humankind. The Roman Empire ruled much of the known world with an iron fist. Any nation or people who fought back were destroyed and enslaved. Christ came to bring hope and peace to the chosen people, ultimately to the whole world and that is what we are celebrating this weekend.

Epiphany commemorates the revelation of Jesus to the world. The three Magi, after searching for years, are able to find the Christ child. Since Christmas, our manger scene in Church has shown over the past days that the Magi were not present at Bethlehem, but through the help of the star were guided to Nazareth. Here they presented their precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The Magi represent the people of the world other than the Jewish people. Christ was to be the savior of ALL peoples, not just the chosen Jewish people. Traditional nativity scenes portray the skin color of the Magi as white, black and red.

The Christmas Season in the Catholic Church concludes with the Baptism of the Lord and the beginning of His public life next weekend. As we begin this New Year, may each of us make every effort to live the Christmas message of love, peace and joy every day of the year. Let these be our New Years’ resolution. Who cares if we lose a few pounds or give up some of our bad habits? But if we truly lived the Christmas message, we could affect not only our lives, but the lives of many of those around us.

As we celebrate Epiphany and look forward to the new year, 2021 may we live the Gospel message of God’s love by caring for each other even as the pandemic continues throughout our country and the world. May we put the needs of others first before our own desires.

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making our Christmas celebrations beautiful!

Keller and Maksin Families

Deceased members of

Bounds/Prenger Families

Lee and Angie Viorel

Lee Viorel, Jr.

Vernon Hanson

Fredrick and Lena Hanson

Susan Jurgersmeyer

Barb McMillian

Mary Ann Horton

‘Don & Judy Rippee

Steven Refuerzo

Darlene Rapp

Mac & Mary Hammock

Paul, Betty, & Richard Hund

Francis Finch

Raghu Nimmala

Kari & Michael Peddicord

Join us at the Knights of Columbus Striking Out Bowl-a-thon

Can you get a Turkey? Not the kind you eat, the kind you bowl! In case you didn't know, a Turkey is three strikes in a row! We are grateful to be partnering with the Knights of Columbus for the 26th Annual Knights Striking-Out Bowl-a-thon! Join us on Sunday, January 31 as the Knights of Columbus raise money and awareness for three area non-profits, including Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri.

Purchase raffle tickets for one of two great get-aways and you do not need to be present to win. For event information, to become a sponsor or to attend, visit www.ccsomo.org or call our office at 417-720-4213

THANK YOU!

Once again I want to express my appreciation to everyone who took tags off the Jesse trees to buy practical items for homeless adults or gifts for children served by Sammy’s Window and Crosslines. This year there were at least 147 packages/single items for children and 136 for adults. All this despite Covid restrictions for attendance at church. I appreciate your gracious willingness to be part of this Advent project.

-St. Elizabeth Ann Weiler

From the Pastor’s Desk:

As Catholic Feasts are celebrated, the Feast of the Holy Family which we celebrate this weekend is a relatively new feast. It began to be celebrated in the universal Church in 1920. Devotion to the Holy Family became popular during the 17th century. The theme of family and this feast dedicated to it, is of special importance today in the face of challenges to the contemporary family.

Mary and Joseph along with the Christ Child gives us a perfect example of working together as a family. Love, compassion, sharing, caring for one another, are all examples that the three members of the Holy Family provide for us. As couples today have problems and concerns with one another, I invite them to take a good look at Mary and Joseph. Mary, a young girl finds herself expecting a child, and the child was not that of her betrothed. Joseph finds his betrothed carrying a child which he knows is not his. That had to put a strain on the relationship! It took a lot of faith on the part of Joseph to accept the story of the Angel Gabriel and the Holy Spirit. Finally it took the Angel Gabriel face to face with Joseph before the situation becomes calm.

If all of that was not enough to break Mary and Joseph apart, then there was that trip to Bethlehem; a birth in a stable, and the sudden flight to Egypt, leaving behind home and job. All of this was with the fear of King Herod seeking to kill the newborn child. Couples today who are having problems need to sit down together and really look to what the Holy Family teaches through their own life of family. In fact all of us can learn many virtues from Joseph, Mary and Jesus if we would study their lives.

Joseph and Mary work together to provide for the Christ Child and in turn the Scriptures tell us that as Christ grows, He is obedient to Mary and His foster father, Joseph. All three members of the Holy Family have much to teach each of us, single, married, young or old. As we celebrate this feast, let it be a feast that we keep year around.

I want to thank everyone for being understanding as St. Agnes Cathedral worked hard to provide a blessed liturgical Christmas for everyone. A special thanks to our musicians who worked overtime by providing music for double masses in the Cathedral and the gym. A thank you for everyone who helped in decorating.

Join us at the Knights of Columbus Striking Out Bowl-a-thon

Can you get a Turkey? Not the kind you eat, the kind you bowl! In case you didn't know, a Turkey is three strikes in a row! We are grateful to be partnering with the Knights of Columbus for the 26th Annual Knights Striking-Out Bowl-a-thon! Join us on Sunday, January 31 as the Knights of Columbus raise money and awareness for three area non-profits, including Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri.

Purchase raffle tickets for one of two great get-aways and you do not need to be present to win.

For event information, to become a sponsor or to attend, visit www.ccsomo.org or call our office at 417-720-4213

THANK YOU!

A huge thank you to so many of you who brought in hygiene items for Sammy's Window! We will deliver over 7 boxes of toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant to the foster and adoptive kids that Sammy's serves. St. Agnes is such a giving and generous parish. We thank you so very much!