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Readings for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading I: Job 7:1-4, 6-7 Psalm 147

Reading II: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23

Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

The full text of these readings is available at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020721.cfm. Keep the readings in mind as you ask yourself the questions of the week:

Teens/Adults: When have you felt the sadness of Job? When have you felt the joy of those who wit-nessed the healing works of Jesus?

Children: What could you do this week to comfort someone who is sad?

410-592-7071 | Parish website: ssparish.org | 8030 Bradshaw Road, Kingsville, MD 21087

Mission Statement: We, the parish of St. Stephen, will carry out the mission of Jesus Christ as a welcoming, worshiping, Catholic community by sharing, growing and living the Gospel.

St. Stephen Church The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 7, 2021

Intercessions for Sunday, February 7

For the Church, that we may be a witness to Christ’s love by encouraging justice and peace throughout the world, we pray to the Lord…

For all of our nation’s leaders, that they may be blessed with the gifts of wisdom and understanding in serving the needs of their people, we pray to the Lord…

For all essential workers, that they may continue to seek God as their refuge and strength during this time of uncertainty, we pray to the Lord…

For all of those who may be suffering by the loss of a loved one, may God continue to console and guide them through this challenging time, we pray to the Lord…

For all those who have died, especially Samuel Baroody, may they be granted eternal rest and let the perpetual light shine upon them, we pray to the Lord…

S imon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They im-mediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them [. . .] The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

From Father George

Thank you for your continued support of St. Stephen Parish throughout this past year. Even though this year has had tremendous challenges for all of us, please know that we do not take the sacrificial giving of people in times of difficulty lightly. We couldn’t have continued our mission if it wasn’t for the generosity of your donations and our volunteers.

I especially want to thank those who have maintained their pledges or have contributed to the Parish Capital Campaign. I also ask you to consider using our electronic giving system that can be accessed at our website www.ssparish.org. Elec-tronic giving provides consistency in our income stream and requires less volunteer efforts to count the offertory.

To reduce the parish costs of mailing acknowledgements, we ask those that need a copy of their 2020 donations to email your request to nicole@ssparish.org.

You remain in our prayers.

Father George

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020721.cfmhttps://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020721.cfmhttp://www.ssparish.orgmailto:nicole@ssparish.org

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February 6 & 7 Mass intentions

4:30 pm (Hall) Bill Button (D)

6:00 pm Cessation of all abortion

8:00 am (Hall) Helen Dearth (D)

9:15 am Married Couples

10:30 am (Hall) Bellew Family (L+D)

If you would like to contribute to the poor box, put your donation in an envelope marked “for the poor box.” You can mail it to the parish or put it in an offering basket at Mass. You can also contribute through our on line giving program; put "Poor Box" in the comments space.

The Peace Prayer of St. Francis

We continue in our meditation as we pray,

Where there is darkness, light:

Think of St. Francis em-bracing lepers and lovingly washing their sores. Surely, many of those suffering souls felt an inner surge of hope and human dignity when they experienced Francis’ care.

Teach me, Lord, to trust in your light when I cannot find it, to walk by your light when the shadows beckon, to stand firm in your light when darkness threatens, and to share your light and its warmth with all who seek it.

Excerpts from A Closer Look at the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis, and A Reflection on the Prayer of St. Francis, Fran-ciscan Spirit Blog by Franciscan Media

Turning to God in Our Troubles

I shall not see happiness again. (Job 7:7)

It’s hard not to be struck by the grimness of Job’s words. We might want to give him a break and ex-cuse him. After all, look at what happened to the poor man! He lost his children, his possessions and property, even his health. Anyone would be devastat-ed. It’s only natural to vent your frustrations to your friends as Job did.

But let’s not gloss over Job’s melodramatic words. They provide a glimpse into not only how he was feel-ing in the midst of his devastation but how he was working through it. He teaches us an important le-sion when we are going through something difficult (as we are today): keep the lines of communication with God open!

God willing, we will never experience the same string of losses that Job experienced. But sometimes even small trials can send us into a spiral of negativity. Feeling devastated when we are devastated is natural.

And that’s okay as long as it doesn’t stop there. Let us never forget that our every aching was suffered by Jesus at the Cross of Calvary and His blood paid for us to be saved. This does not make our lives free from pain and suffering, but it makes them temporary. Our life does not end there, all of our battles are won hand in hand with Jesus. Don’t let any pain steal your hope. So, if you find yourself complaining about your circumstances or getting caught up in self-pity, try to follow Job’s example. Vent to your friends or family if you must, but turn to God as well.

Job didn’t get an immediate explanation of why he lost everything. He did, over time, come to a deeper understanding of God’s greatness. He didn’t get an indication of his own righteousness, but he did go from being someone who only knew about God to being someone who had seen him directly. That’s what God can do when you are honest and keep talk-ing to him. Eventually, you will hear him.

“Lord, may my setbacks help me to open my heart more deeply and honestly to you.”

Adapted from The Word among Us, January/February 2021 Meditations

Rice Bowls for Lent

Our Catholic community in the United States does some-thing amazing each Lent. We come together to practice prayer, fasting and almsgiving—and by doing so we help lift families and communities out of poverty.

Be sure to pick up a Rice Bowl for your family next week-end, February 13 and 14. We encourage you to participate in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving throughout Lent. At the end of Lent, please convert your Rice Bowl offering to a donation online at crsricebowl.org/give. If you are unable to donate electronically, please convert your coins and cash to a check made payable to Catholic Relief Services or CRS with “rice bowl” in the memo. Thank you! You may drop your check in the collection basket after Mass.

Ash Wednesday Masses

Lent begins on February 17, Ash Wednesday. Masses that day are as follows:

7:30 AM in person, in the Church (this will be live-streamed)

4:30 PM in person, in the Hall

7:00 PM in person, in the Hall

Watch for Sign Up Genius information to reserve your spot at Mass.

https://secure.etransfer.com/eft/flexblockcode/donation1.cfm?d2org=SaintStephenChurch&d2tool=donateonetimehttps://secure.etransfer.com/eft/flexblockcode/donation1.cfm?d2org=SaintStephenChurch&d2tool=donateonetimehttps://support.crs.org/donate/change-life-lent-0

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Our Parish Family Please pray for the repose of the soul of:

Samuel Baroody

Respect Life Baby Shower

This is the final weekend of our parish's annual baby shower for moms and babies served by nearby pregnan-cy centers. Thank you to all who have already given us such generous dona-tions! Please leave your gift in the bins located outside the Church basement door - thank you!

Baby Shower WISH LIST These items are especially needed (no need to wrap them) : • Disposable Diapers (sizes newborn, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) • Pull ups size 3T-4T for boys and girls • Baby wipes • Onesies (colorful) - size NB and 3 months • Boppy pillows • Receiving blankets • $10 Target gift cards • Boys’ and girls’ clothing sizes nb to 3T • Similac Advance powder.

February 8 is World Day of Prayer, Reflection, and Action against Human Trafficking and the Feast Day of St. Josephine Bakhita

St. Bakhita survived slavery and persevered. Once she gained freedom, Josephine became a Canossian sister. She dedicated her life to shar-ing her testament of deliver-ance from slavery and com-forting the poor and suffering. In her honor, we recognize today as a Day of #Prayer for victims of #humantrafficking.

Many years ago, Josephine Bakhita lived as a slave in what is now Sudan in east Africa. Years later, St. Bakhita was canonized and is now known as the patron Saint of Sudan. She is also uplifted as the patron saint of victims of trafficking. Today, in her honor, we pray for those who have been victims of modern-day slavery. Please pray the following prayer to St. Bakhita.

St. Bakhita, assist all those who are trapped in a state of slavery. Intercede with God in their behalf, so that they will be released from their chains of captivity. Those whom man enslaves, let God set free.

May all expectant mothers be encouraged and receive support and grace

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she opened her heart to receive his message that she would con-ceive the Son of God in her womb. As a young, be-trothed, but unmarried, woman, Mary knew that her pregnancy presented many challenges. Despite this knowledge, she faithfully responded, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

Like the Blessed Mother, women who unexpectedly be-come pregnant often face significant challenges. They, too, are called to place their trust in God and faithfully respond to His gift of new life. And we are called to walk with them in their time of need. As Jesus taught us, when we love and serve others, we are loving and serving Him.

May all expectant mothers be encouraged by Mary’s example and receive support and grace in lovingly wel-coming their children into the world.

From USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities

February 11 is the World Day for the Sick

We pray for all those suffering from illness, especially those whose health has been impacted by the Corona-virus. We also pray for their caregivers and family mem-bers. If your loved one is sick, call us at 410-592-7071 and we will add them to our prayer intentions.

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Youth Ministry Update

February 10 - Worthy of the Call training: For all youth age 14 and up who are involved in parish minis-tries, or serving at the parish, will be held on Wed, Feb 10 at 4pm on zoom. We would like a minimum of 6 people to run this training. To register, please email Mrs. Robin robin@ssparish.org before February 9th. Thank you.

Youth Service Project - February Care Baskets: We are looking for nine more volunteers to assist us with making Care Baskets for Anna's House by the end of February. A supply list and instructions, along with the age and gender of the recipient will be provided. If in-terested, please contact Mrs. Robin in the Parish cen-ter! (robin@ssparish.org )

Kids’ Bingo on February 20!

Keeping the tradition alive! Join us online for the 19th Annu-al Kids’ bingo. Cost is $7 per card, 3 games per card. Two specials are also available for $1 per 3-game sheet. Prizes – selection of games and gift cards to choose from.

To register, use the link https://sspkidsbingo.weebly.com/ . Then send in your check (which confirms your reservation), payable to St. Stephen Church, for the amount due to the Youth Ministry Office, Attn: Robin. You will be emailed when you can pick up your bingo cards; SSS participants will receive their supplies through the school. Space is limited! Registration ends February 7. Questions – contact Robin at robin@ssparish.org or 410-592-7294. Troop 877 First Aid Kits Fundraiser!

Sports, Pets, Auto, Home, you name it, we have a kit!See our flyer on the parish website for details.

Orders and checks made out to Troop 877 are due by February 21. Mail directly to Cindy Stevens at: Cindy Stevens, P O Box 192,Fallston, MD 21047. Deliv-ery of Kits in mid-March. Thank you for supporting our Scouts’ efforts to go to summer camp and High Adventures by purchasing kits!

Helping Hands Food Pantry at Salem United Methodist Church

Open Monday and Friday 10 am to 12 noon. Anyone in need of food can receive it by calling 410-592-2226. Please phone ahead so your order can be ready for pick up and social dis-tancing can be maintained.

This February 7-14 we will celebrate National Marriage Week! This annual observance is a great prompt for everyone to reflect on the gift marriage is to our Church and our country, as well as an opportunity for couples to build up their own marriages.

This year our theme is: To Have, To Hold, To Honor.

Celebrate and enrich your mar-riage by taking part in the at home marriage retreat togeth-er. See https://www.usccb.org/resources/NMW%202021%20At-Home%20Marriage%20Retreat%20EN.pdf

mailto:robin@ssparish.orgmailto:robin@ssparish.orghttps://sspkidsbingo.weebly.com/mailto:robin@ssparish.orghttps://d2y1pz2y630308.cloudfront.net/21196/documents/2021/2/First%20Aid%20Kit%20Order%20Form%20Troop%20877%201.pdfhttps://www.usccb.org/resources/NMW%202021%20At-Home%20Marriage%20Retreat%20EN.pdfhttps://www.usccb.org/resources/NMW%202021%20At-Home%20Marriage%20Retreat%20EN.pdf