Church guide

The rain has cleared out! St John's Youth are open for business and ready to was your car!!

St John's Summer Youth We have a full slate this summer! We have some many fun and exciting opportunities for your families, but that means that we are gonna need your families help! WE NEED BOTH PARENT AND STUDENT VOLUNTEERS! The biggest need for volunteers this year will be TOTUS TUUS. Here is a sign-up genius with all of the ways that you and your child can help. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f4cafaf2cabfd0-totus We also need Six Flags and Summer Sonshine Chaperones! We have some great new plans for this summer! Please consider joining us! We can only improve our ministry if we have strong and willing parents step up! (All volunteers must have completed Safe Environment. Safe Environment training dates will be available.)

St. Theresa's Guild (sewing) meets the second Tuesday of the month (May 14) 9:00 to 11:30 am in the Council Room. Join us for fun, fellowship and refreshments. If you are new to the Parish, we extend a special welcome.

Anyone who received Safe Environment training before August 2014, must be retrained. A detailed list of those individuals needing this training, along with upcoming training dates is located on the Safe Environment page of our parish website. https://stjohn-catholic.org/safe-environment We encourage all Ministry Leaders to review this list and encourage your volunteers to complete this. The deadline to complete the retraining is August 31, 2019. Failure to complete the retraining by this date may impede your ability to continue as a volunteer at St. John's or St. Elizabeth's. We realize this is a challenging task, but we must ensure that all employees and volunteers understand their obligations to recognize abuse and how to report it. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Angela Holt, our Safe Environment Coordinator at [email protected]. Your cooperation is appreciated in completing this process. (Photo attached to get your attention)

WHY DO WE DO THAT? - CATHOLIC LIFE EXPLAINED Question: At a parish council meeting, our pastor mentioned the need for deacons. It is something I am considering. How do I know if I have a vocation? What steps should I take next? Answer: Any and all gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to the church are for the good of the community. As members of the Body of Christ, what one member does affects all. What the body does also affects each member. A vocation or call to ministry is tested and verified by the church. Through prayer, instruction, and service, a vocation is tested, and then acknowledged by the official call to orders or to service. If you are considering becoming a deacon, the first step would be to talk to your pastor. He will be able to give you more specific information on the program in your diocese, what is expected of you, and how you apply. You might also begin to see a spiritual director, someone who can help you with your faith journey and vocation discernment. They do so by focusing on prayer, your relationship with God, and spiritual practices. Finally, you'll need to see the diocesan vocation director in charge of deacons to apply. Best wishes!

Mom Guilt By Mary Brenner, LPC NCC The month of May is filled with thoughts of Mother’s Day. I love Mother’s Day, honoring Mother’s and being a mother. I often think of how much the role of motherhood has changed in the last 50 years. Years ago the majority of the women did not work outside the home. A woman’s duty was to raise the children. Now the majority of women work outside the home, but their duty is to still raise the children. The young mother’s, especially the millennials, put so much pressure on themselves to be the perfect mom while they work in all types of careers and professions. They are competing with men and women who don’t have the same demands of raising children. These working moms are expected to be perfect at home and at work. They don’t understand why they are so stressed and burned out. In their mind they are thinking… if they just worked a little harder or smarter then they would be ok. The reality is blending work and parenting create stress and “Mom Guilt”. Mom guilt is not helpful or healthy. Most women interviewed when returning to work after 12 weeks wished they could have remained home longer. They complain about feeling guilt and stress at both work and home. If they stay home they feel they are falling behind at work and when they are at work they feel they are missing activities with their children. The working mothers are comparing themselves to mothers who stay home with their children and they can not have the same experiences. That is correct. They can not have the same experiences but is not to say that their children are suffering. The feelings of guilt that working mothers experience is not helpful or productive to motherhood or working. This guilt comes from thinking what you are doing is bad or wrong. If you are working to help provide for your family how can that be wrong? Working mothers need to realize there are compromises you make when working, but that does not mean you love your children less. You can be effective as both a mother and a career woman by making good choices and compromises. Once those decisions are made stop second guessing yourself and comparing yourself to others. You just need to focus on your family and the choices that are working the best for them. We as mothers need to stop judging ourselves by a standard of unattainable perfection and instead pat ourselves on the back for solving each daily problem as it occurs. To all the moms out, there young or old, you are doing an awesome job!!! Happy Mother’s Day Mary has a broad source of experience with young people, families, couples, and mature adults. She has also worked with school children. Mary may be contacted at 405-359-8539.

RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS I am struck by how Jesus addresses the disciples in the 21st chapter of John. They have been fishing all night, and when the dawn comes, Jesus asks, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They hadn't caught a thing, so he tells them what to do to finally fill their nets. These children thought they knew best, but they couldn't get the job done until they listened to Jesus. Like a child who needs a parent, these early followers of Jesus were learning that real maturity of faith requires trusting in and listening to the Teacher. The stewardship way of life demands of us a certain maturity of discipleship. Just as a child is not yet ready to be a parent, an immature disciple may not yet be ready to sacrifice regardless of the cost or understand the true value of his generosity. So every day, we are challenged and called to respond, sometimes even with little cost to ourselves. But each step, no matter how small, brings with it growth. We are growing not only in maturity, but in the ability to trust in God and how to listen for the call as well. How mature are you in your faith? How much trust do you have in Jesus Christ? How often do you pause to listen to the instructions of your Teacher? The night is now over, and the dawn is upon you. Reflect on the visible fruit of your stewardship, and then listen for the words of Jesus. - Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS

St. Ann’s Ministry for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Group meets the 2nd Thursday of each month, (May 9), Raphael House, 6:30—8:00 pm. Join us in sharing stories and resources. For address or to request childcare contact Natalie at [email protected] or 405-315-1425.

Fr. Leven will be celebrating his 60th anniversary, and his last Mass, Thurs, May 16th at St. Ann's at 9:30 am. A reception will follow. All are invited to join him for this celebration!

Spirituality: Easter Love and Light By Nancy Vargas I would like to share with you some sentiments on an Easter Card. “He has risen, he is not here. . .he is going before you. . .” (Mark 16) “The dynamism of the Easter mystery is at the heart of our Christian faith. True encounter with Christ liberates something in us, a power that we did not know we had, a hope, a capacity for life, resilience, an ability to bounce back when we thought we were completely defeated, a capacity to grow and change, a power of creative transformation. . .the dynamism of Love. Love comes out of God and gathers us to God in order to pour itself back into God through all of us. . .we all become doors and windows through which God shines.” Thomas Merton At the heart of the mystery of Easter is the paradox of the cross. In the midst of darkness, suffering, and evil there is indeed a great light; and that light is the Love of Christ. For the next fifty days of Easter we will see the Paschal Candle burning, a beautiful reminder to each and every one of us that Love indeed prevails and is triumphant. This pillar of fire will light the darkness of every funeral liturgy for the next year and this light of Love will be shared at every Baptism. This Light and this Love is our Easter Hope and it can never be extinguished. We all make Lenten promises and sacrifices, what if this Easter season we each made a promise to “become the doors and windows through which God shines?” What would this Easter Season look like if each of us asked Jesus to use us as instruments of his Love? What if each one of us asked Jesus to Light our day and show us where his Love is needed the most? What if we took just a few moments to ask ourselves in the midst of a conversation or an encounter with one another: “Jesus, what is the most loving thing to do or to say right now?” I have attended every Easter Vigil since becoming Catholic back in 1987, and by far the highlight of this most beautiful of nights for me is the lighting of the fire and the Blessing and the lighting of the Paschal Candle. The darkness is pierced by one solitary light, the Light of Christ, and as the Paschal Candle is processed, that Light is shared with each of us present until the whole Church is aglow with the Love and Light of Christ. Each of us can be light-bearers to one another. Each of us can bring Love into our lives and into the world, because each of us has the Light and Love of Christ already inside of us! This Easter Season let our Lights shine! (The Exsultet is the Easter Proclamation: the song to the Paschal Candle, look it up and ponder the words of the Easter mystery) Nancy is a long time parishioner of St. John’s and has ten years experience in spiritual direction. She facilitates Retreat in Daily Life groups for the Archdiocese. She may be contacted at 405-760-4640 or [email protected].

Keep these new seminarians in your prayers. #ArchOKC #okcvocations #seminarians

5 Ways to Thank a Teacher This National Teacher's Day, we're thankful for everything our educators do. Here are some ideas to show them a little love! 1. Write an encouraging note. Sometimes it's easier to critique than to affirm. Kind words can really make a teacher's day! 2. Give a helpful gift. Apples and candy are nice, but how about something they'll use? Consider a gift card to a coffee shop, gas station, or big-box retailer. 3. Buy some classroom necessities. Many teachers pay for tissue, fun-colored erase board markers, and other items out of their own pockets. 4. Bring in a snack. Treats in the breakroom are a welcome sight after a long day in the classroom! 5. Track down your former educator. Old acquaintances are easier to find than ever through social media. Find a former teacher who inspired you, and send them a message telling them that. Even if it's been 20 years, it's never too late to say thank you!

Did you see the live ultrasound broadcast in Time Square on Saturday? There is nothing more beautiful than the miracle of life.

Mother's Day is almost here and it can be such a difficult day for a variety of reasons. If you have lost a baby and feel like you could use some love and support from other parents who have shared this experience as well, please join us for our next meeting - whether it's been weeks, months or years since you said goodbye to your little one(s). Grief can still hit us in waves years after loss, especially around holidays and milestone dates like due dates, loss dates, etc. Our group for pregnancy and infant loss will meet Thursday, May 9th at 6:30 at St. John's. Childcare is available with advance notice.To RSVP (or for more information) call/text Natalie at (405) 315-1425 or email [email protected].

If you really want to get to know someone, invite them to dinner. Sharing a meal with someone opens up the door to a deeper, more intimate, and more authentic encounter. When we gather around a table, we are more vulnerable and are reminded not only of our need for food and sustenance, but also the love of friends and community. We are meant to be together. Meals can be opportunities not only for authentic meetings, but for healing relationships, for understanding one another better, and for renewal. Jesus invites us to dine with him once again at today's Eucharist. He receives our pain and blesses our wounds. We are forgiven, set straight, renewed, and reconfirmed in our task of discipleship. Love is celebrated here again. May we bring that love to those who need it most, especially those we may find difficult to love and to those who have hurt us. Share with them the bread of compassion and the wine of mercy. -Photo courtesy Amanda Lipscomb, Parishioner

Congratulations Deacon Bill Bawden on the 25th anniversary of your Ordination. May 6th, 1994

"Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.'" Peter is a favorite apostle for many people. I wonder if it is because of his flawed, relatable humanity. Today's Gospel takes place after Jesus appears to the disciples and breathes the Holy Spirit upon them. And yet, Peter finds himself returning to his old way of life, to comfortable habits he formed long before following Jesus. Is something still lingering in him? Is something still lingering in us? Lent is over, and we should be rejoicing! But do you feel like you're still holding onto something? Or perhaps you had an excellent Lent. You encountered Jesus in a new way and grew in faith. But as the weeks since Easter have slipped by, some of your newfound devotion has begun to waver. The closeness you felt in your Lenten commitments has given way to humdrum status quo or turn-of-the-season busyness. "'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'" Peter has endured so much in his walk of discipleship! But something is still weighing on him. In today's Gospel, Jesus confirms Peter's devotion three times, a redemption of his earlier threefold denial. The call of the Lord must come again, as if heard anew for the first time. So often, this is the pattern of the Christian life. We discover God and experience a new desire for our faith, but in time, our enthusiasm begins to wane. Perhaps something happens that startles us, or we startle ourselves by a poor decision. Then we discover God anew! Our joy returns...for a while. Even the Apostles were no strangers to the cyclical nature of spiritual growth. Our disappointments or frustrations should not be cause for giving up. Like Peter, we too can recommit and start anew. This Sunday and every day of our lives, Jesus is waiting to say again, "Follow me."

CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare System is easy to learn! Next Meeting: Thursday, May 9, 7:00 pm in the Board Room. Engaged, married couples or single women are invited to learn more about their procreative wellness, avoiding or achieving pregnancy, naturally, morally and ethically. Please make a reservation to attend by contacting Christine Littell FCPI 405-348-0480 x331, [email protected].

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton St. Paul house (middle school) helped at Cook's Night Out on Friday. Thank you to all for serving those in our community.

"It is finished."

Enrollment open for St John Children's Day out program in Edmond. Full and part time for 2 year olds and part time for 3 year old. Visit https://stjohn-catholic.org/cdo/prospective-families to learn more. Or call Eva or Carrie at 405-340-1789.

And this is why all the kids love their youth coordinator. Way to go Tim!!! #thunderup

Safe Haven Sunday: Equipping the Family, Safeguarding Children St. John's and the Archdiocese of OKC is setting aside this weekend, March 31, as Safe Haven Sunday in order to give focused time and resources to address the harmfulness of pornography and other online threats to marriages, family life and culture. Today’s awareness day is celebrated through prayer and a reflection within the context of the Mass. After Mass, each individual and family will be given Covenant Eyes’ book, Equipped: Smart Catholic Parenting in a Sexualized Culture. This book includes a unique seven-day text-to-opt-in program: The Equipped 7-Day Challenge. This Challenge provides practical tips any caring adult can take to create safer digital environments for themselves and our young people. Thank you for praying with us! Take a step to create a safe haven in your home by joining The Equipped 7-Day Challenge: A Digital Crash Course by texting SECURE to 66866 to receive seven days of emailed digital tips!

Dancing away the winter at the Mardi Gras Family Dance.

Adoration #the177projectedmond

We do not own rights to this music.

Team building at Thresold in OKC

Good morning. Here is a video to start your Monday. Reckless Love sung during Life Teen last night.