Text Box: WEDNESDAYS WITH MARK On Wednesday, January 21st, we will resume our “Wednesdays With Mark” sessions after the 8:00 A.M. Mass. This will take place in the rectory. All are invited to this inspirational and enlightening sessions CANCER SUPPORT GROUP The Brooklyn Heights Synagogue is starting a cancer support group. The first meeting will be held on Thursday, January 22 at 7:00 P.M. and will be led by cancer patient/survivor Joel Nowack, Wendy Lebowitz and Rachael Bregman. If you or someone close to you is struggling with cancer, we welcome you and your family members (over age 16) to join this group and explore what they can do to help each other through this challenging life experience. Subsequent meetings are scheduled for Feb. 12 and 26, March 12 and 26, April 23, May 14 and 28. For more information, please contact Joel Nowak at JoelTNowak@gmail.com Text Box: FOOD DRIVE Our parish will resume our Food Drive for the poor. This Food Drive will begin the weekend of January 24 - 25. We cordially invite you to be as generous as you can for this important need. SAVE THE DATE On Friday, February 20th we will have a Wine and Cheese Gathering for all Married Couples at 7:30 P.M. Please save the date as more information will follow. LITURGY COMMITTEE The parish Liturgy Committee will meet on Monday, January 19th at 7:30 P.M. in the rectory. All who are interested in our parish worship and music are invited to this meeting. Text Box: Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Text Box: BVM Text Box: Assumption Text Box: From the Pastor’s Desk Dear Friends: The beach can calm the soul and lead to praise of God, but this is not the worship God asks of us. This worship, ever since the days of Moses and Pharaoh, has been the keeping of a Sabbath Day in a gathering of a whole people, a community. So in the Book of Exodus, God gives this message to Pharaoh: “Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.” (5:1) For us Catholics, weekly Mass celebrates our deepest nature and calling as the people of the God of the Bible. Worship is for God first of all and above all. It is good to find this attitude in yourself, and you will find more in the Mass than you ever dreamed. You will find what every human heart is seeking, the Love to whom we can give ourselves, what Jesus teaches as the first and greatest commandment. Jesus also teaches that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. This is what we often find difficult. However, when we gather as a community of faith and prayer together, the Eucharist is what strengthens us and makes it possible to appreciate our faith and why we celebrate God’s greatest gift - His Son, Jesus, in the Eucharist. Yours in Christ, Rev. Michael A. Carrano