 Without a doubt, today’s gospel of the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus is one of my favorite passages in all the Scriptures. I find it amazing that what happened that first Easter Sunday 2000 years ago is what we still do at each and every Mass. We gather together and Jesus breaks the scriptures open for us and breaks the bread and we hear his voice and recognize his presence in the Eucharist. On the way, Jesus celebrates the second Mass! (The first was at the Last Supper.)
The Church teaches that Jesus is present to us in four different ways at Mass: in the assembly (“where two or three gather in my name, there shall I be”); in the person of the priest who is acting “in persona Christi”, in the person of Christ; in the words of Scripture; and, in a most unique way, in the Holy Eucharist. If only we were to realize what happens at each Mass, we would never be bored or be tempted to stay away! Jesus is present to us in this most wonderful act of worship. Jesus is Risen and is with us to this very day! Father Al
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 Volunteers are needed to help stuff the remaining envelopes for the parish festival mailing on Tuesday, May 2nd from 6:30 - 9pm in Meeting Room C. Please consider giving some of your time to assist with this project. All help is greatly appreciated!
 “Prayer for Vocations”
Heavenly Father,We ask you to bless our diocese with selfless hearts that are willing to serve You, by serving Your Church. Lord Jesus raise up from our homes those called by the Father: courageous and humble men to the Priesthood, faithful people to Consecrated Life and holy men and women to the sacrament of Marriage. Holy Spirit, help us to live our universal vocation to holiness, by listening to the Father’s voice and responding with a sacrificial love. Holy Mary, Model of Vocations, teach us to hear and follow your Son. Holy Mary, Queen of Priests, sanctify our priests and obtain for us many more.Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for our families and intercede for our children. Amen  The Second Sunday of Easter is the eighth day in the Octave of Easter. For the past week, the Church throughout the
world has celebrated each day of the Octave with the same joy and solemnity of Easter Sunday. Of course, today is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus’ mission to the world and his extension of that mission to the Church can arguably be summed up in that one word: MERCY! A few years ago I led a pilgrimage to Poland and visited the hometown of Saint Faustina Kowalska as well as the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow. At each place, the sisters who guided us on our tours both emphasized that while Divine Mercy is most certainly about the forgiveness of our sins, it was so much more than that. Divine Mercy encompasses the tender love of God that brings the world into existence and which keeps each and every one of us in existence. It is the grace that draws sinners back to Him as well as the tender gaze on his saints “with whom he is well pleased.” Divine Mercy and Divine Love are two sides of the same coin. Divine Mercy is what we celebrate this Easter Season. “God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to be our savior, that whoever believes Him may not perish but might have eternal life.” It takes more than eight earthly days to contemplate this mystery; it takes even more than a lifetime. It takes eternity to contemplate the depths and the riches of the Mercy of God! Father Al  The time immediately following the death of a loved one is often filled with grief, sorrow, emptiness as well as confusion and stress.
During this time, St. Joan of Arc can assist with: • providing a meal • house sitting during the funeral service(s) • transportation to/from various activities • one-on-one prayer time • companionship ... being there Are you called to offer your time and talent to fellow parishioners? You could be as active and involved as your schedule permits. To further develop goals and objectives for this service ministry, please join us for an information session scheduled for: Monday, April 24, 2017 at 7:00 pm in the Library. Please remember our parish office hours are slightly adjusted for Holy Week & Easter...   All individuals and families new to St. Joan of Arc Parish since March 2016 are invited to attend a Reception on April 22, 2017. Please join us for fellowship and light refreshments.
This event will be hosted by Father Al and the Welcome Ministry, in the Rectory following the 5:15pm Mass. We would appreciate if would take a moment to RSVP here. You are not required to RSVP to attend. Questions? You can email the Welcome Ministry at: new2sja@stjoanhershey.org  Our parish community welcomes these newly baptized children of God:
Thaddeus Bowser, Logan Cooney, Eleanor Gonzalo, Crislyn Ferreiras, Ethan Corr, Teagan Phelan, Salvatore Falvo |
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