Getting My Act Together
In The Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus, Pope Francis writes about the heart, or the “core of the person.” This has implications for a person’s spiritual life.
The Pope is a Jesuit. Not surprisingly, he writes about the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola. The theology underlying the Exercises is based on “affection” (affectus). What are you attracted to? If not to Jesus, then what else?
The structure of the Ignatian Exercises assumes a heartfelt desire (or affection) to rearrange one’s life. The Exercises intend to help the person get to a better, higher, holier place. This desire, in turn, provides strength and the wherewithal to achieve that goal. Yet, what Ignatius furnishes is in the service of something much more important. It is not just practical self-improvement. It is about determining the mystery of who we are. It is the search for the heart — our heart.
In Paragraph #24, The Pope quotes Jesuit priest Michel de Certeau.* Certeau talks about “movements of the heart.” These are felt during the Spiritual Exercises. These movements are the “in breaking” of God’s desire into the desires of our own heart. Certeau writes that this occurs amid an orderly progression of the spiritual meditations.
However, please note the following. This can occur via other methods such as prayer, liturgy, music, art, or lectio divina. Something unexpected and hitherto unknown starts to speak in our heart. It breaks through our superficial knowledge of our heart and calls that superficiality into question.
This is the start of a new process of “setting our life in order.” This is not about intellectual concepts that need to be put into practice in our daily lives. That proposes if we have enough knowledge, or acquire enough data, we can understand our deepest core. St. Bonaventure says we should not be seeking (intellectual) light. We should be praying for fire!
This does not occur in an analysis of our emotional reactions or the practice of certain skills. Any intellectual understanding of our faith should lead us to affection towards the person behind that faith. This, in turn, should lead us to a relationship of love for that person — Jesus.
Back to something I wrote last week about the “core” of a person or ministry. I offered to reveal what, I feel, is at the core of my vocation. As priest and pastor, my task is to be a shepherd and leader. To help the people the Lord has placed around me to discern God’s will. Thus, they thrive and become the glory of God and bring a part of His Kingdom into our world. This is based on the following Scripture passages: Those who are searching, seeking, or lost find a safe place to start their journey (Matthew 11:28). The dull flames catch fire (Matthew 12:20). People in the pews become disciples. Disciples become disciple-makers or Apostles (Matthew 28:19).
* (Certeau was a 20th century French Jesuit priest and scholar. He combined history, psychoanalysis, philosophy, the social sciences, race relations, and religion. He was known as a philosopher of everyday life.)
Fr. Charles Zlock
Pastor
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Good Things are Happening at St. Raymond!
Honoring Melvin Thornton
The St. Raymond Men's Group recognized Melvin Thornton for his dedication to their team. Thank you Melvin and the entire Men's Group for all you do for our church family.
Prepare Ye the Way! Christmas at St. Raymond
St. Raymond Christmas Concert Blessed Us
Thank you to the extraordinary choir members, musicians, soloists and our Director, Kenny Arrington, for sharing their gifts with us at our annual Christmas Concert. Enjoy these clips!
Fourth Sunday of Advent
The last Advent homily will be preached on Sunday, December 22, and we are sure it will be a blessing to you. Feel free to invite someone who is in need of blessings this time of year.
St. Raymond’s First Pastor Remembered
A Letter Legacy
by Bonnie Dalzell
A long time ago – 82 years ago, to be exact – a little boy named Charles Quinn who lived at 8016 Michener Street received a letter from a priest named Fr. Richard Kearney, JCD. Fr. Kearney reminded him that “Today, 14 December, 1942, the infant parish of Saint Raymond celebrates its first birthday.” He went on to extend cordial birthday greetings to the child, as well as a fervent prayer that “like our Divine Model, we may advance ‘in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and man’ (Lk. 2:52).” Except for this treasured letter, nothing more is known about young Charles Quinn, nor the role his family played in the formative days of our parish.
When Fr. Kearney wrote his kind letter, the people of St. Raymond were worshipping in a space made available through an act of great kindness. On December 7, 1941 (“a day that will live in infamy”), the non-Catholic Nolan family, who owned a farm near the site of our present church, made a remarkable decision: they offered their home as a meeting place, and their barn as a place of worship for the growing number of Catholic families in West Oak Lane. The formal Opening Mass of the parish was held the following Sunday. There, the faithful gathered -- alongside cows, roosters and other farmyard animals -- to welcome Jesus.
Tucked away in the parish office is the Parish Jubilee Book of 1992, which offers an intimate glimpse of its first pastor, Father Richard Kearney. A graduate of Roman Catholic High School, he was sent upon his ordination to earn a degree in Canon Law at Catholic University. He was later known as a prolific letter-writer as well as a scholar, a theologian and an astute businessman. Through the early tumultuous years of World War II, Fr. Kearney affirmed and directed the renovation of Nolan’s Barn, all the while nurturing his dream of a permanent church and school.
When Dennis Cardinal Dougherty met with Fr. Kearney on November 24, 1941, he asked him to assemble a flock from the existing parishes of St. Athanasius, St. Theresa (then called “Little Flower”), Seven Dolors, Immaculate Conception and Holy Cross to form a new parish and to choose a patron saint – a name which it bears to this day.
Remember, Fr. Kearney was a scholar and a Canon Lawyer. So it was no surprise when he chose a little-known saint from the 12th and 13th centuries: Saint Raymond of Penafort -- the patron of Canon Lawyers who was known for revising the form of the Sacrament of Penance, as well as his deep devotion to the poor of the countryside in Spain, where he lived.
Just six years after he penned his birthday wishes to young Charles, the priest had raised more than $130,000, and work on the church began in spring of 1947. And on a hot summer day in July the next year, Father Kearney led a procession of more than 1,000 parishioners and friends from Nolan’s Barn to the new site of St. Raymond of Penafort Church. There were prayers of thanksgiving, followed by a sermon and Solemn Benediction. Some 45 priests took part in the ceremony. The theme was “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Today, everyone who enters through the front doors of St. Raymond of Penafort walks past the tomb where Fr. Kearney was buried on December 23, 1964. He died of a heart attack in the rectory – then located at 8018 Michener Street – just next door to the home of the Quinn family.
The Parish Jubilee Book notes that Fr. Kearney was more than a spiritual leader. “He was a beloved father-figure who brought strength and enthusiasm to each and every project of the parish.”
Now, St. Raymond Church is about to embark on another much-needed building and renovation project. It is truly a time once again for us to advance “in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and man.”
Thank you Home for Christmas Volunteers!
Thank you to the students and teachers at Ancillae-Assumpta Academy for donating so many wonderful gifts for our Home for Christmas event and also to the staff and students at St. Raymond School and our parishioners for helping unload the bus and sort the gifts!
More Volunteers Needed!
Volunteers are needed to help St. Raymond Church welcome more than 200 guests from homeless shelters across the City of Philadelphia for our annual Home for Christmas event. Everyone is served a delicious meal, has a chance to receive items from the blessing shop and gathers with others while celebrating Jesus’ birthday. . Please sign up to help here!
Giving Tree is Up - This is the Last Week to Donate!
Please take one of the remaining cards and purchase one or more of the items indicated. Your contributions will be used to stock the Blessing Shop at our Home for Christmas Celebration. If you are supplying a gift card for a teen, please DO NOT place it in the donation boxes in the rear of the church; instead, place it in the collection basket or in the collection boxes in the church. Please return your gift(s) UNWRAPPED to the rectory no later than Friday, December 20.
There is also an Angel Tree, with cards made especially for children of incarcerated parents. Leave those gifts unwrapped as well, and return to the church or rectory by December 20.
New St. Raymond Merch - Just in Time for Christmas!
We've got Women's and Men's Fleece Pullovers ($30) and winter hats ($10) for sale. To place your order, contact Brandi at brandi@saintraymond.net or 215-549-3760 to reserve your gifts. Pick up will be available at the rectory. Cash and Venmo accepted. Limited quantity!
Advent Life Groups
We continue to be blessed in our Life Group gatherings. Click the link to download the Week 5 Guide.
Celebrating Our Youth with Generation Grace
Do you have a child in grades 6th-8th? Please contact Brandi at brandi@saintraymond.net or 215-549-3760 to get them involved in our Middle School Youth Ministry.
Next up is our Christmas Gathering - this Saturday, 12/21.
There is a new email address for communication relating to religious education: religious.ed@saintraymond.net.
Holiday Mass and Office Closure Dates
Tuesday 12/24, 8 am (Daily Mass)
Tuesday, 12/24, Christmas Eve Vigil @ 7 pm
Wednesday, 12/25, Christmas Morning @ 9 am
Tuesday 12/31, New Year's Eve, 8 am (Daily Mass)
Tuesday 12/ 31, Watch Hour @ 10 pm; Mass at 11 pm
The Rectory Office will be closed:
Tuesday, 12/24 (Christmas Eve)
Wednesday, 12/25 (Christmas Day)
Thursday, 12/26
Monday, 12/30
Tuesday, 12/31 (New Years Eve)
Wednesday, 1/1 (New Years Day)
Job Opportunities at St. Raymond
Pastoral Associate for Social Ministry (Part Time)
Description:
Work with Pastor, Parish Staff, School Leaders, and community members to help guide the parish in addressing the social needs that exist in the community.
Coordinate existing ministries, including Caring For Friends, Good Samaritan Ministry, Grieving Ministry, Parish Food Cupboard, as well as Thanksgiving Meals for the needy and the Home for Christmas initiative.
Maintain contact with homebound parishioners
Facilitate Communion Service or assist visiting priests in the absence of the Pastor
Pastoral Associate for Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation (Part Time)
Description:
Prepare young Catechumens and Candidates, as well as Catholic students of St. Raymond School, for Sacraments.
Coordinate scheduling and parent communications for Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
Main Catechist for Pre-K & K school children using Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program
Coordination of Children’s Liturgy of the Word during Sunday Mass
Please contact Fr. Zlock at czlock@saintraymond.net or 215-549-3760, Ext 1 to apply.
Want to Learn More about your Catholic Faith?
The Order of Christian Initiation in Adults (OCIA) is under way. This is for any adult and teen 16 or older, who has not received the sacraments of Baptism, Penance, First Communion and Confirmation. We meet on the first Sunday of every month, immediately following the 10 am Mass in the SRR. Jesus is calling you! “It’s never too late to decide to follow Jesus."
Also, anyone with a desire to have a “refresher” is welcome to join. Contact Deacon Bill or Cindy Bradley at 215-242-5725.
Can You Help?
Have Left Overs?
Why not package them for Caring for Friends? Containers are located in the back of the Church (in a basket on the desk on the Forrest Ave side). The one meal that you discard can be a meal for an ailing senior living alone. Frozen meals can be dropped off at the Rectory between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. Volunteers are also needed to deliver meals to seniors on a weekly basis. For more info, contact the Church Rectory at 215-549-3760.
ATTENTION: ST. RAYMOND NEEDS YOU!
Matthew 9:37-38: Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
A vibrant parish has members responding to the call for help. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! You can sign up here or complete a signup sheet on the table in the back of church (on the Williams Ave side). We want to hear from you! THE HARVEST AWAITS!
Volunteer Opportunities
Technology
We are in urgent need of support from those with basic technology skills:
Slide Operators – manage slides shown on TV screens during 5 pm, 8 am or 10 am Mass
Camera Operator – manage live streaming of 10 am Mass via YouTube
YouTube Host – Engage with parishioners during 10 am Mass
Requirements are a love for your parish, and a willingness to learn and serve. Teenagers and adults can contact Brandi at 215-549-3760.
To volunteer for any of the above tasks, please complete this form and someone will be in touch soon! Or, call Brandi at 215-549-3760.
Church Announcements
Confession Times
Confessions are by appointment, and people are welcome to call the rectory to schedule a time. Father will also be available from 4 to 4:45 pm before the Saturday Vigil Mass in the Church Confessional.
A Reminder about Call to Prayer
St. Raymond offers a twice-daily opportunity, Call to Prayer on weekdays at 6:30 am and at noon. Taking a little time (five to seven minutes) to turn to the Lord will remove stress and restore peace in your life.
Call toll-free 1-877-309-2073, then enter code 319-414-445#. At 6:30 am, we reflect on God's Word. During the noon call, we pray the Angelus, reflect on the first reading of the day, and have intercessory prayer for those in need.
Donate to Support St. Raymond Church
Online giving is a wonderful way to make a one-time or a recurring gift to St. Raymond. We greatly appreciate your goodness and promise to be good stewards of your gift. DONATE HERE. You can also make a gift with your phone: send a text with the message straymond to 833-363-7471. You will receive a text that will give you simple instructions to make a gift!
Or, scan the QR code to donate.
Please note that we are no longer using Cash App as a form of payment for tithes.
We will accept Venmo (@StRaymond-PenafortPhilly), PushPay, Parish Giving & Envelopes. If you would like to receive envelopes, please contact Brandi at brandi@straymond.net and she will add your name to the list of envelope recipients. If you prefer to use PushPay, text straymond to 833-363-7471 to donate.
Collection Envelopes for September through December, 2024 have been mailed out. There are three special collection envelopes: 11/28 = Thanksgiving;12/8 = Christmas Flower Offering; 12/25 = Christmas Offering. If you did not receive your envelopes, please contact Brandi at 215-549-3760 or at brandi@straymond.org
To our Online Parishioners
We are extremely pleased that you continue to be part of our community via livestream. Although you may be unable to attend Mass in person, please remember that we need your financial support in order to remain a vibrant parish. You may give online anytime here. Feel free to contact the rectory for assistance at 215-549-3760.
Silence Cell Phones
Please remember how distracting cell-phone noises can be during Mass. We prayerfully ask you to silence your phone when you enter church, so that no one is disturbed during this holy hour.
Lost and Found
Have you lost any personal items during Church service and never retrieved them? Please check the bin in the back of Church labeled “Lost & Found." People turn in items often to the Rectory. All items turned in are put into the bin.
Church Safety Equipment
A first aid kit as well as an automated external defibrillator (also known as an AED device), are located in the sacristy. Both are on a table to the left of the sacristy sink. This ensures that St. Raymond has sufficient means to address significant medical emergencies during liturgical events.
Financial Facts
We thank those parishioners who, recognizing God’s gifts to them, make their response in our weekly collection. Your continued support is vital, necessary, and deeply appreciated.
Sunday, December 15, 2024
Budgetary Goal: $13,500.00
Collection & Envelopes: $8,219.00
Monthly Church Maintenance: $484.00
Thanksgiving Offering: $3.00
Social Ministry Christmas: $10.00
Christmas Offering: $461.00
Christmas Flowers: $90.00
Christmas Concert Free Will Offering: $1,213.16
Total: $10,480.16
Get Involved!
Sign up for Fr. Zlock’s Young Adult WhatsApp community for prayers, videos, reflections and events for the young adult community. Click here to join the group.
Connect with Us Online
Be part of our awesome virtual community! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get the latest scoop, see fun pictures, and hear about our exciting events.
Community Events
Martin Luther King Day
Jubilee 2025
Local celebration of the Universal Church’s year-long observance of the Jubilee Year, Pilgrims of Hope, begins December 29, 2024. In response to Pope Francis’ call to the Catholic Church around the world, parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will begin the local observance of the Jubilee Year 2025, with the theme Pilgrims of Hope.
All are invited to participate in events of the Holy Year in their homes, in their local parishes, and at shrines throughout the region, and at the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia— the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will celebrate the opening of the Jubilee Year with Mass at the Cathedral. That celebration of the holy Eucharist will mark the culmination of a pilgrimage of families traveling from throughout the Philadelphia region to the Cathedral.
Sunday, December 29, 2024
(Holy Family Sunday)
11 am
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
The Mass will be broadcast via live streaming video. Resources and information on upcoming events for the Jubilee Year 2025 in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia may be found here.
Renew and Breathe: Retreats for Mothers of all Ages
Register here.
News From the National Black Catholic Congress
An all-new issue of the National Black Catholic Congress is out now. Sign up to get your copy here.
News From the Office for Black Catholics
Check out their website for important news!
News from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The December newsletter is available here.
Please sign up to find out what is happening around the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
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