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A Message From the Pastor

Spreading the word.

I attended the "Catholic Faith Network" Telethon this past Sunday. It is a wonderful annual event celebrating the faith of the Church on Long Island and beyond. Monsignor James Vlaun does a great job bringing outstanding programs to the faithful via cable television and beyond. Thank you for your support to the "Catholic Faith Network" by your prayers, generosity and viewership. In my many years serving outside the diocese, I was able to stay connected to the local Church here on Long Island watching Telecare now known as CFN. I viewed programs on my laptop computer especially as I waited in airports for my next flight to one of our military bases and the Catholic communities located around the world. The Daily TV Mass and devotional programs especially reach those who cannot attend church in person.

We do our part here too to spread the word. Our Good Shepherd bulletin in print form and the E-Bulletin and parish webpage are outstanding means to keep us informed of our lively parish and faith.

Keep spreading the faith! Continue to learn about our faith!Watch the many programs on the Catholic Faith Network, The Eternal Word Television Network, Sirius Catholic Radio and our own bulletin and parish webpage and the activities here in the parish.

St. Paul sent letters in his time. We have so many means today to spread the Gospel. The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen spread the word as a pioneer on radio and television. I also recommend you read one of his books, view his programs on "YouTube," and continue to live out as he told us " Life is worth Living!"

Please also pray that he is raised to the altar and if it is God's will, he would be named a Saint!

In his words I greet you, "God love you!"
Bishop Coyle

Offerings

Sunday - February 17
7:00 a.m. People of the Parish 8:30 a.m. Anna Panico 10:00 a.m. Mass Guild Members 12 Noon Michelle Malandruccolo 5 p.m. Steven Graff

Monday - February 18
9:00 a.m. Pacita Cariaso

Tuesday - February 19
8:30 a.m. Neireida Rosario

Wednesday - February 20
9 a.m. Sal Algeri

Thursday - February 21
9 a.m. Margaret Turck

Friday - February 22
9 a.m Anthony Panizzo

Saturday - February 23
9 a.m. William Polito 5:00 p.m. Special Intentions

Mass Guild Members
February 17, 2019

Michael Frustaci
Aleyamma Pappy
Ralph Fazzolari
William Kolkmeyer, Sr. - (Bill, Big Bill Kolkmeyer)
Valerie Lowery

Sunday 2/10/19: $11,476.00
Envelopes: 445

Sunday 2/11/18: $11,472.00
Envelopes: 435

In Memory of:
Alexander Ciccolallo & Family

Donated by:
Camille Ritter

If you would like to make a Gift of Bread and Wine, please contact the parish office at (631)588-7689

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…" (Jeremiah 1:5)

At the very heart of our beliefs about who we are and why we exist, is a message of love. God creates us out of love. Out of love, He redeems us by the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus. He calls us to an eternal destiny with Him because He loves each sacred human life, created in His image.

That we are created in God’s image is reaffirmed in our nation’s Declaration of Independence, reminding us that we “are endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The right to life is the foundation and starting point for every other God-given human right. When that right is attacked or denied, all other rights and liberties begin to crumble.

You are probably aware that on January 22, 2019, the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade (the Supreme Court decision that declared an absolute constitutional right to abortion), Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York signed into law the “Reproductive Health Act”, which he himself called “the most aggressive” abortion law in the country. It was then “celebrated” by his lighting up One World Trade Center and the Alfred E. Smith Building in Albany.

It is our obligation as citizens and as Catholics, to be well informed and to make our voices heard in the public square when evil and injustice threaten the sacred gift of life at any stage.

On a human level, this gruesome law should be appalling to people of every faith, or no faith. The Reproductive Health Act allows for abortion on demand with no restrictions throughout all of pregnancy. This means that as a choice, an abortion could be performed on a full-term infant as the mother is going into labor.

This law might also open the door to taking away conscience protections from medical personnel, and could be used to force doctors, nurses and other medical staff to perform or to assist in abortions. Governor Cuomo claims that he is protecting women’s rights, when in fact, this law endangers the lives of women by allowing non-physicians to perform abortions, and it removes any objective standard of care due to the patient.

The Act has also removed criminal penalties when an unborn child is deliberately targeted for death in a crime. Two and a half weeks after the bill became law, the Queens District Attorney said he could not prosecute a man for the stabbing death of his unborn child in the womb of his girlfriend, because of the passage of the Reproductive Health Act.

Unimaginably, the law also repeals protections for infants who are accidentally born alive during the course of a failed abortion. This amounts to infanticide, the killing either by direct means or by neglect of an infant who is alive outside the womb. The law is silent on reducing the pain and suffering of infants, especially those being aborted late term.

Brothers and sisters, this law is an abomination that cries out to Heaven for justice. We cannot be silent in the face of such a blatant attack on the most vulnerable among us. I invite you to do several things:

Stay informed and educated regarding these issues and the battles ahead of us, such as assisted suicide and legalized surrogacy. Two outstanding resources available to you are:
- The New York State Catholic Conference on the web at https://www.nyscatholic.org.
- The Diocese of Rockville Centre Respect Life Office and web page: (516) 678-5800 Extension 381 or on the web at https://respectlife.drvc.org

Get involved. Both web pages listed above offer easy links to contacting your elected representatives. Let the Governor and our other elected officials know that this Act violates the dignity of the human person and that you do not support it.

Get involved in the efforts already underway at your parish, such as Respect Life Committees. In addition, our Diocesan Respect Life Office can direct you to ways that you can support and promote the sanctity of life locally, on Long Island.

Pray. Pray the Holy Rosary. Ask the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary, Protector of Mothers, Defender of Life and the Family, to strengthen us so that we may be compassionate, courageous witnesses to the truth. Ask also for the intercession of Saint Thomas More, patron of statesmen, politicians, lawyers and judges, who lost his life for refusing to renounce his conscience and give in to the tides of political power and privilege.

Pray for our elected officials and for all people and pray that our politicians come to understand their profound obligation to defend the most defenseless among us. Any Catholic who actively supports an attack on the sacredness of life, chooses to place him or herself in grave moral danger and outside of the Communion of the Church. We pray for their souls, for a spirit of repentance, for a return to the truth of the love of God. It is God’s love that formed each one of us in our Mother’s womb.

A civilization that not only will not protect, but actually celebrates an attack on its most vulnerable members is morally bankrupt and stands on the verge of collapse. We pray for the courage of the martyrs, that an awakened spirit of evangelization and voices raised together will move hearts and minds, and call us back to our God-given senses, to the God who made us, who loves us, and who offers us our eternal destiny in love.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend John O. Barres
Bishop of Rockville Centre

Monday

Our Lady of Lourdes

Listen to Monday's Reading

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Reading 1
Genesis 1:1-9
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.

Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.

Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.

Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,

and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 104:1-2A, 5-6, 10 AND 12, 24 AND 35C
R. (31b) May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all--
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.

Alleluia
SEE Matthew 4:23
R.Alleluia, alleluia
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R.Alleluia, alleluia

Gospel
Matthew 6:53-56
After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.

Tuesday

St. Apollonia

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Reading 1
Genesis 1:20 - 2:4A
God said,
"Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,
and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky."
and so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters
and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,
and all kinds of winged birds.
God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,
"Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;
and let the birds multiply on the earth."
Evening came, and morning followed–the fifth day.

Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures:
cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds."
and so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle,
and all kinds of creeping things of the earth.
God saw how good it was.
Then God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."

God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
Evening came, and morning followed–the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing,
he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.

Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (2ab) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place--
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Alleluia
Psalms 119:36, 29B
R.Alleluia, alleluia
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
And favor me with your law.
R.Alleluia, alleluia

Gospel
Mark 7:1-13
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"
He responded,
"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."
He went on to say,
"How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
'If someone says to father or mother,
"Any support you might have had from me is qorban"'
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things."

Wednesday

St. Giles Mary of St. Joseph

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Reading 1
Genesis 2:4B-9, 15-17
At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens --
while as yet there was no field shrub on earth
and no grass of the field had sprouted,
for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth
and there was no man to till the soil,
but a stream was welling up out of the earth
and was watering all the surface of the ground --
the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.

Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and he placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The LORD God then took the man
and settled him in the garden of Eden,
to cultivate and care for it.
The LORD God gave man this order:
"You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden
except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
From that tree you shall not eat;
the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die."

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 104:1-2A, 27-28, 29BC-30
R. (1a) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
All creatures look to you
to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!

Alleluia
See John 17:17B, 17A
R.Alleluia, alleluia
Your word, O Lord, is truth:
consecrate us in the truth.
R.Alleluia, alleluia

Gospel
Mark 7:14-23
Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them,
“Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
“Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?”
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Thursday

Sts. Cyril and Methodius

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Reading 1
Genesis 2:18-25
The LORD God said:
“It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him.”
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs
and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman
the rib that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:

“This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called ‘woman,’
for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”

That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.

The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
R. (see 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Alleluia
James 1:21BC
R.Alleluia, alleluia
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
R.Alleluia, alleluia

Gospel
Mark 7:24-30
Jesus went to the district of Tyre.
He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,
but he could not escape notice.
Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.
She came and fell at his feet.
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,
and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.
For it is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She replied and said to him,
“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.
The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed
and the demon gone.

Friday

St. Claude de la Colombière

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Reading 1
Genesis 3:1-8
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
“Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?”
The woman answered the serpent:
“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’”
But the serpent said to the woman:
“You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil.”
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized that they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.

When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden
at the breezy time of the day,
the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God
among the trees of the garden.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
R. (1a) Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
Alleluia
SEE Acts 16:14B
R.Alleluia, alleluia
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R.Alleluia, alleluia

Gospel
Mark 7:31-37
Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Saturday

St. Gilbert of Sempringham

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Reading 1
Genesis 3:9-24
The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with meB
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
On your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
He will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”

To the woman he said:

“I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing;
in pain shall you bring forth children.
Yet your urge shall be for your husband,
and he shall be your master.”

To the man he said: “Because you listened to your wife
and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,

“Cursed be the ground because of you!
In toil shall you eat its yield
all the days of your life.
Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you,
as you eat of the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
shall you get bread to eat,
Until you return to the ground,
from which you were taken;
For you are dirt,
and to dirt you shall return.”

The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.

For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments,
with which he clothed them.
Then the LORD God said: “See! The man has become like one of us,
knowing what is good and what is evil!
Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand
to take fruit from the tree of life also,
and thus eat of it and live forever.”
The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden,
to till the ground from which he had been taken.
When he expelled the man,
he settled him east of the garden of Eden;
and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword,
to guard the way to the tree of life.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 90:2, 3-4ABC, 5-6, 12-13
R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Before the mountains were begotten
and the earth and the world were brought forth,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Alleluia
Matthew 4:4B
R.Alleluia, alleluia
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R.Alleluia, alleluia

Gospel
Mark 8:1-10
In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
because they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away hungry to their homes,
they will collapse on the way,
and some of them have come a great distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread
to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”
Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They replied, “Seven.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.
They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
There were about four thousand people.

He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples
and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

Sunday

Seven Founders of the Servite Order

Listen to Sunday's Reading

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Reading 1
Jeremiah 17:5-8
Thus says the LORD:
Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
but stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
it fears not the heat when it comes;
its leaves stay green;
in the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked,
nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
but delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
that yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Reading 2
Corinthians 15:12, 16-20
Brothers and sisters:
If Christ is preached as raised from the dead,
how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised,
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain;
you are still in your sins.
Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ,
we are the most pitiable people of all.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep
Alleluia
Luke 6:23AB
R.Alleluia, alleluia
Rejoice and be glad;
your reward will be great in heaven.
R.Alleluia, alleluia

Gospel
Luke 6:17, 20-26
Jesus came down with the twelve
and stood on a stretch of level ground
with a great crowd of his disciples
and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false
prophets in this way.”

Children's Liturgy of the Word
Children's Liturgy of the Word returned December 2, 2018, First Sunday of Advent, 10 a.m. Mass and continues each Sunday.
A worship experience geared especially for children. Hear the word of God that is relevant and fitting for children.
For children grade levels K through 5.

More about Formed>>

Hugs From God
Looking for something new and worthwhile to do on a cold, dreary February day? It's the perfect time to get out the yarn and come to the Hugs From God meeting this Wednesday, February 20th, at 7:30 p.m. We meet downstairs at the church in room 1.

We knit and crochet prayer shawls and baby blankets to give to others who need a "hug from God." All you need is the desire to help and we'll teach you how!

International Mardi Gras
The Small Church Communities along with some of our parish ministries are again hosting International Mardi Gras this year. Sample food, desserts, and drinks from different countries. There is no cost except to your waistline! Join us March 5 at 7 p.m. There is no cost except to your waistline.
All are invited, young and old, to experience Mardi Gras International.

St. Patricks Day Dinner Dance
Hosted by Good Shepherd K of C 8607
Music by Great River Trio

Saturday, March 9, 6 - 10 p.m.
Good Shepherd Fellowship Hall
1370 Grundy Avenue, Holbrook, NY

Menu: Classic Irish Cuisine
Served with Beer, Wine, Soda, and Water
Dessert with Coffee and Tea

Price: $35 p.p. 18 and above, Seniors $30 p.p.
For Information Call George (516)457-4387

Tickets go on sale after Masses February 23 and 24, March 2 and 3.

The Bible and the Virgin Mary
Save the Date
Join us starting March 12, 7 - 8:30
This dynamic video series beautifully expresses the Catholic truth about Our Lady showing how she's been a part of God's plan to bring salvation to the world since the beginning of time. Our journey will deepen our understanding and appreciation of Mary, Mother of God, who plays a divine in our path to Heaven.

Every Tuesday March 12 - May 14.
Sign up online

Support Good Shepherd, Shop Amazon Smile
Shop Amazon? If you shop through Amazon Smile, a portion of your purchases will go to Good Shepherd at no additional cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com.
Click here for more information

Our office is reaching out to you or anyone you know in our area that is in need of assistance for food, temporary financial help, counseling, advice or referrals, or is sick, homebound, lonely, and hurting. If in need of our services, please call our office at 585-4544. All information taken is treated privately and confidentially except where disclosure is made at your request or with your permission.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Gang
During the month of January, the Peanut Butter & Jelly Gang will be meeting on February 23. We begin at 8:30 am.
Our mission is to serve those in need and provide an opportunity for others to serve. For our sandwiches, we need donations of jelly, creamy peanut butter, paper plates, plastic spoons and knives, paper towels and sandwich-size folder over bags. You may drop them off at church (label for the PB&J Gang) or bring them with you. Please do not drop off bread; bring it with you instead.
If you come to volunteer bring a loaf of white or wheat bread with you.
For our wash-up kits, we need donations of sample-size soap, shampoo and lotion, individually wrapped hard candy, new or gently used washcloths/towels, and sandwich-size ZipLoc bags. Please note that ALL volunteers must wear some type of head covering; a baseball cap is fine.
We look forward to having you help us to help others.

Friendship Garden
Friendship Garden is a place where women come to share love and laughter. We meet each Thursday morning at 10am in Fellowship Hall. Everyone is made to feel welcome. We share our stories of life, faith and our crocheting and knitting skills. We are always ready to support any needy cause within our Church community. So if you need a place to just be, come join us! We would love to have the chance to meet you!

Senior Group
We cancelled last week due to the weather and hope everyone was notified. See you this week on Tuesday morning after the 9:00 mass. All are welcome.

Food Pantry
Thanks to your generosity, our pantry is full. Thank you!
We want to thank everyone for their donations to our pantry but, unfortunately, lately we are receiving many expired items that we have to throw out as we cannot distribute them. Again, we thank you for all you do but please check expiration dates.

Sign Language
If anyone is in need of sign language interpretation for Mass, please leave a message for Deacon Tom at the main office - 631-588-7689.

At our January meeting we discussed the Ministries Fair scheduled for April, events for the Fall and parish photo book.

We value your opinions so if you have any questions or concerns you would like members to discuss please let us know.

Click here to register

January 2018

Aquaman
We were briefly introduced to this DC Comics superhero in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and again in “Justice League”. Now, this first full-length feature tells the story of Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, this half-human, half-Atlantean, who must battle a half-brother he has never met to save the kingdom of Atlantis and ultimately, the surface world he knows as his home. Basically, the theme is the familiar, good vs. evil, love of family, and doing the right thing regard- less of the consequences. This epic superhero movie with its spectacular underwater scenes, is funny and silly and entertaining. Jason Momoa is larger than life as Aquaman. Pure, old-fashion entertainment. Go, have fun and enjoy it.

Welcome to Marwen
This film is based on the true story of an artist who loses his memory and the ability to draw after being severely attacked by a group of men and left to die in the middle of the road. In order to cope with this trauma, he creates a miniature WW II village in his back yard, which is populated by dolls that are based on the different real-life characters that live in the town. Although Steve Carell turns in a terrific performance as the lead character, it doesn’t seem to be enough to redeem this movie. Surprisingly, the fault rests on its usually more than capable director and co-writer, Robert Zemeckis. Too much time was spent on the make-believe village and its characters. We do understand that it is this village that helps him to survive each day. However, it made for a very off-centered script and lacking film.

Mary Poppins Returns
Charming sequel to the1964 classic, Mary Poppins returns to assist the now grown-up Michael and Jane Banks, as tough times during the Depression-era has bestowed upon their family. Emily Blunt is lovely as Poppins and Lin-Manuel Miranda is terrific as Jack, the local lamplighter. Well directed and co-written by Robert Marshall and a solid musical score penned by Marc Sherman.
Glad to call this a “sequel” and not a “remake”, for no one could ever replace Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. But as a sequel, it is an enjoyable film for the entire family.

Bumblebee
In this sixth installment of the Transformers film series, it’s 1987 and Bumblebee the Autobot, finds refuge in a California junkyard. Still mourning the death of her father, Charlie finds the scarred and broken Bumblebee and the two form an unbreakable bond. You might be wondering how they can still produce these ridiculous movies about alien robots that morph in and out of the shape of cars. Well, this just might be the best film in the series. Why? Because it has such an emotional appealing story line. Great script written by Christina Hodson. Well directed by Travis Knight. With a stellar performance by Hailee Steinfeld. Not sure if you can give an award to a Autobot, but if you could, Bumblebee certainly deserves one.

Second Act
After years of hard-work as a Store Assistant Manager, Maya looses a well- deserved promotion to someone with a college degree. Her friends create an embellished resume online and Maya gets the dream job at a prestigious cosmetics company. One thing leads to another, deceptions pile up and a surprising secret is revealed. We have seen this story before and know its ending. Surprisingly, however, this film is well done. With a good cast and solid performances, it’s worth a look.

The Upside
This is a remake of the 2011 French film, which was based on the real relationship between a disabled man and his caregiver. Phillip is an extremely wealthy quadriplegic and Dell is a parolee who is desperately trying to have a relationship with his son. The unlikeliest of friend- ships, two lost souls who need each other and by finding each other, help each other to live life to the fullest. Excellent film. Bryan Cranston is phenomenal. Kevin Hart is just outstanding. Both give extraordinary, sincere performances. There is great chemistry between these two actors. With a terrific supporting role by Nicole Kidman. Well directed by Neil Burger and fine writing by Jon Hartmere. One of the best films of 2019. You will laugh out loud and then, you will cry out loud.

We Welcome

We welcome to our faith community those Children to be Baptized February 2019

Donovan Lenhardt Cracchiolo
Daniel John Franco, Jr.
Brendan John Cifarelli