Parish Staff

Rev. Romanus N. Nwaru, Administrator Email: frromanus@gmail.com Eileen Heck, Administrative Assistant John Henry, Finance Director Christy Presser, Director of Music Penny Kannall, Bookkeeper Blessed Savior Parish Office/Center (mailing address)

8607 W. Villard Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53225 Phone: 414-464-5033 Fax: 414-464-0079 Email: blessedsavior@archmil.org Website: www.blessedsaviorparish.org Parish Office Hours: Mon. –Thursday 8am - 4pm Closed Fridays Mass Times: SATURDAY 4PM—SUNDAY 9AM Bulletin Deadline: Monday by NOON Carol Spychalski, Bulletin Editor Sacraments

Preparation for all sacraments are made through the parish office. SACRAMENT OF CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE Arrangements are to be made at least one year in advance by calling the parish office. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Individual: Any time by appointment Communal: Seasonal as announced SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM Contact the parish office to set up an interview. Anointing of the Sick (Communal): Monthly

Mission Statement

Blessed Savior Catholic Parish, a welcoming open

community of diverse disciples of Christ, affirms a

way of life through prayer, service, and sharing.

Ministry to the Sick

When a parishioner or family member is hospitalized, homebound, or in a nursing home, please call the parish office to have someone bring them Communion or visit. St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry: 5558 N. 69 St.

414-464-3817—-Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday 8-10am Interfaith Older Adult Programs:

414-466-8858 Pastoral Council Officers

Joe Ratke, Chair Paul Bina, Vice-Chair Dan McNeely, Secretary

North Campus

5501 N. 68th Street, 53218 414-466-0470 Nadia Pope, Principal East Campus

5140 N. 55th Street, 53218 414-438-2745 Barbara O’Donnell, Principal

South Campus

4059 N. 64th Street, 53216 414-463-3878 Megan Prudom, Principal

West Campus

8545 W. Villard Ave., 53225 414-464-5775 Sarah Helms, Principal

Blessed Savior Catholic School

www.blessedsaviorschool.org

Blessed

Savior

Catholic

Parish

February 19,

2017

7th Sunday

In Ordinary

Time.

2 | BLESSED SAVIOR CATHOLIC PARISH MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

SATURDAY, 2/18 - VIGIL OF 7TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Lv 19:1-2, 17-18/1 Cor 3:16-23/Mt 5:38-48

4:00pm † Jane Ziem Rosary at 3:15pm SUNDAY, 2/19 - 7TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Lv 19:1-2, 17-18 Cor 3:16-23/Mt 5:38-48

9:00am † John & Lucy Arends

Rosary at 8:15am MONDAY, 2/20 - WEEKDAY

Sir 1:1-10/Ps 93:1-2, 5/Mk 9:14-29

9:00am † All Souls TUESDAY, 2/21 - ST. PETER DAMIAN, BISHOP & DOCTOR

OF THE CHURCH

Sir 2:1-11/Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40/Mk 9:30-37

9:00am Parishioners WEDNESDAY, 2/22 - THE CHAIR OF PETER THE APOSTLE

1 Pt 5:1-4/Ps 23:1-3a, 4-6/Mt 16:13-19

9:00am † Maurice & Anne Brazell SATURDAY, 2/25 - VIGIL OF 8TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Is 49:14-15/1 Cor 4:1-5/Mt 6:24-34

4:00pm † George & Trudy Grall

Rosary at 3:15pm SUNDAY, 2/26 - 8TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Is 49:14-15/1 Cor 4:1-5/Mt 6:24-34

9:00am † James Engel

Rosary at 8:15am

Stewardship of Prayer

“But I say to you, love

your enemies and

pray for those who persecute you...Matthew 5:44

Love your enemies, easier said than done, no doubt. But, remember, the foundation of stewardship is prayer. When we are in close communication with God, it opens our heart and it turns our attention away from “me” and moves towards God and others. It allows us to have a little more empathy for “our enemies”, maybe it softens their hearts as well.

Prayer, Service & Sharing

MINISTRY TO THE SICK —Please pray

for the following parishioners and

others with health problems and for

all those in nursing homes and those with continuing health concerns:

Jeff, Carmelo & Francisca Castro, Diane Henry, Eleanor Mishak, Connie Mueller, Ginny & Donald Naegele, Robert Pokrzywinski, Allan & Lorraine Rischman, Carol Runningen, Sr. Ceil Struck, OSF, Joe & Joan Trinkl, Maury & Gloria Weinhold, Marge Wesling. If you wish to add someone to the prayer list with their

permission, please call the parish office @ 414-464-5033.

Their name will remain on for 4 weeks, if you want them on longer you must call the office back.

Dear Parishioners,

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus tackles the

issue of retributive justice by quoting the

Torah, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a

tooth.” The principal of “an eye for an eye” (ayin tachat

ayin in Hebrew) is commonly referred to in Latin as lex

talionis. It is understood to mean the following: the law of

retribution, law of equivalency, law of retaliation, mirror

justice and reciprocal justice. Lex talionis served a critical

role in the development of social systems. The natural

tendency in people is to seek vengeance in the extreme. This

is evident in phrases like, “an arm and a leg” and “sue you

for all you’ve got.” In view of this natural tendency to seek

vengeance in the extreme, lex talionis served to restore

balance in the legal system.

The principle of lex talionis is an ancient principle that

was present in the Babylonian law known as “The Code of

Hammurabi” (1780 BC). The law ensured that retribution

was no worse than the crime, as long as the victim and the

offender occupied the same status in society. However, if the

offender happened to be of noble class and the victim was a

commoner, then, the punishment, if any, was not expected to

be as severe as the crime. By the same token, if the offender

was a commoner and the victim was of noble class, then, the

punishment was expected to exceed the crime. The scale of

justice was always expected to tilt in favor of the noble and

the highly placed in society.

Abraham Bloch wrote that lex talionis has often been

singled out as a classic example of biblical harshness. One

may wonder how the law in its literal sense would apply to

offenders who were already blind. Would blind offenders be

set free because they have no more eyes to be plucked?

What happens to those who have already lost all teeth with

no more tooth to give in retribution? Roman law was said to

have moved toward monetary compensation as an

alternative. Isaac Kalimi points out that the law was

humanized by the rabbis who interpreted it to mean

pecuniary (monetary) compensation. In this regard, the goal

of lex talionis was to restrict compensation to the monetary

value of the loss or injury suffered.

In place of lex talionis Jesus advocates turning the other

cheek. He asks his followers not to offer resistance to one

who is evil. He states, “If anyone wants to take you to court

over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well.” In a world

where assertiveness and aggression are frequently rewarded,

the submissive and non-violent alternative Jesus advocates

may seem unappealing. Nonetheless, history has proven

Jesus’ non-violent alternative quite compelling.

Jesus’ victory on the cross was won through this non-

violent alternative. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther

King Jr. are examples of people who utilized this means to

accomplish their objectives. Martin Luther King Jr. was said

to have quoted Gandhi as saying, “‘an eye for an eye’ ends

up making everyone blind.”

(continued next page)

Fr. Romanus

7TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME FEBRUARY 19, 2017 | 3

A message from your bulletin editor: How many boxes of these THIN MINTS do I have to eat before I start seeing results????

LENT BEGINS MARCH 1. This years theme

“A Time of Grace” ASH WEDNESDAY—A day of Fast & abstinence

Mass with ashes, 9:00am & 6:30pm. LENTEN FOOD DRIVE FOR

ST.VINCENT de PAUL March 5 thru April 9.

HUMAN CONCERNS LENTEN LAYETTE

COLLECTION begins March 19 thru April 2.

CRS RICE BOWL COLLECTION

starts March 5th.

Communal Reconciliation—April 1, 10AM

Palm Sunday—April 9, Blessing of Palms 4pm & 9am Masses

Holy Thursday—April 13, 6:30pm Good Friday—April 14, 6:30pm

Easter Vigil—April 15, 8pm,

Easter Sunday—April 16, 8am & 10:00am Masses

Easter Monday—April 17, NO 9AM CHAPEL MASS

Parish Office Closed

“A TIME OF GRACE”

Lent begins March 1. Free Lenten reading resources will be available on the round table in the Villard hallway next weekend. Choose from The Word Among Us, daily

reflections, prayers and Lenten

practices. Experience God’s presence in scripture and prayer and receive the grace of the Spirit more deeply in your life.

Our parish will be participating in the CRS Rice Bowl Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten program, as a way to encounter Jesus through others, especially through the most vulnerable in our world. Contribution envelopes will be available in the April 2 bulletin. If you prefer to use a “Rice Bowl Box” during Lent, they will be available on the round table in the Villard Hallway next weekend.

The Spiritual Services Department of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare — St. Joseph Hospital, 5000 W. Chambers St., Milwaukee, is seeking additional volunteer Communion Ministers who

would like to be involved in the sacred and meaningful work of bringing Communion to Catholic patients. If you would like to become a part of this ministry, please call Volunteer Services 414-447-2810. Thank you.

Are you considering serving the Church as an Ordained Deacon? The Church calls men to be deacons “in-service” to the People of God. If you are a man (married or single), that feels this call and wants to know more, please contact the Office for Diaconate Formation @ 414-758-2202 or

ebeli@archmil.org. Now is the time to prepare - Inquiry

for Discernment sessions are forming for men who would like to enter the application process to begin in January of 2018! Deacon John A. Ebel, Office for Diaconate Formation.

Scripture Workshop, Saturdays, March 4 and 18, 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m., St. Joseph Center, 1501 S. Layton. Lent is a great time for an examination of conscience and a

better understanding of human nature. Saturdays, March 4 and 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., the two-part workshop Scripture Wisdom-Human Frailty. Advance registration is required. Series fee is $25. Please write checks to: School Sisters of St. Francis—Outreach Events; 1501 S. Layton Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53215. Contact: doloughlin@sssf.org or 414-385-5272. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````` GATHER! At Cathedral Square (East Wells St & Jefferson) TUESDAY, MARCH 14 from 12 Noon to 1pm. A ceremony commemorating the 158th anniversary of Wisconsin’s Historic Stand In Defiance of the U.S. Suppreme Court and Federal Tyranny. `````````````````````````````````````````````````````Parenting for Purity, Thursday, 3/30 @ 6:30pm Information on Jason Evert & his ministry http://chastityproject.com/

WELCOME

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matt. 25:35)

Blessed Savior Parish extends a warm welcome to HOLLICE NEAL

As a community of faith, we care about you and your family and we're here not only to feed you spiritually, but to help in any way we can. We love doing it and it's why we exist!

The non-violent model is an appealing model for freedom

fighters all over the world. One major problem is that it

often involves martyrdom. The objective is often realized

after the scapegoated leader or leaders have paid the

ultimate price. The non-violence process involves patient

endurance and perseverance. Hence, some argue that it is

more endearing to people who believe in the after- life and

in the resurrection.

Have a great week! Fr. Romanus