The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Saturday Vigil: 5:00pm & 6:30pm

Sunday: 7:30am; 9:00am (Traditional Latin) 10:30am & 12:00noon

Daily: Mon.– Sat. 8:00am; Mon & Fri 12:00 (Traditional Latin)

Eucharistic Adoration: Monday 8:30am-7:00pm

Novena Mass; Monday, Wednesday. 7:00 pm; Saturday. 8:00 am

Confessions: Sat. 3:00 -4:00 (by Appointment anytime)

Parish Staff

Pastor: Very Rev. Daniel C. Hesko, VF Deacons Rev. Mr . John Or lando Rev. Mr. John McGrath (retired)

Religious Education: Mrs. Jackie Callahan, M.A. Mrs. Kathleen McGuire

Parish Office: Mrs. Julie Fehlhaber Mrs. Kathleen Toomey

Music Director: Mrs. Karen Ohrn

St. C

atherine’s Church: M

iddletown, N

. J. S

unday 16 in the Church Year; July 21, 2019

Genesis 18:1 ‘The LORD appeared to Abraham, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot. Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them.’

TODAY’S LITURGY: 16th Sunday READINGS: RED HYMNAL # 917 Processional Hymn: CREDO #441 O God Beyond All Praising

Gradual (Psalm15) He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord Offertory Hymn: CREDO #473 Christ Be Our Light Communion Hymn: CREDO #685 It Is Well With My Soul Recessional Hymn: CREDO # 694 God’s Blessing Sends Forth

THE INTERCESSIONS From the Byzantine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying Lord, have mercy.

For the peace from above, for the loving-kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the Holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For our Pope, our Bishop, and for all the clergy and the entire people of God, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For our President, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For this town, for every city and community, and for those who live in them, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. For seasonable weather, and for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For those who travel on land, on water, or in the air, for our military at home and abroad, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS Monday, July 22nd St. Mary Magdaline 8:00am Beatrice Cherne by John & Joyce Kaiser Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament all day. 12:00noon Special Intention 7:00pm Liv. Int. Julie Fehlhaber by Cyndie, Tom & Whitney Tuesday, July 23rd St. Bridget 8:00am Liv. Int. Linda & Dale Puhle by Katie Wednesday, July 24th St. Sharbel Makhluf 8:00am Patrick, Joseph & Michael Griffin by Susanne Bannon 7:00pm Edward Corbliss, Jr. by Richard & Lorraine Furlong Thursday, July 25th St. James/ St. Christopher 8:00am Mary Clare DiMaggio by Rosemary DiMaggio

Friday, July 26th Sts. Joachim & Anne 8:00am Liv. Int. Heidi Michitsch-Wlosek by Sharon 12:00noon Domenica Cipriano by Forte Family

Saturday, July 27th BVM 8:00am Mary Radi by Joanne Haddad

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

5:00pm Miranda Casaletto (bthdy) by Mom 6:30pm Paolo & Carmela Cortis by Manny & Charmaine Frances Rinn by Rinn & Swalwell Families, Rosemarie Rinn by Rinn &Swalwell Familes, Howard & Michelina Hopf by Rinn & Swalwell Families, Deborah Santos by Diane& Billy Handel William Nakoechny by Frohnhoefor Family, Catherine Falco by DeLucia Family.

Sunday, July 28th 7:30am Charlie Bolin by Family 9:00am Liv. Int Cutolo Sons by Mom & Dad 10:30am Pro Populo 1200noonMarie Genna by Donna Paifico

For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

In the communion of the Blessed and ever Virgin Mary, St. Catherine and all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life to the mercy of God, Through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen

Baptized in Water and the Spirit

The Parish Community welcomes

Victoria Lorraine Powers

Baptized into the Catholic faith July 11th.

Banns of Christian Matrimony I Katherine Smith and Charles Bertucci If anyone knows of just cause why they. may not be joined in Christian Matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.

BLESSING OF AUTOMOBILES ST. CHRISTOPHER’S DAY Sunday, July 28th 1:30pm

In Honor of the Feast on July 25th

Our Young People will be on Hand for a

CAR WASH Get Your Car Washed AND Blessed

O Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness

Flowers before St. Patrick today are in memory of Ellen Hutton, gift of Sisters. The Sanctuary Lamp will burn this week in memory of Jane and Peggy Caso gift of Margaret. The Blessed Mother Votive Light honor of Mary Scherzinger, gift of Children.

The Sacred Heart Votive Light will burn this week in honor of Vincent Corio.

JESUS CHRIST: THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

O Almighty and Eternal God, look upon the face of Thy Christ, and for the love of Him who is the eternal High-Priest have pity on thy Priests. Remember, O most compassionate God, that they are but weak and frail human beings Stir up in them the grace of their vocation which is in the by the imposition of the Bishop’s hands. Keep them close to Thee, lest the enemy prevail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation. O Jesus, I pray Thee for Thy faithful and fervent priests; for Thy unfaithful and tepid priests; for Thy priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for Thy tempted priests; for Thy lonely and desolate priests; for Thy young priests; for Thy aged priests; for Thy sick priests; for Thy dying priests; for the souls of Thy priests in Purgatory. But above all I commend to Thee the priests dearest to me; the priest who baptized me; the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Thy Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed or helped me and encouraged me; all the priests to who I am indebted in any other way, particularly (your priest’s name here). O Jesus , keep them all close to Thy heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity Amen. Mary, Queen of the clergy, pray for us; obtain for us many and holy priests. Amen

St. John Vianney once called the priesthood “the love of the heart of Jesus.” Keep Jesus close to your heart as well, and to seek out His grace in prayer and in the sacraments. Remember who He has chosen to give them to us: His priests!

WEEKLY OFFERING The first collection last week: $7,236.00. The second collection: $1,902.00 The second Collection today: Assessments. The second collection next week: Maintenance Thank you for your support of your parish. Fr. Dan Hesko God is generous to the generous of heart.’ Let us be generous in what we are and what we have, our time, talents and treasure.

FOOD PANTRY NEEDS Our Food Pantry is in need of the following: (adult cereal (Cheerios, Wheaties, oatmeal), tuna fish, gift cards are always helpful. Men’s tube socks. See future bulletins for back to school needs

In your charity please remember to pray for: Pat Welch, Stacey Welch, Gina Tobia, Mary Scherzinger, William Walsh, Alan Peterson, Kathy Yannibelli, Janice Henar, Patrick Lipka, Talia, Baby Victoria Powers, Ann Bolger, Karen Conte, Jim Murphy, Monica Gilk, Maria Lonseth, Marge Brand, Anthony DelaTacoma, Sr., Ruth Alaia, Kathleen Toomey, Julia Fehlhaber, Rev. Josh Keeran, Susan Rick, Ryan Hansen, Kerri Black, Ellie Julien, Sara Jane Mauer, Thomas D. Murphy, Ana Oliveira, Michael Brothers, Theresa Marks, Sheila Buxton, Taryn Hussey, Maureen Farrell, Rich Callahan, and for the faithful departed: God, our loving Father, look with kindness on our brothers and sisters who seek Your care. In Your mercy grant health to the sick; comfort to the sorrowful, peace to the troubled, joy to the weary and eternal rest to those whose work on earth is done, and all for Jesus’ Amen

Prayer for those serving in our Military

Please remember to pray for our parishioners and friends serving this nation at home and abroad. CDR Michael Dwan; USN Major Mark Paige; USMC Patrick Gal-lagher; Staff Ssgt. Matthew San-tilli; Master Ssgt. Albert DiMag-gio; Lieutenant Colonel Bayard Smith; Dallas Jamison & Sgt. Timothy Hayes, Major Carlo Brancato, USMC, Sgt. Brian M. Ruane. Prayer: O God who art the lover of peace and concord. Grant to these thy servants who serve this nation, grace and strength. Preserve them we pray and shield them from all danger of body and soul; and hasten the day when they shall return to their homes and loved ones, through Christ our Lord. Amen

PRAYER FOR OUR POLICE-MEN

O Almighty God, Whose great power and eternal wisdom embraces the universe, Watch over all policemen and law en-forcement officers everywhere. Protect them from harm. In the performance of their duty to stop crime, robbery, riots and violence. We pray, help them keep our streets and homes safe, day and night. We commend them to your loving care be-

cause their duty is dangerous. Grant them strength and courage in their daily assignments. Dear God, protect these brave men and women. Grant them your almighty protection. Unite them safely with their families after duty has ended. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

We Need Altar Servers. See Fr. Dan for more infor-mation. If you are unable to serve your assigned Mass try to get a replacement and notify the parish office of your replacement. TODAY 5:00pmFr. Dan 6:30pm Fr . Dan 7:30am Fr. Michael 9:00am Fr . Dan 10:30am Fr . Dan 12:00noon Fr . Dan Altar Servers: 5:00pm A. Alex, A. Alex & S. Wickham 10:30am A. Gibilisco, A. Gibilisco A. Lewandowski

FEAST DAY FRIDAY, JULY 26 St. Anne and St. Joachim: Grandparents of our Lord.

Dear parents of the Virgin Mary, grandparents of our Savior Jesus Christ, bless all parents and grandparents and help them teach their children Christian values of faith and compassion. Bestow courage and hope upon couples who struggle to start their families Guide new parents and bless parents of growing children with strength and understanding, and bless grandparents with wisdom and kindness We thank you for the example you set for us with your daughter Mary and grandson Jesus, and we strive to show the same love to our children and grandchildren. May the strong foun-dation of faith you laid for Mary and her son Jesus always inspire us to guide our children and all future generations in their faith journeys with love and support. In Jesus Holy Name we pray, Amen. ** July 25 and 26: 7:00 pm St Ann Church Keansburg will have Mass and veneration of the relic of St. Ann.

July27th/28th 5:00pm Fr . Dan 6:30pm Fr . Michael 7:30am Fr . Dan 9:00am Fr . Dan 10:30am Fr . Mat 12:00noon Mat Altar Servers 5:00pm A, Gibilisco, A. Gibilisco A. Gibilisco 10:30am A. Lewandowski, P. Edinger; L. Lusquinos

BISHOP’S ANNIVERSARY BLESSING 2019 Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing is now officially open at www.dioceseoftrenton.org/anniversary-blessing-parish. All registration-related documents and instruc-tions are available on this web page. All couples cele-brating their 1st, 25th, or 50th (or more) wedding anni-versary during the calendar year 2019 are invited to attend. The Anniversary Blessing for Monmouth/Ocean County is October 6, 2019 @3:00pm at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine, Freehold.

CATHOLIC WOMEN OF ZION CHAPTER 1 at St. William the Abbot.

Date: Saturday, August 17th 9:00am to 1:00pm

Mass: 9:00am Fr. Thomas Maher Place: St. William the Abbot

2740 Allenwood Lakewood Road, Howell. Admission: $20.00 includes lunch (pay at door)

Come and bring a friend! Reservations: are necessary call 732-202-8352 no later than

Tuesday, Aug 13th. You can also register on line: www.cwoz.org and leave your name and phone number.

The guest speaker is Kathleen Tobin If you have any other questions; Contact MaryAnn Collett Co-

founder /director of Catholic Women of Zion at cwoz1989@gmail.com

FOUNDATIONS OF CATHOLIC MORALITY

I Am an ‘Imago Dei’ Do you know who you are? That may seem like an odd question but it’s worth pondering. Who are you? Who are you in your deepest core? What is it that makes you who you are? Often times we take our identity in all sorts of meaningless things. We take our identity in what we have accomplished, in how we look, in who our friends are, in how we are perceived by others. But, truth be told, none of that matters. It really doesn’t. What matters is what God thinks and who He sees when He looks at you. When God looks at you He sees two things. First, yes, He sees your sins, all of them. He is fully aware of every weakness and every dysfunction in your life. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of God! But fear not. He also sees something else. He sees who you are at your core and who He wants you to be. He looks at you and sees an image of Himself. He sees a reflection of His own beauty and splendor. He sees an imago Dei, an image of God. We must also see, within our soul, an image of God. We must see that God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to come and dwell with us. And He not only dwells with us, He also dwells within us. When we can come to discover Christ living within us, we will begin to discover our true dignity and, in that discov-ery, begin to live as we ought. The moral life is all about discovering who we are, a discovery of Christ living within us. When we allow Christ to live within us, we begin to live the life He wants us to live. We begin to live a morally upright and holy life. And in this liv-ing, we become who we are. Jesus reveals who we are and we embrace that life more fully. The Beatitudes Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mt 5:3-12)

If we want to discover who we are and who we are called to become we must understand the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are the pinnacle of the Christian moral life. To live the Beatitudes is to live in Christ. But that is easier said than done. The Beatitudes present us with a challenge of love followed with a glori-ous reward for our faithful living of that challenge. To be poor in spirit, mourn (over sin), to be meek, to long for righteousness, etc., is a high calling. And to accept persecution joyfully is not an easy thing to do. But the end result is that we obtain Heaven, are children of God, are satisfied and see God! The struggle is worth the blessing. A beatitude is a blessing. It’s the blessing of living fully in God’s grace rather than just living by our own ideas. It’s seeking a higher calling and embracing it in faith rather than full sight. In other words, embrac-ing the Beatitudes requires that God speaks to us in our hearts, reveals His mysterious and profound will to us found in the wisdom of the Beat-itudes, and gives us the grace we need to live them. This takes a lot of surrender to God and a lot of trust in His wisdom. But when a person can believe the wisdom of the Beatitudes and live in accord with their high calling, there is an outpouring of grace and joy that fills that per-son. There is a tremendous “blessing” that fills the one who lives in accord with this grace. We discussed in Book One of this series the desire we all have for hap-piness. The Beatitudes are the ultimate fulfillment of this desire. By living the Beatitudes one discovers that God and God alone satisfies, and that living in communion with Him is well worth any hardship or struggle we must endure in life. But believing this takes a great grace! It takes the gift of faith and knowledge. It takes a special action of God in our lives. Much could be said about the Beatitudes, but for now just try to spend some time pondering them and trying to understand that they are the pinnacle of the Christian moral life. Put that truth in the back of your mind and try not to forget it.

The Effects of Freedom Living a life in the Beatitudes requires that we live a life of true free-dom. Additionally, living the Beatitudes brings that freedom. It’s a sort of cyclical action in our lives. True freedom opens us to the Beatitudes and the Beatitudes fill us with greater freedom to discover them and live them. What does it mean to be free? Too often we associate “freedom” with “free will.” We think that we are free when we do what we want, when we want, because we want. Our culture has a strong focus on human liberty and human rights. But it’s so very easy to arrive at a false sense of what freedom truly is. So what is freedom? It’s not the ability to do what we want; rather, it’s the ability to do what we ought. Freedom is found in the conscious choice to do the will of God and, in embracing that will, to live in ac-cord with our dignity. It’s true that God gave us free will. We have a mind and a will and are endowed with an ability to make our own moral choices. This is a sa-cred gift that goes to the heart of who we are. But it’s only in the proper exercise of this free will that we obtain authentic human freedom. And the opposite is also true. In exercising our free will in the negative, in the free choice to embrace sin, we become slaves of that sin and our dignity is greatly compromised. When we are faced with making a moral decision, there are many fac-tors to consider so as to determine the morality of our choice and the effects that these choices will have on us. For example, the Catechism identifies five factors that could affect us: Ignorance, duress, fear, and other psychological or social factors. Each one of these factors has the potential to confuse us in making the right decision. As a result of that confusion, we are hindered in our ability to act properly. What this tells us is that, if we want to be truly free and if we want to make good choic-es in life, we must strive to be free of the pressures and temptations that these factors impose upon us. In other words, we must strive to be fully aware of the moral decisions before us, be free of fear and duress, and understand and overcome any psychological or social influences that could cloud our decision making. Take, for example, a crime of passion. There are numerous ways this could be played out. Generally speaking, try to imagine a situation when someone acts out immorally because of some extreme influence upon them beyond their control. Perhaps they are filled with such fear that they react out of that fear and act contrary to the moral law in anger or fright. Or take, for example, the person who has never had the bene-fit of having the will of God clearly explained to them. Instead, their whole life they have been raised in an environment that “preached” some contrary moral value. They were truly ignorant of the moral truth and, therefore, are ignorant of the fact that some of their actions are contrary to the moral law. In both of these situations, a person may act in a way contrary to the will of God. But, at the same time, because of factors out of their control, they may not be fully responsible for their poor choice. God is the only one who knows all the details and He will sort it out. More will be said on this in the coming chapters but, for now, it’s im-portant to understand this so that we can understand the value of moral decision making. By understanding the fact that we are sometimes not fully responsible for the poor decisions we make, we should also come to the conclusion that, when we are fully aware of the moral factors involved in a decision, and then make the right and good decision, there are glorious consequences for the good. Through those good choices we experience the true freedom we are called to have and we grow in the dignity we have been given as God’s beloved children. Continued….

For those not receiving Holy Communion we offer the following prayer. My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen (St. A lphonsus Ligouri)

PARISH OFFICE HOURS: Monday-Friday 8:30am- 4:00pm OFFICE ADDRESS: 130 Bray Avenue, Middletown N.J . CONTACT: Parish Office: 732-787-1318 Fax: 732-787-2851; Rel. Ed/Ministry: 732-495-7779; Parish Hall: 732-787-2869; Thrift Shop: 732-787-2836; Web Site: www.stcathek.org; Email: stcathek1@aol.com

Ministry to the Sick and Homebound:

FORMED: A Catholic Media Program you can access 24/7 from your computer , I-phone etc. Go to www.stcathek.formed.org click ’register’ follow prompts and enjoy.

AGES 4 Years Through Teens

SUMMER NOVENA IN HONOR OF THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY

AUGUST 7-15 EVERY NIGHT 6:30 Rosary; 7:00pm: Mass: Novena Prayers and Devotions Mark Your Calendars for these days of Blessing and Grace

Novena Prayers will also be offered at the Daily 8:00 am Mass