When LMC Schools are closed for a snow day, the parish office will be closed and *ALL* youth ministry activities will be cancelled.

We are happy to announce that both parishes are now live-streaming masses. To view the mass please use the links below:

Join us today  for the celebration of the Second Sunday in Lent

Mass at St. John's Church will be live streamed at 9:00 AM
on Facebook and on YouTube Live.  

Mass at St. Joseph Downtown will be live streamed at 10:00 AM
on Facebook

We hope you can join us in person or online!

Come join us for the Stations of the Sacred Heart. We will be presenting them digitally on Wednesday March 24th from 6:00 - 6:45 pm. If you would like the link for you or your family please email Chad at 4ChurchesYM@gmail.com

Middle and High School Men and Women, join us for 3 weeks of meetings starting this week! We will be discussing different topics for every group. If you would like to get involved, please let me know if you would like to join! MIddle School Groups will meet on Saturdays from 2-4 pm, High School Groups will meet on Tuesdays from 7-9 pm.  

Are group will meet for the first time during the second full week of January. This group is open to students in grades 8 -12. We will read books that cover all sorts of different topics from prayer life to some of the great Catholic classics. Please let me know if you would like to join so we can get enough books for our first meeting.

Join other High School Teens from around the diocese to learn more about the scriptures! The Bible Study group meets every Monday evening and is led by teens from around the diocese. Please consider getting to know some of your brothers and sisters in our diocese. You can sign up below:
BIBLE STUDY REGISTRATION LINK

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has announced this year (Dec 8th, 2020 -Dec 8th, 2021) as the Year of St. Joseph. Keep watching for some great events for your whole family to learn more about St. Joseph and grow in your devotion to him! Till then join us in praying this prayer that the Holy Father composed:

Prayer to St. Joseph:
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man,
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,
and defend us from every evil.
Amen.

Have you ever wanted to go deeper in your walk with Christ? Do you feel called to share your thoughts on Youth Ministry events? Then consider joining the CORE Team. Any student who is in high school is welcome to join us. As part of the CORE team you will provide input on what topics we will cover at youth group, where we go on trips, or even the kinds of events we host. The CORE team also meets together to strengthen your leadership skills and deepen your spiritual life. If you are interested, please reach out to me via email!

God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” he replied. Then God said: “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you.” When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the LORD’s messenger called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!”
“Here I am!” he answered. “Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger. “Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.” As Abraham looked about, he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So he went and took the ram and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.

Again the LORD’s messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said: “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing— all this because you obeyed my command.”

-First Reading for the Second Sunday of Lent

Are you up for a challenge? Recently I was thinking about this passage of the scriptures. I thought about how Abraham was faithful, and how deep his trust was in the Lord. Initially I planned on reflecting over that theme. However, a thought came to my mind just as I was going to start typing. My thought was this. Abraham was willing to do what the Lord commanded him to do, even if it was further than what most of us would be willing to do. This brought me to the fact that God responds to Abraham's faithfulness. In his response, he shows that he will never be outdone in goodness. 

Abraham was saved from having to lose the one that he loves the most. His son Issac was saved at the last minute by God's intervention. A sacrifice was still made, but not what Abraham had expected. God responds in kind. He sends Jesus, his only son. The person he loves the most left the comfort of his heavenly home to be offered as a sacrifice. He, like Issac, carries the wood of his sacrifice up the mountain. However, God goes beyond the sacrifice of Abraham in that he does not withhold his beloved son. Jesus died for us and for our sins. In the same way that the ram was sacrificed in the story of Abraham and Issac. So today I want to offer you a challenge. Offer what you can to God, try to outdo him in generosity, love, and mercy. Then sit back and see how he responds. I guarantee you his response will not disappoint.

Reflection Questions
What are the big sacrifices you have made for the Lord?
Has the Lord responded to those sacrifices you have made to follow him?
What are you going to try to "outdo" the Lord in this week?

Fr. Adams will start to offer Wednesday night talks on the topic of St. Joseph. You may attend in person at the St. Bernard Parish Center or live online on the Sts. John and Bernard's Youtube Channel. Discussions will begin at 7:00 pm.

We are happy to announce two new opportunities are in the works for our Middle School Students:

First we are happy to announce that we are starting Middle School Small Groups in preparation for the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19th. The groups will meet on Saturdays starting next Saturday February 28th. Please email Chad to sign up.

Second, we are happy to announce that a travelling icon of St. Joseph will be made available to host in the homes of our Middle School Students. The image will remain in host homes for 7 days (Sunday through Saturday). If you are interested in hosting the icon, or would like more information please email Chad at 4churchesym@gmail.com

Mark your calander's Fr. Adams will be offering a Latin Mass on Friday, March 19th in honor of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. We invite you to join us for this special mass which will include a time of consecration of those gathered to the care of St. Joseph in a unique way during this year of St. Joseph. The Mass will begin at 6:00 pm at St. John's Church.

Stations of the Cross:
Wednesday - 10:00 AM - St. Joseph South
Friday - 5:30 PM - St. Bernard Church
Friday - 7:00 PM - St. Joseph Downtown

Sacramental Confession:
Wednesday - 5:00 PM - St. Bernard's Church
Friday - 8:30 AM - St. John's Church
Friday - 11:00 AM - St. Joseph Downtown Church
Saturday - 11:30 AM - St. Joseph Downtown Church
Saturday - 3:00 PM - St. Joseph South
Saturday - 3:30 PM - St. Bernard's Church
Sunday - 8:00 AM - St. John's Church

Friday Meals:
St. Joseph Knights of Columbus Council 13942
Fish Taco Take Out Dinner
5:00 - 7:00 PM
$7 per person or $25 per family
Dinners include: Fish Tacos, Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw, and More!

Sts. John and Bernard Knights of Columbus Council 
Fish Dinner Take Out Dinners
6:00 - 7:30 PM
Dinner Options:
Option A - $10
Fried Cod, Tomato Basil Soup, Mac & Cheese, Green Beans, Cole Slaw
Option B - $10 - Gluten Free
Baked Tilapia, Tomato Basil Soup, Green Beans, Applesauce, Cottage Cheese
Option C - $5
Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Mac & Cheese, Green Beans, Applesauce

Eucharistic Adoration:
Monday - 7:00 AM - 5:15 PM - St. Bernard Church
Friday - 8:30 AM - 4:30PM - St. John's Church

Need A New Prayer For Your Lenten Journey?

Each week I wanted to invite you to expand your usual prayers. I will attach a copy of a new prayer to our weekly email for you to learn some new prayers during our Lenten Journey. This week I have attached a copy of the "Prayer of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frasatti" which was a prayer written in Bd. Pier Giorgio's honor.

We are happy to announce that we will be forming small groups to start Fr. Micahel Gaitley MIC's book 33 Days to Merciful Love. This book focuses on allowing ourselves in our littleness to come before the Lord and experience his Deep Mercy in our lives. This group is open to High School Students and will start meeting on March 13th. If you are interested in joining please register with the link below. Registration closes on March 7th.

33 Days To Merciful Love Registration