DISCIPLINE
It is no accident that the words “disciple” and “discipline” are nearly identical. Their relationship in Christian faith and life, however, has fallen somewhat out of favor in the past generation, as certain prescribed Church rules and regulations have been reduced and relaxed. These rules were often referred to as “disciplines.” We are mistaken, however, to think that it no longer takes discipline to follow Christ. The Letter to the Hebrews assures us of that today. Our discipline is more like that of an athlete pursuing a victory or a personal best, or a musician striving for a concert career or to master a new piece of music. This discipline comes from desire, not from regulations. It was the desire to do the will of God that led Jesus on the path to his cross. It is that same desire he encourages in us today: to strive to enter through the narrow gate, to find ourselves in the kingdom with a surprising assortment of people who are there not because of mere observation of rules, but out of a genuine desire to recline at the table of the heavenly banquet.
© Copyright, J. S. Paluch Co.
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Strengthen your drooping hands and your week knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.
— Hebrews 12:12-13
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SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES
Sunday: Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: St. Monica
Tuesday: St. Augustine
Wednesday: The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist
Saturday: Blessed Virgin Mary; First Saturday
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READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday: 1 Thes 1:1-5, 8b-10; Mt 23:13-22
Tuesday: 1 Thes 2:1-8; Mt 23:23-26
Wednesday: 1 Thes 2:9-13; Mk 6:17-29
Thursday: 1 Thes 3:7-13; Mt 24:42-51
Friday: 1 Thes 4:1-8; Mt 25:1-13
Saturday: 1 Thes 4:9-11; Mt 25:14-30
Sunday: Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Ps 68;
Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a; Lk 14:1, 7-14
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TODAY'S READINGS
First Reading —I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory (Isaiah 66:18-21).
Psalm — Go out to all the world and tell the Good News (Psalm 117).
Second Reading — Strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees (Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13).
Gospel — People will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and will recline at table in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:22-30).
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The lovely flowers in the sanctuary this weekend
are a loving birthday remembrance for Nestor P. DeLaTorre requested by His Family
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May the special graces of baptism, through water and the Holy Spirit lead you to everlasting life. Our parish community rejoices with you and gives praise to God for this new gift of life. God bless…
Andrew Paul Barta
son of Kathryn and Michael
Congratulations and may our Lord continue to bless you, guide you and keep you in His loving care!
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Sacrificial giving nurtures the spirit of the giver and helps to build a better world.
Thank you for your support and generosity for last week's collection.
Last Sunday's Collection: $5,117.00
Assumption Collection: $1,016.00
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Annual Parish Picnic
Reserve the date!
Sunday, September 9th
Our annual parish picnic will be held on Sunday, September 9 at the Franklin Fireman's Pavilion. The event will begin with the 12:00 noon Mass celebrated at the Pavilion and will conclude at 5:00 p.m.
Bring your family to enjoy great food, entertainment by Ray Sikora and a wonderful afternoon with Fr. Bogie and fellow parishioners.
Attention Confirmation Students ... your help is needed at the picnic and will be added to your Community Service project work. Picnic volunteers are needed. Please call the Rectory 973-827-9575. Kitchen prep group contact Sal Giacchi at 827-6313.
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Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
Anyone who has not been baptized and would like to receive the sacraments of initiation during the Easter Vigil Mass or even if you are baptized but not in the Catholic Church and would like to come into “Full Communion with the Catholic Church” you are welcomed to begin your spiritual journey with our Christian community. Call the Rectory at 973-827-9575.
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REGISTRATIONS
ARE DUE!
If you have not sent in your registration for this year's classes, please do so as soon as possible as the deadline has past and classes are being set up.
If you need a registration form call or stop by the rectory and we will be happy to help you.
CCD classes will begin on Tuesday, September 11th for grades K-4, and on Wednesday, September 12th for grades 5-7. On Sunday, September 16th Confirmation Students will begin attending 9:15 Mass and meet afterwards for class in the school from 10:00 to 11:15.
If you have any questions, please call Nadine in the CCD Office at 973-827-9501on Tuesday or Wednesdays.
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The Adult Choir of Immaculate Conception Church will resume practice on Thursday, September 6th from 7:30—9:00 p.m. Our first endeavor will be that of preparing for Father Bogie's Installation Mass to be held on Saturday, September 15th at 5:00 p.m.; Bishop Serratelli will preside.
Our choir is especially energized in our Music Ministry; we wish to welcome new participants this season. No special skill or experience is required—just the ability to consistently attend Thursday night rehearsals.
Will this be your year to try something “new”? Our friendly group provides an opportunity for a unique night away from “routine”… to “blend” or “be featured” as each singer elects, through their own special mode of participation.
We warmly extend an invitation to sing with us. Let's welcome Father Bogie as we use our gifts in the music life of our parish. Why not say “yes” and join in the song!
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SOUPer Sunday Food Drive Today
Our SOUPer Sunday Food Drive is held on the last Sunday of each month. Non-perishables and food store script cards are collected for the Food Pantry at Partnership for Social Services Family Center. Any contribution you can offer is so very much appreciated!
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Our parish is in need of Lectors for the 12:00 noon Mass.
The lector serves a unique role in the liturgy. It is Jesus himself who speaks in the Scriptures.  The lector in proclaiming the Scriptures, uses voice, presence, and personality so that the Word of God may be heard.  "Faith comes by hearing," says St. Paul.
One called to be a lector should be trained in reading and proclaiming the Word clearly and expressively to the people.  If you have a special gift speaking in public and you are a confirmed teen or adult, we invite you to become a lector or reader.  Contact the rectory office.
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 Grief Support Group
On the first Wednesday of each month Immaculate Conception Parish offers an ongoing Grief Support Group. If you or someone you know has suffered a loss, please join us.
Join us for the next meeting Wednesday, September 5, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Ministry House.
“Help me, gentle Shepherd, for I am weak; the light of hope is fading from my eyes. Do not abandon me, for I trust in you. Like a lost and wounded sheep, I cry out to you. Lift me up, bind my wounds, carry me to safety. You alone are my hope”. From prayers of Comfort and Consolation in times of Grieving.
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Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Adoration takes place the last Friday of each month from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ending with a blessing. Parishioners are encouraged to take time out of their busy day to spend quiet time in the presence of the Lord.
Please sign up for a time slot that you are available to assure that there is adequate coverage each hour. A sign-up sheet is kept on the podium next to the candle stand.
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Parish Cookbooks
Parish Cookbooks are available! If you would like to purchase a copy, they will be for sale at the Sunday Social each week or you may call the rectory at 973-827-9575.
The cost is $10.00 and they make great gifts!
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Ministry to the Homebound
If you are unable to come to Church or know of someone who is homebound and would like to receive Communion, please call Janice at the Rectory at 973-827-9575 and arrangements will be made to visit the home. Janice is in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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Host Families Needed
Pope John XXIII High School is looking for families to host several international students for the 2007-2008 academic year. Available students come from Germany, Vietnam, Turkey or South Korea.
For more information, please call Sharon Smith at the Pope John Guidance Office at 973-729-6125 ext. 227.
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Judgment
Don't judge people by the clothes they wear. God made the people; a tailor made the clothes. —Anonymous
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Spiritual Growth Through Spiritual Gifts
Do you want to:
Grow spiritually through exploring God's Word?
Discover your own spiritual gifts through multiple
activities?
Identify practical ways to use your gifts?
Experience the power of community?
Find ways to serve in mission?
Stephen Ministry of Sacred Heart Spirituality Center is offering a 9 session experience to help you to discover and develop your spiritual gifts. To help you to understand and appreciate Spiritual Growth Through Spiritual Gifts, there will be an Information Session on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Spirituality Center in Newton, N.J. For more information please contact Ann Briggs at 973-383-1412 or Eileen Theys at 973-579-6145 or by email at etheys@nac.net.
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Volunteers Needed
Sunday Social Team
Fr. Bogie is looking for a group of parishioners to form a Sunday Social Team!
Cathy Gleason, our Sunday Social coordinator, will no longer be able to head the Sunday Social each week. Cathy has done a fantastic job and a great service to the parish. The parish community extends their deepest gratitude to Cathy for her dedication and hard work these past few years.
Forming a Sunday Social Team would take the burden off of the work which has been accomplished by one or two people and make the job more enjoyable with a full group of volunteers responsible for the tasks involved.
Please contact the rectory at 973-827-9575 if you are interested in being apart of this important team.
Many thanks to our Sunday Social Group for the wonderful Sunday Socials they have provided for the enjoyment of our parish community!
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Join us on a Trip to Alaska
The St. Thomas Church Group of Ogdensburg announces a 12 Night Escorted Alaska Cruisetour #13 from Vancouver May 23-June 4, 2008 aboard Royal Caribbean Cruises' Radiance of the Seas.
In the land of the midnight sun, you'll need every extra minute of daylight if you want to experience Alaska. From the awe-inspiring blue ice of a massive glacial field to the expansive grandeur of its wildlife and nature, everything in Alaska is bigger. Contact Sue Teza AAA Newton or call 973-383-5400 ext. 88168. (Flyers are available in the foyer of the church.)
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Please remember to pray for our parishioners and friends who are ill:
In Nursing Homes: Ceil Williams, Pauline Trofimuk, Anna Elekes, Betty Swetz, and Frank Kalafut.
At Home: Loraine Schenker, Maria Woppel, Betty Garnis, Diane Sidoli, Robert Zeuner, Evelyn Caljean, Danielle Dionisio, Thomas Dionisio, Jr., Steven “Itchy” Novak, Flo Yurchak, Ethel Segarra, Mary Carmody, Lisa Stine and Kath Sciascia. 
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Please continue to keep all those serving in the military in your thoughts and prayers especially:
Dan Greene, Jamison Micke, Stephen Saski, Jr., Christopher Faber, SFC Morgan McHose, LCPL William Mathes, LCPL Ernest Mathes, Karen Hassler, Tom Oroho, and SSG Mary Lynch.
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MARION PILGRIMAGE TO THE BASILICA
OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Bishop Arthur Serratelli has designated Saturday, September 29, 2007 as the day for our MARIAN PILGRIMAGE to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. We unite with our Bishop in honoring our Blessed Mother, in this largest Catholic church in the America's and the 7th largest in the world.
Bishop Serratelli will celebrate a Liturgy of Thanksgiving; there will be time to visit the many Marian and ethnic shrines. Relax and enjoy a spiritual trip of coming together as a Diocese with our Bishop expressing love and honor for our Blessed Mother.
The price for a 1-day bus pilgrimage is $35, leaving designated parish pick-up areas between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., returning at about 10:30 p.m. which includes a rest stop each way.
An overnight pilgrimage is also available lodging at the beautiful Hilton Homewood Suites Hotel in downtown Washington. Tour includes dinner Saturday night at Philips Restaurant on the Potomac River and a full buffet breakfast on Sunday at the hotel. A Latin Mass on Sunday at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington. A guided tour of Washington to include an overview of the Capitol Building, Jefferson and Lincoln Monuments, Vietnam, Korean and World War II Memorials. Tour of Arlington Cemetery by tram-ride around the cemetery. Box lunch. 5:00 p.m. depart for home from Arlington Cemetery.
Eight parishioners are planning to attend this event! We are hoping to reach the goal of 24 or half a bus load. Consider making this wonderful trip with fellow parishioners! Call Cynthia at the Rectory 973-827-9575 for information or registration.
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CHOOSING THE RIGHT DOOR
Jacques Cousteau once commented that adolescence is the best time of our life because that is when all of life's doors stand open before us. Once we begin walking through some doors, he noted, others close. So which door we walk through matters.
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INSIDE THE READINGS
In today's Gospel Jesus calls upon his followers for a true metanoia, a reformation of life. The Greek word means "a change of mind." This involves setting clear priorities in one's life a life reformed, reshaped so that God is at the center. Earlier in the chapter Jesus is explicit. "But I tell you, if you do not repent [reform your lives], you will all perish" (Luke 13:3).
Luke reminds the reader that Jesus is continuing his journey to Jerusalem. He takes the occasion of this journey to instruct his disciples on critical issues, such as the need for reformation of one's life. This reformation calls for total commitment to Christ. He makes clear that a superficial knowledge will not suffice. "We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets" (13:26). The struggle to enter the narrow door implies that the proper reformation of life is urgent, that it requires total dedication to Jesus. He is the Lord, the master, who has control over the door to salvation.
Jesus also warns his contemporaries that if they do not reform, the Gentiles, who will come from the four corners of the globe, will replace them in the future. Today's first reading has Yahweh proclaiming, "I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory" (Isaiah 66:18). The new, reconstituted Israel will be open to both Jews and Gentiles who will truly reform their lives.
Christ will say to those who did not reform their lives, "Depart from me, all you evildoers!" (Luke 13:27). Having rejected Jesus and his salvation, they will experience "wailing and grinding of teeth" (13:28).
The kingdom of God is portrayed here as a banquet, a frequent biblical image. There will be great rejoicing at this banquet. There Jewish patriarchs and prophets, wonderful examples of reformation of life, will be joined by the saved from every nation, both Jew and Gentile.
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THOUGHTS FOR ACTION
It is only by coming to recognize and admit who we truly are that we also come to discover God standing in the midst of our weakest selves. So, advises Jesus, enter through the narrow door. Don't back away from your most honest self. Recognize who you are, in the light and in the dark, lest no one recognize you when you knock for entrance into the kingdom.
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Excerpted and edited from LIVING THE WORD for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time commentary by Msgr. Ralph Kuehner and Rev. Joseph Juknialis, 8 2007 by J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. 8/26/07

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