Marta – Page 3 – St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Prayer #1 – Prayer to Jesus

Focus idea: Begin by thinking of God in the person of Jesus, a human being with feelings, and a heart filled with love for each of us. You want to let Jesus get to know you better, so get ready to tell Him your worries and concerns. (Haha – He already knows them, but don’t pass up the chance for the emotional intimacy that you will experience!) Enjoy your heart to heart conversation, knowing that Jesus will understand your human anxieties. He will respond by sending you His love, peace, comfort and strength.

Prayer to Jesus:
My Jesus, my Light, my Love, my Strength, be with me now and always, in all my doubts, anxieties and trials.
Come Jesus, in hours of loneliness, weariness and grief.
Come Jesus, in failure, in loss and in disappointment.
Come Jesus, when others fail me, and when I fail myself.
Come Jesus, when I am ill, unable to work, or am depressed.
Come Jesus, in my moments of joy and exhilaration, that I may share my joys and triumphs with You, and give You thanks.
Come Jesus, now and forever, and in all things. Amen.

Closing thoughts: Tell Jesus what is in your heart. Thank Him for your gifts and most of all, thank Him for loving you with His most sacred heart!

Prayer #15 – Prayer for the strengthening of our parish

Focus idea: Covid-19 has weakened our parish community. It has kept us from the intimacy of in-person worship, and from the personal warmth we derive from one another during parish functions. It has put us at a significant monetary loss, which will force us to make some hard choices in the foreseeable future. It forces us to work harder to get back the solidarity that we all felt, and to rebuild our finances. In Fr. Joe’s words, “We are called to show our Christian holiness by being the hands and feet of the Lord. Our challenge is before us.” This is our parish, and it is up to all of us to help in every way that we can, for God and for each other.

Prayer for the strengthening of our parish:

Dear Lord, I pray for my spiritual rejuvenation and for the rejuvenation of our parish community! Bring me strength and vitality. Satisfy my yearning for an intimate and personal relationship with You, by giving me the courage to give back to our parish and our parish family. Fill me with a burning desire to fully partake in parish life. Help me to find ways to show my gratitude for all You have given me by my service to your children. Help me to be a part of the bigger picture, and a role model for others in my community. Help me to show my faith by the way that I live my life. Help me to enthusiastically encourage my family and friends to live in Your light and Your love. Please strengthen our parish so that we may provide comfort to those in need, and share the joy that we have found in You and in one another. Amen.

Closing thoughts: Tell Jesus what is in your heart. Thank Him for your gifts and most of all, thank Him for loving you with His Most Sacred Heart!

St. Pio Parish’s Prayer Anthology

What is an anthology? It is simply a collection. Our first parish prayer anthology will include many types of prayers. We will begin our collection with prayers that you can use to develop a relationship with God that is more personal and intimate.

Each prayer starts with a Focus Idea to give you an area to concentrate on. After the prayer will be a few closing thoughts to keep you on track. We hope you will enjoy our first anthology and grow in your prayer life.

Intimacy with Jesus – A Program of Personal Prayer

Signup by September 1st!!

Has our current state of affairs dulled your spirit and drained your heart of its warmth and tenderness?
Life has changed, creating a sense of emotional loss. Let Jesus fill the void!

For the month of September, the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary will be presenting “Intimacy with Jesus”, a complimentary program of personal prayer. Please accept our invitation to receive a new prayer each week to engage in a daily conversation with Jesus! Our weekly themes are as follows:

Week 1: personal healing of body, mind, soul and spirit
Week 2: concern for the welfare of family and friends
Week 3: humanity and the future of our world
Week 4: personal strength, motivation and peace of mind.

Sign up by sending an email to Joyce Kobylarz, Ladies Auxiliary President at JKOBY2@AOL.COM no later than September 1st. If you are interested but have no internet access, call (973)714-6797. We hope this will be a heartwarming and spiritually enriching experience!

Healing After Abortion

Do you know someone who is carrying the grief of a past abortion? There is always hope. The pain and sorrow of abortion does not need to endure for a lifetime. A “Day of Prayer and Healing” offers the opportunity to experience the love and mercy of God and to respond to His invitation to begin the journey of healing the wound of abortion. For upcoming dates, locations, and confidential registration, or just to talk to a Sister, please call the Sisters of Life at (866)-575-0075 (toll free) or reach us by email at hopeandhealing@sistersoflife.org.

Diocesan Advisory

Media reports have indicated significant spikes in Corona virus cases in 21 states that have re-opened or relaxed restrictions. As we approach the first weekend of public, in-church Masses, I remind the Diocese of our directions, lest there be any confusion:

COVID-19 is still extremely contagious, especially indoors or in closed settings;
The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday/Holy Day Masses remains in effect so that all Catholic faithful, in good conscience, are not required to be physically present in church; live-streamed Masses will continue in most parishes;
Anyone who is sick or at risk should not come to church; that is not punitive but, rather, common sense and an act of charity toward your neighbors
All parishes are expected to abide by occupancy and other regulations of the Diocese with care;
Masks must be worn (no exceptions), physical contact of any kind must be avoided, social distancing must be practiced, proper sanitation must be observed at all public, in church Masses;
Before attending public, in church Masses, the Catholic faithful are asked to consider any possible health and safety risks involved.

Diocese of Trenton DISCLAIMER: This electronic mail transmission is privileged and confidential and is intended only for the use by the party to whom it is addressed. If you have received this transmission in error, please disregard it.

Bishop’s Message

A message from The Bishop and Father Joe.

The Holy Father has invited all clergy, religious and lay faithful of the world to take part in a special televised prayer service this Friday, March 27, at 1 pm EST.

It will be broadcast on EWTN (Comcast 1668, Optimum 135) and live streamed on www.vaticannews.va.

At the Bishop’s request all the clergy, religious and lay faithful are asked to pray the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be as ceremonies begin at 1 pm on Friday, March 27.

PLEASE SPREAD THE NEWS OF THIS GRACE-FILLED OPPORTUNITY TO PRAY WITH THE HOLY FATHER TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

NO PUBLIC GATHERINGS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF CHURCHES. PROMOTE FAMILY/AT HOME PRAYER AND PARTICIPATION.

Please note, that while the President is optimistic about Churches opening for Easter, at this time, the Bishop’s Decree for Corvid-19 planning for the Diocese of Trenton as communicated in his decree and communications remains in tact and to be observed.

Pastor Update

On March 13, 2020, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., announced the following appointments, effective immediately:

Father Joseph G. Hlubik, from priest-in-residence, Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, to pastor, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Lavallette, and Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head.

Father Douglas Freer, from pastor, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Lavallette, and Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, to medical leave.

Click the link Below for the full article: St. Pio Pastor Update

Scam Alert

The Diocese of Trenton has issued an alert regarding reports of email and text scams that will use the name of a pastor to solicit funds in the form of gift cards or cash donations.

The warning follows a recent report on CBS Philly about parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia being targeted. The email usually begins with a simple “Hi,” but no recipients’ name, and asks for financial help for a worthy cause. The pastor’s name concludes the request.

Several pastors in the Diocese of Trenton have already heard from parishioners who received emails or text messages, seemingly from the pastor, asking for donations.

The Diocese takes this opportunity to advise parishioners that pastors do not raise money in this manner and to exercise the utmost caution when receiving this type of communication.

Some law enforcement in the area urge parishioners to question any email or text that doesn’t come from a person in their contacts. If the person is not known, a parishioner should call the person asking for funds to verify the story. If a pastor’s name is used, parishioners should contact the parish to verify the legitimacy of the appeal.

Anyone who feels that they have been the victim of this type of scam is urged to contact their local police department.