Sunday, July 29, 2007

A Word on the Word for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2007

To listen click here.

Peace be With you. This is A Word on the Word recorded live at Saint Gregory the Great, the Diocese of Bridgeport - Connecticut USA. Our pastor is Father Angelo Arrando. We have the Homily, plus news from Saint Gregory the Great and the Vatican. Then we stand at the Crossroad, where generations meet, to reflect on the Word. We are so glad you could join us today.

This week please pray for Victims of the Iraqi Conflict, Victims of terrorists and all sick and deceased members of the parish. At the Crossroad, The One Who Seeks, Finds. Our prayer this week is from the Parishioners of Saint Gregory the Great.

The readings for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time are from the book of Genesis, a letter from Saint Paul to the Colossians and the Gospel according to Luke. To hear them click on our link. But now here is Father Raymond Petrucci .

  • The act of prayer should be for the coming of the Holy Spirit
  • Every person involves the Holy Spirit
  • Pray that that Spirit involves us
  • The good and the bad coexist but we can be a people of joy because of the Spirit
  • The love of God can make a person more than they would be without the Spirit
Recorded at Saint Gregory the Great - Danbury, Connecticut July 29, 2007 noon Mass. Thank you Father Ray.

From the bulletin:


PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN FOR ADULTS
ALL parish and parochial school volunteers are required to attend a training session: “Protecting God’s Children for Adults”. Any interested adult is invited to attend the saint Gregory session; Saturday, September 22, from 9 to 1. It is important that we all learn how to recognize a predator so we may stay alert and take preventative measures to protect our children.
If you currently volunteer or plan to volunteer during the 2007-08 school year as a Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Choir Member, CROSSROADS team member or a faith formation or parochial school volunteer in any capacity, you MUST take training.
Details are found at the Saint Gregory the Great web site.
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CONFIRMATION, 2007
The sacrament of Confirmation at Saint Gregory the Great will be Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. with Bishop Daniel A. Hart. Keep all of the candidates in your prayers.
If you are new to our parish and wish to enroll your child in our Faith Formation process, please contact Mary Ann at the Office of Faith Formation. Informational brochures are available at the Church entrances.
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"FAMILY DAY," SEPTEMBER 24:
Did you know that eating dinner frequently with your children reduces their risk of substance abuse? Research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University finds that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. The conversations that go hand-in-hand with dinner will help you learn more about your children's lives and better understand the challenges they face. "Family Day," a national effort to promote family dinners, which will be celebrated on Monday, September 24. Please make a special effort to eat together as a family on this day. The symbolic act of regular family meals should be promoted and celebrated inside and outside the home throughout the year.
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For more information, details or questions, about Bulletin announcements go to the Saint Gregory the Great web site or contact us at our web site and we will forward your request.
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Now here is a word from Vatican Radio


CROSSROADS Opportunities
We come to the Crossroad and find, In bargaining with God, Abraham demonstrates a real persistence in prayer. Jesus invites us to persist in prayer as well - to “ask..seek..knock.”
So we ask Adults & Teens: What are the deepest desires of my heart that I should be pouring out to God in prayer? And Children: What is it that I would like to pray to God for - this week?


This week’s readings are all about the power of prayer. In the first reading, Abraham pleads with God to spare the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. In the gospel passage, Jesus urges us to ask His Father for what we need and assures us that our prayers will be answered. But what about the times when we don’t get what we asked for?

This is a good question and Jesus doesn’t try to explain it. But Jesus is very clear about what we are supposed to do. He tells us to ask, to search, to keep knocking on the door and He assures us that the door will be opened. So what about the times when we don’t get what we asked for? Those of us who have children know that sometimes they ask for things that are not good for them. That is also true with our requests to God. Every prayer is answered, but perhaps not in the way we expected.

Each day this week take a phrase from The Lord’s Prayer and reflect upon it. Pray this one line several times through the day. At the end of the week, pray the entire prayer and see if there are any new insights from your week-long meditation.
Knock and the door will be opened - but we are not told what is behind the door. The one thing that we do know is that behind the door is a loving, caring God who is faithful, who will never abandon us and who has our best interest at heart. It takes our entire lifetime to discover what it is.


Our music today is from Steffen Coonan, a musician from Ireland. He is a producer of all genres and always open for remixes. This track is found at the posdafe music network. Additional information about Steffen is found at his website.


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Well that's A Word on the Word for Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. This PodCast is released under a Creative Commons license, some rights are reserved. Links to the Daily readings, Morning and evening prayers, music and more can be found right here or the Saint Gregory Home page.
Thank you for joining us.


A Word on the Word Executive producer is Father Angelo Arrando, and is produced by Gregory, Bruce and his wife Patti. Please let us know what you think. If you have questions or answers, we want to include your comments. Please drop us a line at our E-Mail address, on the left. God bless and Peace be With you.

Monday, July 2, 2007

A Word on the Word for the thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary time 2007

To listen click here.

Peace be with you. This is A Word on the Word recorded live at Saint Gregory the Great, the Diocese of Bridgeport - Connecticut USA. Our pastor is Father Angelo Arrando. We have the Homily, plus news from Saint Gregory the Great and the Vatican. Then we stand at the Crossroads, where generations meet, to reflect on the Word. We are so glad you could join us today.

This week please pray for James W., Junior, Nicola D., Victims of the Iraqi Conflict, Victims of terrorists and all sick and deceased members of the parish. The CROSSROADS Opportunity: Getting Our Priorities Straight. Our prayer this week is for Christian Unity.

The readings for the thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary time are from the first book of Kings, the letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians and the Gospel according to Luke. To hear them click on our link to the left. But now here is Deacon Bill ...

  • Travel in the US is at an all time high
  • There are always variables to take into account whenever we travel
  • The people in today's readings all encounter changes to their journey
  • The call of Gos to all people
  • We must put God's priorities first. Leave the past behind us and conform our lives to His values.
  • Follow the path less traveled.
Recorded at Saint Gregory the Great - Danbury, Connecticut July 1, 2007, noon Mass. Thank you Deacon Bill.

Announcements from the bulletin

PLEASE NOTE
The Summer Mass schedule for Saint Gregory the Great became effective on Monday, June 11th. We will celebrate ONE daily Mass at 8:00 am during the summer months and the Parish Office will be open from 9:00am - 12 Noon, Monday - Friday.

CARNIVAL NEWS
SAVE THE DATES, July 11 through the 14th.
The Carnival is almost here!! If you are in the Danbury area stop by and have some fun. Rides, games, and lots of food are gathered onto the church grounds for you to enjoy. Check the bulletin for exact times. If you are a parishioner, please return your raffle tickets, so we can reach our goal of $20,000. And we need volunteers to work Wednesday thru Saturday nights and also Saturday afternoon.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Bishop William Lori continues his "blog" to share news, perspectives, and information about the Church directly and frequently. The blog is for everyone with an Internet connection. Simply log on to read the latest post or ask a question. Bishop Lori intends to have a new post each week and answer some questions from previous posts. Please visit and participate in this new way to communicate and share perspectives on our faith!
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For more information, details or questions, about Bulletin announcements go to the Saint Gregory the Great web site or contact us at and we will forward your request.
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Now here is a word from Vatican Radio...
list the segment file names here
1Imigration_00081189.MP3
2ElectionRules_00080895.MP3
3GeneralAudience_00080970.MP3


We come to the Crossroad and find Jesus insists that those who follow Him must abandon all material or physiological securities and walk ever forward without looking back. It is the Lord alone who is to hold our attention. So we ask Adults & Teens: What action can I change this week to become more global in my decision-making process? And Children: What can I do this week to become a stronger follower of Jesus?

In today’s gospel, we encounter a Jesus who rebukes His friends and is uncompromising with those who seek to accompany Him, but first want to tend to prior and valid commitments. This Jesus has clearly made His choice to fulfill His mission and is fully committed to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. He will not be deterred or even slowed.

We too are faced with making choices and setting priorities that are valid and necessary to our lives and the lives of those we love. When the option is between something that is life-giving and something that is not, the decision is easy. However, when the competing priorities are all good, our decision-making takes on a new complexity.

As followers of Jesus, the proclamation of the Kingdom of God is meant to be central to our lives. It is also our mission. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is at hand. However, is it meant to be a competing force vying for our time, energy or hearts? Or are we challenged to live our lives through the lens of the Kingdom? Do our choices, decisions or priorities help to construct a world where all can experience a taste of the life of the Kingdom, especially the poor and the marginalized?

When we go about our daily lives, do we make decisions based on “what is best for the entire world or universe?” or are decisions based solely on “what is good for me and those I love?”? If each of us, individually and collectively, would think and act more frequently with the entire world in our thoughts, issues like global warming, rain forest disappearances, world hunger, lack of clean water, etc. would get addressed. If this is our priority, then we too can aspire to be fit for the Kingdom of God.

This week we return to the music of Rob Costlow. Music lovers of all ages will find there is nothing more simple, yet complicated and moving as Rob's original piano music. For this track stop by the Podsafe music network. For more about Rob and additional tracks.


This week a prayer for Christian unity.
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Eternal Father, we praise you for sending your Son to be one of us and to save us.
Look upon your people with mercy, for we are divided in so many ways, and give us the Spirit of Jesus to make us one in love.
We ask this gift, loving Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Well that's A Word on the Word for the thirteenth Sunday in ordinary time. This PodCast is released under a Creative Commons license, some rights are reserved. Links to the Daily readings, Morning and evening prayers, music and more can be found here.
Thank you for joining us.


A Word on the Word Executive producer is Father Angelo Arrando, and is produced by Gregory, Bruce and his wife Patti. Please let us know what you think. If you have questions or answers, we want to include your comments. Please drop us a line at our e-mail address on the left. On behalf of Saint Gregory the Great parish, God bless and Peace be With you.