Witness Weekend

Special thanks to those parishioners who are speaking at all Masses this weekend to offer their support of the campaign. Please be sure to express our gratitude to them if you see them around town or at the parish. Not everyone likes public speaking so were are especially proud of those who said “yes.”

I have heard from many of you that you think a K-8 elementary school will be both an important step for our parish and also the entire community of Lake Havasu City. In addition to Catholic families, we know that there non-Catholic residents of Lake Havasu who are seeking the academic standards and the moral and ethical teachings that our school provides. As we come to the end of another successful academic year please help us spread the word this summer about our current school and plans for new construction!

Visit TogetherGoForth.org and click “Donate.” To give securely and directly, be sure to select “Our Lady of the Lake Parish, LHC” to ensure your pledge helps our parish.

If you have any questions please call the Parish Office at 928-855-2685.

The Sixth Sunday of Easter comes just before the Lord’s Ascension. It marks Jesus’ last presence with His disciples. The gospel reading contains Jesus’ tender farewell to His disciples. In His farewell speech he leaves them a special gift — peace of mind and heart. What a beautiful promise, what a special gift. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives". Again we hear the very beautiful statement addressed to the disciples and to all subsequent followers of the New Way: "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word". The two great statements have remained for generations very crucial points for Theological reflections.

Truly no one could have ever expected it to happen!!

People whom the Jewish people normally referred to as the dogs, the Gentiles, were listening to the preaching of Jewish missionaries and were flocking to become members of the New Way, the Way of Jesus Christ. So many people throughout the various lands were becoming Christians, that Paul and Barnabas had to establish Christian communities in these foreign lands.

Indeed it's extraordinary! The Gentiles were receiving the Word of God and responding. This was beyond comprehension as Paul and Barnabas reported all this to the Christian Community of Antioch. They were convinced that God had done this. He had called the Gentiles to himself. The world was being transformed. It’s all new!

Good News: Over 400 families have picked up their packets. Better News: Over 150 families have already pledged. Best news: We are just a few hundred dollars away from our first campaign milestone of $1,467,000

We will be holding Witness Weekends on May 25 and 26 and June 1 and 2. Parishioners who have already made their pledge will offer testimony about their campaign support. Campaign packets will be in the narthex for pick-up after all Masses on those 2 weekends.

Campaign Update Receptions are being planned for this summer so watch your mail and check the bulletin for more information. And...if your family would like to host a gathering please call the office (855-2685) and speak to Renee. Either Father Chauncey or Father Julius (or both!) will attend. This is a great, casual way to host friends and neighbors and enjoy some fellowship with our priests.

Visit TogetherGoForth.org and click “Donate.” To give securely and directly, be sure to select “Our Lady of the Lake Parish, LHC” to ensure your pledge helps our parish.

If you have any questions please call the Parish Office at 928-855-2685.

The reception of Holy Communion at Sunday Mass is such an expected feature of the Mass these days that it is surprising to realize that for many centuries, receiving Communion was a relatively rare event in the life of a faithful Christian. “Easter duty” means that Catholics must celebrate reconciliation if aware of serious sin, and receive Holy Communion during the Easter season. For a while, this was a requirement of Easter week, and later extended to the whole season of fifty days, and even beyond that by a few weeks.

Special thanks to the 30 families who made their pledges this past week, putting us over 100 families who have already pledged!

Can YOU be one of the 30 families who make their pledge this coming week? At that pace we can hit our goal of 200 pledges by June 1st!

We are grateful for ALL gifts and 5-year pledges are especially helpful as you can stretch out the payments.

For example, a 5-year pledge of $3,600 is only $60 a month, which is just $2.00 a day. When you break a pledge down like that, it makes it pretty easy for most of us to participate. Think about it and… please continue to pray.

Pick up your campaign packet today in the Parish Office!

Visit TogetherGoForth.org and click “Donate.” To give securely and directly, be sure to select “Our Lady of the Lake Parish, LHC” to ensure your pledge helps our parish.

If you have any questions please call the Parish Office at 928-855-2685.

It is impossible to truly meet Jesus and remain the same. All through the Easter period preceding to Pentecost we shall enjoy and celebrate the Real Presence of our Risen Lord and Savior. We shall equally be celebrating the power of transformation the glorified Risen Lord brings to all those that encountered Him. Jesus the Christ changes us and commissions us to witness to the fact of His resurrection.

As Christians, the real presence of Christ is of utmost grace because that is what shapes and forms our experience, and continually lifts our attention to the graces of heaven that give us strength and courage. Through scripture and through the Eucharist we remind ourselves of the great love by which we recognize Jesus, and in return we hear him clearly say “Follow Me”. This becomes our hearts’ desire.

Over 70 parishioners have already made their campaign pledges and we are approaching $1.1 million raised thus far! We have had some wonderful gifts and special thanks to those of you who are including notes of encouragement with your pledge cards.

Many families have picked up their campaign packets and are still praying about what they can contribute. If you are one of those families...

NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR PLEDGE!

We encourage all parishioners to consider a 5-year pledge. Most families have told us that they find it is easier to be on a payment plan.

And…..if you have NOT picked up your families’ packet please stop the tables in the narthex after Mass this weekend. Our volunteers will assist you and answer any questions you may have.

Visit TogetherGoForth.org and click “Donate.” To give securely and directly, be sure to select “Our Lady of the Lake Parish, LHC” to ensure your pledge helps our parish.

If you have any questions please call the Parish Office at 928-855-2685.

Indeed, our hearts are still filled with Easter joy as we continue to celebrate the victory of the Cross and Resurrection. The victory of life over death, of good over evil, of the Father of mercies over the father of lies.

The tradition of celebrating the Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday was started by St. John Paul II, who was inspired by the visions of St. Faustina. We are all familiar with the image of Jesus that St. Faustina had painted. The painting shows Jesus with the rays of light flowing from out of His wounded side, like the blood and water that flowed from His heart on the Cross. This is what calls for our celebration today. Little wonder the readings for the feast are carefully selected to tell us more about God’s mercy, the necessity for trusting Faith and the need for the forgiveness of sins.

Dear brethren, we are all happy to come together once again to celebrate the Glory of the Son of Man-Jesus. We are back here to celebrate the fact of His Resurrection.

This is a celebration that calls for a deeper reflection on the Great statements presented in the readings today:

1. That Jesus is Risen
2. That All prophetic scripture must be fulfilled
3. That preaching repentance and forgiveness of sin has become imperative- a command by all witnesses (Christians).
4. That Power is to come upon you through the Holy Spirit, by staying and praying together.

LUCKY 70 and 1/2 CLUB

If you are 70 1/2, you are eligible to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution by transferring funds directly from your IRA to a charity and Our Lady of the Lake Together Campaign qualifies!!! You are eligible to give up to $100,000 per year in this way and your spouse can do the same.

At the lucky age of 70 1/2, you must start receiving income from your IRA which is 100% taxable to you - EXCEPT for the amount you transfer as a QCD - short for Qualified Charitable Distribution.

You can plan to do this each year for the five-year campaign pledge period as a wonderful way to fund a generous pledge to Our Lady of the Lake, Together Let Us Go Forth Campaign.

Dear Parish Family,

Today, we celebrate not only an empty tomb, but the One who opened the tomb and left it empty. Jesus the Christ destroyed death; His death and our death. Fear of death may once have had power over us. But, for Jesus’ disciples, then and now, faith in Jesus Christ conquers that fear. It is His gift of faith that brought us here today to celebrate His victory and worship Him as Lord of the world.

Jesus conquered death, but he didn’t give us a way around it. Instead, He confronted death and won. We also, with faith in Him, must confront death. Let Jesus roll away the stone that you cannot move (sorrow, sickness, addiction, etc.). Let Him fill that space with His light and the fresh wind of His Holy Spirit.

Dearly beloved, today is Passion Sunday, also known as Palm Sunday which marks the beginning of HolyWeek. It is a special Week deep into Lent which recounts a complex and meaningful series of eventswhich lead to the Resurrection on Easter Day. By this understanding we can say Palm Sunday representsa preparation, a setting up, for the Resurrection to occur.

As we begin the campaign we are asking each family to pray about a 5 year pledge. For most parishioners this is a manageable way to make a gift that fits into their budget and allows each family to plan ahead. About 90% of parishioners who pledge choose a monthly payment plan. We are hoping that every family would consider a “courageous pledge” and one that will help us build a new school, and a new outdoor gathering space.

Below is a chart that may assist in determining how to support our campaign:

All the readings today seem to say to us: "Forget the past and push on into the future.” God's words to the Israelites in captivity through the Prophet seem to resonate all through the readings: "Remember not the events of the past; the things of long ago consider not. See I am doing something new! Now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it?" What is happening is that a way is being prepared for us all to return to our homeland and to a happier future.

Paul writes to the Philippians from prison, facing his own death, and he tells them, “I give no thought to what lies behind but push on to what is ahead.” This is apt and encouraging!

Campaign packets will be available in the Narthex after all Masses this weekend and next weekend.

Special thanks to those families who have already made their pledge.

A winter parishioner from Minnesota recently sent in a generous campaign gift and offered the following note: