St. John Paul II is my parish. This is my Catholic family. We make St. John Paul II what it is. It will be friendly if I am. Its pews will be filled if I fill them.

St John Paul II will do great works if we work together. It will be positive, generous and accepting if I am. It will bring unity and peace in the world of discord if we live with kindness and acceptance.

St. John Paul II will be a parish of loyalty and love, of fearless faith, of support and peace. It will be a parish of noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, give witness to these.

Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of living and being all these things that I want my parish to be.

Heavenly Father, may we all of the gifts of our prayers, our time, our talents and our material resources for the improvement of the parish.

Our gifts are made in the same spirit of sacrifice that Jesus taught us by his life and death, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 

LORD, whether we are leaving behind a year of joy and blessings, or a year of trials and difficulties, we pause to give thanks. 
We thank You that You are always with us every single day of every single year. Please remind us of Your presence in the year ahead, if when life is busy. We are so grateful we serve a God who makes things new and gives us the grace of fresh starts and new beginnings.
Be glorified in our lives this year, in Jesus' name, Amen.

St. John Paul II is my parish and my Catholic family. We make it what it is. Its pews will be filled if I fill them. It will do great things if we work together. It will be positive, generous, welcoming if I am. It will be a parish of noble spirit which brings unity and peace to this world of discord. It will show loyalty and love, fearless faith, support, and peace if I, who make it what it is, give witness to these. Therefore, with God's grace, I will try to live and be all these things I want my parish to be. Heavenly Father, may we offer our prayers, time, talent, and treasure to improve our parish. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Good morning, Lord, good morning, 
Thank you for the night and holy rest.
Thank you for the day, help me make the most of it. 
Guide my thoughts, words, feelings, and actions.
May all of them be pleasing to you,
According to your will
And for your greater glory.
Be with me the whole day, Lord.
When evening comes, give me a quiet night to rest in you,
To rise again, refreshed and joyful, 
To praise and serve you throughout another day. Amen.
(Pray the Our Father)

Good evening, Lord
Thank you for this day.
I thank you for all the good things that happened (take some time to think about them).
I ask you for help with all the difficulties the day presented (think about them).
I pray for all the people I know who need my prayers (think about them),
And I ask you to forgive me for anything I did to displease you (think about any sins you may have committed). 

Watch over me as I sleep, Lord.
Keep me safe in your care.
When morning comes may I rise with joy,
Eager to praise and serve you and my neighbor. Amen.

(Pray the Our Father)

There is nothing more soul-cleansing for a Catholic than a thorough and fruitful celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. However, if one has been away from the Sacrament for a while, the idea of celebrating it again can be intimidating if not downright nerve-racking. One of the things which can make it difficult, no matter when we last celebrated the Sacrament, is identifying those ways in which we have failed to do God’s will. To help with this, below is an Examination of Conscience, a meditation aid based on the Ten Commandments, to help us know what we need to confess.

• Have I put something ahead of God as the most important thing in my life?
• Have I spoken in crude or vulgar ways? Have I gossiped or spread rumors? Have I shared something private about someone with no good reason? Have I damaged someone’s reputation? Have I taken the Lord’s name in vain?
• Have I failed to celebrate Mass on the Lord’s Day or Holy Days of Obligation through my own fault? Do I habitually arrive at Mass late or leave before the priest? Have I done unnecessary work or chores on Sunday, especially at the expense of enjoying God and loved ones? Have I not talked to God enough in prayer?
• Have I failed to respect and obey the legitimate authority God has placed over me? Have I appreciated and respected my friends and family, especially my seniors?
• Have I failed to protect and cherish all human life from the moment of conception until natural death? Have I placed myself or others in unnecessary danger? Have I overindulged in or abused food, drugs or alcohol? Have I used the weapon of a sharp tongue to wound or kill somebody’s spirit?
• Have I misused the gift of sexuality by expressing it in any way outside the context of Holy Matrimony? Have I made bad choices in what I watched or read? Have I used my imagination inappropriately?
• Have I taken anything which wasn’t mine? Have I always put in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay? Have I paid my bills and income tax with integrity? Have I supported my parish financially and donated to charity?
• •Have I wanted someone or something which didn’t belong to me and to which I had no right? Have I been envious of what others have?
• Have I been stubborn and prideful when I should have compromised or been humble? Have I been judgmental? Have I turned away from someone who really needed me?
•  What bad habits do I need to change to let God make me holier?

​If we have done some or much of the above, we should not despair, panic or rationalize. We should simply and humbly come before our Lord with contrite hearts and avail ourselves of the great gift of his mercy through a celebration of Reconciliation. A priest is available in the confessional at Notre Dame Church every Saturday at 3:00 pm and after any weekday Mass at St. Mary Church. And of course, you can make an appointment with one of them for another time.

Oh, dear St. Joseph:
You who had to travel to far-away lands, look upon me, a stranger in a far-away and beautiful land, living in a city named for you, and pray for me. Pray that I do the will of your foster Son, Jesus. Let us pray together to the Holy Spirit that he will open my ears to understand this new language, that I may speak it to spread the Gospel and communicate His love and compassion with authenticity to the Spanish-speaking children of God. As the Spirit came upon the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary, you wife, at Pentecost to undo the curse and division of Babel, pray that the Spirit comes upon me that he may burn away all my confusion and frustration in my attempt to be part of ongoing renewal and unification of the human race. Amen
Written by: Fr. Ken

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.