SAINT AUGUSTINE CHURCH WASHINGTON, DC

October 6, 2013

Year of Faith
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Religious Obligation
Obligations are those things required of us by virtue of who we are (e.g., a parent) or a group or organization we belong to (a sorority or fraternity). As a Catholic I am obliged to attend Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation. I have an obligation to go to Confession if I am conscious of mortal sin on my soul. Christian parents have an obligation to catechize their children in the faith. We are obligated to pay our bills and honor contracts we enter. We deliberately distinguish our obligations from other things like personal interest, recreation, curiosity, pleasure, etc. We do this to make sure that the obligatory things actually get done--even if at the expense of everything else! Jesus tells us that at the end of the day when we have faithfully served our God we should simple say We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do (Luke 17:10). Serving, worshiping and loving God is our religious obligation. But something bizarre has happened today that screams of irony. The very concept of religious obligation has been successfully hijacked! She goes to the gym religiously! He works out religiously. They follow fantasy football religiously. She watches that show religiously! It seems today that the term religious, more often than not, is used to reference everything BUT religion! How many of us pray sporadically but text religiously or play the lottery religiously but put an offering in the collection basket only occasionally? How many of us engage in charitable works rarely but work for our personal benefit religiously? How many of us gossip, criticize and judge religiously and compliment and encourage only accidently!? When we work, study, play, indulge, and even sin with great consistency, commitment, devotion and personal expense then there is a very high probability that we are fully engaged in the sin of idolatry. What are the obligations that keep you from coming to church weekly, praying daily, or helping someone in need when you know you should and can? Make no mistake, when your obligations trump what you know God requires, then they really are religious obligations, but at the heart of this new religion is YOUnot God.
Copyright Father Patrick A Smith, 2013
ST AUGUSTINE SCHOOL COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN # 20000 ST. AUGUSTINE SCHOOL UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN #9670

Sunday October 6, 2013

Scripture Readings
27th Sunday In Ordinary Time Hb 1:2-3; 2:2-4 2 Tm 1: 6-8, 13-14 Lk 17:5-10 28th Sunday In Ordinary Time 2Kgs 5:14-17 2 Tim 2:8-13 Lk 17:11-19

Mass Intentions
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct 7 Benedicto Gonzalo 8 Leon Thomas 9 Frances Brooks 10 Brian Harvey 11 John B. Adams Jr. - Deceased - Deceased - Living - Living - Deceased 925

Attendance

Bible Study meets every Wednesday in the School Cafeteria.

SAVE THE DATE

Holy Name Day of Recollection Saturday, October 26, 2013 More Information to be announced

REMEMBER ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH IN YOUR WILL & BEQUESTS

SEE WEB PAGE FOR FATHER PATS SERMON NOTES

27th Sunday In Ordinary Time

THIS SUNDAYS SECOND COLLECTION IS FOR OUR PARISH SCHOOL NEXT SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2013 SECOND COLLECTION IS FOR OUR CURCH RENOVATIONS
St. Augustine School Love to Learn; Learn to Love
SR. GLORIA AGUMAGU, HHCJ PRINCIPAL INFORMATION: 202-6672608

Catholic Education Corner

Saint Augustine Catholic School is now registering for the 2013-2014 school year for grades Pre-K through Eighth. For an application or more information, please contact the school office at 202 -667-2608 or email: admissions@saintaugustine-dc.org . SAVE THE DATE
On Sunday, October 27th at 4pm in the church sanctuary our Liturgical Dance Ministry will have its anniversary celebration. Their theme this year is Every Praise is to our God, because God is worthy of all praise! Guest includes the St. Augustine Gospel Choir and soloist Michael Jackson III. Please come out and support this ministry. A free will offering will be collect.

Please Pray for the Sick and Homebound

John Adams, Sr. Beatrice Alexander Florencia Alfonso Nora Basey Milton Bess Evelyn Bezell Thomas Brock Frances Brooks Eric Brown Andrew Burton Jeanina Cajou Angela Callighan Agnes Carey Elizabeth Carter Antonia Cayabas Phillip Cephas Vincent Clarke, Sr. Annie Cole John Collins Tommie Cunningham Dorsey Davis Pauline Dines Joyce Dorsey Susan Epps Richard B. Fowler Barbara Ferguson Daniel Galloway Inez Gaskins Charles Gathers Margaret Green Valencia Green Delores V. Greene Thelma Givens Brian Harvey John Harris Patricia Herndon Deborah Jackson Eleanor Johnson Francis Kelly Sedonia Labee Keats Labule Louisa Lee Mary Leonard Bernadette Mahoney Sr. Philomena Malveaux Von Martin Catherine Mason Florence Matthews Lillie Matthews Edna Mills Leona Miller John Monte Joyce Morton Sylvia Monroe Albert Nellums Julius Oben Ashley Redhead, Jr. Lisa Rivera Ruby Roberts Doris Silas Gertina Simms Kathleen Simms George Simmons Mary Smith Donnie Stewart Willis Thomas Juanita Towns Selma Twitty Beatrice Twyman Terry Vaughn Esperanza Walker Betty Washington James F. Washington Lillie White Dorothea Whitaker Cynthia Wilkins Teresa Wilkinson Virginia Winston

SAVE THE DATE The Saint Augustine Annual Health Fair hosted by the Health Ministry will be held on Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 10am 3pn will be held in St Augustine School and Gingras Center. SAVE THE DATE
The Health Ministry will hold their Annual Fall Blood Drive on Sunday, October 27 2013 from 9am-2pm. This year our Blood Drive will be hosted by Childrens National Medical Center. The Blood Mobile will be located in the front of the Gingras Center. Registration is required. Please call 301-908-4836 to register and for more information. If you work for the Federal or District Government The United Way Workplace Giving Program, and the Combined Federal Campaign Program are two ways that you can personally contribute toward, and encourage co-workers to support, a very worthy cause: Our Parish School! Consider designating all or a portion of your contribution to St. Augustine Catholic School. Our CFC number is 20000, and our United Way number 9670 both are listed in the bulletin. The time window for giving is now and lasts until December. Thank you for your continued support of our parish school AND for encouraging others to do so.

Pray For Our Dead Benedicto Gonzalo

Pastoral Council Meetings are held every 3rd Saturday of the Month at 9:00 AM in the Gingras Center Meetings are open to all parishioners. Parish Pastoral Council Elections After each Mass on the weekend of November 16-17 2013, Saint Augustine Parishioners will have the opportunity to elect as many as 10 new members to its representative body, the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) for various 3, 2, and 1 year terms. Nomination Forms are available at the back of the Church. 1) Any registered parishioner may nominate one or several parishioners, including themselves. 2) Only one person may be nominated per form. 3) Although your nominee will be contacted by the PPC Nominations Committee, we ask that you please discuss your nomination with the person you are nominating. See the enclosed flyer for more information on how you can personally Keep the Mission in Motion at Saint Augustine Parish through your participation in the upcoming Parish Pastoral Council Elections!

Share Packages for the month of October are now on sale at the Usher Table.

Our Parish Bookstore and Gift Shop Opens before and after weekend Masses. Use Visa or MasterCard ($10 min), check ($5min), or cash to buy: Bibles - Missals - Rosaries - Books on the Pope, Saints, Parish History, Faith, Discernment, Marriage, Childrens Books, Father Pats Homilies and more.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CATHOLIC, RECEIVING CONFIRMATION? SPONSORING INQUIRERS? RCIA MEETS TUESDAYS AT 6:45 8:45PM IN THE GINGRAS CENTER - SABRINA WILLIAMS AT 202-294-6990.
SEE GINGRAS CENTER BULLETIN BOARD FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS OF AVAILABLE EMPLOYMENT, YOUTH AND ADULT OPPORTUNITIES .