We are looking at Pope Francis’ encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Holy Father begins his encyclical by writing the following about the heart:
The symbol of the heart has often been used to express the love of Jesus Christ. Some have questioned whether this symbol is still meaningful today. Absolutely. We live in an age of superficiality. We rush frenetically from one thing to another without really knowing why. We act and decide and buy impulsively. Thus, we end up as insatiable consumers and slaves to the mechanisms of a market, unconcerned about the deeper meaning of our lives.
The Holy Father is onto something here. I recently saw an article, entitled, “Addiction: The Difference Between Impulsive and Compulsive Shopping (Why Some People Feel Driven to Make Purchases).” Elizabeth Hartney, PhD wrote the article (updated on September 08, 2024). I quote from the article below. Since Covid, Elizabeth has seen an increase in Impulsive Buying and Compulsive Shopping. Both are unhealthy shopping behaviors. They can lead to feelings of regret and financial difficulties. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Yet, they are not the same. Important distinctions exist between them.
Impulsive shopping involves buying items that a person was not planning to purchase. It often happens unexpectedly and in the heat of the moment. It is inspired by a “can't miss" sale or suddenly coming across covetable items that are too tempting to pass up.
Sometimes, these impulsive purchases can be pretty harmless if they are within a person's budget. Unfortunately, impulsive buying can also result in costly spending sprees. This can wreak havoc on their finances.
Compulsive buying behavior (CBB) can be different. It involves more than just shopping and spending more than intended, on a whim. It involves a compulsive need to buy items, many of which are not necessary or needed. People who engage in compulsive shopping do so to improve their mood, self-image, social approval, and stress levels. Compulsive shopping frequently produces powerful feelings of shame, guilt, and remorse. People who shop compulsively are also prone to other issues. This includes financial, legal, and relationship problems because of overspending.
Where does this come from? The Holy Father proposes that these are issues found deep inside the human heart. Thus, we need to rediscover the importance of the heart as a means to discover deeper meanings of our lives. The discovery of this deeper meaning also has a very practical use.
Pope Francis looks at writers from ancient times. These writers examined this depth of meaning found in the heart. For these writers, the heart denoted:
the inmost part of human being (classical Greek)
the center of the body, but also the center of the human soul and spirit (Homer)
the place from where our thoughts and feelings proceed (the Iliad)
the place where the rational and instinctive aspects of the person unite (Plato)
the locus of desires
the place where important decisions take shape
As we can see, the Pope sees wisdom coming from the ancient writers. The heart provides a place that unifies body and soul. It is the mental, emotional and spiritual coordinating center of our life. This center provides a place where meaning and direction of everything we experience come together. Here these experiences can be examined and sorted out. As Pope Francis and Dr. Elizabeth Hartney point out, ignoring it has serious consequences. It can lead to poor decision-making, distressing situations, depression, and despair. On the other hand, understanding and using this can lead to a richer, fuller, more balanced life.
Fr. Charles Zlock
Pastor
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Good Things are Happening at St. Raymond!
Happy Thanksgiving!
We are most grateful to everyone who donated food and supplies to fill the Thanksgiving baskets and to all our volunteers for tirelessly organizing the drive, sorting the items, preparing the baskets and ensuring they get to our brothers and sisters in need. Thanks to your generosity, 70 families will be blessed with meals this Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Mass Thursday at 9am
Black Catholic History Month
Blessed Bible Study
Many thanks to Seminarians Bernie Faia and Luke Lenhard for guiding our Bible Study over the past few months. Together, we explored The Bible Compass by Dr. Edward Sri and were blessed with a wonderful journey of faith.
Job Opportunities at St. Raymond
Pastoral Associate for Social Ministry (Part Time)
Description:
Work with Pastor, Parish Staff, School Leaders, and community members to help guide the parish in addressing the social needs that exist in the community.
Coordinate existing ministries, including Caring For Friends, Good Samaritan Ministry, Grieving Ministry, Parish Food Cupboard, as well as Thanksgiving Meals for the needy and the Home for Christmas initiative.
Maintain contact with homebound parishioners
Facilitate Communion Service or assist visiting priests in the absence of the Pastor
Pastoral Associate for Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation (Part Time)
Description:
Prepare young Catechumens and Candidates, as well as Catholic students of St. Raymond School, for Sacraments.
Coordinate scheduling and parent communications for Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
Main Catechist for Pre-K & K school children using Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program
Coordination of Children’s Liturgy of the Word during Sunday Mass
Please contact Fr. Zlock at czlock@saintraymond.net or 215-549-3760, Ext 1 to apply.
Advent Life Groups
We continue to be blessed in our Life Group gatherings. Click the link to download the Week 2 Guide.
Prepare Ye the Way! Christmas at St. Raymond
The St. Raymond Series is back, and we are sure the homilies in Advent will be a blessing to you. Feel free to invite someone who is in need of blessings this time of year.
St. Raymond Christmas Concert - December 15th!
Our annual Christmas Concert will be December 15 at 3 pm at St. Raymond Church. Please plan to join us and invite your family and friends!
Giving Tree is Up!
The Giving Tree is on display in the rear of the church. Please take a card and purchase one or more of the items indicated. Your contributions will be used to stock the Blessing Shop at our annual Home for Christmas Celebration. Men, women and children from area shelters will be our guests and will be allowed to select from the items that are donated. Gifts also will be provided for children whose parents are incarcerated. If you are supplying a gift card for a teen, please DO NOT place it in the donation boxes in the rear of the church; instead, place it in the collection basket or in the collection boxes in the church. Please return your gift(s) UNWRAPPED to church or rectory before December 20.
There is also an Angel Tree, with cards made especially for children of incarcerated parents. Leave those gifts unwrapped as well, and return to the church or rectory by the same deadline date.
Thank you for your generosity.
Volunteers Needed for Home for Christmas!
Volunteers are needed to help St. Raymond Church welcome more than 200 guests from homeless shelters across the City of Philadelphia for our annual Home for Christmas event. Everyone is served a delicious meal, has a chance to receive items from the blessing shop and gathers with others while celebrating Jesus’ birthday. More than 200 volunteers make this event possible. Please sign up to help here!
Holiday Mass Schedule
Thursday, 11/28, Thanksgiving Mass @ 9 am
Tuesday 12/24, 8 am (Daily Mass)
Tuesday, 12/24, Christmas Eve Vigil @ 7 pm
Wednesday, 12/25, Christmas Morning @ 9 am
Tuesday 12/31, New Year's Eve, 8 am (Daily Mass)
Tuesday 12/ 31, Watch Hour @ 10 pm; Mass at 11 pm
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Monday, December 9th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Please plan to join us for Mass at 8 am or 9:30 am (with our School Community). Honor the Mother of Jesus and seek the grace to imitate her faith, hope, and love!
Men's Group
The Men’s Group will meet at 7 pm, Tuesday, December, 10th in the Rectory Dining Room.
The King is Coming!
Want to Learn More about your Catholic Faith?
The Order of Christian Initiation in Adults (OCIA) has begun. This is for any adult and teen 16 or older, who has not received the sacraments of Baptism, Penance, First Communion and Confirmation. We meet on the first Sunday of every month, immediately following the 10 am Mass in the SRR. Jesus is calling you! “It’s never too late to decide to follow Jesus."
Also, anyone with a desire to have a “refresher” is welcome to join. Contact Deacon Bill or Cindy Bradley at 215-242-5725.
Can You Help?
Have Left Overs?
Why not package them for Caring for Friends? Containers are located in the back of the Church (in a basket on the desk on the Forrest Ave side). The one meal that you discard can be a meal for an ailing senior living alone. Frozen meals can be dropped off at the Rectory between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. Volunteers are also needed to deliver meals to seniors on a weekly basis. For more info, contact the Church Rectory at 215-549-3760.
Celebrating Our Youth with Generation Grace
Do you have a child in grades 6th-8th? Please contact Brandi to get them involved in our Middle School Youth Ministry. We would love to have all our Middle School Kids involved. Brandi can be contacted at brandi@saintraymond.net or 215-549-3760.
There is a new email address for communication relating to religious education: religious.ed@saintraymond.net.
ATTENTION: ST. RAYMOND NEEDS YOU!
Matthew 9:37-38: Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Numerous needs have been communicated here and in the bulletin. Unfortunately, responses are nearly non-existent. A vibrant parish has members responding to the call for help. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Please scroll below for several opportunities. You can sign up here or complete a signup sheet on the table in the back of church (on the Williams Ave side). We want to hear from you! THE HARVEST AWAITS!
Volunteer Opportunities
Technology
We are in urgent need of support from those with basic technology skills:
Slide Operators – manage slides shown on TV screens during 5 pm, 8 am or 10 am Mass
Camera Operator – manage live streaming of 10 am Mass via YouTube
YouTube Host – Engage with parishioners during 10 am Mass
Requirements are a love for your parish, and a willingness to learn and serve. Teenagers and adults can contact Brandi at 215-549-3760.
To volunteer for any of the above tasks, please complete this form and someone will be in touch soon! Or, call Brandi at 215-549-3760.
Church Announcements
New Confession Times
Confessions are now by appointment, and people are welcome to call the rectory to schedule a time. Father will also be available from 4 to 4:45 pm before the Saturday Vigil Mass in the Church Confessional.
A Reminder about Call to Prayer
St. Raymond offers a twice-daily opportunity, Call to Prayer on weekdays at 6:30 am and at noon. Taking a little time (five to seven minutes) to turn to the Lord will remove stress and restore peace in your life.
Call toll-free 1-877-309-2073, then enter code 319-414-445#. At 6:30 am, we reflect on God's Word. During the noon call, we pray the Angelus, reflect on the first reading of the day, and have intercessory prayer for those in need.
Donate to Support St. Raymond Church
Online giving is a wonderful way to make a one-time or a recurring gift to St. Raymond. We greatly appreciate your goodness and promise to be good stewards of your gift. DONATE HERE. You can also make a gift with your phone: send a text with the message straymond to 833-363-7471. You will receive a text that will give you simple instructions to make a gift!
Or, scan the QR code to donate.
Please note that we are no longer using Cash App as a form of payment for tithes.
We will accept Venmo (@StRaymond-PenafortPhilly), PushPay, Parish Giving & Envelopes. If you would like to receive envelopes, please contact Brandi at brandi@straymond.net and she will add your name to the list of envelope recipients. If you prefer to use PushPay, text straymond to 833-363-7471 to donate.
Collection Envelopes for September through December, 2024 have been mailed out. There are three special collection envelopes: 11/28 = Thanksgiving;12/8 = Christmas Flower Offering; 12/25 = Christmas Offering. If you did not receive your envelopes, please contact Brandi at 215-549-3760 or at brandi@straymond.org
To our Online Parishioners
We at St. Raymond are extremely pleased that you continue to be part of our community via livestream. Although you may be unable to attend Mass in person, please remember that we need your financial support in order to remain a vibrant parish. You may give online anytime here. Feel free to contact the rectory for assistance at 215-549-3760.
Silence Cell Phones
Please remember how distracting cell-phone noises can be during Mass. We prayerfully ask you to silence your phone when you enter church, so that no one is disturbed during this holy hour.
Lost and Found
Have you lost any personal items during Church service and never retrieved them? Please check the bin in the back of Church labeled “Lost & Found." People turn in items often to the Rectory. All items turned in are put into the bin.
Church Safety Equipment
A first aid kit as well as an automated external defibrillator (also known as an AED device), are located in the sacristy. Both are on a table to the left of the sacristy sink. This ensures that St. Raymond has sufficient means to address significant medical emergencies during liturgical events.
Financial Facts
We thank those parishioners who, recognizing God’s gifts to them, make their response in our weekly collection. Your continued support is vital, necessary, and deeply appreciated.
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Budgetary Goal: $13,500.00
Collection & Envelopes: $8,536.46
Monthly Church Maintenance: $410.00
Stewardship: $250.00
Thanksgiving Offering: $395.00
Thanksgiving Basket: $375.00
Seminary: $10.00
Catholic Relief: $10.00
Total: $9,986.46
Seminarian Appeal
Envelopes for the Seminarian collection remain in the back of the church, in case you missed them last week.
Get Involved!
Sign up for Fr. Zlock’s Young Adult WhatsApp community for prayers, videos, reflections and events for the young adult community. Click here to join the group.
Connect with Us Online
Be part of our awesome virtual community! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get the latest scoop, see fun pictures, and hear about our exciting events.
Understanding Annulments: How the Tribunal Can Help After Divorce
The Tribunal is available to help people who have experienced divorce and wish to remarry in the Catholic Church. When a divorce occurs, the Church always seeks to balance two realities: the durable bond of marriage, and the spiritual welfare of the people involved. The Annulment procedure addresses deficiencies such as intentions, understanding, or ability. Whether you are divorced and want to marry in the Catholic Church or are remarried outside the Church, please visit our website.
If you have questions and would like an initial conversation with Fr. Zlock, call the rectory and schedule a time to meet with him. 215-549-3760
Community Events
God Wants to Speak to You
Jubilee 2025
Local celebration of the Universal Church’s year-long observance of the Jubilee Year, Pilgrims of Hope, begins December 29, 2024. In response to Pope Francis’ call to the Catholic Church around the world, parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will begin the local observance of the Jubilee Year 2025, with the theme Pilgrims of Hope.
All are invited to participate in events of the Holy Year in their homes, in their local parishes, and at shrines throughout the region, and at the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia— the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will celebrate the opening of the Jubilee Year with Mass at the Cathedral. That celebration of the holy Eucharist will mark the culmination of a pilgrimage of families traveling from throughout the Philadelphia region to the Cathedral.
Sunday, December 29, 2024
(Holy Family Sunday)
11 am
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
The Mass will be broadcast via live streaming video. Resources and information on upcoming events for the Jubilee Year 2025 in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia may be found here.
Renew and Breathe: Retreats for Mothers of all Ages
Register here.
Visit the website for more important information from the USCCB Subcommittee of African American Affairs.
Called to be a Missionary Disciple
Register here.
News From the National Black Catholic Congress
An all-new issue of the National Black Catholic Congress is out now. Sign up to get your copy here.
News From the Office for Black Catholics
Check out their website for important news!
News from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The December newsletter is available here.
Please sign up to find out what is happening around the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
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