St. Joseph

Sundays  
Relgious Education Classes 
10:45AM in the Parish Hall

Mondays
ESL Classes 
7PM in the Small Dining Room in the Parish Hall

Tuesdays
Bible Study with Fr. Rob
9AM in the Church

Wednesdays
Spanish First Communion Classes
5:30PM in the Parish Hall
Youth Group Classes 
7PM in the Parish Hall

Thursdays 
Spanish GED Classes
6PM in the Parish Hall
RCIA Classes
7PM in the Church

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process in which:
*Catholics learn about their faith and obtain their missing Sacraments.
* Non-Catholics learn about the Catholic faith, and if they so desire, can become Catholic.
If you, or someone you know, are interested in learning more about Catholicism, please join us for our RCIA classes.
RCIA Classes have begun!
Classes will be every Thursday at 7PM in the Church.

To celebrate our 50^th anniversary for the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, Bishop Konderla presented each parish with a Papal Blessing from Pope Francis. Padre received this blessing on behalf of Saint Joseph Catholic Church of Muskogee at the Anniversary Mass at Holy Family Cathedral. May God continue to bless our parish and our diocese!

GOSPEL MEDITATION - ENCOURAGE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE

October 1, 2023

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A life-long Catholic friend of mine recently mumbled to me, “I can’t stand all these converts to the faith. They’re always rocking the boat.” It surprised me because he is dedicated to evangelization, and yet he struggles with openness to new Catholics. It made me realize how easily I close my heart to those whom I perceive to be outsiders who become new members of the Catholic community. Almost unconsciously I reduce the world to the categories of “us” and “them.” The result is that meaningful community silently shrinks in my life. Don’t we all do that to some degree?

This week Jesus’ punchy parable about the two sons blows up that black and white world. One son said he wouldn’t get to work, and then did. The other said he would, and then he did not. “Which did the will of his father?” asks the Lord. Like so many of us, in identifying the first as the answer, the religious authorities manifest hidden hypocrisy in refusing to follow Jesus. They — like us — intuit the correct path but simply won’t do it. The tax collectors and prostitutes are indeed following Jesus and thereby getting to work in the kingdom of God. Everyone is called to do God’s will regardless of the labels we may apply to them.

This week let’s reject the convenient but damaging categories of “insiders” and “outsiders.” Instead, let’s embrace a grateful attitude that Jesus is calling fallen, weak, and broken men and women like you and me. Then we begin to see that the tax collectors and prostitutes aren’t them. They are us. And Jesus wants all of us working in his boat, no matter the rocking.

— Father John Muir                               ©LPi

MEDITACIÓN EVANGÉLICO - ALENTAR ENTENDIMIENTO MÁS PROFUNDO DE LA ESCRITURA 

1 de octubre de 2023

26º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Nada es más perturbador en la sociedad en que vivimos que ver que las personas dicen una cosa y hacen otra. Algo así, como poner una cara para cada ocasión. En este domingo, estamos llamados a vivir con humildad y coherencia. Para llegar a ser de verdad coherentes existe un secreto que la Primera Lectura de hoy nos recuerda: “Cuando el justo se aparta de la justicia y comete el mal y por eso muere, muere por culpa de la injusticia que cometió. Del mismo modo, si el malvado se aparta de la mala vida que llevaba y actúa según el derecho y la justicia, vivirá”. (Ezequiel 18:26-27). La clave es reconocer el error y cambiar el modo de pensar y obrar para el bien. Para llegar a esta etapa de la vida se requiere mucha humildad.

Es por eso, que el Señor Jesús, nos narra la parábola de los dos hijos. El que dijo sí y no fue y el que dijo no y se arrepintió y se fue a trabajar en la viña de su padre. ¿A cuál de ellos te pareces? ¿Cómo respondes al llamado de Dios en tú vida, cualquiera que sea tú vocación? San Agustín nos ayuda con la siguiente oración a ser verdaderos discípulos de Jesucristo: “Te seguimos, Señor Jesús, pero para que te sigamos, llámanos, porque sin ti nadie avanza. Que solo tú eres el Camino, la Verdad, y la Vida. Recíbenos, como un camino acogedor recibe. Aliéntanos, como la verdad alienta. Vivifícanos, puesto que tú eres la Vida”. ¡Creamos en Jesús, como los recaudadores de impuestos y las prostitutas de su tiempo!

©LPi