NEXT OUTDOOR MASS

AUGUST 18

CALENDAR 

Saturday, August 17:

• Individual Reconciliation, 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
• 5:00 pm Mass, Fr. Tim - Deacon Mickey preaches

Sunday, August 18:

• 9:00 am OUTDOOR Mass, Fr. Kevin
• Pancake Cookout -10:00 am
• 11:00 am Mass, Fr. Tim LIVESTREAM available   

Monday, August 19:  

• Giving Garden, 8:00 am - 10:00 am

Tuesday, August 20:

• Visitation for Gerald Ratzlaff, 9:00 am
• Funeral Mass for Gerald Ratzlaff, 10:00 am
• Parish Office CLOSED 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
• AA meeting, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Wednesday, August 21:

• Serve at Dakota Woodlands, 3pm-6:30pm offsite

Thursday, August 22:

• Lawn Mowing Crew 1
• Giving Garden, 8:00 am - 10:00 am
• 10:00 am Mass
• Al-Anon meeting, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
• Finance meeting, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Friday, August 23:

• Parish office CLOSED

Saturday, August 24:

• Individual Reconciliation, 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
• 5:00 pm Mass, Fr. Tim

Sunday, August 25:

• God’s Word for Kids during 9am Mass -4/5 year old and 6-9 year old
• 9:00 am Mass, Fr. Kevin   - Deacon Mickey preaches LIVESTREAM available   
• 11:00 am Mass, Fr. Kevin 

FALL FESTIVAL 2024

SEPTEMBER 14

Save the date:

Saturday, September 14

Ticket Sales after Mass

Ticket sales after Mass the weekends of

August 31-September1

and

September 7-8

or

Purchase them ONLINE

Silent Auction

ONLINE FORM

PAPER FORM

Please bring all donations by Monday, August, 26.

(you can start bringing items before the deadline date)

Please Consider Volunteering

We are excited for our Fall Festival and are looking for volunteers to help plan! 

There are many areas to choose from, such as silent auction, games, food and volunteer coordination. Large or small time commitments needed, individuals or families.

Sign up on the board in the commons or ONLINE.

Donations Needed

Coming soon!

We are in need of bottles of wine for the wine toss and donations for the Cake Walk.

Donation Shapes will be in the commons soon..

FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM

Last Call

for the Early Bird Special Prices

for Faith Formation! 

If you have children ages Kindergarten through Confirmation, now is a great time to register them for our faith formation program! 

Lowest prices available until this Thursday, August 22 and then the full price will take effect on August 23. 

If your child goes to a Catholic School but needs to prepare for a Sacrament here at STB (First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, or Confirmation) this is a great time to register for sacramental preparation too. If you are new to the parish or have never tried our faith formation program before, now is the time to check it out.  

It is Solid. Strong. Engaging. Fun. Faith Filled.

Our program meets on most Wednesdays, starting October 2. 

More info can be found on our website. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

https://stbeagan.org/faith-formation-registration-2024-25

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

We are also recruiting for Volunteer Catechists—the heart and soul of the  program. All lessons are prepared for you and emailed to you a week ahead of time. Have some time to share? 

FAQ's that might be helpful for you to say yes to being a catechist for K-5th grade.

Questions? 

Contact Wendy at wendyc@stbeagan.org or call her at 651.683.9808 ext. 111.

THIS COULD BE YOU

Ever wonder…

…how those who bring up the gifts of bread and wine at offertory time are chosen? 

Have you thought it would be an honor to present the gifts at the altar, or a neat experience for your family? Please let us know! 

Simply sign up on this white board when you arrive at Mass, located on the table inside the sanctuary, to the right of the doors. You can also speak to the Mass Coordinator to let them know you are interested—that person is often standing near the baptismal font greeting people and holding cross necklaces, looking to recruit Eucharistic Ministers as they arrive. Thanks!

BIBLE SERIES

SEPTEMBER 22

Eucharist in the Bible Series

Gathering the Chosen: The Exodus Experience

Sunday, September 22^nd - 10:15am

Deacon Mickey Friesen will be making the first of four presentations during the next year on the Eucharist in the Bible. He will help us to connect with our biblical roots to the Eucharist as the source and summit of our faith and worship. 

The first presentation will explore the Exodus Experience and being Chosen to be God’s people. 

NEW - BIBLE STUDY

BEGINS SEPTEMBER 26

NEW Weekly Bible Study

JOIN US for a new weekly Bible Study coming to St. Thomas Becket. 

Deacon Mickey Friesen will lead our weekly study and discussion. 

We will study several books of the Bible over the next year to learn more about Scripture and make connections with our faith life today. 

Our theme for the year will be:  The Eucharist in the Bible.

Start Date: Thursdays, beginning September 26

Time: 10:30am – 12 Noon.

Sign up: Contact Deacon Mickey at mickeyf@stbeagan.org / 651-291-4445

GOD'S WORD FOR KIDS

We want to keep nurturing our youngest members of STB! 

As well as their parents, who are often tired and find Mass can be a very long hour. As we call up our children, ages 4-9, to be dismissed after the Opening Prayer to go out with an adult or teen leader until the offertory time to hear God’s Word and reflect on it together, we know this is a rich time meant just for them. 

Ages 4 and 5

go to one room to hear a popular Bible story, sing a song and do a craft.

Ages 6-9

go to a separate space to hear the readings of the day proclaimed and share what they hear God’s Word saying to them. 

We need a few more Volunteer Leaders to come forward to help lead at the 9:00 am Mass so this can be offered consistently year-round. Training is   provided, materials are emailed to you the week before, you will be placed in teams of two, and the schedule will be made based on your availability. 

Contact Wendy at wendyc@stbeagan.org or 651.683.9808 (ext. 111) if you are curious or want to know more. Our little ones, and their parents, thank you!

BLESSING OF BACKPACKS & DEVICES

SEPTEMBER 8

In celebration of the new school year all students are invited to bring their school backpacks and/or electronic devices to Mass on Sunday, September 8 at both Masses.

At the end of Mass youth will be invited to bring them forward and the whole church will bless them.

STB's MEMORIAL WINDCHIME

Got architectural skills?

The Worship Council is looking for a couple of folks willing to design a Memorial Windchime (like the one at St. Olaf’s College) for STB to build one for our parish.

If interested please contact Jack Hackley at nhackley338@comcast.net. 

View St. Olaf's Windchime Memorial:

RED PINE SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE

BY AUGUST 29

Back to school is an exciting time for many!!

While a lot of us have fond memories of selecting a new school bag, filling it with our new school supplies and choosing a “cool” outfit for the first day of school!!  

This isn’t everyone’s experience. Back to school can get pretty expensive.

If you are able to help ease that burden of school supply expenses for students at Red Pine Elementary here is your opportunity!!

Please bring donations by Thursday, August 29, 2024. 

You can drop them off in the commons at STB.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Thank you for supporting our community’s children. 

You do make a difference! 

Suggested items are: 

24 count crayons, Colored, washable markers – both broad line and thin line, Colored pencils,

Dry erase markers, Highlighter markers, Folders – 2 pocket, Glue sticks, Glue bottles, Pencils, 

Scissors, Composition notebooks.

FALL GRIEF

Fall Grief Series in St Paul

Most people have some form of loss. You may have lost a child or a spouse or maybe you have lost a job or a relationship. No matter the loss, we all need to know that we are not alone and that it takes time to move on. Give yourself a gift – come to the Fall Grief series in St Paul.

View flyer at www.stbeagan.org/growing-through-loss 

STB GOLF TOURNAMENT

SEPTEMBER 7

St. Thomas Becket's

13th Annual Bogey's Best Ball

Golf Tournament

Saturday, September 7, 2024

SIGN UP ONLINE TODAY!!!!

FLYER

LIVING SIMPLY CHALLENGE

Spirit of Justice Ministry

UPDATE:

We hope you are taking up Gandhi's challenge of "Living simply so others may simply live", and setting aside money to pay forward to a worthy cause. This can be a great opportunity to be, as Fr. Tim said in a recent homily, the Bread of Life for another person.

We have heard from a few parishioners who wanted to share their plans. 

One has chosen to add an additional amount to the tips she provided to servers as a way to directly impact the people who could  benefit from the bonus. Another person is abstaining from some (but not all!) alcoholic drinks when dining out, and setting aside the money into his savings account, to be given at the end of the summer to a worthy cause to be determined later.

If you have a story to share about your approach to the Living Simply Challenge, please share it with us. There are a few options:

1. email your story to parish@stbeagan.org
2. create a handwritten copy of your story (artwork is optional). These can be dropped off in the commons in the mail box next to the Parish office door.  

This might be a great option for any youth participating in the challenge.

Please note in your submission how you would like

to be identified - full name, first name only, initials only, anonymous.

We will post the stories this fall on the website, in the bulletin and in the   Commons. We are looking forward to hearing from you! Remember, no amount is too small to pay forward!

GIVING GARDEN: CLAMSHELLS

HOME GARDENERS!

Attention HOME Gardeners!

With veggie harvesting season upon us, please think about giving part of your bounty to our neighbors in need at The Open Door . 

The Giving Garden ministry will make it very easy for you to do so:

• Knock the excess dirt off your veggies (no need to wash), and bag them up however you like.
• Haul them over to the STB Giving Garden (in back of the building accessed by the walkway from the south parking lot) on Monday or  Thursday mornings before 9:30 am.  

We will package and label your produce, then drive it over to The Open Door along with that which we harvest from the giving garden that morning.

We work the garden starting at 8:00 am. If you need to drop produce off earlier, please just leave it at the gate where we will find it upon arrival. 

So there is no need for you to package your veggies, or haul them all the way to

The Open Door.  

Please DO NOT drop off vegetables in church or at the giving garden any days other than Mon or Thu.  We simply do not have a mechanism to handle your donations at other times, and they likely will go to waste.

Your fresh produce will just be another way we can

                                            Love, Serve, and be Hope...  Thank you!

DAKOTA WOODLANDS

SIGN UP HERE

EAGAN KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

COATS FOR KIDS

Help provide warmth for children in need during cold winter months here in the Bold North…

...and enjoy beautiful chrysanthemums and other fall favorites from Gertens which will give brilliant color to your home throughout Autumn!

You will be supporting the Knights of Columbus “Coats for Kids” program when you order impressive fall plants or convenient plant cards (that are used to buy plants throughout the year at the Gertens retail location in Inver Grove Heights.)  Plant cards also make great gifts!

Please place orders by Thursday, August 22, 2024.

ADOPT-A-GARDEN

We invite families or individuals to “adopt” a garden plot on our beautiful property.

You are asked to maintain your area for a one-month period, or for the entire growing season. Most gardens involve a few hours of work twice-a-month, and can be done on your own schedule. 

Please SIGN-UP ONLINE.

If you need help signing up, please call the Parish office at

651-683-9808 and we will be happy to assist you.

STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR:

General Schedules page HERE

• Eucharistic Ministers
• Lector
• Hospitality
• Greeters
• Laundry Ministry
• Dakota Woodlands
• Adopt a Garden
• Fall Festival
• Funeral for Gerald Ratzlaff 8/20

Where to find schedule links:

Go to www.stbeagan.org and look under HELPFUL LINKS, there you will find “schedules”, click on it and you will be able to find the link to the signup.

You can also type in the URL: https://stbeagan.org/schedules

GOSPEL MEDITATION

ENCOURAGE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE

August 18, 2024

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time



A priest I know was asked by a door-to-door evangelist, “Do you believe in Jesus?” He answered, “Yes, I do. But if I may ask you,” he continued, “Where do you experience Jesus’ body and blood?” His interlocutor responded somewhat confusedly, “I don’t. I just believe in him. That’s all that is needed.” Later my priest friend would relate to me, “The more I thought about it, that response struck me as totally inadequate. As human beings, we need to encounter Jesus’ body and blood, not just hear about him and mentally believe. Otherwise, Jesus is just a ghost.”

This week we see this central point as we arrive at the climactic moment of Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist. Jesus has established the importance of believing in him as the “bread of life come down from heaven.” Belief deeply matters because it leads to a real, bodily encounter with Jesus through eating and drinking. That’s why Jesus emphasizes to an almost outrageous degree the non-metaphorical necessity to “eat my flesh and drink my blood” (John 6:54). The real presence of Jesus’ body and blood — he himself, truly, really, substantially — has been the Church’s treasure since Holy Thursday. Internal belief in the heart and the ritual act of eating and drinking the Eucharist, the Church has stubbornly insisted on both, not just one or the other.

This is not meant to criticize non-Catholic Christians who deeply trust and love Jesus, nor is it a triumphal elitist claim about the Catholic Mass. Rather it is a humble, trusting acknowledgement that God in Jesus comes to us in a way most proper to human beings: in our hearts and our bodies, faith and the Eucharist.

— Father John Muir

©LPi

EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP

We can easily feel obligated to attend a party, wedding, or other event that we find ourselves invited to as a guest. If we want to go, then we get dressed up and rush off with anticipation of fun and good times with friends. If we dread going, we get ourselves together slowly and arrive late, hoping that the event will not be so long and we can then get on with the rest of our day. The difference in our feelings may have to do with many aspects: the host, the attendees, the reason for celebration, or even the venue. Either way, the invitation has been given to us because someone feels that our presence would make a positive difference. Our response is entirely our own. We decide how we will answer the invitation.

Every Sunday, every day in fact, you and I have received an invitation to a banquet more celebratory and grander than any wedding or birthday party. The host is actually Jesus Christ himself, and he has prepared a feast that promises to satisfy. He has prepared for this event by giving all he has to give. No host has ever been more gracious. His hope is that you will be happy to attend for your presence does make a tremendous difference. Would he invite you if attending made no difference at all? Will you RSVP with a sense of joy and anticipation? If this is just another invite that obligates you and you approach the event with indifference, the host wonders if you really comprehend what he went through to make this meal possible. He also wonders if you really understand what is truly being celebrated.

--Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK

Please hold these parishioners in your prayers:

Robert Carraher

Roger Urban

Lynn Galarneau

If you have someone you would like added to our confidential Prayer Line call Bonnie Berquist at 651-450-1043 or email her at Bonnie_B_02@msn.com.  

READINGS

Sunday:

Prv 9:1-6/Ps 34:2-3, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15 (9a)/Eph 5:15-20/Jn 6:51-58

Monday:

Ez 24:15-23/Dt 32:18-19, 20, 21/Mt 19:16-22

Tuesday:

Ez 28:1-10/Dt 32:26-27ab, 27cd-28, 30, 35cd-36ab/Mt 19:23-30

Wednesday:

Ez 34:1-11/Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6/Mt 20:1-16

Thursday:

Ez 36:23-28/Ps 40:5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10/Mt 22:1-14

Friday:

Ez 37:1-14/Ps 107:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9/Mt 22:34-40

Saturday:

Rv 21:9b-14/Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18/Jn 1:45-51

Next Sunday:

Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b/Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23 (9a)/

Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32/Jn 6:60-69

[651-683-9808]  [reception@stbeagan.org]  [www.stbeagan.org]

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