Don't hit snooze tomorrow!  Take time to pray for someone- start your day with a short prayer, thanking God for the gift of a new day.  
Give up an hour of sleep to wake early and spend some time with Jesus.

Drink nothing but water, give up your morning coffee, or take your coffee without sugar or creamer and offer up a prayer. Will you say a prayer each time you’re tempted to have a cup of coffee? Do you need to break a dependence on sugar so that you can give God your best? Tell us how who we can pray for today?
#prayforintentions

Give up your usual treat on Friday and instead consider donating to Mary's Meals to help those in crisis in Ethiopia. What if you gave up that special treat today and put the money you’d have spent towards helping with the crisis in Ethiopia?

Please click HERE to be taken to our Mary's Meals Ministry page for more information, including Lenten prayer cards for the children who depend on Mary's Meals.  

If you would like to make a donation to Mary's Meals, please click HERE to visit "Ways to Support Our Parish", which includes an options, including Venmo, to directly support Mary's Meals. 

"Mary's Meals is a series of little acts of love.  If you put all those acts of sacrifice together, it creates a beautiful thing."
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, Mary's Meals Founder and CEO

This Lent, look to free yourself from material things. Consider making a Lenten sacrifice by donating clothing or household items you no longer use.  St. Stephens will be accepting donations on Tuesday, March 23 from 4pm-6pm and Tuesday, March 30 from 4pm-6pm in the parish gym.  Blue clothing drop bins are in the school parking lot and can be accessed 24 hours a day for convenient CLOTHING donation drop off.  

See the flyer below, and click HERE for more details!

Make an effort to abstain from social media and spend time in prayer today.  Reach out to family and friends you haven't spoken to in awhile.  Instead of checking your feed this morning, spend 10 minutes writing down all you're grateful for.  Good feelings, more meaningful relationships, and a more prayerful, peaceful way of living may just be reason enough to fast more often.  Can't give up social media altogether? That's ok too, make your scrolling a more intentional and prayerful experience by pausing over each post and picture to pray over the person or headline you see.

Choose a weekday to attend Mass, in person or Livestream, or join us for one of our Lenten programs listed below.  Make your Lenten goal today one that brings you closer to Jesus.  What will you choose?

Please consider donating non-perishable food items for our parish Lenten Food Drive today.  The food will support the Florida and Greenwood Lake food pantries.  Sadly, many families in our area need to rely on food pantries.  As you probably know, almsgiving is one of the three pillars of Lenten practice, according to the Catholic catechism.  This is a great way to share some of our countless blessings with those in need. 

Click HERE or on the photo to learn more about our Food Drive!

 

Lent is great time send anger and resentment packing!  Carve out time in your day to spend time in prayer to forgive and let go of any negative feelings or thoughts.  If there is someone you have a grudge with, write a note and ask for forgiveness or a chance to talk through the disagreement.  Dig deep and ask God for His help to heal your heart.  How will you use today to grow in friendship with our Lord? 

The 8th graders of our parish are being Confirmed into the faith this weekend. Choose 2 of our Confirmandi and pray for that young person's spiritual growth this Lent.
Holy Spirit, strengthen our St. Stephen Parish Confirmandi with your gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord, as a disciple of Christ. Fill them with the joy of your presence. Increase in them the fruit of your Spirit. Help them to experience and trust your dwelling within, so that they may count on your guidance today and every day. Show us the way to help one another become better disciples of Jesus Christ, sharing your love with our world and with each person we encounter.
Amen.

Enjoy the stillness of silence this morning. Try sitting quietly for a few moments; breathe in Jesus’ name and breathe out “I trust in You.” By doing this you are breathing in God’s mercy and breathing out anxiety and fear.

Consider a good habit to begin today, write it down, and leave it someplace where you can see it daily.  Some examples are to pray more, being more compassionate to others, add a daily devotional, or participate in a daily prayer service.  What will you do today to bring more focus to your relationship with Jesus during this time?

Empty yourself to God today. Abstain from second helpings, snacks between meals, and after dinner snacks. Pray for those who have less than enough.

We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Be intentional in your interactions with others today. Open your heart and your mind. Be open to LISTENING not just hearing. Truly listen- recognize similarities, not differences. Everyone has a story and we can learn from one another.

Do you spend your weekend binge-watching Netflix? Volunteer 2 hours to the Hudson Valley Food Bank. You will be giving two hours of time with those who work toward making our region healthier and more equitable as we all work towards relieving food insecurity in our community. Use our parish sign up link here.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4BAEAB2EA4FF2-food
 

As you've seen in the news, many of those in Central Texas have sustained significant damage to their homes, power outages, and water depletion. Please keep these communities and all who are still in need of shelter, warmth, food or water in your prayers. If you're looking for ways to help our sister parishes in TX and for it to have an immediate impact, this is a great start. We suggest sending your donation or letters of prayer and support to the parishes listed below. Let them know our St. Stephen Warwick community is holding them close in prayer.

Today we are inviting you to take 5 minutes and pray one decade of the Rosary for our parish community. That is just twelve prayers! When you are pumping gas, walking to the mailbox, folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher, shaving, walking the dog, taking out the garbage please consider giving those 5 minutes to our Mother. These 12 prayers form a decade of the Rosary.
One "Our Father": Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Ten “Hail Marys: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death. Amen.
One “Glory Be To The Father" :Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
You can pray it yourself or with your family to help the whole parish community join together for a great cause. Will you join us in prayer today?

Wondering how to help those less fortunate in our community? Four Seasons is the newest ministry here at St. Stephen's. Consider donating gently used/like new (or new) clothing that no longer fit your children to our new ministry. Four Seasons will be holding its first Children's Clothing Donation Drop-Off Event on Sunday, March 14th from 8:30am- 11:30am in the church. To learn more about Four Seasons visit the facebook page @FourSeasonsKids and click the link for more information about the upcoming Donation Drop Off Event being held in the parish gym, including what can be donated and how to sign up for a drop off time slot, or visit Four Seasons on our ministry page HERE.

https://m.signupgenius.com/...

As we come upon the one year mark of the pandemic and subsequent shutdown, let's take a moment to show gratitude to those behind the scenes that work to keep our local community safe and healthy. It’s been tough but a labor of love each day. If you're looking for a way to share your gratitude, please consider this suggestion from Chaplain Tracy T. Kessler BCC; Orange County Director of Spiritual Care Bon Secours Charity Health System. Consider writing letters of love and support to our care teams at Schervier and Mount Alverno. Listed below are the different departments for both sites:

Housekeeping (cleans the facility, the linens, the equipment)
Facilities (they take care of everything from temperature control to maintenance)
Dietary/Food Services (cooks, servers, dietitians, meal planners)
Activities & Recreation
Social Workers
Rehab Services
Reception/Guest Services
Nursing (including nurse managers, CNA staff, caregivers)
Medical Staff (Doctors)
Chaplains (one priest and 2 lay chaplains)

What a wonderful way to let these special people know that the community is praying for them and the work they do each day to ensure our community's elderly and rehabbing people stay healthy and safe.

Please bring your cards or letters in a ziplock bag with the department your sending your note to on the front of the envelope to the church.

We all have gifts. They are different according to the grace God has given each one of us. What is your gift? Is it serving? Teaching? Being a leader? Showing mercy? How can you share your gift with others to show them God...to build God's Kingdom here on Earth together? Often times we overlook our own talents, thinking they don't serve a purpose. God's gifts weren't meant to be hidden. #nameyourgift

God uses circumstances to change us. We cannot control everything in our lives. We can't know what will happen tomorrow. In Romans 5:3-4, St. Paul talks about how we can rejoice in the here and now and even learn from our trials and troubles. Difficult times in our lives leave us to persevere and we know God is using them for our benefit. Ask the Holy Spirit today to open your eyes to the difficult times in your life and see the fruits that were born of it. Think about a difficult time you went through and how you can use it to empathize with others.

Give up unnecessary spending today. Each time you're tempted to spend money on something that isn't a NEED, say "no" and set aside that amount to donate to a local charity to help those around you in need. Looking for ideas, we suggest www.smallthingsinc.org or www.marysmealsusa.org.

For more information on Mary's Meals, and the work we do here at St. Stephens to help them, visit our Mary's Meals page on our website HERE.

Most of us are very attached to our phones. They help us keep track of our busy lives, they guide us to our destination and, they allow us to stay in touch with others. We check our phones many times throughout the day because we don't want to miss anything important. Today, let's try to give that same focus to the people we encounter today. Imagine the kind of place the world would be if we gave each other the same focus and attention! Let's remember to focus on the people we are with today as someone made in the image of God.

Today take the time to write a letter of thanks to someone you love. Take a look at all the different parts of your life and where God has blessed you with different, wonderful relationships. Your childhood friends, college friends, work people, parish community, neighborhood people, and of course your family. Take a moment to pray for this person and write a letter of thanks, gratitude, and love. It is an honor to recognize different people in our lives. It is exciting to think of someone walking to their mail box or looking at their pillow and finding one little hand written letter that says, "You are important. You have made a difference."

Pray for an end to abortion, for pregnant women contemplating abortion, and for hope and healing after abortion. Pray that God draws near to them and delivers direct support and healing in their lives. To get involved with our local 40 Days for Life campaign, contact Wendy Wood at 845-820-4366 or go to www.40daysforlife.com/newburgh; https://www.usccb.org/topics/project-rachel-ministry;
https://sistersoflife.org/healing-after-abortion/
 

Today is the Feast Day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland and the Archdiocese of New York. Enjoy the simple moments of the day. We are honored to share the words below from our own Father Flor of Dublin (see photo).

Christ be with me, Christ within me
Christ behind me, Christ before me
Christ beside me, Christ to win me
Christ to comfort me and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend or stranger.
-St. Patrick's Breastplate (390-461 A.D.)

Practice gratitude today, thank a person you'll never see again. Bring joy to another person by performing a random act of kindness- hold the door for someone, let someone go in front of you on line, buy a cup of coffee for the person behind you in the drive thru. Remember the words of Jesus Christ, our Lord: "Whatever you do for one of these least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me."

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, and this year is extra special as Pope Francis declared this the Year of St. Joseph. Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstinence from meat on Fridays are Lenten obligations for every Catholic bound by age and health. However, since the Solemnity of St. Joseph falls this year on a Friday of Lent, His Eminence is happy to grant a dispensation from abstinence from meat to all within the Archdiocese of New York to allow Catholics to celebrate the Feast Day. Cardinal Dolan does add that as we rejoice with a festive meal, perhaps with zeppole, it would be appropriate to make a gift to one of our local food pantries to be sure that the poor will be able to do the same. If parishioners decide to make use of this special dispensation, the Cardinal encourages but does not obligate them to choose another day during the week to abstain from meat as a substitute.
His Eminence Cardinal Dolan has offered the Consecration of the Archdiocese of New York to St. Joseph this morning following the 7 am Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Mass and consecration was live streamed and archived on the web page at www.saintpatrickscathedral.org. The consecration prayers can be found on the website of the archdiocese at www.archny.org

Look around today for signs of new life! Jesus' time in the desert was one of silence and solitude. Take today to pray outside while you do yard work or while you're taking a walk around your neighborhood. The goal today is to spend time with God in silence and noticing the beauty around you.

Sometimes it’s easy to see others through the lens of our own experiences. Ask Jesus for the grace to see beyond your perceptions of others. When you’re with someone challenging today, remind yourself they have struggles and fears just like you. We are all more than what we appear.

Make a point today to learn more about the injustices of our world- food insecurity, poverty, homelessness, immigration, racism, the environment- and see how you can help. Check out some of these resources
: https://www.feedingamerica.org/; https://foodbankofhudsonvalley.org/; https://eji.org/; https://www.ncronline.org/earthbeat; https://www.kinoborderinitiative.org/

Tap into your creative side and try using coloring as a way to pray and meditate. Download a lent calendar coloring page here
https://prayingincolor.com/handouts

Take a picture of something today that brings you joy. Joy doesn’t distract us, it sustains us. Show us what brings you joy in the comments on our Facebook page, or email us at info@ststephenchurchwarwick.org (with "Lenten Challenge 32" in the subject line!)

Today is a Lenten Friday, which means abstinence from meat. Join our brothers and sisters around the world by trying a meatless meal from https://www.crsricebowl.org/recipe

If you don't already compost, start a compost bin at your house, or find a local organization that collects compost. If you already compost, try to find at least one new item to add to your compost bin. Composting is one additional way that we can prevent food waste. When food is thrown away and breaks down in the landfill, it produces methane which is a greenhouse gas 26-28 times more potent than CO2. Composting prevents the release of methane gas by keeping food out of the landfill. The composting process allows food to break down in a way that stores carbon in the soil that is produced. When the compost is ready, it can be used to enrich plants in your own garden, reducing the need for fertilizers or pesticides. Even if you don’t garden, there are often people in your community who would love to use the compost you generate.
https://www.ncronline.org/earthbeat...

ust a reminder that today is Reconciliation Monday in the Archdiocese of New York. If you haven’t been to Confession in a while, the Catholic Church wants to welcome you back, and invites you to participate in this beautiful sacrament of healing. Take a step in faith! You’ll be surprised about how free you feel after taking part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So many Catholics describe incredible feelings of peace, joy, relief, and love that they never expected. Jesus is calling you to experience His mercy in this way too.
We are offering Confessions today between 3pm- 7pm at St. Stephens.
Can’t remember how? Here’s a simple guide with some tips. Tell the priest it’s been a while, and ask him to guide you through it. https://bustedhalo.com/.../Guide-to-Confession-Handout...

Today’s Gospel reminds us that the Lord isn’t patient with us because we deserve it. He is patient with us because it’s who He is. He doesn’t lose patience with those He loves, simply because patience is His very nature. He is patient, therefore we are saved. Have patience with others today as patience is God working through us to reach those who are lost.

We are in communion with Jesus at Eucharist and betray Him when we treat others in an unkind way. Let us pray that we can rise above our human limitations and love like Jesus.

Become less, bow down to others and also be open to allowing others to help you. This openness forms community.

Spend time in contemplative prayer, imagining yourself in the crowd as Jesus carries His cross to Calvary.

The tomb is empty but we long for Jesus. Our hearts are barren with the space only God can fill. If you were to go to our church today, there is an emptiness you can feel- the doors to the tabernacle are open, the body of Christ isn’t there, the candles aren’t burning. We wait today with faithful hope. Come, Lord Jesus.

This is the day the Lord has made:
let us be glad and rejoice!
Alleluia!
Christ is Risen!
Happy Easter to our St. Stephens family!