St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Soucy Place, Centerville, VA-20120

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1 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 1 DECEMBER 14 St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Soucy Place, Centerville, VA Mass Schedule: TUESDAYS : 7:30 PM FRIDAYS : 7:30 PM SATURDAYS : 8:00 AM SUNDAYS : 3:00 PM Sunday School : SUNDAYS : 1:50 PM MESSAGE FROM TIJOACHAN Dear Brothers, Sisters and my dear little children, Praise Jesus and His most holy Mother! Christmas is around the corner! The most meditated birth of a Child ever! It is ever fresh and the good news this birth brought to the world is everlasting. Thousands of songs have been written and countless music has been composed; stories after stories are written; dramas are played on the stage, yet nothing can fully contain or express the joy that the birth of this Child has brought to the world. Several people responded to the birth of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. During His birth we also see a woman, His mother, who gave birth to this Child knowing that He would give life to the dead world. Her response seems to be the most outstanding one. She kept everything in her heart (Luke 2:19). I have never understood her enough to talk about her. But every moment I think about her she never fails to amaze me. In this busy world, when even God and His birth has become an occasion of shopping rather than meditation, I urge you all to pause and take some time to imitate our Blessed Mother who kept everything in her heart and imprinted the birth of her son into her soul. This Christmas, let us all imprint deeply in our hearts this great love revealed in the manger. Take enough time to breathe, pause and meditate. Let us try not to be too busy this time of the year; instead let us embrace the meditative aspect that Blessed Mother has revealed during the birth of Jesus Christ. When we pause like Mother Mary as we should, we can understand the eternal truth revealed in the manger: God is with us. We may have everything with us but not God unless we truly meditate and pray. It s through the silent meditation and prayer that we can grow the fruits of God and truths about Him in our heart (Psalm 46:10). I encourage everyone to do one act to enhance their relationship with Blessed Mother, one deed to enhance one s soul, and lastly one simple act to enrich your relationship with others. 1. Love Blessed Mother so much and give yourselves completely to Her! Love her and offer yourselves into her hands praying the most holy Rosary with her daily. 2. Prepare and sanctify yourself by going for confessions (Joshua 3:5). Those who are pure will see the face of God (Mt 5:8). Sanctifying is the best means for a true Christmas. Let there be no one who hasn t truly examined one s conscience and received the sacrament of penance. 3. Take time to truly notice your beloved ones and try to understand what they really need this Christmas (needs may not necessarily be material things though) and endeavor to get them that for Christmas, making it a meaningful and a heartwarming Christmas for all. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year! Sincerely yours in Christ our Lord Tijoachan Website : parish@stjudenva.org Mission Director: Fr. Tijo Mullakkara ( ) Trustees: Jophy Jose ( ) Sujith Abraham ( ) Our Vision is to create a vibrant Syro-Malabar community that nurtures spiritual growth, celebrates the sacraments, and fosters community ties and leadership

2 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 2 Pope s Tweets Pope November 6 Indifference towards those in need is not acceptable for a Christian. Pope November 11 Work is so important for human dignity, for building up a family, for peace! Pope November 18 There is so much noise in the world! May we learn to be silent in our hearts and before God. LET THE CHURCH ALWAYS BE A PLACE OF MERCY AND HOPE, WHERE EVERYONE IS WELCOMED, LOVED AND FORGIVEN. Pope November 21 When we meet a person truly in need, do we see the face of God? Pope November 27 Love is the measure of faith. Family Year 2014 Family Year Prayer Dear Father in Heaven, we humbly seek Your blessings upon our family and our St. Jude family, as we celebrate family year. Make our family rooted in Your Mercy. Renew our families with faith, hope and love. Help us to make firm resolutions to follow Your only Son, our Lord with our whole heart. Give us the grace to understand our family members than being understood, to forgive them than being forgiven. All Glory and honor is Yours through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen Holy Family: Pray for us Saint Jude: Pray for us JOIN US FOR DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET When : Mondays thru Saturdays at 3:00 pm Conference number : Pin :

3 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 3 Kid s Corner Kids 3rd grade and above are eligible to participate in this activity. Please provide your completed entry to any member of the bulletin team. Last date for submission is December 28th, All participants with correct entries will receive a surprise gift. Name of participant: Age of participant: HELLO KIDS, COMPLETE THIS ACTIVITY AND RECEIVE A SURPRISE GIFT! Kids 2nd grade and below are eligible to participate in this activity. Please provide your completed entry to any member of the bulletin team. Last date for submission is December 28th, All participants with correct entries will receive a surprise gift. Name of participant: Age of participant:

4 Volume 5 Issue 12 St. Jude Syro-Malabar Church Of Northern Virginia Highlights of St. Jude Sunday School Day Christmas Crib and Tree Competition St. Jude Christmas crib and tree competition is coming up. Appointed judges by each ward representatives will be judging the Christmas Tree for each wards based upon a commonly agreed criteria. Two best cribs and tress from each ward will then be judged for the overall prize. So, gear up! Spread the cheer! Merry Christmas! Page 4

5 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 5 All Saints Day Celebrations All saints day feast day was celebrated by our church on November 2nd. A special thanks to the Southriding/Aldie ward members for leading the feast day celebrations. A number of St. Jude kids dressed up as saints and led the procession to mark the special occasion. Inserted By: Blessy Rony & Family St. Jude Prayer Time Let us all gather as one and pray the Rosary together as a family before the Lord for the cause of our "desire to have a church". When: Mondays at 8.30pm Conference number : Pin : If you are interested in leading the Rosary, please sign up using the excel sheet below d/1tbvyzfimg2yg88s3umqzy- VDUtSFweAN_xRLK_w7lGA/edit#gid=0

6 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 6 Consecration to Jesus through Mother Mary I am alienated from myself. Seek His Kingdom Series Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being Gen 2:7 God created man in His own image Gen 1:27. There was a friendship that was shared between God and the mankind. God walked with Man in the Garden of Eden. Man s identity was in God, uniform with God s will. Alienation of human identity entered with the original sin. The world, Satan and the flesh has alienated him from this true identity with God. I in me took over my identity with You Now I can see, I am not the true me I am struggling between my true Identity and what I am... I am searching to find my true self A pursuit in search of the truth There is only one creature with exemption from this alienation and it is none other than our Holy Mother. The magnificent creature who is perfectly united with God, who lived according to His will, who had her true identity all the time. God the Father gave his Son to the world only through Mary. The Son of God became man for our salvation but only in Mary and through Mary. God the Holy Spirit formed Jesus in Mary. It was the will of the God to give us the Holy Mother to help us find our way back. As St Augustine very aptly writes The world being unworthy to receive the Son of God directly from the hands of the Father, He gave His Son to Mary for the world to receive Him from her Looking at Her, I can see my identity I am feeling nostalgic In her I am seeing my true self. I want to walk back to my true self in her Man s true self wants to unite with God s will. But there is a constant fight in him between his true self and the bourgeoisie (world/satan/flesh) that alienated him. He is under the influence of inertia from these bourgeoisie. World brings challenges to the life and still justifies him. For them the message of the cross is foolishness (1 Cor 1:18). St Paul warns us about this, For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things (Phil 3: 18) By giving completely to Our Lady through consecration she purifies the imperfections in each soul and turns all its good works for greater glory of God. She is the mold of gold - St Augustine. Who cast into this mold is soon molded into Jesus and Jesus is molded in him to mold us to unite perfectly with God. She is the shortest, surest, and easiest way to God. The more Holy Spirit finds Mary his inseparable spouse in a soul the more powerful and effective he becomes in producing Jesus Christ in that soul and that soul in Jesus Christ (St. Montfort).

7 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 7 Sunday School PTA Inauguration St. Jude Sunday school PTA was inaugurated on November 15, 2014 during the Sunday school day by Tijoachan. Below is the list of PTA coordinators for each grade. Asha Tony will be serving as the president of the PTA. Grade PTA Coordinator K3 Jai Xavier K4 Sujith Abraham, Neena Mathew KG Vinod John, Henritha Paul 1 Jose Sebastian, Brijita Jose 2 Jinu John, Jina James 3 Benny Joseph and Shibi Benny 4 Tony Augustine, Asha Kottackal 5 Sojan Alex, Swapna Abraham 6 TBD 7 Rajesh James, Manju James 9 Joseph Andrews and Pushpa Andrews Charity Ministry updates Christmas season is a time of not only receiving gifts but also, a time of giving. We always do try to fulfill the wish list of all our near and dear ones and some of us, go a step further by trying to fulfill the dreams of our less fortunate brethren. There are some who want to help certain families, whom they know but feel that it would be a bit awkward to help them directly and hence, would like to remain anonymous and there are others, would like to help but do NOT have the right avenues or opportunities to help out. If you do fall in one of the above then St.Vincent De Paul s Helping Hands, our Church s Charity wing, may be able to help. We do provide monetary assistance to the needy families and we have helped out families back home in Kerala in the past several months. One such family was in severe financial stress, due to the husband passing away with cancer and the wife struggling to pay the children s school fees and meet the day to day expenses. There was another instance of us, reaching out to another family where the head of the family, who passed away due to a sudden cardiac arrest, was in the process of building a home, leaving behind the incomplete home along with three daughters still studying in school and college. We have also, had an anonymous donor who donated $5000 to build a girl s orphanage home in Assam, India. We wanted to highlight a few such cases so that more people from our community can reach out to us with such similar cases and we can help out families and orphanages alike monetarily and spread some cheer and happiness to them as well. Please reach out to the St.Vincent De Pauls Helping Hands team members or please st-jude-vincent-depaul@googlegroups.com with any such petitions. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2015!!!

8 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 8 Pope Francis to attend the world meeting of families in Philadelphia, USA Pope Francis has confirmed that he will be attending the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, USA in September, The World Meeting of Families is scheduled to take place September 22-27, 2015 in Philadelphia. The theme for this meeting is Love is our mission: The family fully alive. Canonization of Fr. Kuriakose Chavara & Sr. Euphrasia Pope Mar Francis declared Fr. Kuriakose Chavara & Sr. Euphrasia of Syromalabar church as saints of the universal church on November 23, "Dear brothers and sisters, may these new saints help you to treasure their lessons of evangelical living. Follow in their footsteps and imitate them, in a particular way, through love of Jesus in the Eucharist and love of the Church," said Pope Francis in his address to Syromalabar pilgrims present for the canonization ceremony. Corpus Christi Mission is established as a parish Corpus Christi mission, located in the South Riding area of Loudoun County is established as a parish effective November 23, 2014, as per the announcement by the Bishop of Arlington, Reverend Paul S Loverde. Reverend Michael G. Taylor will serve as the pastor of Corpus Christi and Reverend Michael R. Duesterhaus will serve as the parochial vicar for this new mission. Saints Corner Syro-Malabar news and events St. Stephen Feastday: December 26 Patron of stonemasons St. Stephen is traditionally regarded as the first martyr of Christianity. He was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, a deacon in the early church at Jerusalem who aroused the enmity of members of various synagogues by his teachings. Accused of blasphemy, at his trial he made a long speech fiercely denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him and was then stoned to death. His martyrdom was witnessed by Saul of Tarsus, who would later himself become a follower of Jesus and an apostle under the name St. Paul. Stephen prayed that the Lord would receive his spirit and his killers be forgiven, sank to his knees, and "fell asleep". Of the numerous speeches in Acts of the Apostles, Stephen's speech to the Sanhedrin is the longest. The criticism of traditional Jewish belief and practice in Stephen's speech is very strong when he says God does not live in a dwelling "made by human hands", referring to the Temple, he is using an expression often employed by Biblical texts to describe idols. The reputed relics of the martyr are said to be preserved in the Church of St Stephen, Jerusalem.

9 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page PARISH COUNCIL Fr. Tijo Mullakkara Mission Director Sujith Abraham Trustee Jophy Jose Trustee Sony Kuruvilla Secretary Antony Powathil Ward Representative Bejoy Thomas Ward Representative Elsamma Manalel Woman Representation George Chettupuzha Ward Representative Gregory Kalarikunnel Nominated Representative Jimmy Jose Ward Representative Jomy Methipara Youth Representative J Joseph Ward Representative Mary James Ward Representative Nibu Wilson Ward Representative Nissy Varghese Pious Organization Representative Preena Sony Woman Representative Rajesh Alex Nominated Representative Renny Joy Woman Representative Rony Thomas Sajith Thoppil Nominated Representative Land and Building Representative Smitha Saju Ward Representative Tomy Paul Catechism Representative Tony Thomas Ward Representative New to Parish? We extend a warm welcome to all our new members! Please contact trustees or any council member if you have any questions. Do also reach out to them to understand how to get involved and become active members in the parish. To become a member of our St. Jude Church please complete the registration form and submit it to Fr. Tijo Mullakara personally or it to frtijojoy@gmail.com. The registration forms are available at our church or can be downloaded from our church website: St Jude Library Available materials can be found under: key=0aqawcarly79fdernsjfrd1nzq2ryzufeqnzqrvpfqmc& usp=drive_web#gid=0 If interested to borrow any material or contribute to book bank please send an to stjude-library@googlegroups.com. MINISTRIES Mass Coordinator Sergin John Lectors Rincy Jimmy Cultural Coordinator Soya Reji Youth Coordinator Jomy Methipara Hospitality Coordinator Jeril Philip Choir Coordinator Shaju Joseph Bulletin Coordinator Asha Tony Web Coordinator Rajesh Joy St. Jude Library Sismi Menachery Marian girls & boys Giji Sajan Little Flowers Roselyn Tomy Angels Army Jyothi Varughese, Jisy Joseph Charity Wing Sherly Vadakkoot Women s Forum Nissy Varghese St. Jude FC Shajan Paul Couples Ministry Nibu Wilson Altar servers Charismatic prayer group Center for Life Sergin John, Chris Jose J Joseph Jyothi Varughese & Neena Mathew SPECIAL OFFICES Auditor Paul Pottanat Auditor Jojo Mathew Accountant Sojan Alex Legal Advisor Johnson Myalil Pilgrim Statue Visitation EDITORIAL BOARD Asha Tony Rajesh Joy Deepa Sergin Baiju Thomas Sismi Menachery Felix Simon We received the Pilgrim Status of Our Lady of Fatima. If interested in spending a week with our Blessed Mother in your home, please sign up using the link below. key=0amv9gfepdwxkdfdtstzyelruawtaweo1d3v4d2xtave&usp=driv e_web&pli=1#gid=16

10 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 10 Account Information - NOVEMBER 2014 Why not make a change this Fall in the way you support St. Jude Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission? Sign up with egiving through Faith Direct, which is the most convenient and secure way for you to make your weekly offering to St. Jude Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission. Making either one-time or automatic contributions through Faith Direct will also save valuable time for both you and our parish staff. To enroll, please visit Faith Direct's website and use our parish code VA492. A monthly offering of $100 for land & building and $50 for Offertory is recommended. Peace and Blessings to your family! Tijoachan Forthcoming Events Date Time Event Venue December Christmas Carols Please contact your ward rep. 12/24/14 7:00 PM Christmas Mass Boyd School, Chantilly 12/31/14 8:30 PM New Year Mass Boyd School, Chantilly 01/04/15 Renewal of family vows TBA 02/23/15 02/25/15 National For Life Conference Stone Middle School Please note that there will be Christmas Carol singing by each family ward unit during Christmas Eve. Kindly prepare well.

11 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 11 Sunday Readings DECEMBER 7, 2014 First Reading: Is 43:25-44 Second Reading: Col 4:2-6 Gospel: Lk 1:26-38 DECEMBER 14, 2014 First Reading: Gen 18: 1-10 Second Reading: Eph 3:1-13 Gospel: Lk 1:57-66 DECEMBER 21, 2014 First Reading: Gen 24:50-67 Second Reading : Eph 5:5-21 Gospel: Mt 1:18-24 DECEMBER 25, 2014 First Reading: Is 7: 10-16, 9: 1-3, 6-7 Second Reading: Gal 3:15-4:6 Gospel: Lk 2:1-20 DECEMBER 28, 2014 First Reading: Gen 21: 9-21 Second Reading: Gal 4:21 5:1 Gospel: Mt 2: Prayer Meeting Schedule 1st Saturday - Gainesville/Centreville/ Woodbridge 2nd Saturday - Herndon 1/Herndon 2 Tysons Corner/Falls Church/Alexandria Mass Schedule Day Schedule Location Tuesday 7:00 pm: Adoration Corpus Christi 7:30 pm: Mass Friday Saturday 8:15 pm: Novena to St. Jude 7:30 pm: Mass 8:15 pm: Adoration 8:30 pm: Confession 7:30 am: Adoration 8:00 am: Mass Confession Schedule Friday Corpus Christi Corpus Christi Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained (John 20:22-23) Friday 8.15pm to 9.15pm Corpus Christi Saturday 7.30am to 7.55am Corpus Christi Saturday 10.30am to 11.30am Corpus Christi Corpus Christi Address: 43130, Amberwood Plaza, Suite 150, South Riding Church Setup Help Schedule Family Unit Name City Month St. Sebastian St. Alphonsa Tysons Corner/Falls Church/Alexandria Gainesville/Centreville/ Woodbridge January/July February/August All Saints South Riding/Aldie March/September St. Joseph Herndon 1 & 2 April/October 3rd Saturday - Ashburn/Leesburg 3rd Sunday - South Riding/Aldie 4th Saturday - Chantilly/Fairfax English Mass and Youth Meeting There will be mass in English every month lead by the youth and also a youth meeting on Saturdays. For more information please contact Jomy Methipara ( ) St. Aloysius Ashburn/Leesburg May/November Little Flower Fairfax/Chantilly June/December Marriage Preparation Course Schedule 12/5-6 West Hemsted, New York Please contact : Fr. Ligory Philips kattikaran@yahoo.com Mr. James Thomas jathomasone@yahoo.com

12 Volume 5 Issue 12 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 12 2 Simple, Automatic Ways to Support Our Church. Start Now! Amazon will now donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to St.Jude Syro-Malabar Church when you shop at AmazonSmile, smile.amazon.com What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. WIN $2500 FOR ST. JUDE SYRO MALABAR CATHOLIC MISSION This month when you shop at Safeway with your registered Club Card you ll earn and win for St. Jude Syro- Malabar Catholic Church and for yourself too! For more details go to safewaystores/ HOW To Register For escrip: Go to registration/index.jsp Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile? Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same Enter "St. Jude Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission Va" for Group Name Enter Name, Address, . Enter your Safeway Club Card number Go to smile.amazon.com Follow the instructions to complete the signup Login with your Amazon account credentials Search for St. Jude Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Select our Church and your account will be linked to St. Jude Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Now visit this site when you purchase from Amazon next time.