HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH December 28, Next Sunday s Scripture Readings EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

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1 HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH December 28, 2008 Next Sunday s Scripture Readings EPIPHANY OF THE LORD SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, :00 p.m. Leonard Bardzell Helen Gennaro SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, :30 a.m. DeCicco & Vogl Families 9:00 a.m. John V. Hickey & Kenneth J. Caughey 10:30 a.m. Mary Zimmerman John Mazzo - 45 th Anniv. 12:00 noon Lucy Saulino MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, :00 a.m. Anthony Azzolini 12:00 noon Prayer Service TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, :30 a.m. Leonard Bardzell 12:00 noon Prayer Service WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, :00 a.m. Joseph Quinn VIGIL MASS BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD 5:00 p.m. Meehan & Mulcahy Families THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, :00 a.m. Jean Kreutzer 10:30 a.m. Anita Tierney 12:00 noon Francis Blum FIRST FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, :30 a.m. Frank Sorbera 12:00 noon Prayer Service Canceled FIRST SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, :00 a.m. Gene Chubbuck 5:00 p.m. Rogelino Sengco SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, :30 a.m. Gregory Bilis 9:00 a.m. Dec d memb. of Casper & Knudsen Fam. 10:30 a.m. Kelley Family 12:00 noon Alice Resch PLEASE NOTE: There will NO 7:30 a.m. Mass on Thursday, January 1 st for the Holyday of Obligation The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God Isaiah 60:1-6 (20ABC) Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-12 SANCTUARY OFFERINGS The Sanctuary Lamp which burns near the Tabernacle in Church, the reminder of the Lord s Presence in the Most Holy Eucharist will burn in memory of PHILIP MANZI. Requested by Gloria Manzi. The Altar Breads which will become the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Masses celebrated in Church will be offered in memory of BEATRICE A. ADAMCZYK. Requested by Andrew J. Adamczyk. The Altar Wine which will become the Blood of our Lord Mesus Christ at the Masses celebrated in Church will be offered in memory of PASQUALE SURACI. Requested by Family. Please keep Philip, Beatrice, Pasquale and their families in your prayers. HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH First Reading: Sirach 3:2-7, Sirach emphasizes the importance of honoring one s parents. He explains that spiritual riches will come to those who are kind to their mother and father. Second Reading: Colossians 3:13-21 Paul advises us to treat each other with kindness and mercy and to forgive as God forgives us. His words remind families to always love and respect one another and let Christ s peace reign in their hearts, and in their homes. Gospel: Luke 2:22-40 Jesus was brought to Jerusalem to be consecrated according to the law of Moses. A man named Simeon had learned he would not die until he had seen God s anointed. Upon seeing Jesus, he immediately declared he had witnessed the glory of your people of Israel. The prophetess Anna also gave thanks and spoke of Jesus to all who would listen. Both recognized the power of Jesus, although he was still an infant Bon Venture Services, Inc. NOON PRAYER SERVICE We are looking for more people to get involved with our NOON PRAYER SERVICE. Please call the Parish Center BEFORE arriving for the service on FRIDAY S. Many Friday s have gone WITHOUT a leader making it NECESSARY therefore to CANCEL at the last minute. Can you help?

2 From the Pastor December 28, 2008 Feast of the Holy Family Although the secular year ends this week, the Year of Paul will continue until June 28 th - the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, - so we re at the halfway mark. In the wide variety of Pauline teachings we are examining during this year long celebration of the Apostle s 2000 th birthday, we tackle Paul s view of the ideal Christian family on the day we also honor the Feast of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the ideal Family if there ever was one! When asked to name anything Saint Paul said about family life, many would quote his often misread, misinterpreted statement that Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church. [Ephesians 5:22-23] No wonder many call Paul a male chauvinist pig; no wonder some suggest he was never married, or that his wife died perhaps just to get away from him. [Scripture suggests he was single or widowed, for he wrote: Now to the unmarried and to widows, I say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do, but if they cannot exercise selfcontrol they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be on fire. [see 1 Corinthians 7:8-9] This implies Paul was not married as an Apostle or entered a marriage after his call. But those who fixate on these two statements or read into them with a modern-day bias or fail to read more of his writings miss the beauty of Paul s teaching on family life. For Paul also said: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her [Ephesians 5:25] which means men must willingly suffer and die for their wife! [As I often say: I d rather be subordinate than dead!] Paul goes on to highlight the mutual love and respect required of spouses to make a marriage work. Then, after reminding us that in God s original plan for marriage it is dissolvable only by death, he adds: Children, obey your parents (in the Lord), for this is right. Honor your father and mother.... Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord. [Ephesians 6:1-4] While this may all sound normal to us, it was a radical teaching in his day! For centuries the Law of Moses had regulated Jewish marriage, prescribing a set ritual or ceremony, mandating formal consent by both parties - a radical move toward equal rights, and although it permitted divorce, required a defendable charge; men could no longer just dismiss a wife for no reason. In secular society, marriage was a mere legal matter. Men had the dominant role over their family and its possessions, which included children and slaves; women, even those married, remained under their fathers' authority. Men ran the family business, attended synagogue and social events. While some women held political office or ran the family business in the absence of their husbands, they were mainly responsible for the home. Children shared the same fate as slaves and could be sold or abandoned if unwanted; they had no rights or privileges. Since paternity could not be proven a child was not considered a part of the family until it was acknowledged by the father! Into this mindset and worldview of marriage and children, Paul and the other Apostles infused the radical Gospel values and precepts of Christ that changed family life forever! Our Lord s statement, whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me [Matthew 18:4] dignified the merest children with personhood. His mandate: The greatest among you must be your servant [Matthew 23:11] required husbands to treat their wives and children as they would treat themselves. And this simple statement about Jesus, which concludes the story of the Finding in the Temple, after Mary and Joseph frantically searched for Him for three days, He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. [Luke 2:51a] is perhaps the most radical of all, since it shows how God subjected Himself to His earthly parents. And so, while some see the Church s stringent defense of the traditional family as outdated or oppressive, it was Christianity that radically changed the world by dignifying everyone, especially women and children, and the family God established as the basic core of society! With God s love and my prayers, Reverend Michael J. Kreder

3 DAILY READINGS Monday, December 29, John 2:3-11; Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6; Luke 2:22-35 Tuesday, December 30, John 2:12-17; Psalm 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10; Luke 2:36-40 Wednesday, December 31, John 2:18-21; Psalm 96:1-2, 11-12, 13; John 1:1-18 Thursday, January 1, 2009 Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God Numbers 6:22-27 (18ABC); Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 Friday, January 2, 2009 Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen 1 John 2:22-28; Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4; John 1:19-28 Saturday, January 3, John 2:29 3:6; Psalm 98:1, 3cd-4, 5-6; John 1:29-34 or Most Holy Name of Jesus Philippians 2:1-11; Psalm 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Luke 2:21-24 RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS If you want to become a Roman Catholic or complete your Initiation into the Church, the RCIA is for you! Through weekly sessions, non-christian adults are prepared for Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist, and non-catholic Christians are prepared for Confirmation and First Eucharist, which takes place at the Easter Vigil Mass. For more information, contact Mary Lanni at the Parish Office. Adult Catholics who have not yet celebrated Confirmation, should also contact Mary Lanni at the Parish Office. Sessions are held Sunday mornings beginning with 9:00 a.m. Mass. SIGN UP FOR OUR CHILDREN S CHRISTMAS Epiphany Pageant OPEN TO ALL CHILDREN Sunday January 4, :15 pm Here s how you can participate. We are in need of Angels and Shepherds to join our Nativity and Epiphany scene. If you are interested, kindly complete the cut-off below. Name of Child: Age: Grade: Telephone Number: Parent Name: Call Betty Hatler: [201] if you would like to participate! CAPP Our Holy Father, the late Pope John Paul II, recognized decades ago the terrible split between the Gospel and culture. He also understood that it would never be enough simply to see the need for a new evangelization of culture. Rather, he foresaw that it would both be necessary for men and women of faith to take responsibility to grow in their understanding of the Church s social doctrine and to interiorize its value in order to embark upon appropriate action to communicate its truth effectively. Therefore, in light of his great social encyclical, Centesimos Annus; Archbishop Myers initiated a process in the Archdiocese to establish a chapter of Centesimos Annus Pro-Pontifice, a pontifical foundation. CAPP s purpose is to bring together men and women of faith to implement Catholic social teaching in their own lives, families, work place and society. Through lay Catholic business, academic and professional leaders, CAPP s goal is to implement the call from the Holy Father to evangelize society. In order to provide for the best possible diocesan-wide communication and continued growth and development of CAPP in our Archdiocese, Joe Reciniello has volunteered to serve as a representative. We are in need of a woman to serve with him. Please call the parish office if you are interested and we will contact the Office of the Archbishop. We are most grateful for your interest in this important initiative. GIFT CARDS are available in the Elementary School Office Why not stop by the school office - or call [201] to find out how to purchase Shop Rite gift cards for your weekly shopping. Picking up gift cards ahead of time also allows the Elementary School to benefit a small percentage. Thank you for your generosity! MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord. Are we taking time to put the way of the Lord in our marriage? The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend is March For more information, visit our website at or call/ [800] : sylviav12@aol.com. BEAVEMENT SUPPORT PROGRAM Saint Mary Church - Nutley, NJ Saint Mary Church, 17 Msgr. Owens Place in Nutley will be holding an eight-week bereavement support group beginning on Wednesday, January 7 at 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the Parish Center. Those grieving the loss of a loved one are invited to attend this series and learn more about the grief process. Experience prayer and support in a spiritual setting and grow in faith and hope for the future. Contact Elaine Tanimura at [973] to register.

4 BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF GOD A Holyday of Obligation Wednesday - Vigil Mass - December 31, :00 p.m. Thursday - NEW YEARS DAY - January 1, :00 am - 10:30 am - 12:00 noon CALENDARS Stop by the Main doors of the Church and take home a 2009 calendar courtesy of Collins Calhoun Funeral Home and Macagna Diffiy Onorato Funeral Home. We are grateful for their generosity throughout the entire year! RELIGIOUS FORMATION TEACHER NEEDED 4 TH Grade Wednesday Afternoons 3:30-4:45 p.m. Are you available to volunteer as a Catechist by sharing your time and knowledge of our great Catholic Faith with the children of our parish? Call Betty Hatler if you are able to help beginning January. SAME SEX UNIONS The U.S. bishops have taken their concerns about same-sex unions to YouTube, the popular video-sharing Web site. Both videos are available on YouTube at A CATHOLIC MEN S CONFERENCE Fueled by Faith, United in Christ our Hope A Catholic Men s Conference on Saturday, March 28, 2009, at Essex County Richard J. Codey Arena (Formerly known as South Mountain Arena) in 560 Northfield Ave., West Orange, NJ. Prayerful, spirit-filled, life changing! The day begins at 8:00 AM ending around 4:00 PM. Mass will be celebrated by Most Reverend Archbishop John J. Myers along with our local Bishops and Priests con-celebrating. A dynamic line-up of speakers is scheduled, including Mr. Danny Abramowicz, Most Reverend Bishop Manuel A. Cruz and Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. leading the public adoration. Ticket price is $25 for adults, $15 for students and senior citizens; priests & religious free. Fee includes breakfast and lunch. We will also welcome any free will offering or donation in order to help other brothers in need. For registration or more information, CatholicMen@rcan.org or call [973] DIG OUT THOSE BELLS! Remember to bring BELLS to ring during the GLORIA at ALL Christmas Masses through the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord! FELICIAN SISTERS PRESENT CHRISTMAS CONCERT The Felician Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Province of Lodi will present a sacred concert on Sunday, January 4 th at Immaculate Conception Convent Chapel, 260 South Main Street in Lodi at 3:00 p.m. There is no admission charge for this concert, but a good will offering will be accepted and proceeds will be given to the poor. SEXUAL MISCONDUCT Any person who wishes to report an incident of sexual misconduct by a member of the clergy, religious or lay staff of the Archdiocese of Newark should contact the Chancellor of the Archdiocese as follows: By Mail: Director, Office of Child and Youth Protection The Archdiocese of Newark 171 Clifton Avenue - Newark, NJ Telephone: ; Fax: RETROUVAILLE MINISTRY for Troubled Marriages Next Weekend Date: March 20-22, 2009 For information, call the Office of Family Life at FATIMA DEVOTIONS Come join us on First Saturday s of each month for our Lady of Fatima Devotions which begin at 8:00 a.m. in Church. This is a devotion of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, done to honour Our Lady's sorrows as suggested by Our Lord in an apparition to Sister Lucia a visionary from Fatima in 1925 and as requested by Our Lady. See you on Saturday, January 3 rd! All are welcome. GIFT BEARERS At our daily masses, gift bearers are NOT chosen by ushers to bring the offerings to the celebrant. If a mass intention is for one of your loved ones, please feel free to participate by standing at the appropriate time and taking the gifts from the baptismal areas to the presider. With your participation, this mass becomes even more special to you. EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS Please stop by the priests sacristy and sign up for Masses on New Year s Eve and New Year s Day. Knowing ahead who our ministers are makes our Masses run much smoother. Lectors can also contact Ellen Spaldo to schedule.

5 CELEBRATING YOUNG MONTH - JANUARY 2009 January 8th Theology on Tap Googling God: Connecting with the Divine in a Busy World, Mike Hayes, Managing Editor: Busted Halo.com and Author: Googlin God. Time: 7:00 p.m. - $10.00, All Inclusive supper - The Cloverleaf Tavern - Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell. January 10 th Festival of Praise Join us for Eucharistic adoration followed by food, fun and festivities from 8:00-10:00 p.m. at the Archdiocesan Retreat Center at 499 Belgrove Drive - Kearny, NJ. WHAT IS THE LAZARUS MINISTRY? Lazarus is a group of parishioners who attend funeral masses to show the support of the parish at this sorrowful time. They serve a lectors, Eucharistic Ministers Ushers and assist in any way necessary. Anyone interested in this corporal work of mercy is most welcome to join us and participate as their time and talent permits. Please call the Parish Office for details. CONFIRMATION DATES! Just a Reminder to our Confirmation Candidates: The Learning Sessions are held in Saint Mary High School - 64 Chestnut Street from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Entering and dismissal are from the front door of the High School on Ames and Chestnut Streets. The sessions are as follows: January 4, :30 a.m. Mass: Commitment Sunday 1 st Session: Tuesday, January 13, nd Session: Tuesday, January 27, rd Session: Tuesday, February 10, th Session: Tuesday, February 24, th Session: Tuesday, March 10, th Session: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Monday, March 30, 2009: Lenten Penance Service If you have any questions, kindly call Mary Lanni at [201] STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION Whatever you do, says St. Paul to the Colossians,... do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through him. And so it is that we offer our gifts in the Eucharist through Him, with Him and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit... BIBLE SHARING Our Bible Sharing Group continues to meet on the First and Third Saturday mornings of each month from 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. in Rosary Hall beneath the Church. New parishioners are always welcome! MONTHLY RAFFLE If you would like to reserve a specific number[s] for each of the remaining drawings on this license, please call the parish office or Gloria Ryan at [201] One check can be made payable to the Church for these months and the raffle tickets will be pulled for you. Thank you for helping us prepare for our 100 th Anniversary Celebration. The January winning tickets will be pulled Sunday, January 4th after our 12:00 noon Mass Ticket # requested - if available: Telephone Number: Name: Address: Ticket donation: $10.00 per ticket - maximum of 300 tickets sold each month. If all 300 tickets sell - 1 st prize: $750.; 2 nd prize: $450.00; 3 rd prize: $ So far, we re all on a winning streak - we re 3 for 3 with selling ALL tickets EACH month! PLEASE NOTE: Those who reserved tickets through the mail for a specific # of months, can pick up their stubs in the vestibule of church during selling times. BAPTISM PREPARATION CLASSES Mandatory Baptism Prep classes take place on the 2 nd Sunday of each month. We ask that you call the Parish Office to confirm the date because on a few occasions dates have changed because of the Liturgical calendar. The dates for 2009 are as follows: January 11 th - 12:00 noon Mass February 8 th - 12:00 noon Mass March 8 th - 12:00 noon Mass April 5 th - 12:00 noon Mass April 26 th - 12:00 noon Mass No Prep during May June 14 th - 12:00 noon Mass July 12 th - 12:00 noon Mass August 9 th - 12:00 noon Mass September 13 th - 12:00 noon Mass October 11 th - 12:00 noon Mass November 8 th - 12:00 noon Mass December 6 th - 12:00 noon Mass

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