SAINTS JOSEPH, PETER, BONIFACE & ASSUMPTION BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

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1 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Ι DECEMBER 16, 2018 SAINTS JOSEPH, PETER, BONIFACE & ASSUMPTION BLESSED VIRGIN MARY P A R I S H C L U S T E R ONE. HOLY. APOSTOLIC. UNIVERSAL CHURCH. WE ARE CATHOLIC. WE ARE FAMILY. WELCOME HOME! B A R R O N, C A M E R O N, C H E T E K & S T R I C K L A N D, W I Mass Schedule 4PM ABVM, STRICKLAND 6PM ST. PETER, CAMERON 8AM ST. PETER, CAMERON 9:30AM ST. JOSEPH, BARRON 11AM ST. BONIFACE, CHETEK Tuesday 5PM ST. PETER, CAMERON Wednesday 7:15AM ST. JOSEPH, BARRON Thursday 8:30AM ST. BONIFACE, CHETEK Ladies of the cluster remain busy with Christmas preparations! Pictured left, women of St. Joseph Ladies Guild work their annual bazaar & luncheon. Pictured above, the Knights of Columbus Auxiliary host a bake sale at the mall. Friday 8AM ST. PETER, CAMERON C O N N E C T! W I T H T H E W O RD MESSAGE FOR THE WEEK In Christianity, we hear often about the "Good News." We might often associate it with Jesus' compassion to the poor, his healings and miracles, and the salvation he won for us. In today's Gospel, we read of John the Baptist. "Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people." Yet as we examine the rest of the reading, we see examples of John's preaching. If you have two cloaks, give one away. Don't cheat others out of their money, extort, or lie. And, of course, the warning that the Messiah is on the move and "his winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." Not only do John's listeners enjoy his message, but they seem to think he might be the awaited Messiah! To understand today's Gospel, it's important to understand the Jewish people. For most of their history, God's chosen people had been under someone else's heel. They were slaves in Egypt. Their kingdoms were ravaged first by the Assyrians, then the Babylonians. Now they were under the yoke of the Roman Empire. Familiar with being strangers in a strange land, welcoming the stranger, caring for the vulnerable, and enacting justice was incredibly important to them as a people. While John's words may seem odd or strong to our modern ears, this call to justice was welcome, even if it was directed at the hearer. The truth is, no one is exempt from John's call to repentance. We can all grow in virtue and love our neighbors more generously. The Church gives us the Advent season to examine our own hearts. Did any of John's warnings resonate with you? Bring that to Jesus this week!

2 4:00 pm Louis Mujwid by Marge ABVM 5:30 pm Pray the Rosary Before Mass SP 6:00 pm All the People of our Parish Cluster SP 7:30 am Pray the Rosary Before Mass SP 8:00 am In Thanksgiving SP 9:00 am Pray the Rosary before Mass SJ 9:30 am Lorraine Sirovatka by Pat Sirovatka SJ 10:30 am Pray the Rosary before Mass SB 11:00 am Phillip Burak by Mom & Dad SB Tuesday 5:00 pm Denise & James Closs by Family & Friends SP Wednesday 7:15 am Blessings and Health for the Horvath Family SJ 8:00 am Eucharistic Adoration until 3:00 pm SJ 2:45 pm Divine Mercy Chaplet SJ Thursday 8:30 am John & Estella Plaza by John & Lucy SB 9:00 am Eucharistic Adoration until 3:00 pm SB Friday 8:00 am Bud Schoenecker by Geri & Family SP 4:00 pm Living & Deceased Members of the Kendzior Family ABVM 5:30 pm Pray the Rosary Before Mass SP 6:00 pm Brecken Kariniemi by Mary SP 7:30 am Pray the Rosary Before Mass SP 8:00 am All the People of our Parish Family SP 9:00 am Pray the Rosary before Mass SJ 9:30 am John Leaman by Mary Haas SJ 10:30 am Pray the Rosary before Mass SB 11:00 am Dori Bayer by Family SB SB-St. Boniface SJ-St. Joseph SP-St. Peter ABVM-Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Thank you! for your continued financial support! Your contributions are vital to your parish. Weekly Sacrificial Giving Adult Loose Special Total ABVM $113 $391 $ $504 STB $1276 $236 $880 $2392 STJ $1684 $79 $198 $1961 STP $2192 $307 $75 $2574 Cluster Administrative Office E. LaSalle Avenue Barron, WI Phone: Fax: stbonifacechetek@chibardun.net Ministry Staff Fr. Bala Raju Policetty, Sacramental Minister bpolice@rediffmail.com Very Reverend John Gerritts.Supervising Pastor Patty Gerber, Parish Director pgerber4127@charter.net Office Staff Marsha Rheingans, Secretary/Bookkeeper Anne Stephens, Faith Formation Mindy Hamilton, Religious Education Coordinator Sacraments Reconciliation: Father Bala will be present in the Confessional, for Reconciliation at all parishes, 30 minutes prior to all Masses, Tuesday-; and prior to Mass at St. Peter; and 9-10am on the1st of the month at St. Joseph. Reconciliation may also be received following most Masses or by appointment. Anointing of the Sick: By appointment, please call parish office first. If an emergency, please call Father Bala Policetty directly. Baptism: Please call the parish office to schedule. First time parents, please plan to attend a baptismal preparation session prior to your child s baptism. Marriage: Please make arrangements for marriage prep classes beginning six months before the wedding. Homebound Communion Communion is given weekly to our cluster homebound parishioners. If you would like to be added to the list, please call the cluster office. Pastoral Visits: Please contact Father Policetty if you or a loved one would like to be visited. Advent/Christmas/New Year s Resolution? If you are willing to give the Lord even a bit of your time by adoring Him in the Blessed Sacrament, you will find these words to take on new meaning: Come in faith, Remain in hope, Go out in love. The effects of adoration: Here is a comment from a parishioner who has a weekly hour of adoration. In the past, I never had a personal relationship with Jesus. I knew of him, I knew about him, but I didn t know him. I didn t really love Jesus because you can t love someone you don t know. The first time I went to adoration, I was bored out of my mind and spent most of the time looking at my watch. During my second visit, I didn t pray at all. The third time, however, I was at a low point. Adoration has improved every aspect of my life. I m no longer in a state of constant worry about situations I have no control over. I don t know what the future holds, but I find great comfort in knowing the One who does. Opportunities for Adoration: Wednesday s: -3pm at St. Joseph, Thursday s: 9am -3pm at St. Boniface, First Friday s 9am-3pm at St. Peter. Please join us!

3 F A I T H F O R M A T I O N RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS I wish I were a better steward. I would like to think I am a pretty generous person, and I do work hard to cultivate the characteristics of a good Everyday Steward in my life. However, stewardship is about more than giving. It is also about prudence and wise planning. It is about storing up grain for the lean years and making sure there is enough oil to light your lamps when the power goes out. If I were a better steward, I would have that $1,000 emergency fund to dip into when I need a car repair. I would save more for retirement and vacation. I would have more food in the garage freezer because I bought more on sale and prepared for when money was a little tighter. In a nutshell, I would be prepared for whatever comes my way, good or bad. Advent is a time of preparation. We not only prepare for Christmas, but for the day when Jesus Christ returns again. Unfortunately, we too often act like this is the only time to prepare for such events. We should be preparing all throughout the year. If we only focus on our spirituality at Advent and Lent, then we are poor stewards of our time the rest of the year. The wise steward is always cultivating their faith and working to improve their relationship with God. They know that they need to be prepared for anything at any time. They stand ready, waiting for the call of their God. Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS Stewardship, Prayer, Participation, Generosity: A Disciples Way of Life St. Paul reminds us, The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all. Then he gives us a prescription for maintaining this peace: In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Paul s instructions for obtaining peace come as an early Christmas gift. They remind us that we can and should go to God with all our needs and present them to Him along with our thanks. This guidance calls to mind a vital aspect of a stewardship way of life: gratitude to God in response to His great love and countless gifts to us. The Gospel passage, from Luke, shows us how to live out this thanks, making our lives a Christmas gift to Christ in joyful response to His love for us. When the crowds hear John the Baptist s message that their Savior is coming, they ask him what they should do to prepare. He responds, Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do the same. He tells tax collectors to stop collecting more than is prescribed and soldiers, to be satisfied with their wages. In other words, he tells them to be good and generous stewards of all God s gifts to them! As the great feast of Christmas draws near, let us rejoice in Christ s extravagant love. Let s avail ourselves of the peace He longs to give us. And let s look carefully at our lives to make sure we are indeed making of them a gift fitting for Him. CLUSTER CONNECTION Getting to Know You! This week we d like to introduce you to: MARY JAVNER Home Parish: St. Joseph Areas of Service: Currently Secretary of Worship Committee, Reader and Usher, past President, Secretary, and Treasurer of Ladies Guild. Past Secretary of Parish Council. Favorite Bible Verse or Quote: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, which includes Love Never Fails How did you become involved in the church? I was born and raised Catholic in Cadott, WI. In 1988, after moving to the Prairie Farm area, and living in Arizona for 10 years, I joined St. Joseph. Favorite song? Holy God We Praise Thy Name & On Eagles Wings Favorite board/card game: Scrabble, I love learning new words. Favorite Place to travel? Central and Southern WI to visit kids and grandkids. I also love Arizona. If you could have dinner with one famous person (living or deceased) who would that be and why? St. John Paul II. He was saintly, even in life, and he continues to inspire people, both Catholics and non-catholics. TUES WED THURS 5pm 5:45pm Cluster Choir Practice for Advent/Christmas, STP 7:15am 6pm Mass, STJ Eucharistic Adoration, STJ Catholic Kids Got Talent Christmas Program, STP All are Welcome 8:30am 9am 10am Mass, STB Eucharistic Adoration, STB Mass, Atrium Health Care

4 P R A Y E R S & P R A Y E R F U L O P P O R T U N I T I E S Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. MT 11:28 HEALING PRAYERS AT MASS THIS WEEKEND As Catholics we believe that healing occurs during all Masses. God wants to heal us and will heal through the powerful gift given to us by the Holy Spirit. This is one of God s gifts to His Church. During a healing Mass we must remain open to the Holy Spirit and invite Him into our hearts in order for healing to take place. All that s required on our part is to have expectant faith. Let us open our hearts! Fr. Bala is celebrating healing Masses with an anointing this weekend. Cluster Communal Penance Service for Advent Prepare for the Christmas Season by celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Advent! THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20TH, 6:00PM, AT ST. BONIFACE CLUSTER CHRISTMAS MASSES CHRISTMAS EVE 4:00PM at ST. PETER, CAMERON 6:30PM at ABVM, STRICKLAND 9:00PM at ST. BONIFACE, CHETEK CHRISTMAS DAY 8AM AT ST. BONIFACE, CHETEK 10AM AT ST. JOSEPH, BARRON Special Blessing for the Our Lady of Guadalupe Statue this at St. Joseph Message of Pope Paul VI on Our Lady of Guadalupe: 1970 The best homage to Mary: loving God and neighbor beloved sons and daughters, we wish to unite our voice to that filial hymn which the Mexican people raise up to the Mother of God. Devotion to the most holy Virgin of Guadalupe must be for all a constant and specific demand for authentic Christian renewal. The crown which she expects from all of you is not so much a material one as a precious spiritual crown, shaped by a profound love of Christ and a sincere love of all: the two commandments which sum up the gospel message. The same most holy Virgin, with her example, guides us on these two paths (love of her Son and all of our brothers and sisters). The Virgin exhorts us to make Christ the center and summit of our whole Christian life. This is what the Virgin of Guadalupe asks of you today: fidelity to the Gospel, of which she knew how to be the most eminent example. Upon you, dearly beloved sons and daughters, we implore with confidence the maternal benevolence of the Mother of God and Mother of the Church, in order that she may continue to protect us and to direct and impel us more and more along the paths of progress, communal love, and a peaceful life together. Please Pray For: All of our cluster parishioners in hospitals, at home and in the nursing homes & for those in the Armed Forces. Especially for: Adeline Tadel, Laura Johanson, Jackie Brohman, Ida Nevin, Declan Fisher, Judy Lentz, Joan Krug, Josie Romanowski, Joyce Trotter, Dale Jakel, Dc. Cullen, Mary & Bill Bell, H. B., Darlene Townsend, Dc. Jim and Barb Dennis, Diane DeMars, Judy Graf, Nancy Kukla, Jo Ann Lundequam, Sandy Garr, Marie Greenbush, Larry Toufar, Pam Luethi, Jim Haas, Doug Rutledge, Joan Fostvedt, Judi Peltier, Joe Puziewicz, Norma Licht, Joel Rivera, Carye Marach, Pat Lutz, Sharon Burch, Jim Purfeerst, Marvin Romanowski, Allen Klingelhoets, Kirk Krueger, George Scott, Jayme Closs, Bob Anderson & Betty Simon. To be added or removed, please contact the parish office. FRI SAT SUN 4pm 6pm Mass, ABVM 9:30am 11am Mass, STJ Mass, STB

5 C L U S T E R N E W S Our Lady of Guadalupe December 16th Statue Blessing, STJ Everyone is invited! Join us for our cluster Christmas Program Wednesday, Dec.19th at 6pm at St. Peter. Youth from all grades will showcase their talents in a Christmas celebration, featuring a special guest and birthday celebration! Dessert social to follow! Red Kettle! Please drop some change in our special collection buckets for the Salvation Army. Donations will help the Salvation Army to assist families in need in the Barron Area in many ways! Those planning to attend the 4pm Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter, are also invited to join us for Christmas Carols starting at 3:30pm. All children attending this Mass are also invited to join in the Blessing of the Manger during Mass. Religious education students as well as any others that would like to join in, will be singing Away in the Manger. On, December 16th, Fr. Bala will present a special blessing over the newly donated statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, at St. Joseph during the 9:30am Mass. FOR INDIA JOIN US THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON IN GIFTING UNIFORMS TO AN ORPHANAGE-SCHOOL IN FR. BALA S HOME DIOCESE FOR $20 EACH, WE CAN PROVIDE A SCHOOL UNIFORM FOR A CHILD AND POSSIBLY MORE! BEYOND THIS GIFT, WE CAN CONNECT WITH THESE STUDENTS AS FR. BALA DELIVERS OUR DONA- TIONS IN PERSON IN JANUARY! HOW TO HELP: 1) GRAB AN ENVELOPE FROM THE BACK OF CHURCH AND MAKE A MONETARY DONATION. Note, donations can be of any amount, feel free to donate more or less than the suggested label. 2) PLACE DONATION IN THE OFFETORY OR RETURN TO THE CLUSTER ADMINISTRATION OFFICE BY DECEMBER 26TH. 3) OPTIONALLY: WRITE A CARD OR NOTE TO BE DELIVERED TO THE SCHOOL CHILDREN! THIS ALSO CAN BE PLACED IN THE OFFERTORY BASKETS, LABELED GIFTS FOR INDIA. We will be decorating St. Boniface Church for Christmas on Dec 23rd after 11am Mass. All are welcome! Please come help make our church beautiful for Jesus birth. BLOOD DRIVE Friday, December 28th, Noon-6 p.m. at St. Peter. Contact Margaret at or go to redrossblood.org.