FOR OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE Dreams Don t Come True They ARE True by Greg Levov

Transcription

1 FOR OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE Dreams Don t Come True They ARE True by Greg Levov Some years ago, a Johns Hopkins University study found that pregnant women who had an intuition about the sex of their baby were correct 70% of the time but women who had a dream about the sex of their baby were correct 100% of the time! We have access to very deep knowledge in there, and we re sleeping through it most of the time. Dreams tell you what you really know about something, what you really feel. They point you toward what you need for growth, integration, expression, and the health of your relationships to person, place and thing. They can help you fine-tune your direction and show you your unfinished business. They re meaning machines. And they never lie. Author Tom Robbins once said that dreams don t come true; they are true. When we talk about our dreams coming true, we re talking about our ambitions. Dreaming is ultimately about awakening. The unconscious, from which dreams bubble up, seems to contain an image of the way you re supposed to be, and continually works toward the expression of this potential, day and night. It often knows things about which you re otherwise in the dark, things which in the broad daylight of consciousness remain invisible, just as the stars play to an empty house during the day when the sun is shining. Some things can only be seen when it s dark. Trying to solve your problems or make your way or get a grip on your priorities without the information that dreams provide is like being a judge with only half the facts of a case. To ignore dreams is to tear out pages from your own unfolding story, which winds right on through the night-shift, and cut yourself off from that place from which passions and callings emanate. Most spiritual traditions clearly regard dreams as revelations from the gods and goddesses, and consider the act of separating the waking life from the dreaming, the conscious from the unconscious, as not unlike separating a plant from its roots. The Jungian author James Hillman has written that When I ask, Where is my soul, how do I meet it, what does it want now? the answer is, turn to your images. By which he primarily means dreams and art, since both speak a visual language. So if you want a homing beacon to help you know your soul and navigate your life, you can't do much better than turning to your dreams. For one thing, they're masterpieces of metaphoric communication: * You re trying to decide between following passion or security, and dream of throwing a rock through the window of a bank, and then burying your briefcase in the backyard. * You re following a call toward a very public life, and don t realize your true feelings about sacrificing privacy, until an anxiety dream shows the island you live on being towed toward the mainland. * Someone with whom you re considering teaming up appears in a dream wearing costume jewelry and fake leather shoes. * You re postponing an important decision, and dream of missing the boat. * You re unsure whether you have the ability to handle what seems like an impossible task, but then have a flying dream. * In the weeks prior to losing a job early in my journalism career, one I was hanging onto primarily for the security and status, my dreams were splitting at the seams with portents of how I really felt about trading off integrity for comfort and a dollop of renown. And though I faithfully recorded them in my dream journal, I did absolutely nothing about interpreting them. At some level, I didn't want to know what they had to tell me. Which is another way of saying I knew what they had to tell me. Dreams tell you what you really know. Use them for personal growth. In one dream, I was handed a stack of hundred-dollar bills and later discovered that I d been cheated: only the top bill was a one-hundred; the rest were ones. In another, I lost my wallet with all my identification cards in it. In another, I found a golden calf, deformed and chained to the ground. In yet another, I was invited to the boss estate for an extravagant pool party, but the pool was empty. This is not exactly rocket science. The meaning of these dreams couldn t have been more obvious if it was tattooed across the bridge of my nose. I was being invited to take a good look at what I was doing at that job, how I felt about being there, and because I didn t want to look, the sudden loss of the job the official reason, appropriately, was that there isn t a fit came as a complete shock to me when it shouldn t have. Contrary to the rationalist hooey that dreams aren t real ( You re just dreaming ), dreams are very much real. They convey real information, real impact, real emotions, and have real consequences if ignored. If you don t honor your dreams, you ll at the least dream them until you do, or the unconscious will dream up other channels for their messages to come through, such as symptoms, neuroses and compulsions. As with anything you avoid, the more you ignore dreams, the more insistent they become. To Be Continued..

2 IN THE PARISH The Giving Tree Its beauty is in its bareness! For easy distribution, our tags are numbered and color coded. Therefore, it is IMPORTANT, that you securely attach the tag to the wrapped gift before returning it under the tree. We will also be collecting toys along with hats, gloves, and scarves for Catholic Social Services. Just leave those items unwrapped in the boxes provided. WE ARE ALSO COLLECTING TOYS FOR TOTS. These can be placed UNWRAPPED in the box provided. WE ARE ALSO COLLECTING NEW HATS, SCARVES, AND GLOVES. These also can be placed in the box provided. ALL GIFTS TOYS AND OTHER DONATIONS are to be UNDER THE TREE THIS SUNDAY December 9th, so that they can be distributed in a timely fashion. SORTING OF THE GIVING TREE GIFTS WILL TAKE PLACE ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 10TH BEGINNING AT 11:00 AM. If you have any questions, please call Anna at Thank you! In the event that there is severely inclement weather (snow, ice, etc.) on a Thursday, there will be NO EUCHARISTIC ADORATION or VESPERS. ALSO, during the WINTER MONTHS we will not be going to the parish cemeteries for the rite of Committal. Committal prayers will be said in the church at the conclusion of the funeral. The funeral procession will not accompany the casket to the cemetery. Burials will be private. This decision will be made on a funeral by funeral basis given the condition of the roads and the weather. As you prepare your Christmas Card Lists, don t forget our Seminarian: MICHAEL BORIS St. Mary s Seminary 5400 Roland Ave. Baltimore, MD ADVENT RECONCILIATION SERVICE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16th 2 pm. St. Andre Bessette Church The Christmas Wafer (OPŁATKI) is an unleavened wafer baked from pure wheat flour and water. They are usually rectangular in shape (though in some areas round wafers are traditional), very thin and identical in composition to the hosts consecrated at Mass. As a reminder of the Body of Christ in the home, the wafers are not consecrated, though they may be blessed as bread. They are usually embossed with scenes of the Nativity, the Virgin Mary or other Religious Christmas themes. In Poland and in other parts of central Europe, these wafers are dyed various colors, used as ornaments, or sent to family members who are absent for the holidays. The breaking of the OPŁATKI originated in Poland in the 10th Century and spread throughout Central Europe by the 17th Century. Before partaking of the Christmas eve meal, the family gathers around the Table. The eldest member of the Family (usually Father or Grandfather) holds a large wafer and offers it to the next eldest person, who breaks a piece of the wafer. The wafer is then shared by the eldest member with every person gathered around the table. Then the next eldest begins the ritual again, sharing with everyone at the table. This continues until every member of the family has had the opportunity to share a wafer with every other member gathered for this sacred meal. The Christmas Wafer symbolizes the unity of the family, which many consider to be the main pillar of society. The Bond of Unity should exist between family members. The Father is seen as the link in the unbroken chain of One Body, One Church, One Family. The Family is a reflection of the Church the Body of Christ. In this manner, the wafer also symbolizes forgiveness and reconciliation. During these days of Goodwill and Peace, old grudges are put to rest and forgiveness is offered to all with whom we share our Christmas Wafer. A packet of 6 wafers is available in the vestibule. The offering requested is $3.00 per packet, or 2 packets for $5.00. Helpful Information Join the Parish Anyone wishing to register for membership in the parish is asked to fill out a registration form and drop it in the collection basket. Request Prayers Our INTERCESSORY PRAYER MINISTRY provides prayer for anyone in need throughout the parish. Contact MARY ANN MAGDA at or make your intention known on our parish website at Remember your Parish Your parish serves you faithfully throughout your life. Please remember your parish with a memorial gift or a Bequest in your will. Make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for you. SACRAMENTAL PREPARATIONS Anointing of the Sick The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick may take place at any time, but, sadly, too many families wait until the last minute to call the priest to anoint their loved ones. If someone in your family is seriously ill, preparing for surgery, or suffering a prolonged illness, please contact the parish office to arrange a time for Fr. Ken to visit. IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY or if Fr. Ken is unavailable to visit immediately, we will contact the first available priest to celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing with your loved one. Funeral Preparations We collaborate with the local funeral directors in arranging the times of the funerals. Please be aware that there is an additional fee for funerals on Saturdays imposed by most cemeteries in the area. Baptismal Preparations Parents of newly born infants may call the parish office to arrange a time for the Baptism of their child. Baptisms are celebrated, for the most part, on any Sunday, with the exception of the season of Lent. Wedding Preparations Couples contemplating Marriage are asked to contact the parish office at least one year prior to the contemplated date of marriage, before making other plans.

3 THE LITURGY ADVENT OVERVIEW One way to help focus on the theme of preparation is to read the parables of The Fig Tree, The Man Going on a Long Journey, The Faithful and Wicked Stewards, and The Ten Virgins in the 24th and 25th chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel. Another way to help you do this is to think of the Saint who embodies the spirit of this Season more than any other: the great St. John the Baptist. If you have an icon of him, venerate it especially now. Make special prayers to him and consider the message of this "voice of one crying in the desert": "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." You will note that the readings of the second, third, and fourth Sundays of Advent focus on St. John, the earthly herald of Christ's coming whom St. Ephraem likened to the Star of Bethlehem, the Heavenly herald of His coming. St. Ephraem also wrote these words which recall the Forerunner's message of preparation: To prevent his disciples from asking the time of his coming, Christ said: About that hour no one knows, neither the angels nor the Son. It is not for you to know times or moments. He has kept those things hidden so that we may keep watch, each of us thinking that he will come in our own day. If he had revealed the time of his coming, his coming would have lost its savour: it would no longer be an object of yearning for the nations and the age in which it will be revealed. He promised that he would come but did not say when he would come, and so all generations and ages await him eagerly. Though the Lord has established the signs of his coming, the time of their fulfilment has not been plainly revealed. These signs have come and gone with a multiplicity of change; more than that, they are still present. His final coming is like his first. As holy men and prophets waited for him, thinking that he would reveal himself in their own day, so today each of the faithful longs to welcome him in his own day, because Christ has not made plain the day of his coming. He has not made it plain for this reason especially, that no one may think that he whose power and dominion rule all numbers and times is ruled by fate and time. He described the signs of his coming; how could what he has himself decided be hidden from him? Therefore, he used these words to increase respect for the signs of his coming, so that from that day forward all generations and ages might think that he would come again in their own day. Keep watch; when the body is asleep nature takes control of us, and what is done is not done by our will but by force, by the impulse of nature. When deep listlessness takes possession of the soul, for example, faint-heartedness or melancholy, the enemy overpowers it and makes it do what it does not will. The force of nature, the enemy of the soul, is in control. When the Lord commanded us to be vigilant, he meant vigilance in both parts of man: in the body, against the tendency to sleep; in the soul, against lethargy and timidity. As Scripture says: Wake up, you just, and I have risen, and am still with you; and again, Do not lose heart. Temporal Preparations Advent is also season of preparation in a more mundane sense. Homes are cleaned from top to bottom, and Christmas cakes and cookies are often made by the hundreds for family and to give out to friends and acquaintances when Christmas finally arrives. Christmas trees shouldn't be decorated (or at least lit) until because Advent itself should remain penitential, but time can be wonderfully spent making Christmas Tree ornaments throughout the Season for when Christmas finally arrives. Here is a recipe for Baker's Clay which you can use to do just that. The last seven nights of Advent are known as "The Golden Nights," and on these special days, the sense of Our Lord's Coming becomes more intense and focused. The O Antiphons are sung and families can make special devotions at this time. Baker's Clay for making Jesse Tree and Christmas Tree Ornaments 4 cups flour 1 cup salt 1 1/4-1 1/2 cup water food coloring -- optional. Add to water, or keep plain and paint after baking beaten egg -- optional for use with dough made without food coloring shellac wire hooks, bent wire, ribbons, etc., for hanging Add food coloring to water if desired. Mix flour, salt and water together and knead until smooth. Roll out and cut with cookie cutters, shape by cutting out freehand, or cut using cardboard templates. "Glue" two pieces together by scratching the surface of one piece, brushing the area to be attached with water, and pressing the second piece onto it. Smooth over cracks with moist dough or water. Make a hole in each piece through and thread through a hook or bent wire. These can be left in as the pieces are baking. Bake at 300 degrees until set (1/2 hr to 1 hr). If you want a golden color to the pieces that aren't made from colored dough, brush with beaten egg when they are almost done baking and are dry (a golden color would be good for golden skin tones. For a darker golden color, repeat this process a few times). If desired, paint totally cooled pieces with acrylic paint. Seal all types of ornaments in shellac on both sides and let dry thoroughly. Store ornaments in an airtight tin; keep very dry. They should last for years.

4 Weekend of December 8-9 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Monday, December 10 Tuesday, December 11 Wednesday, December 12 Thursday, December 13 Friday, December 14 Saturday, December 15 The Season of ADVENT 4 pm Vigil Mass 5:30 pm Vigil Mass 8:00 am Mass 9:30 am FAITH FORMATION 11:00 am Mass GIVING TREE Religious Retirement Fund Cemetery Envelopes 11:00 am Sort Gifts 2-3 pm Distribute Vouchers and Gifts 8 am Morning Mass 5:30 pm Choir Weekend of December THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Monday, December 17 Tuesday, December 18 8 am Morning Mass Wednesday, December 19 8 am Mass Noon Exposition 6 pm Vespers Social Justice Council Thursday, December 20 8 am Morning Mass Friday, December 21 10:30 am Disciples of the Spirit 3:00 pm Confessions VIGIL: Third Sunday of ADVENT Monday, December 24 No Morning Mass Parish Office closes at NOON 4:00 pm CHRISTMAS VIGIL MASS 10:30 pm CHRISTMAS MASS AT NIGHT Tuesday, December 25 8:00 am CHRISTMAS MASS AT DAWN 11:00 AM CHRISTMAS DAY MASS December am Morning Mass Saturday, December 29th No Morning Mass 3:00 pm Confessions 4:00 pm Vigil and 5:30 pm Sunday, December 30th 8:00 am Mass and 11:00 am Mass Monday, December 31st No Morning Mass Parish Office Closes at Noon 4 pm NEW YEAR VIGIL MASS Tuesday, January 1, am NEW YEAR S DAY MASS 4 pm Vigil Mass 5:30 pm Vigil Mass 8:00 am Mass 9:30 am FAITH FORMATION 11:00 am Mass 2 PM ADVENT CONFESSIONS GIVING TREE Debt Reduction Envelopes 8 am Morning Mass 5:30 pm Choir 8 am Morning Mass 8 am Mass Noon Exposition 6 pm Vespers 8 am Morning Mass Saturday, December 22 3:00 pm Confessions VIGIL: Fourth Sunday of ADVENT CHRISTMAS SEASON SCHEDULE January 2nd and 3rd 8 am Mass Friday, January 4th 8 am Mass 6 pm Confessions 6:30 pm Sacred Heart Devotions 7:00 pm Mass Saturday, January 5th No Morning Mass 3:00 pm Confessions 4:00 pm Vigil and 5:30 pm Sunday, January 6th 8:00 am Mass and 11:00 am Mass January am Morning Mass Saturday, January 12th No Morning Mass 3:00 pm Confessions 4:00 pm Vigil and 5:30 pm Sunday, January 13th 8:00 am Mass and 11:00 am Mass PARISH MINISTRIES All Administrative Council Meetings begin with Vespers in Church at 6:00 pm. Meetings follow immediately in the Fr. Murgas conference room of the parish office. DECEMBER 6TH Liturgical Council DECEMBER 13TH Social Justice JANUARY 3, 2019 Liturgical Council JANUARY 10, 2019 Social Justice JANUARY 17, 2019 Finance Council JANUARY 24, 2019 Parish Life Council JANUARY 31, 2019 Catechetical Council FAITH SHARING St. Andre s Faith Seekers with Jackie Barkus will meet at 6 pm on Monday, December 10th in the Fr. Murgas Meeting Room of the Parish Office. Disciples of the Spirit of Jesus with Sr. Madonna will meet on Saturday, December 15th at 10:30 am in the Fr. Murgas Meeting Room of the Parish office. There is still room in this group for anyone who might be interested. Companions on the Journey with Christ with Rosemary Shedlock will meet on Sunday, December 16th at 2:00 pm in the home of Elaine Snyder. ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILS PARISH COMMITTEES The Development Committee will meet on Monday, January 7th at 6:30 pm in the Lower Meeting Room of the Parish Office. Loaves & Fishes Food for DECEMBER Sugar by the pound

5 FROM THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH Apostolic Journey to Sri Lanka and the Philippines ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS MEETING WITH FAMILIES January, 2015 I am very fond of dreams in families. For nine months every mother and father dream about their baby. Am I right? [Yes!] They dream about what kind of child he or she will be... You can t have a family without dreams. Once a family loses the ability to dream, children do not grow, love does not grow, life shrivels up and dies. So I ask you each evening, when you make your examination of conscience, to also ask yourselves this question: Today did I dream about my children s future? Today did I dream about the love of my husband, my wife? Did I dream about my parents and grandparents who have gone before me? Dreaming is very important. Especially dreaming in families. Do not lose this ability to dream! How many difficulties in married life are resolved when we leave room for dreaming, when we stop a moment to think of our spouse, and we dream about the goodness present in the good things all around us. So it is very important to reclaim love by what we do each day. Do not ever stop being newlyweds! Joseph s rest revealed God s will to him. In this moment of rest in the Lord, as we pause from our many daily obligations and activities, God is also speaking to us. He speaks to us in the reading we have just heard, in our prayer and witness, and in the quiet of our hearts. Let us reflect on what the Lord is saying to us. There are three aspects of this passage which I would ask you to consider: First, resting in the Lord. Second, rising with Jesus and Mary. Third, being a prophetic voice. Resting in the Lord. Rest is so necessary for the health of our minds and bodies, and often so difficult to achieve due to the many demands placed on us. But rest is also essential for our spiritual health, so that we can hear God s voice and understand what he asks of us. Joseph was chosen by God to be the foster father of Jesus and the husband of Mary. As Christians, you too are called, like Joseph, to make a home for Jesus. You make a home for him in your hearts, your families, your parishes and your communities. To hear and accept God s call, to make a home for Jesus, you must be able to rest in the Lord. You must make time each day to rest in the Lord, to pray. To pray is to rest in the Lord. But you may say to me: Holy Father, I know that; I want to pray, but there is so much work to do! I must care for my children; I have chores in the home; I am too tired even to sleep well. I know. This may be true, but if we do not pray, we will not know the most important thing of all: God s will for us. And for all our activity, our busy-ness, without prayer we will accomplish very little. Resting in prayer is especially important for families. It is in the family that we first learn how to pray. Don t forget: the family that prays together stays together! This is important. There we come to know God, to grow into men and women of faith, to see ourselves as members of God s greater family, the Church. In the family we learn how to love, to forgive, to be generous and open, not closed and selfish. We learn to move beyond our own needs, to encounter others and share our lives with them. That is why it is so important to pray as a family! So important! That is why families are so important in God s plan for the Church! To rest in the Lord is to pray. To pray together as a family. Next, rising with Jesus and Mary. Those precious moments of repose, of resting with the Lord in prayer, are moments we might wish to prolong. But like Saint Joseph, once we have heard God s voice, we must rise from our slumber; we must get up and act (cf. Rom 13:11). In our families, we have to get up and act! Faith does not remove us from the world, but draws us more deeply into it. This is very important! We have to be deeply engaged with the world, but with the power of prayer. Each of us, in fact, has a special role in preparing for the coming of God s kingdom in our world. Just as the gift of the Holy Family was entrusted to Saint Joseph, so the gift of the family and its place in God s plan is entrusted to us. Like Saint Joseph. The gift of the Holy Family was entrusted to Saint Joseph so that he could care for it. Each of you, each of us for I too am part of a family is charged with caring for God s plan. The angel of the Lord revealed to Joseph the dangers which threatened Jesus and Mary, forcing them to flee to Egypt and then to settle in Nazareth. So too, in our time, God calls upon us to recognize the dangers threatening our own families and to protect them from harm. The pressures on family life today are many. Countless families are still suffering from the effects of natural disasters. The economic situation has caused families to be separated by migration and the search for employment, and financial problems strain many households. While all too many people live in dire poverty, others are caught up in materialism and lifestyles which are destructive of family life and the most basic demands of Christian morality. The family is also threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by a lack of openness to life. Families will always have their trials, but may you never add to them! Instead, be living examples of love, forgiveness and care. Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming the sacredness of every human life from conception to natural death. What a gift this would be to society, if every Christian family lived fully its noble vocation! So rise with Jesus and Mary, and set out on the path the Lord traces for each of you. Finally, the Gospel reminds us of our Christian duty to be prophetic voices in the midst of our communities. Joseph listened to the angel of the Lord and responded to God s call to care for Jesus and Mary. In this way he played his part in God s plan, and became a blessing not only for the Holy Family, but a blessing for all of humanity. With Mary, Joseph served as a model for the boy Jesus as he grew in wisdom, age and grace (cf. Lk 2:52). When families bring children into the world, train them in faith and sound values, and teach them to contribute to society, they become a blessing in our world. Families can become a blessing for all of humanity! God s love becomes present and active by the way we love and by the good works that we do. We extend Christ s kingdom in this world. And in doing this, we prove faithful to the prophetic mission which we have received in baptism. This means being ready to go beyond your homes and to care for our brothers and sisters who are most in need. I ask you especially to show concern for those who do not have a family of their own, in particular those who are elderly and children without parents. Never let them feel isolated, alone and abandoned, but help them to know that God has not forgotten them. You may be poor yourselves in material ways, but you have an abundance of gifts to offer when you offer Christ and the community of his Church. Do not hide your faith, do not hide Jesus, but carry him into the world and offer the witness of your family life!

6 IN THE DIOCESE Do You Want to Know More About the Annulment Process?: In the Diocese of Scranton, the annulment process is now more user friendly than you might expect, and there is no longer a processing fee. Please contact your pastor or the Diocesan Tribunal Office ( ) to begin a conversation. It is possible to get clear answers to these questions and to renew your connection with the Church. Looking to learn more about your faith or enrich your parish ministry? Members of the Faithful across the Diocese of Scranton are invited to consider taking a course through the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON S VIRTUAL LEARNING COMMUNITY FOR FAITH FORMATION Cycle 1 (2019) Session dates run from January 20th through February 23rd. Registration is now open and closes January 16, Visit for more information. To make a donation to this year s Annual Appeal please visit or contact us at or send your gift to Development Office, Diocese of Scranton 300 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, PA Parish Goal: $ 32, Raised so far: $13, Thank you to all who have already contributed to the Diocesan Annual Appeal. If you have not yet made a donation to the appeal, you may do so by sending it to the address listed above. Your donation helps to support many of the ministries of the Diocese, like Catholic Social Services, Parish Life and Ministry Formation, Care and Education of Clergy, Education and training of Seminarians, Catholic Media (CTV) and Catholic Schools. CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES COMPASSIONATE COUNSELING SERVICES Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton offers compassionate counseling in a safe, comfortable environment where your privacy is always respected. Anyone who struggles with anxiety, grief and loss, depression, life transitions or a variety of emotional or psychological conditions is welcome. CSS accepts Medicare and some other insurance plans. CALL for more information or to make an appointment Notice Regarding the Sexual Abuse of A Minor It is the policy of the Diocese of Scranton to report any allegation of sexual abuse of a minor to law enforcement. If you are a victim of sexual abuse, you are encouraged to immediately report the matter to law enforcement. If any priest, deacon, religious, lay employee or volunteer of the Diocese of Scranton has cause or reason to suspect that a minor has been subjected to any form of abuse, including child sexual abuse, the matter will be reported to law enforcement. In accordance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania s Child Protective Services Law, reports of suspected child abuse should also be made immediately by phone to the 24 hour Child Abuse Hotline (ChildLine) at or electronically at cwis. It is also the policy of the Diocese to adhere to all civil and state regulations. To this end, the Diocese is equally committed to adhering to the norms of the Code of Canon Law and to upholding the tenets of the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which includes supporting victims of sexual abuse in their pursuit of emotional and spiritual well-being. As such, information regarding an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor should also be reported to the Victim Assistance Coordinator, Mary Beth Pacuska at or to Diocesan Officials, including the Vicar General, Msgr. Thomas M. Muldowney, V.G. at

7 DON T Give Until it Hurts by Harvey Nowland STEWARDSHIP When speaking of giving guidelines, we mentioned that giving to God reminds us who He is, who we are and what our relationship should be to that which He allows us to manage in His name. And this responsibility of managing what belongs to God, stewardship, is an important task. However, good stewardship doesn t require us to deny the real needs of our families or give until there s nothing left to give; and it certainly doesn t mean that we re to give until it hurts. He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NASB). That phrase, God loves a cheerful giver, is significant, because of the word cheerful. No doubt you have heard a sermon where the preacher pointed out that the Greek word for cheerful is the root word from which we get our English word hilarious. Now, I m not suggesting that everyone should start laughing when an offering plate is passed around, but it wouldn't be a bad idea at that. In 1994 I had the privilege of attending the National Prayer Breakfast, in Washington, D.C. Mother Teresa was the speaker. One of her statements with which I fully agreed was: Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. Those were bold words from a fearless little snippet of a woman who gave her life to tend to the needs and lives of others. But she also said something with which I couldn t agree. She said: This is the meaning of true love to give until it hurts. Of course, I suppose we ve all heard that statement, Give until it hurts. Obviously, giving until it hurts must be easy for some folks to do, because they display such a painful expression when asked to give even the minimum, whether of finances or service. However, the Bible presents us with a very simple and heartening illustration we simply can t outgive God. So, don t worry, you re not going to go broke by being generous. And it really doesn t hurt. In fact, here s an encouraging promise: Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return (Luke 6:38 NASB). That profoundity simply means that a generous person who gives freely to God in order to benefit others is going to prosper. If you help others with the right motivation, you re going to be helped. When you refresh others, you will be refreshed. Get it? You reap what you sow. Don t give simply for some tax advantage. Don t give expecting the recipients to be grateful. Most will be extremely thankful, but some may not only be ungrateful, they might even resent those who give. So, don t give until it hurts. And, don t give in order to be admired for your generosity. Give because giving reflects the loving and generous God who gave His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we would have the opportunity to be blessed and to bless others by giving. Remember, giving to God reminds us who He is, who we are and what our relationship should be to Him and those things that He allows us to manage in His name. While there may be those who encourage us to give until it hurts, it seems that God really has a much better plan. God wants us to give because it s the right thing to do. I think that it looks as though we should feel good, even joyful, about giving if that s what God wants us to do. Please, please, don t give until it hurts. Instead, give until you feel so good about giving that you might fall down laughing (all right, maybe not that happy). But, you get the idea, so let s remember that God loves a cheerful giver. Copyright 2009 Harvey Nowland

8 FINANCES INCOME December 01-02, 2018 EXPENSES Nov.29-Dec.05,2018 PARISH COLLECTION Administration 6, In Church Mailed In Clergy Residence -0- Loose Liturgy Offering 3, , Religious Education Holy Days Social Justice Initial Maintenance 6, Dues 1, Parish Assessment -0- Debt Reduction Insurance -0- Holiday Flowers Taxes -0- TOTAL PARISH COLLECTION Diocesan Collection TOTAL DIOCESAN $5, $1, Transfer -0- DIOCESAN COLLECTIONS Diocesan Collections Debt Service (Principal + Interest) -0- School Subsidy -0- OTHER INCOME TOTAL EXPENSES $14, Candles Rental of Properties Perquisites Previous Balance $4, Transfers 5, Income this week +14, DIOCESAN ASSESSMENTS (July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019) Diocesan Assessment School Assessment BALANCE Prior Balance , , Current Assessment 71, , , Amount Paid BALANCE DUE 11, , , , , The Monthly Assessment Installment for the Diocese is $5, (that is a little over 1 Weekend s collection) The Monthly School Assessment Installment is $4, (another weekend s collection) To pay off the total current and past Schools Assessment, the monthly installment would be $12, (3 weekend collections.) PARISH DEBT SERVICE Parish Loan Amount Paid BALANCE Due Miscellaneous -0- -Expenses this week -14, TOTAL OTHER INCOME $6, Balance Forward $4, BALANCE 412, , , Please Note: The Parish Debt service has been paid to date. This Account is current. TOTAL INCOME $14, Your Gift to God Mass Attendance December 01-02, 2018 People In-Church Collection Average Offering per person 4:00 p.m , :30 p.m. 59 1, :00 a.m. 70 1, :00a.m. 68 1, Total 337 5, REMINDER: In order for our parish to remain solvent, the average weekly offering per person MUST equal or be greater than $15.00 consistently. Votive Offerings Bread and Wine Intention Anna Sczymanski Offered by Niece Sanctuary Candle Intention Anna Sczymanski Offered by Niece Over $ December 1-2, $20 41 $ $ $ $15 25 $75 0 $ $ $10 72 $50 9 $6-9 3 $ $5 36 $25 17 under $5 38 $ Total Envelopes used 277 Is your gift to the parish each week an honest reflection of God s goodness to you?

9 LOCAL EVENTS Our Annual All Saints Parish Cookie Walk will be held on Sunday, December 16th, from 9:30AM until 12:30 PM, in the Holy Child Faith Formation Center at 119 Willow St., Plymouth. Purchase a box and fill it with as many cookies as you can. Prices are $5 for a small box and $10 for a large box. It is a great opportunity for you to buy a variety of homemade cookies for the holiday season. Looking for a GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA??? JESUS Bus Trip to SIGHT and SOUND THEATER Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Adults $129 Children (3-11) $91 12:15 2:15 Lunch (on own) Kitchen Kettle Village 3:00 SHOW 6:00 pm Dinner Good n Plenty Restaurant (included in price) CHOMAN S MOBILE CARE Cemetery Care Automobile Detailing Power Washing You can contact Chris at (570) , or Book your appointment online at ChomanCares.com or by at ChomanCares@gmail.com. ECO-FRIENDLY CARE FOR YOU AND YOUR INVESTMENTS The Wyoming Valley Barbershop Harmony Chorus, now including female members, will be presenting "Love at Christmas" Sunday, December 9 at 2 pm at Sts. Peter & Paul Church, 13 Hudson Road, Plains, PA. Tickets are $5.00 each and will be sold "at the door" or in advance by calling To make reservations call Mary at RESERVATIONS CLOSE March 31, 2019 Just Great Tours PO Box 2365 Wilkes-Barre, PA Join Us for Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday (Except for Thanksgiving and Holy Thursday) from Noon to 6 pm. The Day concludes with Vespers and Benediction at 6 pm. Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson

10 WEEKLY CALENDAR Second Week of Advent December 10-16, 2018 Day and Date Time Intention Offered by Events Monday, December 10 Advent Weekday Tuesday, December 11 Pope St. Damasus I Wednesday, December 12 OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE NO Morning Mass Scheduled 8 am Thomas & Margaret Gola Family 8 am Andrew Ulichney Family 2-3 pm Distribute vouchers and Gifts 6:00 pm St Andre Faith Seekers 5:30 pm CHOIR Thursday, December 13 St. Lucy 8 am Patriocia Rodzinak Mr. & Mrs. Al Kondracki Noon: Exposition Vespers 6 pm Social Justice Friday, December 14 St. John of the Cross 8 am Kathryn & Mary Osrowski Family Saturday, December 15 Advent Weekday NO Morning Mass Scheduled THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT VIGIL 4 pm Chester & Violet Wasilewski Bob & Jane Cirko & Family VIGIL 5:30 pm John Lynch Jr The Latsko Family SUNDAY 8 am Parishioners Pastor 9:30 am Faith Formation 11:00 am Family Mass 2 pm RECONCILIATION SERVICE Debt Reduction Envelope SUNDAY 11 am John O Donnell Mary Therese McCabe Classic Peanuts by Schulz December 15-16, 2018 Third Sunday of Advent LITURGICAL MINISTRY SCHEDULE 4:00 pm 5:30 pm 8:00 am 11:00 am Servers Rosemary Shedlock Sr. Tina Hanrahan AJ Kondracki Aiden Burridge Kayla Gianelli Lector Ann Bergold Pat Baran Mary Ann Slavinski David Alusick EMOC John Bergold William Klukoske AJ Kondracki Jim Zoccola Cantor Geri Ulichney Carol Zukowski Brian Clarke Matt Kurtz Hospitality Ann & Dennis Bozinski Dolores Dlugosh Roxanne Degnan Families of our Faith Formation Program