Feast of the Holy Family December 27, 2009

Transcription

1 Welcome To GOOD SHEPHERD Catholic Church Menomonee Falls, WI Feast of the Holy Family December 27, 2009 Parish Life This Week Monday, December 28 6:00pm Guest House Shelter Tuesday, December 29 9:00am Liturgy Marcella Gross 1:00pm Faith Sharing Group 7:00pm Reader s Preparation Wednesday, December 30 6:00pm Guest House Shelter Thursday, December 31 6:00pm Liturgy Francis McDonald Friday, January 1, 2010 Happy New Year! See Cluster Schedule for Liturgy Saturday, January 2, :30pm Liturgy Joseph D Agostino Sunday, January 3, :30am Generations of Faith 8:30 & 11:00am Listen to the Lord 8:30pm Liturgy Dorothy & Jim Coloso 11:00am Liturgy For the Parish 4:00pm Lessons & Carols Upcoming Events Jan 4 Jan 4 Jan 5 Jan 6 Keep Warm Quilters Pastoral Council Meeting Grief Support Group Doubters, Seekers, Thinkers Centering Prayer Baptism Preparation Class Central America Group Baptism Rehearsal Generations of Faith Blood Pressure after Mass Blood Pressure after Mass Generations of Faith Listen to the Lord Baptisms Gay and Straight in Christ

2 FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY Instituted by Pope Leo XIII, this feast focuses on the family of Nazareth as a model for our own Christian families. These readings do more than teach right behavior in families. They make present within the worshipping assembly the healing power of God and they provide visions of family life lived in accord with God s perfect will. First Reading 1Samuel. Desperate because of her sterility, Hannah had gone to the sanctuary at Shiloh and there begged God s mercy. She vowed that if God gave her a son, she would lend him to the Lord for as long as he lives. Today s reading contains God s answer to that prayer. Hannah s gratitude is in every line, for by blessing her with a child, God has also removed the reproach and humiliation of sterility. Hannah forgoes a pilgrimage to Shiloh, planning instead to go when the child is older. There she will dedicate him to the Lord and leave him there forever as a Nazirite one who is consecrated to God and live a strict lifestyle. You can sense Hannah s desire to mother this special child for as long as possible. But eventually she keeps her promise and brings her son, Samuel, to Eli, where, with exemplary trust, she leaves him in the care of others to be trained in the ways of the Lord. There is clear kinship between Hannah and Mary, the mother of Jesus, especially in their trust in God and the great love they lavish on their sons. Much of the test is spoken in Hannah s voice, which is reminiscent of her faith and sacrifice. Her words as she offers her child to the Lord, are brave and symbolic. Are not all parents asked to see their children as gifts from God who, first and foremost, belong to God? Second Reading 1 John John describes God s love for us as the love of a Father for his children. Understanding the healthy and loving relationships of children and parents gives us a glimpse at God s unconditional and transforming love for us. And, as wonderful as that may be, it is only a shadow of what we ll experience when we see God face to face. Though the specifics of that new life are not yet revealed, we know this much: we will become like God and we will understand God, not like now as through a veil, but fully. Gospel On this family Sunday, the Gospel tells us that Jesus grew in a home marked by pious observance of Jewish law. It shows us family interaction characterized by love, patience, parental respect. Mary and Joseph must even forgive the worry Jesus caused them and live with a wonder they cannot fully understand, a wonder every family sometimes encounters in the mysterious interactions of domestic life. Workbook for Lectors 2010 LTP

3 December 27, 2009 Feast of the Holy Family Vocation corner: Jesus grew in wisdom, age and grace in the midst of his family. How is your family growing in the midst of these challenging times? Seek out God s grace. (Luke 2:41-52) Centering Prayer There will be Centering Prayer on Thurs Dec. 31 at 10 a.m. in Room 200. What a wonderful way to start the final count-down for 2009 and be aware of God's presence, as 2010 Arrives. Adult Confirmation Starting in January, we will be offering our annual weekly program on the basics of our faith for 1) any adult who would like a good refresher or 2) anyone over the age of 18 who has not received the Sacrament of Confirmation and would like to prepare to do so at the Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 3. This program runs for 8 weeks, and you can attend on either Sunday morning or Wednesday evening. Responses from past participants have been very positive! To register or for more information contact Jane Clare in the parish office or at ishiguroj@archmil.org. Retreat TEAM Meeting for Grades is January 5 at 6:30 in the Christian Formation Office. Please or call Suzanne if you are unable to attend: sfoster@archmil.org Fire up! G.S.I.S.G. (Good Shepherd Immigration Study Group) Did you know: Pope Benedict XVI says, many immigrants today are fleeing humanly unacceptable living conditions, but they are not finding the reception they hoped for elsewhere. Many people have no choice but to leave their homeland in search of a living even if it means accepting inhuman working conditions and experiencing great difficulties fitting in someplace new with different language, culture and rules. For Married Couples You are invited to celebrate the sacrament of marriage! with a fun gift to give yourselves DATE YOUR MATE an award winning marriage enrichment program made up of 10 Great Dates (once a month for 10 months) to Energize Your Marriage beginning Saturday, February 13. Registration deadline is January 15th. You can pick up a flyer in either lobby. A Huge Thank You To all those who in any way participated in the tremendous toy collection for the House of Peace. Gerri, Fr. McDonald and their staff were overwhelmed with the amount of toys that were brought down on Sunday afternoon. A special thank you to Harlow Wilford for his great presentation at all of the masses and the GOF sessions. Mark your calendars now for Dec. 12, 2010, the 3 rd Sunday of Advent. Join us again as did many first time families who enjoyed the marvelous food and tour of the facility. Retreat for Grades 6-7-8: Saturday, January 16. The retreat begins at 10:00 and will conclude after the 4:30 Liturgy around 5:30. Cost: Free! Please send in your registration forms ASAP so we have enough food for lunch. Please bring two snacks to share: One for the retreat and one for the food pantry. If you have any questions, please Suzanne at sfoster@archmil.org or call , ext.26. We are going to have a fun day! Hope to see YOU there! Confirmation Preparation All tenth and eleventh in high school that are enrolled in both Generations of Faith and Confirmation are expected to come to class on Sunday eve, January 24 at 7:00 in Daniels Hall. The Confirmation Class of 2011 would like to thank the Men, Women, Adolescents, and Children of God of Good Shepherd for your overwhelming response to their cookie drive! Thank you for being so kind! You donated three thousand three cookies to The Gathering WOW! You are so very generous and very, very loving! Work Camp Bowl-A-Thon is scheduled for Sunday, January 17. Our parish youth participating in Work Camp 2010 will be speaking at the Liturgies about Work Camp on January 16 and 17. Please support these hardworking souls.

4 Good Shepherd Directory N88 W17658 Christman Road Menomonee Falls, WI Parish Offices... (262) Courtesy/Hall Phones... (262) Fax... (262) Website... Pastoral Team Pastor... Kenneth Mich Deacon... Gene Christensen Deacon...Sandy Sites Pastoral Associate... Jane Clare Ishiguro Director, Administrative Services... Mark Steimle Director, Liturgy & Music...S. Joann Julka, SSSF Admin. Assistant... Marguerite Thompson Custodian... Jerry Podkowinski Liturgical Secretary... Gene Christensen Director, Child Ministry... Lorrie Maples Director, Youth Ministry... Suzanne Foster CF Program Admin. Asst... Shari Rodriguez Coordinator of Time & Talent... Shari Rodriguez Pastoral Minister:... Ann Castiglione Pastoral Care Coordinator... Cheryl Matusiak Pastoral Council Dave Christensen... Chairperson Jim Yerger... Vice Chairperson Jeff Bloedorn... Secretary Marty Hassenfelt... Trustee Treasurer Bob Wachowiak... Trustee Secretary Eric Bloedorn, Tom Dueppen, Beth Gonstead, Steven Grieb, Vivian Hughes, Larry Kolb, Tom Moran, Julie Nolan, Mary Oswald, Patrick Taugher Staff Parish Office... Ann Castiglione... Gene Christensen... Suzanne Foster... Jane Clare Ishiguro... S. Joann Julka, SSSF... Lorrie Maples... Cheryl Matusiak...matusiakcarchmil.org Kenneth Mich... Shari Rodriguez... Sandy Sites... Mark Steimle... Marguerite Thompson... Courtesy Corner Marriage Encounter Let Worldwide Marriage Encounter help your marriage remain Christcentered. The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends are January in Milwaukee, Feb in Rockford, March in Madison, April in Milwaukee and April 30-May 2 in Rockford. Early registration is highly recommended. For more information visit our website at: alifetimeoflove.org or call (888) For a Weekend en Espanol Mar. 5-7 contact Hugo & Gaby at Scripture Readings for the Week Readings for the Week of December 27, 2009 Sunday: 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28/1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24/Lk 2:41-52 Monday: 1 Jn 1:5---2:2/Mt 2:13-18 Tuesday: 1 Jn 2:3-11/Lk 2:22-35 Wednesday: 1 Jn 2:12-17/Lk 2:36-40 Thursday: 1 Jn 2:18-21/Jn 1:1-18 Friday: Nm 6:22-27/Gal 4:4-7/Lk 2:16-21 Saturday: 1 Jn 2:22-28/Jn 1:19-28 Next Sun: Is 60:1-6/Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6/Mt 2:1-12 For the Hard of Hearing Hearing Assisted Devices available for celebrations and services, see usher for assistance. Liturgy Schedule Weekend: Saturday 4:30 pm; Sunday 8:30 am & 11:00 am Childcare (4 & under) during Sunday liturgies in Rm Sunday 11:00 am liturgy signed for the deaf. Weekday: Tuesday & Friday 9:00 am; Thursday 10:30 am (at MFHCC, Tamarack, or Northfield Manor); 1st Tuesday 9:00 am (at Messner Manor) Sacraments Reconciliation: Communal services held in Advent & Lent. Individual confession by appointment with the pastor. Marriage: Preparation begins by calling the pastor no later than 6 months prior to the planned date. Children s Baptism: Call the pastor to register. Next celebrations are: January 9/10 Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults RCIA is a time to consider full membership into the Catholic Faith. Call our office for more information. Adult Confirmation Call our office if you wish to be confirmed. Membership Families or individuals over 17 are invited to join our Faith Community! Call the Parish offices.

5 December 27, 2009 New Singles Ministry Beginning! Single Soul s 30+, a new ministry at Good Shepherd would like to invite single parish members to attend a New Year s gathering on Thursday, December 31st, at 7:00pm. Bring a game and an appetizer to share! Contact Linda at Good Shepherd Unemployed Support Group No formal meetings are being held for the Job support group during December. However, if you would like to learn more, make suggestions for topics at future gatherings, or if you are looking for experienced advice from other unemployed parishioners at Good Shepherd, please contact Jim Yerger at (Yergs49@AOL.com) or Linda Belkowski at (belkowl@hotmail.com). Don t forget to check the main bulletin board in the narthex for employment possibilities. Incense will be used at the 4:30 and 11:00 liturgies for the Feast of the Epiphany (January 2/3), thus, using another sense in giving praise to God. It will be used sparingly out of sensitivity to those who may be allergic to the aroma. Plan to continue celebrating the Christmas Season by attending A Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols, Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. CALLED BY NAME, a program to promote vocations to the priesthood, consecrated life, diaconate and lay ministry in the church, will begin in our parish next weekend. On the Feast of the Holy Family, we are reminded by Pope Benedict XVI that The family is also a school which enables men and women to grow to the full measure of their humanity Let families nurture and pray for all vocations including married life. END-OF-YEAR Donations Reminder We need to receive your donation by Thursday, December 31 to be credited on your 2009 taxes. Offices close on Thursday at 4:00pm! Thanks! Feast of the Holy Family In the Spotlight for 2010; Now in it s 11th year! Great Presenters Interesting Topics Rich Harter Our Catholic Faith Sr. Miriam Brown The Spirituality of Jesus Sr. Barbara Pharr Immigration Pat Russell The DNA of the Bible Monica Meagher & Alice Murray The World s Religions In the Spotlight sessions begin January 17th! A Mini-Course on The Gospel of John with Dr. Lance Richey** of Cardinal Stritch University Tuesday, Jan. 12 & Wednesday, Jan pm in Daniels Hall This two-evening course will explore the Gospel of John in light of the history of the Johannine Community that produced it. Tuesday Evening: The Book of Signs: John 1-12 and the History of Johannine Christianity Wednesday Evening: The Book of Glory: John and the Future of Johannine Christianity **Dr. Lance Richey is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Cardinal Stritch University. He holds a Ph.D. in Biblical Theology from Marquette University, and currently lives in Milwaukee with his wife Carol and their five children. Mass Schedule for December 31/January 1, 2010, Feast of Mary, Mother of God Good Shepherd, Mass of Anticipation, Dec 31, 6:00pm St. Mary, Mass of Anticipation, Dec. 31, 4:00 p.m. Mass on the Day, Jan. 1, 9:00 a.m. St. Agnes, Mass on the Day, Jan. 1, 10:00 a.m. St. Anthony, Mass of Anticipation, Dec. 31, 6:30 p.m. Mass on the Day, Jan. 1, 9:00 a.m. St. James, Mass on the Day, Friday, Jan. 1, 9:00 a.m.