Saints Peter & Paul C AT H O L I C C H U R C H

Transcription

1 Saints Peter & Paul C AT H O L I C C H U R C H 902 East Ninth Street Hopkinsville, KY Established 1872 OUR MISSION STATEMENT We are a Roman Catholic Community of Christians called to be a priestly people, a household of faith, a temple of the Holy Spirit, a beacon of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church shining for Jesus Christ in the heart of Christian County. Rev. Fr. Richard Meredith, Pastor crmeredith@stsppchurch.org Rev. Fr. Basilio Az Cuc, Parochial Vicar bazcuc@stsppchuch.org Permanent Deacon, Mr. Tim Barnes tdbarnes@stsppchurch.org Permanent Deacon, Mr. Roberto Cruz rcruz@stsppchurch.org Permanent Deacon, Mr. Tim Schlueter tschlueter@stsppchurch.org Permanent Deacon, Dr. Bill Sweet wesweet@stsppchurch.org PARISH OFFICE PHONE: (270) PARISH FAX: (270) PARISH WEBSITE: DIOCESAN WEBSITE: VATICAN WEBSITE: PARISH OFFICE HOURS: 8 AM - 5 PM Monday Friday Closed Noon -1:00 pm, Monday-Friday SCHOOL TELEPHONE: (270) SCHOOL FAX: (270) SCHOOL WEBSITE: Tru h Radio WSPP 93.5 FM (Local Catholic Radio) Saints Peter and Paul Assistance: Saints Peter and Paul Thrift Store: MEMBERSHIP IN THE PARISH We give a sincere welcome to all new families moving into our Parish. Please register with the Parish Office as soon as possible. Families who plan to move from our parish community are asked to inform us. MASS SCHEDULE Saturday evening... 5:00 PM Sunday... 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM Misa en Español... 2:00 PM, 10:30 PM Monday - Saturday... 8:00 AM Wednesday... 5:30 PM Thursday MISA EN ESPAÑOL...5:30 PM January 7, 2018 The Epiphany of The Lord

2 2 SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY MINISTRY TO THE SICK Please notify the Parish Office upon admission of a family member into any hospital or nursing home. Any parishioner who is ill or infirm may request anointing by calling the Parish Office, PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION This is a devotion whereby members of the parish unite in taking hours of Adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament during the day and throughout the night, seven days a week. (Code required for evenings.) There is a regular schedule of adorers but all are welcome to stop in for a visit. Parishioners are encouraged to sign up for a scheduled weekly Adoration time. Please contact Bill & Jenny Rush at , if you are interested in adopting an hour or if you can be a substitute or prayer partner. Available hours: 5 pm Fridays, 3 am and 8 pm Saturdays. We also need a prayer partner for the 3 pm Tuesday hour and an Hourly Captain for the 9am hours. Parish Pastoral Council Robin Bilan, Chair, Education......rcbilan@hotmail.com Jim Creighton, Administration..creighton.jim@gmail.com Libby Downs, Pastoral Associate.ljdowns@stsppchurch.org Norma Folz, Worship.. nbfolz@gmail.com Gary Harden, Assistant Chair, Family Life garyharden@gmail.com Hilda Linares, Social Concern linareshilda@hotmail.com Fran Marko, Secretary...franmarko@gmail.com Morgan Murray, Spiritual Life...morgan.c.murray.1@vanderbilt.edu Katie Wyatt, Principal...kwyatt@stsppschool.org PARISH STAFF Tom Buehrle (twbuehrle@att.net)...director Of Stewardship Brenda Chaudoin (bchaudoin@stsppchurch.org). Parish Office Mgr. Libby Downs (ljdowns@stsppchurch.org)...pastoral Associate Jennifer Groves (jgroves@stsppschool.org) School Secretary Leigh Ann Johnson Parish Assistance Coordinator Steve Kinnard (skinnard@stsppchurch.org)...maintenance Foreman Donna Pfeufer (dgpfeufer@gmail.com)...thrift Store Gen. Mgr. Angie Phillips (abphillips2013@gmail.com)...thrift Store Mgr. Mayra Tirado (mtirado@stsppchurch.org)...hispanic Ministry Asst. Sue Wassmer (swassmer@stsppchurch.org)...parish Secretary Dan Wilkinson(dwilkinson@stsppchurch.org)...Parish Music Director Katie Wyatt (kwyatt@stsppschool.org)...school Principal The Catholic Church teaches that the sexual abuse of any person is a grave moral evil. To report any instance of sexual abuse by any employee of the Catholic Church please call the Office of the Bishop in Owensboro at (270) The Safe Environment Program is now available at the Diocesan website SACRAMENTS Reconciliation: Confessions will be heard Saturday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM (English and Spanish), Wednesday at 4:30 PM. (ENGLISH and SPANISH). Confessions will be heard any time by appointment. Baptism: Baptismal Preparation Class is usually held the first Sunday of each month. Our next class is scheduled for January 7, 2018 at 4:00 pm. Please call the Parish Office. Registration is required. Marriage: Contact the Office six months prior to the desired date. Prayer: With the beginning of a New Year it is common to reflect on new things. New habits or new patterns that we would like to establish in the New Year. As we look forward I would encourage everyone to reflect on their prayer life, maybe 2018 will be the year when we strengthen or establish a better practice of prayer. Bishop William Medley has asked that all members of the Church of Western Kentucky the Diocese of Owensboro to focus on prayer this year. To pray for our Diocese and parish, that we may be open to the power of the Holy Spirit and that we may become evangelist, sharing with others the good news of Jesus Christ. If you go days without praying or find your prayer life brings you no hope or fulfillment then let this special year of prayer be a time of renewal or new beginnings. One way of enlivening our prayer life is by making it a habit or a pattern in our life. By habit I do not mean something that we do without thinking but rather something that is an essential part of our day. To form or strengthen a habit we must repeat the action for many days. Experts tell us that it can take up to a month for something to become a habit. So I encourage you to start small but make the commitment to fulfilling your prayer commitment for a least a month. If at that time you are still struggling with the prayer give it another month and then possibly try another prayer or approach.

3 JANUARY 7, 2018 THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD 3 The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord: Today is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. For centuries this Feast was on January 6 th, but later the church chose to celebrate this Feast on the Sunday that falls between January 2nd and January 8th. Epiphany is from the Greek word epiphaneia, meaning manifestation or to appear. The earliest reference to Epiphany as a Feast Day was in 361 AD, one of the oldest feasts in the Catholic Church. But Epiphany has a history of great diversity: The Church of the East and the West couldn t even agree on a date to honor the birth of Jesus! The Church of the East celebrated Epiphany Sunday as the day of His birth. By the 4th century, the Church of the West celebrated Christmas on December 25th, but it took several centuries to resolve Christmas and Epiphany into two separate feast days. Not only were there disagreements about the date of Christmas, but the focus of the Epiphany Liturgy itself evolved over time, with remnants remaining today. The main focus is on the coming of the Magi and the manifestation for all people, but this is a multi-layered feast with other aspects found throughout the prayers and readings of the day: 1. A feast of Light, echoing the Nativity of Christ, the Light of the World, but now that Light is revealed for all nations. 2. A feast of Water recalling the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan River, where the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and the voice of God the Father was heard declaring Jesus as His own beloved Son. In this, we recall our own Baptism, as well. 3. We are also reminded of the first miracle of Jesus at the Wedding of Cana where He changed the water into wine. 4. This feast honors the Kingship of Christ, possibly in an even greater degree than the newer Solemnity of Christ the King. One tradition related to Epiphany is the Blessing of Homes: Gather the family to ask God s blessing on our home, on those who live within and on all those who will visit. It is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our home, our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows. A traditional way of doing this is to use chalk to write above the home s entrance: 20 + C + M + B These letters - C, M, B - have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, May Christ bless the house. The + signs represent the Cross and 2018 is the year. Find a blessing for your home at the website for the United States Conference of Catholic Feast of the Baptism of the Lord: This Monday, January 8 th we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. In a real way, this feast continues this Sunday s Feast of the Epiphany. The Baptism of the Lord is yet another powerful revelation of the manifestation of Christ s identity as God s beloved Son, on whom His favor rests. Like the visit of the Magi and the wedding feast of Cana, the Baptism of Christ by John in the Jordan River is an experience of God s presence revealed in Christ. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season; Ordinary Time begins Tuesday, January 9 th. Christmas decorations at Saints Peter and Paul will come down following the 8:00 a.m. Mass on Monday, January 8 th. The Christmas poinsettias that adorn the sanctuary will be given away following the Mass. One per family until every family wishing a plant has taken one. Poinsettias are sensitive to cold temperatures - remember to bring a large plastic bag to protect the plant against the elements of weather. Card Received: We received a Christmas card from Tony and Marlene Castro and they asked us to share it with the parish. Happy Holidays! We hope you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas! Tony and I are adjusting to desert life, enjoying lots of sun and exploring our new Quail Creek community. It has been wonderful to spend more time with Chris and his family and to see the grand kids more often. Cathi, Jason and their daughters came for an extended visit over Thanksgiving and were a big help in getting the house and garage organized. Slowly but surely life is falling into some sense of normalcy after the big move. We re just 25 minutes south of Tucson. We have such wonderful memories of our parish family at Saints Peter and Paul and extend our best wishes for God s blessings in your lives throughout the Christmas season and With love, Tony and Marlene. Sympathy: We pray for our parishioner, Ana Traceski, at the loss of her brother, Augusto Restrepo. Augusto passed away on Tuesday, December 26 th in Medellin, Colombia. He leaves behind 5 children and 2 grandchildren. As a parish we offer our prayers to Ana and her entire family, especially during this holiday season as we pray May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen. Ordinary Time of Winter: Ordinary Time appears each year in two periods of unequal length. It fills the short space between the Advent/Christmas cycle and the Lent/Triduum/ Easter cycle, and the long space that follows the Easter season and runs to the end of the year. The precise dates and length of this time are based almost entirely on the date of Easter. The earlier Easter falls, the shorter the first part of

4 4 SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY Ordinary Time. This time is Ordinary not in the sense that it is plain or unusual, but because it is counted; it keeps pace with the order of time. Perhaps a better name would be ordinal time from the Latin translation meaning counted time. Therefore, Ordinary Time begins this Tuesday, January 9 th and continues through Tuesday, February 13 th, the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten Season. National Migration Week 2018: National Migration Week 2018 will take place January 7 thru January 13 th with the theme Many Journeys, One Family, and draws attention to the fact that each of our families have a migration story, some recent and others in the distant past. Regardless of where we are and where we came from, we remain part of the human family and are called to live in solidarity with one another. For nearly a half century, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week, which is an opportunity for the Church to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, including immigrants, refugees, children, and victims and survivors of human trafficking. With respect to migrants, too often in our contemporary culture we fail to encounter them as persons, and instead look at them as others. We do not take the time to engage migrants in a meaningful way, but remain aloof to their presence and suspicious of their intentions. During this National Migration Week, let us all take the opportunity to engage migrants as children of God who are worthy of our attention and support. As a parish, we invite you to come and join us on Thursday, January 11 th immediately following the Spanish 5:30 p.m. Mass as we pray the Rosary and offer this Rosary for all migrants and the struggles they encounter. LOVING FATHER, remembering that the Holy Family fled violence and lived for a time as refugees, we ask that you protect all refugee families fleeing persecution, and provide them a place of safety and comfort. For children who are making perilous journeys, often alone and without the protection of loved ones, we ask that you reunite them with their families and protect them from violence on the journey. For all migrants, that they not feel compelled to migrate but have opportunities in their homeland where they can thrive and live fully human lives. Open our hearts so that we may provide hospitality for those who come in search of refuge. through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen Training for Commentators, Lectors and Communion Ministers: We are need of additional Commentators, Lectors and Communion Ministers at each of our weekend Masses. Would you please pray about serving your parish in these ministries? A training session will be held next Saturday, January 13 th at 11:00 a.m. for Lectors and 12:00 p.m. for Communion Ministers. Silver Streaks: The Silver Streaks will gather here at Saints Peter and Paul on Tuesday, January 23 rd at 10:00 a.m. in the Office Annex for Board Game Day. This is always a fun time. Afterwards they will head out for lunch together. All are welcome. For more information, please call Julia Borders at or Mary Ann Keel at College Students: Many of our college students will be returning to class this week. We want to make sure they know of the prayers that go with them from Saints Peter and Paul Parish. May our prayers for you give you courage and hope to live the life that God calls you to with excitement and joy. Opportunities for Life Collection: January 13 th /14 th is the weekend designed for the Annual Collection to support Opportunities for Life. Opportunities for Life is a life affirming ministry of the Bishops of Kentucky. The OFL ministry is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to offer confidential, non-judgmental emotional support, and information to those affected by an untimely pregnancy. Please be generous in your support of this ministry. In addition to your generous gift, please pray for the OFL volunteers and for those the ministry serves. To learn more about the Opportunities for Life ministry, please call (888) Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, Archbishop of Louisville; Most Reverend Roger J. Foys, Bishop of Covington; Most Reverend William F. Medley, Bishop of Owensboro; Most Reverent John Stowe, OFM Conv., Bishop of Lexington. A Day of Prayer and Penance: The Catholic Church has declared, in all dioceses of the United States, Monday January 22, 2018 as a Day of Prayer and Penance as we mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court s decision legalizing abortion. Also on January 16, 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation designating January 22 as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. January 22, 1973, was the day the Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand in all 50 states. Many churches and God s people around the United States use this day to celebrate God s gift of Life, commemorate the many lives lost to abortion, and commit themselves to protecting life at every stage. At all weekend Masses of January 20 th and 21 st, Ms. Heather Hawkins from Alpha Alternative will be present to speak about the services and care they provide. One of the ministries they offer to promote life is their Baby Bottle Ministry. Baby Bottles will be available for parishioners to receive. We are asked to take these baby (Continued on page 5)

5 THIS WEEK IN OUR PARISH JANUARY 8-14 Mon: Church-9am Take down Christmas Decorations Wed: Rosary Makers-8:45 am, HFR HS/MS Youth-5:30 pm Thur: Worship Comm.-Noon, OA Knights-6:30 pm, OA RCIA-7 pm, MH Fri: Knights Free Throw Contest-1 pm, Gym Sat: Eucharistic Adorers Appreciation Dinner-6 pm, MH Sun: No PSR Readings for the Week of January 7, 2018 Sunday: Is 60:1-6/Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, / Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6/Mt 2:1-12 Monday: Is 42:1-4, 6-7 /Mk 1:7-11 Tuesday: 1 Sm 1:9-20/1 Sm 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd/ Mk 1:21-28 Wednesday: 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20/Ps 40:2-5, 7-10 ]/ Mk 1:29-39 Thursday: 1 Sm 4:1-11/Ps 44:10-11,14-15, / Mk 1:40-45 Friday: 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a/Ps 89:16-19/Mk 2:1-12 Saturday: 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1a/Ps 19:8-10, 15 Next Sunday: 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19/Ps 40:2, 4, 7-10 /1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20/Jn 1:35-42 Budget News December 24, th Sunday, Advent Envelopes Used: $9, Online Donations/EFT Participants : $ Loose Collection... $55, Total Weekly Parish Collection... $65, Weekly Parish Budget Needs... $17, December 25, 2017 Christmas Envelopes Used: $6, Online Donations/EFT Participants : 1... $ Loose Collection... $11, Total Christmas Collection... $18, December 31, 2017 Holy Family Envelopes Used: $7, Online Donations/EFT Participants : $4, Loose Collection... $2, Total Weekly Parish Collection... $15, Weekly Parish Budget Needs... $17, Diocesan Assessment17/18(Due $63,662) Pd $19, Special Collection Diocesan Good Works... $ Parish Assistance, 5th Sunday Envelopes... $1, Solemnity of Mary... $ Weekly A Legacy of Faith Fund Pldg. Pmt.... $40, A Legacy of Faith Fund Balance... $11, Monthly Payment due on the 15th-$35, Making donations online is easy and convenient: visit our webpage at and click on "Donate Now." Due to many generous End of Year Donations, we were able to pay off our outstanding 2016/17 bills to the Diocese for Insurance and Priest Medical ($40,362.25). In addition, a payment of $55,000 was made towards our loan for the new building. JANUARY 7, 2018 THE EPHIPHANY OF THE LORD Monday, January 8 BAPTISM OF THE LORD 8:00 AM ENGLISH PAT ESPOSITO Tuesday, January 9 8:00 AM LENARDO LERMA Wednesday, January 10 8:00 AM GEORGE & LOUISE MCSHANE BROCKMAN 5:30 PM DAVID TRACESKI Thursday, January 11 8:00 AM ARNOLD BORDERS 5:30 PM SPANISH QUINONEZ FAMILY Friday, January 12 St. John 8:00 AM PEDRO & OLGA MONTEJOS Saturday, January 13 8:00 AM MARTHA FOWLER 5:00 PM PAT ESPOSITO Sunday, January 14 Second Sunday In Ordinary Time 8:00 AM GLORIA HORSTMAN 10:30 AM JOHN J. CHEWNING I & JOHN J. CHEWNING II 2:00 PM SPANISH FOR ALL PARISHIONERS 10:30 PM SPANISH EDWARD MAZIARS Indicates Requiem Mass SANCTUARY LAMP In Honor of All Sts. Peter and Paul Volunteers ADORATION CHAPEL CANDLES All Current and Former Eucharistic Adorers (Continued from page 4) bottles home and fill them with our coins, dollars or checks and return them to the parish the weekend of February 3 rd and 4 th. The monies raised with the Baby Bottle Ministry go to helping families in our community that are in a crisis due to a pregnancy. At 12:00 - Noon on Monday, January 22 nd we will gather here at Saints Peter and Paul for a nondenominational Prayer Service as we recall the 45 th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. All are strongly encouraged to attend. We must do our part to protect the dignity of the human person and ensure the inalienable right to life for all especially the unborn. On this anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Roe vs. Wade (1973), we are reminded that God recognized each of us before we were born, and called us by name, so too may we recognize the value of each human life and pledge ourselves to continue to defend and nurture God s greatest gift to us. Cold & Flu Season is here. If you are coming down with a runny nose, cough, sore throat, or just do not feel well in general please be considerate of others. We would like to ask that you please reframe from shaking/holding hands at the sign of peace, and choose not to receive the Precious Blood from the cup at Communion time. 5

6 6 SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY In Need of Prayers Bradford Heights Melnora Altshuler, Carriage Way Assisted Living- Eleanor Rogers Covington Convalescent Pat Chesnut, Karen Logsdon, Teresa Mathieu Western State Nursing Facility- Arnold Borders, Debbie Dickerson, Ellen Jones Christian Health Center- Lillian Cotthoff, Norma Downs, Barbara Holubecki, Maureen Langhi Friendship House- Christine Mills Others.. Clarence & Helen Allard, Kathy Allen, Fred Anderson, Trudy Anhalt, Randy Alvarez, Dick & Jackie Arnold, Brown Badgett Jr., Diane Bailey, Jean Baker, Vincent Barna, Garrett Blue, Norma Boyd, Madison Boren, Helen Brown, Randy Caldwell, Marie Chandler, Sam Chesnut, Cipriana Cuc, Mary Dean, Connie Fowler, Martha Fowler Fred Garnett, Imelda Gorman, Jim Gorman, Mike Grabner, Beth Hancock, Jason & Monica Jefcoat & Family, Jennifer Jefcoat, Richard Joiner, Anita Jones, Jacob & Lindsay Jones Family, Doug Kahre, Joe Kukral, Buzz Langhi, Peggy Lewis, Christopher Lytle, Larry & Cathy Lytle, Margie Meredith, Carlo & Lucia Mereu, Joe Mezzoni Sr., Elizabeth Miller, Elaine Mohan, Mary Ann Moore, Eric Moran, Bill Nichol, Cecelia Omundson, Theresa Pazin, Emily Thomas Pyle, Martha Reed, Lynn Reeves, Nell Ritzheimer, Ashley Cowan Sadler, Faith Saupe, Cele Schade, Emma & Gabriela Schiller, Kristian Shouse, Mike & Marilyn Stocker, Georgiann Svestka, Ken Swicicki, Jerry & Bernie Thomas, Rose Ann Tobin, Gary Williams, Helen Winstead, James Wittschack. Please Pray for our Deployed Soldiers, Civilian Workers & Families: Jeremy Chuhralya, Ace Crawford, Jeremy Crawford, Fr. Uwem Enoh, Richelle Goodin, Greg Ligibel and Dom Piffko Trivia Night: We have an upcoming Adults Only (21 and over) Night called Battle of the Brains Trivia Night scheduled for Saturday, January 20 th with Doors opening at 6:00 p.m. and Trivia beginning at 7:00 p.m. A person can sign up as a table or as an individual. Teams consist of 2 to 8 people with 8 being the maximum number on any team. The contest will consist of ten (10) rounds of ten questions each for a total of 100 questions. Categories include a wide range of trivia. Team members submit only one answer per table and all answers are written. Don t let fear of being embarrassed of not knowing an answer, keep you from coming; no one has to answer verbally and no one knows who answered what. At the end of the night the top three teams will receive 1 st Place - $ Gift Card; 2 nd Place - $50.00 Gift Card; 3 rd Place - $25.00 Gift Card. Tickets are $20.00 each which include Trivia and Dinner consisting of Chili, hamburger, chips and a drink or $15.00 for Trivia only. (If you are going to purchase the Ticket for Trivia and Dinner you must do so by Wednesday, January 17 th so we know how many dinners to prepare.) Tables are encouraged to bring their own snacks. We will have a Cash Bar of Beer and wine (no outside alcoholic beverages) and we will provide light snacks and paper products. We invite you to decorate your table. A prize will be awarded for the Best Table Decorations. Tickets are available this weekend and next weekend after all Masses or can be purchased at the parish office. Proceeds will ben- LAY MINISTERS JANUARY 13/14 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Saturday, 5:00 pm Altar Servers... Rebecca Lee, Ivan Viall Cross Bearer... Commentator... Pam Sweet Lectors:... Dawn Ligibel, Mary Lee Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers:... Earl Combs,... Regina Combs, Sandy Doyon, Pam Carlton Choir Loft... Julie Tiell, Mary Moehlman Ushers... Ken Tiell, Pat Puckett... Gene Doyon, Laura Waldron Vocational Cross... Thelma Budias Sunday, 8:00 am Altar Servers... Ashleigh Stevens, Patrick Stevens Cross Bearer... Cole Stevens Commentator... LaDonna Downs Lectors... Jim Creighton, Chris Stevens Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers:... Maria Creighton,... Marcy Stevens, Carolyn Spurr, Tom Folz Choir Loft... Lori Gardner, Dan Gardner Ushers...Dirk Downs, Chuck Spurr... Alvin Schmitt, Philip Garnett Vocational Cross... Dirk Downs Family Sunday, 10:30 am Altar Servers... Roberto Nicanor, Jose Nicanor Cross Bearer... Carmen Nicanor Commentator... Vicki Luckey Lectors... Mike Murray Morgan Murray Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers:... Kelly King, Connie Schlueter, Nathan Tillman, Michelle Sandheinrich Choir Loft... Charles Fiscella, Damian Sandheinrich Ushers... John Soldo, Jerry Adams... Lucas Adams, Steve Greenwell Vocational Cross... Sandheinrich Family 2:00 pm, Misa En Español Comentarista:... Lupita Rosas 1-2 Lectura:... Pedro Rodríguez, Lupita Vieyra Ministro E:... Roberto Cruz, Ana Ethridge Hospitalidad:... Miguel Magaña, Victor Hernández Monaguillos:... Michelle Salas, Bryan Linares efit the ministry of Alpha Alternative in our community. We challenge you to form a team (Choir, Knights of Columbus, Saints Peter and Paul Teachers, Your Bible Study Group). Come and let s have fun. Maybe one of you will win bragging rights as winners of our Trivia Night 5. January 3, 2018 Happy New Year. The Thrift Store account has $7, as of December 27, I sent a donation of $1, to Sts. Peter and Paul Assistance January 2, A total of $2, has been donated in the last two months. Thanks to Angie and all the volunteers! Donna Pfeufer

7 JANUARY 7, 2018 THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD 7 Pastor s Greeting ENCOUNTERING JESUS CHRIST You and I are encountering the Lord quite often without our being aware of his presence. He said it himself, I come like a thief. There is nothing nefarious in this, but he moves among us largely unknown. He is in our homes, on our streets and highways, in our schools, our places of work, business, leisure, in our stores, at our computers and communications devices, even in our bedrooms. Must I mention that he is in our churches. Whatever we do or fail to do to each other, we do or fail to do to him. Even in our most private settings, there he is, for he promised to be there with us until the end of time. Wherever two or three gather in his name, there he is of his own volition. No one has the power to summon him or the power to make him leave. By invoking his name, we can be more aware of his being with us, but he was already with us we were just not awake to his presence. We can be staring at him in the Eucharist and still be more or less oblivious to his presence. Then again we can be awake and welcoming of his being with us, and that is where the two way encounter commences. Mere perception cannot signal the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith tells us he is with us. I am still learning to accept this truth of his promise and practicing the habit of welcoming him with me. It is then that I commit to being there with him and of following his lead. He often waits patiently for me to acknowledge him, to welcome him with me, and then to set about what he would have us do. As I am writing this I am welcoming him and the Holy Spirit to guide and to prompt me. It is my intention at Mass and when offering the Sacraments to welcome him and to offer myself to his service. I know that I can be aware of his presence and not feel his presence. Saint Paul says that we walk by faith, not by sight. Still, I have had rare and surprising times of a very strong sense of his presence, as if hearing speech or seeing form. Those times are by far the exception, not the rule. In the Sacrament of his Most Holy Body and Blood he gives himself to me to minister to you. I speak to him there and surrender to his presence. Receiving him at Mass is like receiving a pulse of his life from his beating heart. I have read of saints for whom this was accompanied with ecstasy. While at times deeply moved, I have not so far been moved to ecstasy. I am taught to seek him, not the special effects. I have accepted for many years that the Lord, who knows all things, cannot fail to hear my prayers. I am aware that if there s someone not listening, it is I. In my prayer to the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I am learning to ask and to welcome his presence, to ask and to welcome his providence, and to ask that the grace he provides to be fruitful. I believe that this is in accord with God s will, that the Lord wants the same for me and for us. Would I act any different if I were able to see the Risen Lord with me? Yes, I am sure that I would. Now I have to keep reminding myself, forgetting, being unsure of what I should do or choose. Now, I can freely acknowledge him in faith. Were he to be obvious, I would not know how free I am to choose him or if I am only acting under the constraints of his presence. His non-obviousness gives me the space to decide for him without the pressure of his presence. Peter, James, and John were disabled by the awe of his glory on Mount Tabor. They fell asleep in his presence at Gethsemane. They would have just hung around with him had he stayed with them in his Risen form in the upper room. To get them to carry the Gospel into the world, he hid from them behind the curtain of his Ascension, while never leaving the side of each of them. His visible form remained only in that of the Eucharist, where they could still see and touch and receive him in this world. As it is, you and I are running into Jesus Christ every time we turn around. We cannot avoid him. He invites us to intentionally and consciously to meet him and to walk and work with him. Only then can we be his witnesses in this world of our time. Only then can we be fruitful in his friendship. Fr. Richard Cursillo Weekend: In this Year of Encounter please consider making a Cursillo Weekend at Mount Saint Joseph. The upcoming dates are: Men s Weekend March 1-4 (Thursday thru Sunday) Women s Weekend March 8-11 (Thursday thru Sunday) Cost is $ 160 (financial assistance available) For more information please contact Fr. Tom Buckman, Spiritual Director, , frtom@stpiustenthparish.org; Scott Elliott, Men's Coordinator, , cursillofe5930@gmail.com; Kim Haire, Women's Coordinator; , kim.haire@pastoral.org. Bulletin Advertisers: There are several local businesses who sponsor our parish bulletin (see back of bulletin). These advertisements cover most of the cost of printing our bulletin. While the inclusion of these advertisements is not an endorsement by our parish, we do encourage you to consider patronizing them when making upcoming decisions to purchase goods or services from businesses in our area. Please thank them for their support of our parish. Also if you wish to advertise on the back of the bulletin, please know a representative from LPI will be here soon. Perpetual Eucharistic Adorers Appreciation Dinner Saturday, January 13 th Social 6:00 p.m. Dinner 6:30 p.m. Meredith Hall Guest Speaker: Fr. Ricardo Pineda, Fathers of Mercy The parish will provide an Italian Dish and Drinks Each person is invited to bring: Last names beginning with A L: Salad M O: Bread P Z: Dessert Dish Please RSVP by Wednesday, January 10 th to Libby at ljdowns@stsppchurch.org