SUNDAY MASSES (All in Main Church) Saturday at 5 p.m. Sunday at 9 & 11 a.m. Holy Days as announced. The Epiphany of the Lord January 6, 2019

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1 SUNDAY MASSES (All in Main Church) Saturday at 5 p.m. Sunday at 9 & 11 a.m. Holy Days as announced. WEEKDAY MASSES (All in Historic Church) Monday-Friday at 9 a.m. PERPETUAL ADORATION (In Chapel of the Nativity) RECONCILIATION (In Main Church) Friday 8-8:45 a.m. Saturday 3:30-4:45 p.m. Any time by appointment. The Epiphany of the Lord January 6, 2019 Recently, I was in a situation where I needed to gently defend with several non-catholic friends the importance of our practice of celebrating the season of Christmas until the Feast of the Epiphany. Certainly, it would be convenient to tuck away the tinsel and the ornaments when we re all taking time off from work, and the world around us seems to have already moved on. In fact, the stores have already begun hawking the conversation hearts and Valentine s Day cards. But this time between the Birth of Our Savior and the arrival of the Magi is not something we should dismiss easily. Like the magi, we are invited to make this pilgrimage. When I think of the journey of the magi, T.S. Eliot s poem comes to mind. Although our journey is less literal than their own, we do have one to make. We ve prepared ourselves for His coming in the manger, but now the real work begins. How will the miracle change us? Because it must. The magi visited the infant child and left changed and inspired. They each travelled home, knowing that nothing would be the same in their respective kingdoms. Has His birth changed us? As we begin in earnest our parish s Year of the Eucharist, we have an opportunity, in a way, to make this pilgrimage with the kings time and again. Each time we come together for Holy Mass, we find Him and, just as the kings would never be the same after finding Him in the manger, we can allow ourselves to be transformed by what we find when we arrive. How would the Mass be different for you if you imagined yourself approaching Him with the kind of recognition and awe the magi did on that cold night in Bethlehem? God bless each and every one of you on your own journey. Epiphany blessings and a very happy New Year, Lisa Amos Director of Mission and Ministry The Journey Of The Magi by T.S. Eliot A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter.' And the camels galled, sorefooted, refractory, Lying down in the melting snow. There were times we regretted The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, And the silken girls bringing sherbet. Then the camel men cursing and grumbling and running away, and wanting their liquor and women, And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters, And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly And the villages dirty and charging high prices: A hard time we had of it. At the end we preferred to travel all night, Sleeping in snatches, With the voices singing in our ears, saying That this was all folly. Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley, Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation; With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness, And three trees on the low sky, And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow. Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel, Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver, And feet kicking the empty wine-skins. But there was no information, and so we continued And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon Finding the place; it was (you might say) satisfactory. All this was a long time ago, I remember, And I would do it again, but set down This set down This: were we led all that way for Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death, But had thought they were different; this Birth was Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death. We returned to our places, these Kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods. I should be glad of another death. ONLINE stpetersmendota.org 1405 Highway 13 PO Box Mendota MN church@stpetersmendota.org

2 YOUTH NEWS AND FAITH FORMATION ELEMENTARY FAITH FORMATION Religion classes for Grades 1 8 will resume on January 9 at 6 p.m. We look forward to having you back for classes! FIRST EUCHARIST PROGRAM First Eucharist Program Grade 2 Children in the First Communion program will begin classes on January 9. If your child was in the Reconciliation Program the first half of this year, you do not need to register; simply bring your child to his/her regular class. If your child was not in the Reconciliation Program, please contact Kathy Raible at to discuss options. Thank you. OFFICE INFORMATION Father Steven Hoffman: Deacon Tim Hennessey: Chris Seiple: Lisa Amos: Parish Office Hours: Mon Fri, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Phone: BAPTISMS, NEW PARISHIONERS, WEDDINGS Call the parish office for more information. PRAYER CHAIN REQUESTS Lisa Amos at lamos@stpetersmendota.org, call her at or call the parish office. LITURGY OF THE WORD FOR CHILDREN There is no Sunday School or Children s Liturgy of the Word on Sunday, January 14. GRADE 2 FOCUS MASS The Grade 2 Focus Mass is on Sunday, January 13, at the 9 a.m. Mass. This is a special Mass for the parishioners to become aware of the children who are preparing for their First Communion. I encourage all families that have children in the program to attend this Mass, if at all possible. Families registered in First Holy Communion should have received a letter and/or an regarding the Focus Mass. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Raible at or at kraible@stpetersmendota.org. VISITATION SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE Visitation School, located at 2455 Visitation Drive, in Mendota Heights, will host an Open House for prospective Upper School (grades 9 12) families on Monday, January 14, at 6 p.m. Visitation is an independent Catholic school educating girls in grades six through twelve and boys and girls from Montessori preschool through grade five. We welcome your family to join us for this informational event! For more information, visit our website at or call FAITHFUL SHEPHERD CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND TRI-PARISH CENTER St. John Neumann St. Peter St. Thomas Becket 3355 Columbia Drive Eagan, MN FUTURE STARS SCHOLARSHIP Last year Faithful Shepherd created the Future STARS Scholarship Fund, as a way for alumni parents and friends of the school to show their support for Catholic education. The fund provides financial aid to those families who want to send their children to Catholic schools, but need help to pay tuition. In our first year, over $30,000 was raised to provide scholarships to deserving students. Our hope is to continue growing this program, so that every child who desires a Catholic education receives one. Our intention is to provide a full scholarship for one student each year, explained one donor. Faithful Shepherd did a lot for our kids, and we are pleased to give back! Faithful Shepherd awarded almost $200,000 in financial aid last year. The need is there, and it continues to grow. If you would like more information on the Future STARS Scholarship Fund, please contact Mike Randall, Executive Director, at or at mrandall@fscsmn.org. Thank you. SINCERE SYMPATHY St. Peter s Parish extends its sympathy to the family and friends of Elvira E. Grundmayer. We invite all to join us in praying that God may make her a sharer in eternal salvation.

3 ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS STEWARDSHIP COMMUNITY NEWS WOMEN S EVENING BIBLE STUDY You are invited to explore the biblical roots of the mysteries of the rosary and the meditative tradition of this popular prayer. Enhance your reflection on the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries, by understanding their biblical underpinnings. Sessions are Thursday, 6:30 to 8 p.m. in St. Thomas, the Apostle Conference Room (Conference Room 3) starting January 10. All are welcome. Please register by contacting Lisa Amos at or lamos@stpetersmendota.org. THANK YOU FROM THE GIVING TREE Through your efforts, our Giving Tree was able to help many families for Christmas. We sincerely thank all those who participated this year. It wouldn t be possible without your generosity in purchasing gifts, and the dedication of time by countless volunteers. You have brought hope to those who are hurting. May you and your families have a Blessed Christmas season and a joyous New Year. FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN With your hands and your heart, turn hunger to hope at Feed My Starving Children. Join us as we hand-pack meals that are specifically formulated for malnourished children who live in some of the most impoverished countries of the world. Where: Feed My Starving Children: 990 Lone Oak Road (just east of Lexington), Suite 136, in Eagan. When: Tuesday January 15th 6:00-7:30 p.m. In our October session, we helped pack 128 boxes; enough food to make nearly 28,000 meals and feed 76 children in Honduras for a full year! To sign up or learn more, please contact Paul or Peggy Hirsch at or at phirsch651@aol.com. Financial Recap July 1 to December 30, 2018 YTD Actual Collections $525,980 YTD Budgeted Collections $495,820 Difference $ 30,160 To donate electronically visit and click on Donate Online or call Chris Seiple in the parish office at ALPHA RETURNS Alpha is returning to St. Peter s on Monday evenings February 18 through May 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Heritage Center. Alpha consists of a meal, a talk and small group discussion. It is an open, informal and honest space to explore and discuss life s big questions together and is designed to create and/or deepen a personal relationship with Jesus. It is a place for fellowship with others. One recent participant commented: I wish and hope everyone will take advantage of this series. At all stages of your faith journey, you will learn something new and grow in your faith! Another said: Alpha was a joy bringing me into communion with others seeking a closer connection with God. Sign-ups will begin online on January 19, and also after all Masses the weekends of January 19/20 and January 26/27. Please join us! Space is limited to 45 participants. If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Reding at or at lreding1@aol.com. SAVE THE DATE! CANA DINNER Cana Dinner - A Celebration of Marriage St. Peter s annual Cana Dinner in Celebration of Marriage will be held on Saturday, February 9, beginning with Mass at 5 p.m., Social Hour at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Father Steven will be the keynote speaker. All parishioners are invited to attend. Ticket sales will begin January 26/27. SAVE THE DATE! NEW PARISHIONER DINNER To all of our new 2018 parishioners please save the date for our annual New Parishioner Dinner. A lasagna dinner will be held on Saturday, January 26, in Heritage Center following the 5 p.m. Mass. More information to come. If you would like to volunteer at this event, please contact Anne O Keefe at or her at aokeefe@stpetersmendota.org. Interested in helping at the New Parishioner dinner? We need people to help make and serve a homemade lasagna dinner to our new parishioners! Please Anne O Keefe at aokeefe@stpetersmendota.org or call her at NEW NAMES FOR CONFERENCE ROOMS AND LIBRARY Conference Rooms 1 and 3 have been given names instead of numbers. Conference Room 1 has been named St. Kateri Conference Room. Conference Room 3 is now St. Thomas the Apostle Conference Room. The library is now the St. Padre Pio Library.

4 St. Peter s is here to bring the good news of the Gospel to all, so that every person can have a personal, life changing, life giving relationship with Jesus Christ. Trustees: Helen Wilkie Mark Mischke Sunday: Is 60:1-6/Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, [cf. 11]/Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6/Mt 2:1-12 Monday: 1 Jn 3:22 4:6/Ps 2:7bc-8, 10-12a [8ab]/Mt 4:12-17, Tuesday: 1 Jn 4:7-10/Ps 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8 [cf. 11]/Mk 6:34-44 Wednesday: 1 Jn 4:11-18/Ps 72:1-2, 10, [cf. 11]/Mk 6:45-52 Thursday: 1 Jn 4:19 5:4/Ps 72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17 [cf. 11]/Lk 4:14-22a Friday: 1 Jn 5:5-13/Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19- Saturday: OUR MISSION STATEMENT READINGS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 6 20 [12a]/Lk 5: Jn 5:14-21/Ps 149:1-2, 3-4, 5 and 6a and 9b [cf. 4a]/Jn 3:22-30 Next Sunday: Is 40:1-5, 9-11/Ps 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, [1]/Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7/Lk 3:15-16, Liturgical Publications Inc. MASS INTENTIONS The following are the intentions offered by the priest at Mass: Monday, January 7 Bobbie Lynch Tuesday, January 8 Robert Meehl Wednesday, January 9 Bobbie Lynch Thursday, January 10 Bobbie Lynch Friday, January 11 Poor Souls Saturday, January 12, 5 pm Bill Olson Sunday, January 13, 9 am Mass For The People 11 am Don Taylor THIS WEEK S CALENDAR: DECEMBER 31 Monday, January 7 Tuesday, January 8 10 am Women s Bible Study, Heritage Center 7 pm Rosary Makers, Classroom 10 Wednesday, January 9 9:45 am Divine Mercy Cenacle, St. Kateri Conference Room (Conference Room 1) 6pm Faith Formation Grades 1-8, Classrooms 6:30 pm Perissos, Youth Room 7 pm Choir Rehearsal, Music Room Thursday, January 10 6:30 pm Women s Bible Study, St. Thomas the Apostle Conference Room (Conference Room 3) 7 pm AA Meeting, Classroom 5 Friday, January 11 8 am Reconciliation, Main Church 7 pm Archdiocesan Marriage Retreat, Heritage Center Saturday, January 12 9 am & 10:30 am AA Meeting, Classrooms 10 am Saturday Scripture Study, St. Kateri Conference Room (Conference Room 1) 3:30 pm Reconciliation 4:30 pm Choir Rehearsal, Music Room 5 pm Mass, Main Church 6 pm Uganda Mission Table, Gathering Space Sunday, January 13 Hospitality Sunday Hosted by the Men s Club 8:30 am Choir Rehearsal, Music Room 9 am Grade 2 Focus Mass, Main Church 9 am Liturgy of the Word for Children, Classroom am Uganda Mission Table, Gathering Space 10:30 am Rosary for St. Peter s, Chapel of the Nativity 10:30 am Choir Rehearsal, Music Room 11 am Mass, Main Church 11 am Liturgy of the Word for Children, Classroom pm Uganda Mission Table, Gathering Space

5 PASTORAL MINISTRY FOLLOWING JESUS The wise men followed the star and brought gifts for the newborn King of Kings. As we begin this new year together, what gift might we give our Lord this year? Some of us are called to deeper prayer, more intentional time with scripture or increasing our awareness of the less fortunate. Let us offer our unique gift to Jesus in 2019! FUNDRAISING FOR UGANDA TRIP A group of parishioners will be making a return trip to Uganda in June of 2019 to do mission work at our sister parish, St. Anthony, in Migyera. While we are there, we will be doing a variety of projects including erecting fences around two schools, working on water projects for the schools and sponsored children s homes and providing medical outreach missions to the rural parts of the parish that don t have regular access to medical services. All of these projects require funding to support them. During the entire month of January, we will be fundraising with something we are calling Sponsor a Project. In the Gathering Space will be a display that shows a variety of ways you can help, from buying bricks to help build the fences, to sponsoring rainwater collection at a sponsored child s home. One of the team members who is traveling to Uganda will be at the display to answer any questions you might have. Through these various fundraisers, we hope to raise a total of $18,000. Any assistance you can provide will be deeply appreciated! God bless you! MARCH FOR LIFE Tuesday, January 22, 2019 marks the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision. We will participate in the March For Life, beginning with a prayer service at the Cathedral in St. Paul at 10:30 a.m., and finishing at the State Capitol. We will carpool from St Peter s, following the 9 a.m. Mass and return to St Peter s at approximately 1:30 p.m. All are welcome. If you would like to carpool, please call Carol at RETIREMENT FUND FOR THE RELIGIOUS A donor writes, Your flyer touched my heart seeing the retired religious, such memories surfaced. Do you remember the sisters, brothers or religious order priests who made a positive difference in your life? Today many are elderly and need assistance. Their religious communities struggle to meet retirement needs while continuing to serve the People of God. Please give to next week s second collection. ADORATION CHAPEL If you are uncertain about what an hour in our chapel might mean for you, consider what some of our adorers have to say about their very special time with Jesus. Over the next several weeks, we will be sharing some of their comments with you. The chapel is closed during the Masses. Between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., there is access to the chapel only with a key card. If you need a sub for your hour, please refer to our substitute roster in advance to cover your hour. Contact Lisa Amos at lamos@stpetersmendota.org or at to sign up for an hour of adoration. We still need adorers at the following hours: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday: 2 to 3 pm, 4 to 5 pm 8 to 9 am, 3 to 4 pm 6 to 7 pm 1 to 2 am, 2 to 3 am Midnight to 1 am, 3 to 4 am, 10 to 11 am, 1 to 2 pm, 3 to 4 pm 1 to 2 am, 1 to 2 pm, 7 to 8 pm 3 to 4 am, 10 to 11 am, CATECHISM CORNER Among the great mysteries that is buried amidst the season of Christmas, particularly by the secular trappings that surround it, is the question: What is the purpose of God taking on flesh? The initial answer, of course, is to save us by his self-sacrificial love in the Paschal Mystery, which satisfies wholly both Divine Justice and Divine Mercy, reconciling us with God through his own eternal self-giving. There is a doctrine that goes even a step further, though -- so far as to scandalize and shock many. This doctrine is referred to as deification, or in the East, theosis. The Catechism puts it thus in paragraph 460: The Word became flesh to make us partakers of the divine nature : For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into Communion with the Word and this receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God. For the Son of God became man so that we might become God. The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods. There are four quotations in that one paragraph, and they are from notable sources. First is St. Peter, of course the first Pope, Apostle, and patron of our own parish. Second is St. Irenaeus (second century defender of the faith against gnosticism), then St. Athanasius (fourth century doctor of the Church and opponent of the heresy of arianism), and finally St. Thomas Aquinas (13th century doctor of the Church, among the greatest minds in Catholic doctrine and philosophy). This topic is quite shocking, and looms very large in its implications, so the next Corner will develop this further.

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