St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish

Transcription

1 St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish January 20, 2019 MISSION STATEMENT We Worship ~ We Teach ~ We Care 5112 Pocono Crest Road PO Box O Pocono Pines, PA Mass Schedule: Saturday 4:00 pm Sunday 8:00 am & 10:30 am Saturday Confessions 3:00 pm

2 January 20, nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you." St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish Staff Reverend Sean G. Carpenter ~ Pastor Deacon Frank Gisoldi Deacon Tom Amoroso Melissa Laverty Pastoral Associate ~ St.MaxMelissa@outlook.com Coordinator of Religious Education Marion Colvin Office Manager ~ mcol@ptd.net John Marcinkowski, Jr. Coordinator of Music ~ jjm1105@ptd.net Visit us on the GOSPEL MEDITATION When you think of being Catholic, what do you think of? Perhaps you grew up with your only associations being fasting, nuns with rulers, and "Catholic guilt." Our faith can sometimes have the connotation of restriction and absence, not abundance. Who is God in your life? Is He the divine law-giver, the judge punishing the rule-breakers? These are certainly attributes of God. But the laws don't exist for themselves alone. They exist to help us love one another as God loves us. And this loving God is the author of abundance and joy. Did you hear today's Gospel? "There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee." Here at this wedding, Jesus would perform "the beginning of his signs...and so reveal his glory." This first sign isn't a miraculous healing. He didn't raise someone from the dead. He kept a party going! "There were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons...the water...had become wine." The wine has run out. Jesus creates somewhere between 120 and 180 gallons to help his friend save face. We may not have such momentous miracles in our lives, but God is watching out for us. The string of green lights when you're running late. The sale on the replacement appliance you need. The friend who calls at just the right time. These are the little moments of God's abundance. We just need to look for them! Not only does Jesus surprise, but the guests point out to their host: "You have kept the good wine until now." The divine wine is better than the earthly variety. God's goodness is better than what we can grasp at for ourselves. Isn't that how it always goes? January 22 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children Pray daily for the end to abortion, that all mothers and children experience the loving support of the Church community, and that all who suffer after abortion find healing and peace.

3 January 19th through January 27th Saturday 4:00 pm Angie Scarano by Marie DeVito Sunday 8:00 am Stephen Nidweski by Ed and Roseann Nidweski 10:30 am For The Parishioners Monday 9:15 am Mrs. Porcelli & Richie Nielson by Mary Howe Tuesday 9:15 am Joan Gorman by Richard Gorman Wednesday 9:15 am John Korpics by Bernie and Bev McConville Thursday 9:15 am Teresa Hnatowicz by Fr. Sean Friday 9:15 am Communion Service Saturday 4:00 pm Dr. Arthur O Leary by Tom and Ann Curley Sunday 8:00 am For The Parishioners 10:30 am Barbara McHugh by Tom McHugh 9:15 am mass will still be celebrated when we have a funeral mass that day. About the Holy Spirit The Spirit is, first and foremost, God s personal presence. The Spirit is a person and not merely a force. However, in order to let the text speak for itself, you have to start on page one of the bible. Before creation ever even began, we see a depiction of the spirit of God hovering over the dark, disordered waters of the earth, ready to begin spreading goodness and creation. In the Bible, any time we see a description of the spirit of God, such as what is depicted in the first few verses of the Bible, the Hebrew word "ruakh" is used. This word is used to describe a number of things in Hebrew, but one thing they all have in common is that they are some kind of energy. Energy (such as the wind, which is one thing that the word ruakh describes) is invisible, powerful, and necessary for life, making it a fitting description for the spirit of God. Saturday: Heb 4:12-16; Mk 2:13-17 Sunday: Is 62:1-5; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Jn 2:1-11 Monday: Heb 5:1-10; 3, 4 [4b]; Mk 2:18-22 Tuesday: Heb 6:10-20; Mk 2:23-28 Wednesday: Heb 7:1-3, 15-17; Mk 3:1-6 Thursday: Heb 7:25-8:6; Mk 3:7-12 Friday: Acts 22:3-16; Mk 16:15-18 Saturday: 2 Tm 1:1-8; Mk 3:20-21 Sunday: Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Cor 12:12-30; Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21 Confessions -Saturday 3 pm First Friday Adoration held after 9:15 am Communion Service each month. Weekly Donations 1/06/18.. $ 6,927. Solemnity of Mary Holy Day 1,873. Thank You for Your Generosity.

4 FAITH FORMATION NEWS Sunday, Jan. 20 No Class Sunday, Feb. 17 No Class Saturday, March 30: First Communion Retreat, 10 a.m. Monday, March 11 Lenten Penance Service, 7 p.m. at St. Max Sunday, April 28: Celebration of the Sacrament of First Communion, 10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday, June 9: Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation at 10:30 a.m. Mass RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CANCELLATION PROCEDURES Parents, in the event of inclement weather, you will receive an from Melissa, Coordinator of Religious Education, if classes are cancelled. If you do not receive regular s from the parish, kindly contact the parish office to ensure we have your most recent address. You may also call the parish office on Sunday morning to check if classes are cancelled for the day. LITTLE ROCK SCRIPTURE STUDY will be taking a hiatus through the winter months but resumes Tuesday, March 5th. Using both videos and written materials, this program is designed to help bring Catholics to a greater understanding of the Bible and an awareness of God s living presence in the Scriptures, as well as an appreciation of how the Bible can be applied to daily life. For more information, call or stop by the parish office. JEFF CAVINS BIBLE STUDY CONTINUES Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. and now Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. For those who have not yet had the opportunity to participate, new sessions will be introduced. For more information, contact June Schott at or by a jschott@ptd.net. Parish Life PARISH 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 2019 marks 10 years since the creation of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, when Christ the King Parish in Blakeslee merged with Our Lady of the Lake Parish right here at our present worship location. To celebrate this wonderful decade, the parish will be offering several activities and events throughout the year. Stay tuned for more information! SAVE THE DATE: FIRST FREE COMMUNITY DINNER OF 2019 Mark your calendar for Sunday, February 10, as the St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish Social Concerns Committee will hold its first FREE Community Dinner on that day in Our Lady of the Lake Hall. Detailed information will be coming soon in future bulletins, including how to sign up. UPCOMING PRE-JORDAN SESSION In order to understand and appreciate the Sacrament of Baptism, expectant parents are required to attend Baptism preparation. A Pre-Jordan session will be held for all parents preparing for their baby s baptism on Sunday, February 24, at 12 p.m. in the parish hall. Since parents are seen as their child s primary teachers, the Pre-Jordan preparation session seeks to offer parents both the support of the community and an opportunity for reassessing their own faith and responsibilities. For more information, contact Melissa Laverty in the parish office. CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS Adults who would like to become members of the Catholic Church are welcomed into a process of inquiry and formation. It is open to those who have never been baptized, those baptized in another Christian Church and those baptized as infants in the Catholic Church but who have not received further catechetical formation nor, consequently, the Sacraments of Confirmation and/or Eucharist. For more information, contact the parish office.

5 Parish Life Family Promise Essentials Collection ~ Weekend of February 2 nd /3 rd On the first weekend of February, the Social Concerns Committee is holding their winter collection for Family Promise. Items Requested: Cleaning Products (floor, bathroom, general), Laundry Detergent, 13 Gallon Trash Bags, Paper Towels, Toilet Paper, Tissues, Napkins and Paper Plates, Toothpaste and Brushes, Liquid Bath Soap for Children and Infants. Collection containers will be located near the exits to receive your donations. The parishioners of St. Maximilian Kolbe have always been very generous to these families in need. We humbly thank you for your continued support. Sympathy is a golden key that unlocks the hearts of others. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,.to comfort all who mourn. ~Isaiah 61:1,2 Footprints by Margaret Fishback Powers Jay Crandall ~ Daniella Maldanado Betty Colburn ~ Bill Gleason Darrin Rockefeller ~ Kyle Brennan Sr. Marietta ~ Lou Larson ~ Robyn Mappa Joseph McKenna ~ Louis Siroco Bob Ruezinsky ~ Fr. Urban Margaret Broderick ~ Cecilia McIlvenny Frank Ware ~ Richard Snell - Kim Maria Giganti Michael F. Romano ~ Vivian Kanopp Violet Sloat ~ Marin Stober ~ Kathleen Hanratty Jennifer Royall ~ David Mancuso ~ Paul Fulton Deacon Frank ~ Antoinette Gisoldi ~ John Schriever Lisa Champney ~ Rosa Santos ~ Leslie Fox Crystal Martinez ~ Penny Staph ~ Carolyn Donahue Sharon Jones ~ Terry & Jeanie Howe Gunner Gonzalez ~ Grace Bush Irene Halupa ~ Alice & Eileen O Neill Jim McLaine ~ Samson Colborn ~ Darlene Delaney Joan Harrigan ~ Jamie Nderitu ~ Maurice Berger Tom Schoettle ~ Sal Rullis Msgr. Fitzpatrick ~ Fr. Ed Kearns Sandra Carroll ~ Tom Flannery ~ Peter Veritas Parish Life Meetings are the 1st & 3rd Mondays of the 7 pm in the parish hall. ~ ~Facebook: Knights of Columbus Pocono Pines Bulletin submissions can be ed to mcol@ptd.net or brought into the parish office. Please submit two weeks prior to publication date otherwise we cannot promise publication date desired. ~ Thank You Prayers for Military and Government Service HA Valerie Novak ~ Sr. Airman Charlie Maldanado Alston Smart, Jr.~ Eugene Maslar, Jr ~Sgt. Matthew Price 1st Lt. Mark Gaido ~ Lt. JG Michael Huf Airman Patrick Alminde ~TECH Sgt. William D. Olsen Seaman Nicole Beckman ~ Cpl. John P. Bramley Lt. Joseph V. Yuskaitis, Jr. - Major Thomas M. Smith 2nd Class Petty Officer DC2, Jeffrey Royall Sgt. Amber Keppol ~ Sgt. Andrew Malave Sgt. Matthew Ponce ~ MK1 Katie Stodnick INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK Did you ever consider that God takes great delight in you? We are by no means second or afterthoughts of God. As the master artisan, God takes delight in every fabric of our being and every single component of who we are. We are intentionally and lovingly designed! God gets much joy out of every child He creates, and He does not abandon us. God is definitely in charge! God can take a painful past or an apparent dead-end and turn it into a glorious future. He can transform nothing into something and is always eagerly ready to give us the gifts of faith, hope, and love. We are never bound by the past and never without options. All we have to do is listen to Him. Are we willing to give up the controls and allow Him to do what He does best?

6 Parish Life RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS There are close to 7.6 billion people currently on earth. That is a lot of people! If you try to estimate how many people have collectively been born since the beginning of time, a good guess is 108 billion! It is hard to contemplate that many distinctly different human beings created by our God. In the midst of all those people, where do you and I fit? Can we really be created to make a difference in the world? One can feel very small and insignificant when reflecting on the numbers. We render ourselves insignificant when we make the mistake of seeing ourselves as being just like everybody else. However, when looking at the numbers, how can one honestly think we are all the same? Another way we become insignificant is believing the lie that one person in the midst of so many does not have the power to make an impact. However, we all spend time reading books, watching movies, or listening to news about singular people who made all the difference in some part of the world. Imagine your own world without a few key people who have touched you and made a difference. We are all created with unique gifts. We have those gifts that have been part of us from birth and those that have been imparted to us by the Holy Spirit. St. Paul tried to get the Corinthians to understand that reality when he explained to them the many gifts of the Spirit. Perhaps some of his audience back then thought they were insignificant. The message then remains the message today: God is counting on you to use what He has given you. If you don't, who will? Week of January 20th Sanctuary Light Is available for $20. for two weeks. Bread and Wine For The Unborn Altar Flowers Available for $100 for one week. Parish Life at St. Max Wed., Jan., 23rd - Adult Choir Practice - 7 pm Sat., Jan. 26th - Immaculata Prayer Meeting - 2 pm St. Maximilian Kolbe is A Welcoming Roman Catholic Parish If you would like to join our parish, registration forms may be found in our church narthex and in the parish office or if you prefer, register online at You may also call the parish office ( ) and we would be happy to send you a registration form. ********************************** PARISH COOKBOOK SALE As part of our 2019 Year of Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, a second printing of our original cookbook is available for purchase. If you have enjoyed some of the delicious dishes served at our Parish Family events, you no doubt have often heard, It s in the cookbook! The original fundraiser, designed to help purchase our statue of St. Maximilian Kolbe, was a labor of love that sold 796 cookbooks that featured 450 favorite recipes of members and friends of our St. Max Family. Did you miss the opportunity to get your copy? Is your copy so well-used that you need a new one? Would you like to give friends and family a gift that is truly in good taste? Only 300 copies have been printed. Buy your copy soon; like good cooking, they will disappear quickly! Many ways to get your copy: Purchase a copy in the Parish Office; see a minister after Masses, or go to our Parish website at Stmaxkolbepoconos.org and click on events for an order form that you can drop in the collection basket or mail back to us. Questions? Call Mary at or Lynnette at

7 Around The Diocese CATHOLIC LIFE EXPLAINED Question: Friday, January 25th is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul and the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. What does one have to do with the other? Answer: The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity consists of eight days beginning January 18th, the feast of the Chair of Peter, and ending on January 25th, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, founded in the early 20th century in Graymoor, New York, sought to promote unity among Anglicans and Roman Catholics. Paul James Wattson, a former Episcopalian priest, founded the community, which was formally accepted into the Catholic communion. The idea for Christian unity soon began to catch on, and by the 1930s, more and more Christians welcomed such a focus. Suggestions for prayer and education are distributed each year, emphasizing a jointly chosen theme. The 1964 Vatican II document on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, gave a great boost to the octave, so that today many Christians worldwide promote and participate in the octave time of prayer. The emphasis on both Peter and Paul aptly fits into the rationale of the octave. Peter is seen as the source of unity within the Christian tradition. Paul is highlighted due to his vision of bringing all to Christ. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an ideal opportunity to pray for and promote respect, understanding, and, hopefully, eventual unity among Christians. Come and Take - Resumes in March Once again, in March, during the Clymer Library business hours, the Library invites you to take what you need in our multipurpose room, no questions asked. Items are free of charge. These items are provided by local resident Elaine Madere, who collects and shares with those in need. There is no giveaway in January or February due to high probability of snow in those months, but it will resume in March on the regular schedule. Date will be announced soon. LIHEAP - Helps low-income families pay their heating bills. To apply, you will need the names of people in your household; their dates of birth; social security numbers for all and a recent heating bill. Apply online at: or request one by calling the LIHEAP After your application is processed, you will receive a written notice that will tell you if you qualify and the amount of your grant. Around The Diocese Diocesan Catholic Schools - Open House Interested students and their families are cordially invited to come experience our academic excellence and communities of faith at Open House which takes place on Sunday, January 27th. Visit the buildings, meet faculty and learn how students challenge their minds, live their faith, serve their communities and build lifelong friendships. For more details, call VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY JANUARY Thru APRIL 2019 Tax time is here! Once again, AARP together with RSVP will join forces to assist county residents complete their simple tax returns at no cost. Services will be offered at the following locations: Tannersville - St Luke s Ambulance Bldg.; Smithfield Library; Middle Smithfield Township Bldg.; Hugh Library, Stroudsburg Volunteers must be comfortable with using computer and enjoy working with people. If you are interested in learning more please contact Emily at the RSVP office by calling "Our entire good consists not only in accepting the truth of God's word, but in persevering in it." -- St. Francis de Sales FOOD PANTRY NEWS : Five Loaf House 133 Fire House Rd., Pocono Pines Distributions are to qualified persons and families only. Distributions are the Second Monday of each month and the Tuesday following that Monday. Monday Hours 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. by appointment after these hours & Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Food Donations are accepted on Mon/Tues only, from 9 a.m. -11 a.m. or call St. Maximilian Parish greatly appreciates the support of the advertisers allowing our congregation to receive this bulletin at no cost to the church. While we appreciate their support, we are not liable for any of their actions, fees, or services.