January 3, Epiphany Sunday

Transcription

1 January 3, Epiphany Sunday

2 Pastor Fr. Tony Herold Emerg. Phone: (563) Deacon Deacon Robert McCoy (Ret.) Deacon Bob Shaw, Parish Secretary Michelle Fury, Director of Parish Life Michelle Herrington Finance Manager Rose Strickland Director of Pastoral Care Donna Enderle Directors of Evangelization & Mission Michael Havercamp Tasha Havercamp Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry Luke Ebener Director of Religious Education Jen Brooke Director of Music Dr. Jacob Bancks School Principal Julie Delaney, Parish Prayer Chain Elaine Lewandoski (563) Parish Website A Message from Father Tony Herold Once again at this time of year, due to the deadlines for the bulletin, I have not had a chance to write yet about the Christmas liturgies celebrated in our parish. As usual, though, there were many people who worked together to make these holy days shine. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, still within the Christmas Season the Christmas mystery of God s birth among us continues! I am grateful for the many parishioners who gave of their time and talent to make the celebration of Christmas 2015 such a marvelous act of worship! The folks who decorated the Church created an environment that elegantly spoke of the Christmas mystery. I always am particularly impressed with Keith Bonnstetter's artistic snowflakes and the magnificent three-dimensional mobile that hangs from the ceiling of the Church. We are blessed with creative, artistic and talented folks who bring a special touch of class to our Church. Sue Gallagher organizes the efforts to transform our liturgical environment alongside many others too numerous to mention. Particularly impressive are the many worshippers for the 4:00 pm Christmas Eve Mass. The Church, gathering space, and Denning Hall are usually filled to the brim. Once again this year two Masses were celebrated at the same time. Many thanks to Fr. Bob McAleer for presiding at the Mass in Denning Hall. Thanks also to Dr. Jacob Bancks and the choir for sharing their talents as well as the other musicians and cantors that gave of their time and talent to make all of our Masses true experiences of divine worship. Finally, I extend my appreciation to all those who donated their time as Eucharistic Ministers, altar servers, lectors, and ushers. All five Masses were special events that allowed us to enter into the mystery of our Savior s birth. As always, we would welcome your feedback concerning your experience this Christmas so we can improve our worship next year. On a more personal note, I once again wish to thank all who were so generous this Christmas with your cards, food, candy, and gifts. My heart is full (as is my stomach!). I praise God for the support and the generosity of this parish community. God bless you through the New Year! After Jesus' birth in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of King Herod, astrologers from the east arrived one day in Jerusalem inquiring, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage. (Matthew 2) *As we approach this new year, where do you find the presence of God in your daily life? How will you do Him homage this year?

3 The Boche Family: The Birth of a Child Changes Everything Scott and Kelly, along with their beautiful family (four girls and a sweet little man Sammy) have been parishioners at St. Paul s since Although you may recognize Kelly s friendly smile at the front office of the school, you ll also see the Boche family actively engaged in various aspects of parish life. But, that hasn t always been the case. Looking at how they live their lives now, one might not know that Christ hasn t always been a priority in the Boche family. Many of us can relate, going through periods where Jesus isn t the center of our lives. Kelly and Scott recall their early years. We were both raised in the Catholic faith, went through Catholic schools, and were married in the Catholic Church. We did what was expected of us because we were Catholic. When we were younger, just married and on our own, we didn t always put Jesus first. We went through a period where we didn t attend Mass on a regular basis, and we felt like we didn t need anything from God. It was the birth of a child that prompted a change. Looking into the eyes of that sweet baby girl, we realized that she was a gift from God and that she was our responsibility. She totally changed our way of thinking. We realized that it was our job to love her and teach her and help her grow in Christ s love. Mass attendance became more regular and through the years, we have opened our hearts fully to God and do all that we can to share His love with all of our children, and to keep Him present at all times. Daily prayer helps us get through life and we teach our children to pray through every situation that they encounter. Our faith life is very important to us. It hasn t always been easy pursuing the life of discipleship, but they have come to realize that with God, they can get through anything. Through any struggle they face, resting in the confidence that God is always with us ensures their ability to cope and deal with whatever life throws them. Whether it has been watching their children mourn the loss of a friend or classmate (at too young of an age) or starting over from scratch, they share that the only way we were able to pull through a very dark time in their life was to turn to God. Through prayer, support and love we were able to overcome. God is always with us. Kelly and Scott share that Jesus has shown us a lot of things, but probably the number one thing is patience. When situations arise where times are stressful, we turn to Jesus and he guides us through them. Instead of worrying about it, we take the time (with Christ s intervention) to think it through and pray on it and hopefully in the end, we are ready to face the challenge with no reservations. The older they get, the more they have learned from past mistakes about how to be better Christians. And at the end of day one of their main priorities it to teach our children that they are not perfect, but they are loved, no matter what. Whatever life choices they make, we may not like it, but we will still love them and push them to let Jesus guide them.

4 What s Greater Than Being Christ s Mother? By: Michael Havercamp January 1 st marks the beginning of another year, but it also holds special liturgical significance in the Latin Rite as the feast day for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Why is this day so important for us? We gather for this holy day of opportunity to commemorate an epochal turn in the history of the universe, the dawning of a new beginning for life as we know it. Rise up in splendor, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed, Your light has come (Is 60:1). With ten simple words Let it be done to me according to your word Mary gave rise to a new reality, one that impacts each and every one of us. In a physical sense, Mary created a space for the Word to become flesh, for God to become human. This is no doubt a dignity that sets Mary apart, that allows us to say, Blessed art thou among women. Yet Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition point us to an even greater event that elevates Mary s life as a model for all those who follow Jesus. Speaking of Mary, St. Augustine suggested, It was a greater thing to have been Christ s disciple than to have been his mother. She was more blessed in her discipleship than in her motherhood. Certainly, Augustine wasn t taking anything away from the motherhood of Mary. Yet he points us to the key to understanding Mary s unique relationship with Jesus and, in turn, her unique relationship to us. Jesus was once told that his mother and brothers were looking for him. In typical rabbinical fashion, Jesus responded with a question, Who are my mother and my brothers? Pointing to his disciples, Jesus exclaimed, These are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me (Mk 3:33-35). Another account reveals a call from the crowd, Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you! To this Jesus responded, Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it! (Lk 11:27-28). Mary s preeminence issues primarily from her discipleship - her attention, willingness, and obedience to do the will of God. Augustine says, That is why Mary is blessed, because she heard the word of God and kept it. She kept truth safe in her mind even better than she kept flesh safe in her womb. What could possibly be better than being Christ s mother? Being Christ s disciple. As we begin a new year, we look, with Mary, to Jesus as our light, our hope, our salvation. We honor Mary as one chosen by God to bear the Savior into the world and we look to her as she shows us the way to eternal life, Do whatever he tells you (Jn 2:5). Let this be the year that we become, like Mary, intentional disciples of Jesus Christ, singing, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. St. Augustine, Sermon 72/A, 7.

5 Christmas Flower Memorials The St Paul's Knight's of Columbus will be hosting a joint Trivia/Movie night to raise funds for the Jason Evert Chastity Project that is coming to our community in April Doors will open at 6pm. The movie and Trivia both begin at 6:30 pm. Beauty and the Beast will be shown. Babysitting will be available for those who would like to attend Trivia. $5/child with a max of $15/family. Trivia is $10/person with 8 people per table. Popcorn will be provided for both Trivia and the movie. Bring your own drinks and snacks if more are desired. January 10th Please join us for coffee, donuts and fellowship in Denning Hall after the 9am Mass. Altar & Rosary will serve coffee, donuts, milk and juice. This is a great time to connect with other members of the parish! King s Harvest Ministries needs your support!! Since the beginning of December, our parish has prepared and served 240 meals to the men and women that visit the winter shelter at King's Harvest Ministries. This level of generosity is incredible! Let's keep the momentum going by helping provide more meals to the men and women that visit the winter shelter. Items needed include bottled water, individually wrapped deserts (granola bars, brownies, etc.), and single serving bags of chips. If you wish to help, please contact Tom Roche at The King's Harvest Homeless Shelter serves the less fortunate in our society suffering from severe mental disabilities and drug/alcohol addictions that result in them having no job, no home, and nothing to eat. These individuals on the fringes of our society pack into a cafeteria and sleep on mats all winter long to avoid our extreme Quad City winter weather. They rely on the goodwill of others for all of their basic needs. Grace Almand Laurentino Arango Mr. & Mrs. Emanuel Bernick Paul & Marian Crowley The Dyer & Schiltz Families Geraldine Ellis Robert Ellis Cheryl Glopp John Paul Goldermann Don Griebel Grace & Fred Griebel Willie & Veronica Gross Matthew & Marguerite Hart Mary Kabol Heinold Mr. & Mrs. George Hirstein Sandra L. Hirstein Max Holeman Marina Iglesias Edna & Leo Jensen Jack Jensen The Stan & Tom Jones Families The Kelly & Phillips Families The Kirsch Families Schmitt & Kratt Families Carter LeBeau Mr. & Mrs. Edward Longman Vickie Lowe Morris & Kathryn McCarthy Dan & Leana McKeon Edmund & Margaret Molyneaux Peter & Loretta Neurohr The McNamara & Noth Families George & Ruth Nuessli Carrie Olson Art & Catherine Paar Joe & Dorothy Purcell Janice Reynolds Lowell & Darlene Rothbart William J. Schiltz Russell & Agnella Stock Eldon Stoneking Father Pat Thompson Bill & Cecilia Wagner Andy Wallace The Wengert & Berry Families

6 This Week SUNDAY, January 3 11:00AM - CLOW & Babysitting 12:00PM - Arts & Environment Christmas Decoration Takedown 1:00PM - Prayer Shawl, McEleney MONDAY, January 4 8:30AM - WL Prayer Team, MPR 6:30PM - Liturgy Prep, Parish Office TUESDAY, January 5 3:30PM - Worship Com, Parish Office 4:30PM - Adoration 6:30PM - Boy Scouts, MPR 7:00PM - Stewardship, Parish Office WEDNESDAY, January 6 9:00AM - Koffee Klutchers 9:15AM - Mom s Morning 6:30PM - Adult Choir, Church 6:30PM - Rel. Ed, School THURSDAY, January 7 3:15PM - Play Practice, GS 6:00PM - Grief Ministry, McEleney 6:30PM - CEW Renewal, Denning 6:30PM - RCIA, Gathering Space 7:00PM - Prayer Group, MPR 7:00PM - Baptism Class, Parish Office FRIDAY, January 8 3:15PM - Play Practice, GS 4:45PM - Boy Scout Lock-in SATURDAY, January 9 9:00AM - Reconciliation 9:30AM - 1st Reconciliation Retreat, School 4:30PM - CLOW SUNDAY, January 10 10:15AM - Coffee & Donuts 10:15AM - New Member Mtg, McEleney 11:00AM - CLOW & Babysitting 6:30PM - Confirmation Lg. Group, Denning Hall Volunteers Needed Please join the Art and Environment Committee on Jan 3 after the 11 am Mass to remove the Christmas decorations. Questions contact Sue 563/ Free Tax Return Preparation!!! The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offers free tax help to people who make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English speaking taxpayers. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation to qualified individuals. The program starts on January 16, 2016 and runs through April 15, Please call (563) to determine whether you qualify for this free service and to schedule an appointment. If You Believe in God, You Believe in Stewardship True stewardship calls us to recognize one simple yet profound truth: everything we have comes from God. Everything we own is really on loan from Him. This is what makes us stewards. Stewardship is not a program, or a fundraising campaign. Stewardship is not a buzzword or round-about way of asking for more money. As we grow in our understanding of true stewardship we recognize everything as gift. Living stewardship allows us to use our gifts wisely, to the very best of our ability, for the good of God s Church. Living as a true steward requires a conversion of the heart; taking us down a path toward a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. Prayer, worship, reflection; these are the foundational building blocks of faithful stewardship. Stewardship, simply defined, is putting our faith first making God a priority in our lives. Before we can sincerely give any portion of our time, talent and treasure to God, we must give Him all of our hearts. Envelope Income for the week of Dec 19/20, 2015 Envelope Income $ 22,262 ACH Income $ 16,712 Total Wkly. Income $ 38,974 Dec.. Envelope to date: $ 83,187 Mthly Budget to date: $ 69,525 Month Over/Short $ 13,662 Fiscal YTD Collected $541,359 Fiscal YTD Budgeted $533,025 YTD Over/Short $ 7,334

7 Mass Intentions Monday, January 4, 2016 No Mass Tuesday, January 5, :30AM - Katherine Molyneaux Wednesday, January 6, :30 AM Deceased Members of the Block and Hughes Family Thursday, January 7, :30 AM Ronald Grenko Friday, January 8, :30AM - George Korey 9:30 AM Joe Guise Saturday, January 9, :30 PM - Teresa Grzybowski. Sunday, January 10, :00AM - Scott Karwath 11:00AM - People of the Parish Mass Times Sunday Masses: 4:30 PM Vigil; 9:00 & 11:00 AM Daily Masses: 6:30AM Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 8:30AM Wednesday, Friday & 1st Saturday of each month (8:30AM Mass on Friday is at 9:30AM when school is in session) Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturdays 9:30AM - 10:30AM Adoration: Tuesdays at 4:30PM Readings for the Week Monday: 1 Jn 3:22 4:6; Ps 2:7bc-8, 10-12a; Mt 4:12-17, Tuesday: 1 Jn 4:7-10; Ps 72:1-4, 7-8; Mk 6:34-44 Wednesday: 1 Jn 4:11-18; Ps 72:1-2, 10, 12-13; Mk 6:45-52 Thursday: 1 Jn 4:19 5:4; Ps 72:1-2, 14, 15bc, 17; Lk 4:14-22a Friday: 1 Jn 5:5-13; Ps 147:12-15, 19-20; Lk 5:12-16 Saturday: 1 Jn 5:14-21; Ps 149:1-6a, 9b; Jn 3:22-30 Sunday: Is 42:1-4, 6-7or Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 29:1-4, 9-10 or Ps 104:1b-4, 24-25, 27-30; Acts 10:34-38 or Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Lk 3:15-16, To report child abuse contact: Iowa Department of Human Services Child Abuse Hotline: If the abuse involves clergy or church personnel, also notify Alicia Owens, the Victim Assistance Coordinator for the Diocese of Davenport at or vac@diodav.org.

8 CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS St. Paul the Apostle Church # East Rusholme Street Davenport, IA TELEPHONE CONTACT PERSON Michelle Fury SOFTWARE MSPublisher Adobe X Windows TRANSMISSION TIME Wednesday, December 23, 2015 SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION Sunday, January 3, 2016 NUMBER OF PAGES SENT 1 through 8 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS Please use color throughout. 700 copies THANK YOU!