St. John the Baptist R. C. Church

Transcription

1 St. John the Baptist R. C. Church 895 Piermont Avenue, Piermont, New York December 06, 2015 Rev. Tom Kunnel, C.O. Administrator Deacon John Cunningham Deacon Robert Pang Kathleen Dunn Religious Education Director May Pang Parish Admin: MASSES Saturday: 5:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM 1:00 PM (Spanish) Weekdays: 8:00 AM Saturday: 9:00 AM Holy Days: As Announced Rectory Mon Fri 10:15 AM 4:00 PM Sat 10 AM 12 Noon (Spanish)

2 Dear Parish Family, Sat 12/5 5:00 PM John Zahn by Family 8:00 AM Madeline Rispoli by Joe & Laurie Rispoli Sun 12/6 10:30 AM Anthony Berardi by Joe,Sheila, Joey & Erica D'Auria Mon 12/7 8:00 AM Rosemarie Elizabeth O'Brien by Kathryn O'Brien Tue 12/8 8:00 AM Vincent Ryan by Lucy Bosco Wed 12/9 8:00 AM James Hoyt by Maureen Beary Thu 12/10 8:00 AM Maureen Collazuol by Dcn Rob & May Pang Fri 12/11 8:00 AM Fred Scheffold by Parish Sat 12/12 9:00 AM James Hoyt by Mildred Oslica 5:00 PM James Murray by Eileen Murray 8:00 AM Fred Scheffold Sun 12/13 by Parish 10:30 AM Anthony Berardi by Joe & Flo D'Auria THE SANCTUARY LAMP Is Being Offered this week In Memory of Fortuna Maney Angie Sassano Please remember in your prayers the Sick and/or Homebound of our Parish Family. Theresa Veen, John Miraglia, Bill Stein, Francis and Mary Conka, Sr., John Set (Deacon Bob Pang s uncle), Gerri Sherwood, Ginny Tercer, Marcelo Giuliante, Connie Lynch, Mary Nerger (Helen Spagnolo s niece), Elizabeth Flynn (Msgr Mulligan s cousin). As a Parish Family, let us remember in our prayers all our beloved departed members of our Parish Community, Martin Casey, (Joann Giblin s brother), Madeline Rispoli, Maureen Collazuol), Fortuna Maney (sister of Lucy Bosco), George Scofield (father of Amy Ramundo), Anne Di Francesca, Bo Di Francesca. PLEASE ADVISE THE RECTORY ( ) WHEN- EVER A PARISHIONER BECOMES HOMEBOUND, ILL, OR HOSPITALIZED SO ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE FOR A PRIEST, DEACON OR EUCHARISTIC MINISTER TO VISIT On this Second Sunday of Advent the Liturgy presents to us the Gospel passage in which St Luke, focuses the spotlight on to John the Baptist, who was the Precursor of the Messiah, and with great precision outlines the space-time coordinates of his preaching. Three things attract our attention in this list of names. The first is the abundance of references to all the political and religious authorities of Palestine in A.D The Evangelist evidently wanted to warn those who read or hear about it that the Gospel is not a legend but the account of a true story, that Jesus of Nazareth is a historical figure who fits into that precise context. The second noteworthy element is that after over 500 years of silence, 'the Word of the Lord' comes to an individual as the final curtain call of prophetic utterance to usher in the Messiah. The third element is quite an disquieting one. Four of these historical characters mentioned, namely Pilate, Herod, Annas and Caiaphas will encounter the announced Messiah that John proclaims. All the four will be on a collision course, pitted against the Divine in human form - Jesus of Nazareth. While "all flesh will see the salvation of God", these people in power will reject that salvation. The appearance of John in the desert and the Jordan have a literary purpose as well, pointing to Jesus' mission as a new exodus. Unlike the prophets of old who called the people to return to Yaweh ('shub' in Hebrew) repentance (metanoia in Greek) connotes an abrupt about-face in moral conduct. This radical redirection signifies a new walking with God, ongoing in nature, in separation from sin. This turn around to the opposite direction is a challenging one for every disciple of Christ, as we are tempted to be practicing our faith in some measure not totally committed. The leveling of hills and the filling of valleys has a strong moral connotation in the third gospel. The Christian life is itself a road or a way. Jesus' disciples experience their own exodus and make their own journey toward their final engagement in God. John the Baptist here echoes the Isaian return from exile recounted in the first reading by Prophet Baruch, believed to be a scribe of prophet Isaiah, heralds the coming of Jesus, and points to the way of the Christian life. While we enter into a hectic pace of decorating and gift purchasing, we need to stop and check the direction our lives are taking. We can all direct our lives doing everything we regularly do at this time of the year with the mindfulness that peace and mercy are the hallmarks of a Christ's disciple. We also enter now into the Jubilee Year of Mercy, as a special year of God's grace. If we have to make a 'metanoia' (turn around) in moral and spiritual life, THIS is the TIME. Fr. Tom Kunnel C.O.

3 WEEK IN FOCUS 9:00AM English Relig Ed 9:30AM Spanish RCIA Sun 12/6 11AM 11:30AM 11:30AM Baptism Prep Spanish Spanish Relig Ed Legion of Maria AA Meeting Happy Saint Nicholas Day to you all! Saint Nicholas is the patron of a number of things, but at the top of the list comes children. Mon 12/7 Tue 12/8 10:30AM 1PM 6:30PM 7:30PM 10AM RCIA - English CDA Knitting Relig Ed 7:30 Spanish Vigil Imac Concep Mass Scripture Class Baptism Prep Spanish Men's Club Mtg Altar Server Prep and Practice Scripture Study Group Our 6th, 7th and 8th graders are to meet at Dowling Gardens tomorrow (Monday) evening at 6:30 pm to sing for the residents. Rick Moson is our jolly song leader. Wed 12/9 Thu 12/10 Fri 12/11 Sat 12/12 7:30PM 4PM 9:45AM 1PM 7:15PM 10AM 6:30 PM 2PM 4:15PM Bible Study Spanish Mass Of Immac Concep Pageant Practice Spanish Practice Spanish Choir Practice Outreach Ministry CDA Knitting Spanish Choir Practice Rios de Agua Viva Parish Council Meeting Friday Renew Group Lighting of Tree & Christmas Caroling Pageant Rehearsal Music Rehearsal On Saturday, December 12th, our Confirmation candidates Group 2) and their parents will be at the 5:00 pm Mass. Following the Mass, they will gather in the Church Hall for a meal and a get together with Father Tom. Next Sunday, December 13th, is our next Family mass. Food for Thought... "How we spend this life determines how we spend the next. Al Smith LITURGICAL MINISTERS December Time Lectors Eucharistic Ministers Altar Servers 5:00 PM Carol Conklin-Spillane Brain Spillane Maggie Colquitt 8:00 AM Sal Caruana Lynne Dennerlein Charles Caruana Sofia Tassello 10:30 AM Religious Students Gianluca Gonzalez Nico Gonzalez 1:00 PM Micaela Lucero Liliana Samrano Lidia Reyes Yuli Mazariego Antonio Ramirez Dayana Nicole Mazariego Ayleen Lissette Sicha Evelyn Palma

4 Children s Christmas Pageant Sunday, December 13 After the Family Mass All children in the Parish are invited to participate in this special program! We need angels, shepherds, animals, town people, innkeeper, kings, drummer boys and Mary, Joseph. Parents please encourage your children to join us for this beautiful event. It will be fun for all. The Collection for 11/22 was $4984 Second Collection for Human Dev was $1275 The Collection for 11/29 was $ Club Winners #174 11/15 Pauline Teahan #192 11/22 Geralyn O Rouke Practice is : Wed 12/9 4:00 6:00 PM Sat 12/12 2:00 4:00 PM Sun 9AM Sign up Today! See May Pang or Caroline Yates Religious Ed is collecting the following for our Christmas Celebration: Styrofoam / Cardboard Meat Trays Tiny Pine Cones Big Pine Cones Religious Christmas Cards Scrap Trims (ie. Felt, garland, buttons, little silk flowers, etc.) Thanks for lending a helping hand, Kathleen & the kids. Join the fun Come & Make Merry St. John s Church Christmas Tree Lighting in front of the Church Followed by Christmas Caroling in Connelly Hall Friday, December 11 at 6:30 PM Pot Luck Finger Food and Beverages

5 The Tradition of the Jesse Tree Jesse Trees are a very old Christmas Tradition and first started in medieval times. They are used to help tell the story of the Bible from creation to the Christmas Story. The name comes from Jesse who was the Father of the great Jewish King David. One prophecy in the bible, in the book of Isaiah, says: 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD-- 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. Isaiah 11:1-4 (NIV) A branch is a sign of new life and new beginnings. Jesus was a decedent of King David and Christians believe that Jesus is this new branch. The first Jesse trees were large carvings, tapestries or even stained glass windows put in Churches that helped illiterate people (people who can't read or write) to learn about the bible from creation to the Christmas Story. But now Jesse Trees are used as a kind of Advent Calendar. You can use a normal Christmas tree or a banner in the shape of a tree. Each day through advent (or sometimes just on the four Sundays of advent) a special decoration or ornament, that tells a story from the Bible, is hung on the tree. There are very many different stories and symbols you can use. Albertus Magnus HS Christmas Boutique Sat Dec 12 10AM 4:30PM Shop, Carols music, Raffles, Goodies, Fun Over 100 Vendors For more info Albertuschristmasboutique@gmail.com We received a quarterly check from the Tappan Zee Thrift Shop in the amount of $1, Thank you to all the volunteers, donors and supporters! That is super duper good work! Thank you! Thankyou! St. John's once again took the time to remember others for Thanksgiving. We were able to put together 74 baskets due to the generosity of many parishioners. Thank you to all who donated whole baskets, food, supermarket gift cards or money to help us provide a holiday meal for those in need. A thank you also goes out to the Inserra Corporation (Shoprite) for their donation. We hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! Outreach Ministry The logo and the motto together provide a fitting summary of what the Jubilee Year is all about. The motto Merciful Like the Father (Lk. 6:36) serves as an invitation to follow the merciful example of the Father who asks us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to give love and forgiveness without measure (cfr. Lk 6:37-38). The logo the work of Jesuit Father Marko I. Rupnik presents a small summa theologiae of the theme of mercy. In fact, it represents an image quite important to the early Church: that of the Son having taken upon his shoulders the lost soul demonstrating that it is the love of Christ that brings to completion the mystery of his incarnation culminating in redemption. One particular feature worthy of note is that while the Good Shepherd, in his great mercy, takes humanity upon himself, his eyes are merged with those of man. Christ sees with the eyes of Adam, and Adam with the eyes of Christ. Every person discovers in Christ, the new Adam, one s own humanity and the future that lies ahead, contemplating, in his gaze, the love of the Father.

6 LECTURAS DE LA SEMANA Lunes: Is 35:1-10; Sal 84:9-14; Lc 5:17-26 Martes: Gén 3:9-15, 20; Sal 97;1-4; Ef 1:3-6, 11-12; Lc 1:26-38 Miércoles: Is 40:25-31; Sal 102:1-4, 8, 10; Mt 11:28-30 Jueves: Is 41:13-20; Sal 145:1, 9-13ab; Mt 11:11-15 Viernes: Is 48:17-19; Sal 1:1-4, 6; Mt 11:16-19 Sábado: Zac 2:14-17 o Ap 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Jdt 13:18bcde, 19; Lc 1:26-38 o Lc 1:39-47, o cualquier lectura del Común de la Santísima María Virgen Domingo: Sof 3:14-18a; Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6; Para los cursos pre-bautismales llamar a: Alex Aguilar y Natalia Lemus Los cursos se dan previa cita los martes 7pm y domingos 11am. Baruc 5:1-9 ; Salmo 125; Filipenses 1:4-6, 8-11 ; Lucas 3:1-6 VÍSTETE DE GOZO Hoy Baruc nos habla del esplendor que se acerca para la ciudad de Jerusalén y para todos nosotros, sea donde fuere nuestro hogar. Despójate de conflictos, nos dice, y vístete de gozo. Como una vieja cobija favorita, el gozo nos queda a la medida, y qué bien nos mantiene calientes, por muy frío que sople el viento. Pablo sabe de ese gozo cuando escribe su carta a los filipenses, orando para que crezcan en su habilidad de discernir lo que es bueno y justo. Y Lucas nos habla de Juan, el que fue anunciado por Isaías y que canta una canción parecida: Preparen el camino del Señor pues la salvación está al llegar. Hombre adelantado a su época, Baruc se pasó la vida alegremente esperando una gloria lejana. En este segundo Domingo de Adviento, Pablo y Juan saben que esta gloria se acerca. TRADICIONES DE NUESTRA FE En 1726, Juan de la Cruz ( ) fue canonizado por el Papa Benito XIII. Nació en la región de Castilla en España, este doctor de la Iglesia junto con Teresa de Ávila fue reformador de la Orden Carmelita. Muchas órdenes religiosas del siglo XV sufrieron grandes decadencias. Por eso mientras los Protestantes se separaban de la Iglesia, los religiosos descalzos, recoletos y observantes buscaban reformar órdenes religiosas, como la Orden de la Bienaventurada Virgen María del Monte Carmelo, uniéndose siempre más a la Iglesia Romana. Para los reformadores católicos quedarse en la Iglesia no fue fácil, sin embargo se quedaron! Aunque sus reformas fueron apoyadas por los Papas, muchos de ellos como Juan de la Cruz tuvieron que aguantar muchas oposiciones y persecuciones para lograr sus reformas. Estas reformas ardían con el deseo de amar bien a Cristo Jesús y a su cuerpo que es la Iglesia. En sus poesías, Juan de la Cruz muestra la fuerza de esta llama de amor vivo a pesar de la oscuridad de la noche que no lo deja encontrar al amante (Dios).

7 MINISTRIES & CHAIR PERSONS OF OUR PARISH Buildings & Grounds Pat Miele, Alex Aguilar, Paul Johnson Deanery Maureen O Connell Eucharistic Adoration Dcn Robert Pang Health Mary Loftus Hispanic Community Micaelina Maldonado/ Geny Aguilar Hospitality Robin Miller Men s Club Bill Loftus. Ralph Olsen Ushers Jake Miraglia Music Chris & Carolyn Yates Ted Simone Spanish Choir Carlos Cerna Outreach Maria Nest Parish Council William Gorman Parish Worship Dcn John Cunningham Religious Education Kathleen Dunn RCIA Dcn Robert Pang, Jose Bolaños Right to Life Scott Giblin Social Kelli Chilson Spiritual Life Johanna Krumm St. Vincent De Paul Fr. Tom Kunnel PARISH COUNCIL Kelli Chilson, Kathleen Dunn, Bill Gorman Paul Johnson, Andrew Lee, Martina Lynch, Cruz Molina, Maria Nest, Ralph Olsen, May Pang, Amy Ramundo, Carolyn Yates, Janet Zahn TRUSTEES Phil McCartin James Pontone Our Sacramental Life We celebrate Baptism: Please call the Rectory well in advance of the expected day of Baptism to arrange an appointment for an interview. Pre-baptismal meeting for parents is required. We require all Baptismal families to be registered at St. John s. Godparents must be confirmed, practicing Catholics. Generally Baptisms are celebrated the third Sunday of each month at 12:00 pm. We celebrate Reconciliation: Confessions are heard from 4:30-5:00 pm on Saturday. You may also make an appointment with one of the priests. Spanish confessions is available 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month and from 12:30 1:00 PM on Sundays. We celebrate Marriage: Marriages should be arranged at least six months in advance. Participation in Pre-Cana is essential. Please call the Rectory to schedule an appointment with one of the priests. We celebrate Anointing of the Sick: Planning to enter the hospital for elective surgery or other serious treatment, and for those who have need of spiritual healing. In an emergency, call the Rectory at any time. We celebrate Holy Orders: Any gentleman interested in exploring the question of vocation to the priesthood or the permanent diaconate should contact Fr. Tom Kunnel. We would also be happy to direct anyone interested in living their lives as Religious Sisters or Brothers. We celebrate the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults: We welcome you to full membership in the life of the Church. The instruction for Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist for adults. If interested please contact Dcn Robert Pang. Parish Registration: All adults (over age 21) should register in the parish themselves and should use envelopes or parishpay.com. Tithing is 5% of income. This registration is our only means of certifying anyone as a member of the parish, especially for Baptism and Confirmation sponsorship letters and for scheduling Baptisms and Weddings. Correction to the identity of people in the 11/22 bulletin picture: Joe and Florence D Auria married in St. John s Church on August 16, The honored guest was Cardinal Spellman visiting St. John for our 100th Anniversary. From left to right: Phil DeLorenzo, Rocco Memmolo, Cardinal Spellman, Helen Kane, and John Streppone. Thank you to the anonymous caller who let us know us know the correct names.