God Created You with a Purpose POWERSOURCE. January 2019 ASK JESUS:

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1 January 2019 St. Kilian Congregation 428 Forest Street Hartford, WI Dennis Vlasak, DRE ext. 406 Attendance ext. 307 God Created You with a Purpose POWERSOURCE ASK JESUS: 1. To help your children realize they are wonderfully made in God s image. 2. To remind family members they each have a God-given purpose. 3. To reveal his plans for each person, no matter his or her age. Because January is a time for new beginnings, let s go back to the very beginning. Genesis, the Bible s first book, starts with the words In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Over six days, God made the entire world and everything in it. Young children are usually intrigued by the creatures God fashioned to fill the air, water, and land. Most children s Bibles colorfully depict the variety of marvelous animals God made. Yet it s also important to emphasize God s final creative act before resting: making people in his own image. Humans weren t just God s grand experiment; instead, our Creator has a specific purpose and plan for each of his beloved children. As kids grow, they often wonder, Why am I here? or What am I supposed to do with my life? The main reason God created people is because he wants to have a relationship with us. Our ultimate purpose is to love God and to believe in his Son, Jesus. By growing closer to God through his Word and through prayer, we can begin discovering what specific plans he has in store for our lives. As Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says, We are God s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Read on for some active experiences that reinforce what God made and how he created us with a purpose.

2 Everything God Made Is Good! After creating the world, God called it good. What an understatement! In fact, God s work is incredible! Whether you look at creation up close or from far off, you must admit it s amazing. God thought up the tiniest bug and the largest planet. And he created people not merely to populate his world but to share him and his love with others. We ve never needed God s love more. Although human sinfulness marred his perfect world, God never gives up on us. Instead, he faithfully continues working through his imperfect creations to fulfill a perfect plan. TEACHABLE MOMENTS God s Plan Boxes You ll need a Bible, one medium-size box per family member, wrapping paper, and decorating supplies such as markers and stickers. Decorate your boxes, making sure they still open. Afterward, say: Let s store in these boxes reminders of how God uses challenges to do great things in our lives. For example, you can add a ribbon from a sports event to remind you of the satisfaction that comes from practice. Or you can include a note of encouragement you receive. Read aloud Psalm 33:11. Ask: What does this Bible verse say about God s plans for you? What are some amazing things God has already done in your life? Read aloud Psalm 40:4-5. Ask: Why do you think God takes the time to make plans for each of us? Why is it important to follow God s plan? Close in prayer, thanking God for making each of you on purpose. Time to Create! Make clay by squishing together for five minutes 1 cup flour, 1/3 cup salt, and 1/3 cup tap water. Create a never-seen-before animal or plant. Name the creation and compare it to something God made in Genesis 1. Wonderfully Made Read aloud Psalm 139:14. Call out body parts, and have family members name good uses for each one. For example, God gave me hands to help others, or I use my ears to listen to teachers. Then hold hands and repeat the first part of the verse four times. Creation Snack Mix Make a treat to represent what God created: Day 1: Light and dark (mini Oreo cookies) Day 2: Sky and ground (Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal) Day 3: Trees, grass, and flowers (stick pretzels, green and red M&M s candies) Day 4: Sun, moon, and stars (orange and yellow M&M s candies) Day 5: Birds and fish (Goldfish crackers) Day 6: People, plus all animals that walk on the ground (animal cookies) Day 7: God rested (marshmallow pillows ) and saw that everything he made was good (enjoy!). Follow God s Plans Cut a large red paper heart into 10 pieces. Put each piece in a separate envelope. Tape five envelopes in easy-to-see places and five in hard-to-see places (inside cabinet doors or under chairs). Tell family members to search for 10 envelopes while following your traveling instructions (hop, tiptoe, crawl, etc.). Lead the group to all the envelopes, then assemble the pieces. Ask: How does God show us his love? Read aloud Jeremiah 29:11. Say: God loves us and has good plans for us. If you hadn t followed my instructions, you wouldn t have found all these pieces. Let s follow God so we don t miss the great things he has planned for us! A Perfect Plan Display a globe. Say: We can see only a small part of the world at a time, but God always sees his entire creation and has a plan for every creature. Ask what jobs God gave cows, dogs, and mosquitoes. Say: Although they re pesky to us, mosquitoes even have a place in God s world, as food for bats and birds. Read aloud Psalm 89:11. Say: This Bible verse reminds us that God has a plan for everything he made even mosquitoes! Put your hands on the globe and pray, thanking God for the whole world. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

3 MEDIA MADNESS MOVIE Title: A Dog s Way Home Genre: Adventure, Family Rating: PG Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos Synopsis: In this movie, based on a novel by W. Bruce Cameron, Bella the Pitbull travels 400 miles to return to Lucas, her owner. The loyal dog must survive the Colorado wilderness to make it back to her person. Our Take: As with Cameron s book and movie A Dog s Purpose, expect this to tug on your heartstrings. The perilous situations may be tough for some children to watch. Discuss the concepts of being lost and found especially how Jesus searches for us, his lost sheep. Also talk about what it means to have unwavering devotion. Games, Podcasts & Apps Super Mario Party This Nintendo Switch game offers the original board-game-style play of Mario Party but with upgraded strategic elements. It also has 80 skill-based mini-games and Toad s Rec Room, which lets you pair up two gaming systems. Up to four people can play. Rated E, with mild cartoon violence. Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest This podcast from Pinna, an ad-free app for ages 3-8, features Grimm fairy tales with a twist. A classroom of gradeschoolers tries to predict plot points, reacts to enchanting creatures, and challenges the tales logic. Reviews call the podcast fun, daring, and highly interactive. TV Title: Let s Go, Luna! Network: PBS Kids Synopsis: This new TV series for kids ages 4 to 7 introduces viewers to cultures throughout the world. As three friends (a wombat, a butterfly, and a frog) travel with their parents performance troupe, Luna the Moon helps them learn about each region and its people, food, music, and folktales. Each episode contains two 11-minute stories. Our Take: PBS continues to make education fun and age-appropriate. This series encourages curiosity about our diverse world and teaches basic social-studies concepts. It also shows children the importance of global citizenship and cultural appreciation lessons you can reinforce when you travel as a family, even close to home. Bully Alert Researchers developed this free Android app to combat cyberbullying. The app tracks a child s public Instagram account for signs of bullying and alerts parents within two hours of the onset of any problems. Parental feedback helps the app become personalized over time. CULTURE & TRENDS Getting Organized Nannies are so 2018! More parents are using family assistants to help with childcare, household duties, driving, and schedule management. Two moms who launched the familyassistant service Nest Easy say meal prep is one of their clients biggest needs. (various websites) Slime Is Here to Stay Love it or hate it, the slime craze is more than a fad. Forecasters say the glue-hungry goop has legs because caregivers seek out tactile, educational activities for kids. (cen.acs.org) QUICK STATS Back-to-School, Winter Edition If you ran out of ideas to keep kids busy over Christmas break, you re not alone. Last year, 58% of parents said they wished summer break were over after 13 days. (businesswire.com) Soup s On Use Care! Almost 10,000 U.S. children receive burns from instant-soup products every year. (aap.org) On the Horizon? Although only about 5% of families own a virtual reality headset, 62% of parents believe VR will prove educational for their kids. (smallbiztrends.com; commonsensemedia.org) This page is designed to help educate parents and isn t meant to endorse any movie, music, or product. Our prayer is that you ll make informed decisions about what your children watch, read, listen to, and play.

4 January, 2019 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 6 3:00 pm Epiphany Concert Epiphany of the Lord 13 1 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Holy Day of Obligation New Year s Day St. Elizabeth Ann Seton St. John Neumann Baptism of the Lord nd Sunday of Ordinary Time 27 3 rd Sunday of Ordinary Time No class for 4K- Grade 7 We DO HAVE class for Gr MLK Jr. Day 1 st Eucharist meeting 6:30pm St. Marianne Cope Sat., Feb. 2 Grade 10 Day of Reflection 9:00a - 5:30p 1 st Eucharist meeting 9:00am Sun., Feb. 3 Confirmation Reflection Day 9:00 Mass & Reflection 10:00a-3:00p

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6 The St. Kilian Scrip Fundraising Program is third source funding designed to assist in the budgetary needs of the educational ministries of St. Kilian Parish. Families are encouraged to use this program to reduce their tuition expenses each year. This includes Religious Ed tuition!! Families will receive 50% of the rebates offered through the gift card companies after the initial $50.00 in rebates are met. The first $50.00 in rebates helps to cover the cost of having Scrip inventory available to buy locally. If you need assistance with the Scrip Program, please contact our Scrip coordinator, Linda Thimm at SHOP WITH SCRIP FOR REGULAR SHOPPING PURCHASES AND ALL GIFT GIVING! Don't forget to purchase your gift cards or ecards for those special people on your list! If you haven't registered for Scrip, please click on the link below. Might we suggest signing up with to make your purchases from the comfort of your couch or while you are standing in line at the store! Or, myscripwallet.com on your phone! Scrip can be purchased Thursdays at 5:30 pm, or after Weekend Masses. Scrip is available, or may be ordered, in the St. Joseph Room just off the Gathering Space. Scrip is also available in the Parish Office during normal Business Hours. You may purchase and use Scrip even if you do not register. All profits would then go directly to the parish. For more information, check out the links below: Register with Scrip (To participate in program to have profit go to a specific area) Shop with Scrip (Online) (Optional...but useful!) See Scrip information on the Parish website by clicking On your phone go to myscripwallet.com to purchase and use scrip right on your phone!

7 Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest Sunday, January 13 th 2-3pm St. Kilian Gym

8 The Evening Program has a change in schedule so everyone may watch the Super Bowl. There will be Evening Sessions on January 27 th, and then, no Evening Sessions on February 3 rd, Super Bowl Sunday. The Catechism Questions: A Continuing Series [Text] 44. Why does the Church need the Catechism at this time? St. Kilian News Join our FACEBOOK page!! The Second Vatican Council re-defined and re-affirmed the Church's traditional teachings for the contemporary world. Just as in the cases of previous Ecumenical Councils, after the Second Vatican Council, there was a need to consolidate those teachings and re-present them in a compelling and inviting way. In addition, today many people are looking for a clear and coherent presentation of the Church's teaching. The Catechism provides such an intelligent and complete presentation. [Text] 45. How does the Catechism strengthen [Text] the Church's bond of unity rather than cause division within the Church? Search On our Facebook page you will find updates from the School, Religious Ed, and Parish. Visit the St. Kilian Web Site Have a question about a parish event after office hours? Wonder how to go about contacting a member of the parish staff? Want to find an answer about the Church s Liturgical Year? Missing a permission slip for your child and wonder how to obtain another? Want to know when a meeting is being held? Want to see a current or older bulletin? Want information on how to find help for a family member with mental health issues? All these and more can be found on the St. Kilian website! Go to for information and answers. Pope John Paul II said that the Catechism provides "the service of supporting and confirming the faith of all the disciples of the Lord Jesus, as well as to strengthen the bonds of unity in the same apostolic faith." The Catechism, then, is intended to "carefully guard the unity of the faith and fidelity to Catholic doctrine." The Catechism sets forth what Catholics believe throughout the world without regard for their particular cultural situations. It seeks to foster the unity of the faith as it is lived distinctively throughout the universal Church. In addition, the "In Brief" summaries especially offer a common language of faith for diverse believers to express and celebrate the one [Photo] Catholic faith. The Catechism has a great potential to diminish division within the Church and draw believers closer to one another and to Christ. REMINDERS OF IMPORTANT DATES FOR FIRST EUCHARIST Tuesday, Jan. 22 or Saturday, Jan. 26 am First Eucharist Parent Meeting. Must attend one of these dates. Sunday, April 14 th 1:00-4:00pm - Afternoon of Reflection Sunday, May 5 th 2:00pm - First Eucharist Celebration

9 Grades 10 & 11 - Days of Reflection The 10th Grade Day of Reflection is scheduled for Saturday, February 2 nd beginning at 9:00 am. Students should report to the St. Theodore Room. This will be a full day concluding with mass at 4:30 pm which all of the students will attend. They will be dismissed following mass about 5:30 pm. There is a $10.00 fee due by Sunday, January 20 th. Students are asked to leave cell phones at home. The nature of a retreat or day of reflection is to get away from external distractions. Information will be mailed out in early January. January RE at a Glance Confirmation Sponsor/Candidate - Day of Reflection One important part of our Confirmation program here at Saint Kilian is to bring the Confirmation Candidate and Sponsor together for a guided time of reflection. All candidates and sponsors are expected to participate in this day. Information will be mailed to sponsors soon. Sunday, February :00 am Mass Students and Sponsors attend Mass together. 10:00 Noon Reflection Time in the St. Theodore Room of the Parish Center. Noon School Cafeteria - (Provided by the Parents). 12:30 3:00 pm Reflection Time in the St. Theodore Room of the Parish Center. All students and sponsors are required to attend. If a sponsor cannot be present, a parent needs to be present with the student. Jan. 6 10:00-11:00 am - Class - 4K-Grade 7 & 6:30-8:00 pm - Class - Grades 8-11 Jan :00-11:00 am - Class - 4K-Grade 7 Jan. 13 6:30-8:00 pm - Class - Grades 8-11 Jan. 20 9:00 am - Children s Mass - All children should attend. Grade 3 - Gospel Procession - Students should meet their Catechist in the Gathering Space near the Sacristy before Mass. Children s Collection Jan :00-11:00 am - Class - 4K-Grade 7 Jan Bingo for Senior parishioners and friends hosted by Grade 10 RE classes 1:00 2:30 pm Jan. 20 6:30-8:00 pm - Class - Grades 8-11 Jan. 27 NO CLASS - 4K-Grade 7 Jan. 27-6:30-8:00 pm - Class - Grades 8-11 (Off next week for the Super Bowl) Feb. 2-9:00 am - 5:30 pm - Grade 10 Day of Reflection Feb. 3 - Confirmation Candidate/Sponsor Day of Reflection 9:00 Mass, Reflection 10:00-2:30 Feb. 3-10:00-11:00 am - Class - 4K-Grade 7 Feb. 3 NO EVENING CLASS - Grades 8-11 Super Bowl St. Kilian s 10th Grade Religious Education Students Cordially invites Senior Family Members, Friends, and Adults from the Parish For an afternoon of BINGO On Sunday, January 20, 2019 From 1:00-2:30 PM In the St. Kilian Gathering Space Prizes and Refreshments

10 Thank you for your participation! Service Experience for our Parish Communities For the fourth year the Youth of St. John and St. Kilian will be holding a hygiene item and sock drive for Capuchin Community Services in Milwaukee during the Season of Lent. We will again collect the items that will then be donated St. Ben s Community Meal and the House of Peace. At this time details of the drive are still being finalized with the Capuchin s based on the needs of their clients. Special Bags from the Capuchins will be distributed that will have a list of hygiene items that they are looking for on the bag. The Youth would again like both St. John and St. Kilian Parishes to be involved in this service experience. Bags will placed at the entrances to both parishes. Please watch the bulletin for details as they are finalized! Thank [Text] you for being a part of our family here at St. Kilian Parish and for fulfilling the responsibility you assumed when you had your child or children baptized that you would be the first teachers of your children in the ways of the faith. Helping you to be the first and best teachers is the reason that St. Kilian provides Religious Education programs for your children. We understand that life is demanding and that the religious education of your children competes with many other activities in your weekly schedule. Please know that the first and most important religious education tool at your disposal is weekly celebration of Mass and participation in the sacramental life of the Church. When you look at the Ten Commandments you see that the first three have to do with God keeping God first in our lives; respecting his Holy Name; and keeping holy the Lord s Day [by participation at Mass] these are first because we are called to love God before anything else. Our love for others and the things of the world flows from our love for God. [Text] St. Kilian School has applied to [Text] join the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP) for the school year. Students, who would like to attend St. Kilian School without the financial means to do so, may apply to the WPCP between February 1st and April 20th. Requirements for the program include: Residential: Students must live in Wisconsin Enrollment: Students may enroll in any grade if they were enrolled in a public school the previous year; if they did not attend school during the previous year; if they will enroll in 4K, 5K, or 1st grade during the school year. Current students at St. Kilian School may only apply if they will be entering 4K, 5K, or 1st grade. Current 8th grade students, who meet these requirements, may apply for Catholic High Schools, who participate in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program. [Photo] Financial: The financial requirement depends on parent income, as well as the number in the household. Parents who are married may add an additional $7,000 to their income max. For details on the income limits, please click here. For questions regarding the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program, please contact our school principal, Jenny Trimberger, at x116 or trimbergerj@stkiliacong.org.

11 [Photo box] Goats Help Families Feed Themselves [Text and Photos] [Text and Photos] Did you know that a single goat can produce about 11 glasses of milk per day? That's 250 GALLONS a year that can boost nutrition and incomes for families in need. Because of a national matching grant, every goat given was matched with two more, providing THREE TIMES the milk and opportunities to help families struggling in the face of poverty and hunger. So far, we have raised $990! That means the youth of St. John and St. Kilian have been able to send 24 goats to Peru, Bolivia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, India, Cambodia, China or another very poor country throughout the world. On small farms, goats are often the key to a family's survival. Goats: ~Provide milk, cheese and butter for nourishment ~ Boost income through sales of extra milk and wool ~Encourage better crop yields by creating fertilizer and clearing land Goats are known for providing delicious milk, which can be used to create cheese that can be sold for income, in turn providing a family's children the opportunity to go to school. Goat milk is more easily digestible, and one animal can produce up to four gallons a day. Goats are ideal for zero grazing, which means very little land is needed to raise them. Their natural curiosity and intelligence also makes them great pets for families with children. [Title] Thank you for donating to the Youth of St. John and St. Kilian s Advent Service project. If you haven t donated yet, but would like to, please put [Text] your donation (check made out to St. Kilian Parish) in the collection basket or mail to St. Kilian/St. John Parish Office, 428 Forest St., Hartford, WI We will be sending a check to Heifer International soon! Music Ministry s Epiphany Concert Come hear the Children s Choirs (Cherubs and Choristers) join the Adult Choir (Bella Voce), the Bell Choir [Title] (JuBELLation), and the Guitar Ensemble [Text] (Aggiornamento) in their annual Epiphany Concert celebrating the Christmas Season. The Concert is Sunday, January 6 th at 3:00 pm in St. Kilian Church. Holy Day of Obligation January 1 st, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is a Holy Day of Obligation. All Catholics are obligated to attend Mass on this day. Masses will be held Monday, December 31 st, 6:30 pm at St. John, Rubicon, and Tuesday, January 1 st, 9:00 am at St. Kilian.

12 A New Year and New Beginnings [Text] By Joe Paprocki As the magi followed the light of the star, we too follow the light of Christ that we may be a community of welcome, a people of generosity, and a dwelling place for God. Let us pray that in this new year of grace the Spirit will transform all our gifts and our work into signs leading to Christ's presence. May your New Year be blessed with Christ the Light! Like most people, I find myself making one or two New Year s resolutions usually associated around some form of selfimprovement (diet and exercise). Some I keep; others I m less successful at keeping. While New Year s Day is about new beginnings, there is an important distinction to be made between our approach to the new liturgical year that has just begun and the New Year on our secular calendar. Ultimately, New Year s resolutions are about something that we decide to do; it is our initiative and relies upon our own discipline and strength of will. The new beginnings that our liturgical year speaks of (including the resolutions we will soon pm in be St. making Kilian for Church. Lent in just a few short [Text] months) are about what God is doing in our lives; it is all about God s initiative and our receptivity. This is made clear to us in the Book of Isaiah (43:19), where God says: See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. God does not tell us to do something new but rather calls us to pay attention to what it is that God is doing and to respond accordingly. Our role is always to receive and to pay attention [Photo] what we can do to remove obstacles to our receptivity and to improve our receptivity. Like a wide receiver in football who goes out to receive a pass, we must do what we can to keep our eye on the quarterback, to run the route he has mapped out for us, and to elude our opponent in order to stay in the clear so that we can receive. As we enter into this New Year in our secular calendar and continue to enter into the new year of our liturgical calendar, may we pay greater attention to the new beginnings that God is offering to us, and may we strive to be more receptive to those graces! [Text] What new beginning is God inviting you to receive as the New Year begins?

13 Gospel Reflections I have had a number of requests to include a reflection on the Gospels in the parent newsletters. So, here is my attempt at a reflection on the Gospels of Christmas Season and the Sundays in January. I have reviewed several sources in writing these reflections. I have also included some reflections for the family and activities that you might do as a family. You can find these at the bottom portion of each weekly reflection. I hope you find these helpful. Christmas Season and January Thoughts Year C Christmas during the day Year C Four Masses are celebrated for the feast of Christmas, and each is given its own set of readings to help us contemplate Christ's birth. The Gospel for the vigil Mass on Christmas Eve is taken from the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. The Mass at midnight proclaims the birth of Jesus using the Gospel of Luke. The Mass at dawn on Christmas morning continues the story of the birth of Jesus as found in Luke's Gospel through the shepherds' visit to the infant Jesus. In each of these Gospel readings, we hear portions of the Infancy Narratives with which we are familiar. The Gospel for the Christmas Mass during the day is taken from the beginning of John's Gospel, but this Gospel is not an Infancy Narrative like those found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Instead, John's Gospel begins at the beginning, as it were, and presents the Creation story as the framework for announcing the Incarnation. John's opening words, In the beginning..., echo the opening verse of the Book of Genesis. This framework invites us to view Jesus' birth from God's perspective. Each of the Gospels makes clear that Jesus' birth was the result of God's initiative. However, John's Gospel highlights that this was the divine intention from the very beginning, from the moment of Creation. As we observe in today's reading, the Gospel of John includes highly philosophical and theological language. One example that particularly stands out is John's use of the expression, Word of God. This expression (logos in the Greek) borrows from a concept found in both Jewish and Greek thought. In Jewish thought, this phrase describes God taking action for example, in the Creation story and in the Wisdom literature. In Greek, or Hellenistic, thought, the logos was understood as an intermediary between God and humanity. John and others in the early Church adopted this language to describe God's incarnation in Jesus. As the term was used to express the Trinitarian faith of Christians, the word Logos came to be equated with the Second Person of the Trinity. In this prologue to the Gospel of John, the main themes that will be developed in his Gospel are introduced. These themes are presented as dualities: light/darkness, truth/falsehood, life/death, and belief/unbelief. We also hear in this prologue a unique aspect of John's Gospel the motif of testimony. John the Baptist was sent by God to testify about Jesus, the light. Others in this Gospel will also offer testimony about Jesus. The reader is invited to accept this testimony, which bears witnesses to Jesus, the Son of God. But even more directly, Jesus' action and words will themselves testify to his identity with God as God's Incarnate Word. Thinking about Jesus' birth in these theological and cosmological terms seems particularly appropriate as we celebrate the feast of Christmas in the darkness of winter. At this time, nature itself seems to remind us of the darkness of sin. Into this darkness, in the midst of our sinfulness, God comes to dwell among us. John's Gospel reminds us that through the Incarnation, God saves us from the darkness of sin and makes us his children. At Christmas we celebrate the great mystery that God became flesh and dwelt among us. We call this mystery the Incarnation (the word means to take on flesh ), and it changes everything. Today's Gospel reminds us that we can also look upon the Nativity from God's perspective to better appreciate the significance of the Incarnation. The mystery we proclaim at Christmas is that God, the very God who created all things from nothing and who is light itself, took on our humanity in order to transform us. Through his birth among us, we have seen the face of God and have become nothing less than God's own children. At this awesome mystery, we adore.

14 Gather as a family around your Nativity set. Keep this image before you and talk about how familiar we are with this scene. Invite members of the family to recall the details of Jesus' birth that we hear in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Observe that the Gospel of John invites us to consider Jesus' birth from a different perspective. Read together today's Gospel, John 1:1-14. John's Gospel reminds us that the image we see in our Nativity set is a most remarkable sight: God made himself at home with us by taking on flesh and becoming a human person. We call this mystery the Incarnation. What are some of the things that John's Gospel says happened for us because Jesus came to dwell among us? (Light overcame darkness; we see God's glory in Jesus; we became children of God.) Together thank God for this mystery of the Incarnation and the salvation that we received because Jesus was born among us. Sing together a Christmas hymn, such as O Come, All Ye Faithful or Silent Night. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph December 30 Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. This feast is part of the Christmas season, and we should place today's Gospel in the context of what Luke's Gospel tells us about the birth of Jesus. Luke has been answering the question Who is Jesus? through his stories of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. Today's Gospel reading continues this theme. It has no parallel in the other Gospels and is the conclusion of Luke's Infancy Narrative. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are presented in this Gospel as a faithful Jewish family. They are participating in the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, an event shared each year with family and friends. When Jesus is found, Luke describes him as seated in the Temple in the midst of the Jewish teachers. Although he is young, Jesus seems not to need teaching about his Jewish tradition. In his dialogue with these learned teachers, Jesus astounds them with his insight and understanding. Jesus is a child of Israel. His Father is God. The dialogue between Mary and Jesus contains many references to family relationships. In fact, in this Gospel reading Mary and Joseph are never identified by name. Instead they are referred to by their relationship to Jesus. Ultimately, this emphasizes Luke's point about the identity of Jesus. When Mary and Joseph find Jesus in the Temple, they question Jesus and express their anxiety. Jesus replies in words that many have thought to be disrespectful. Jesus says that he was never lost; he was at home. Jesus is God's Son, and he is in his Father's house. Luke will continue to suggest that faith in Jesus establishes new family relationships as he describes Jesus' public ministry. In Luke's Gospel, Mary's importance is even greater than her role as Jesus' mother. Mary is the first disciple and will be present with Jesus' disciples after his Resurrection at Pentecost. Today's Gospel describes a time of anxiety in the life of Jesus' family. We can imagine their panic and worry as they discovered that Jesus was not with the caravan returning to Nazareth. The Holy Family journeyed with family members and friends because traveling alone was dangerous. When they found Jesus at the Temple, Jesus spoke like a typical adolescent, unsympathetic to his parents' concern. Yet his words teach an important lesson about reducing anxiety in our family life. In essence, Jesus says, If you had remembered who I am, you would have known where to find me. In their panic, Mary and Joseph had forgotten what had been told to them before Jesus' birth, that their son was the Son of God. Knowing a person well helps reduce our anxieties for them because we can better predict how they will behave, and we know their capacity to handle the challenges life might present to them. As you gather as a family, have fun playing the game How well do you know me? Take turns trying to stump one another by asking family members questions about yourself, such as What is my favorite memory of a family vacation? Given a choice, what dinner menu would I pick? If I could travel anywhere in the world, where would I go? One member of the family might prepare and read the questions aloud as each person writes down the answers. Family members then take turns guessing the answers, playing this game as a quiz show. Observe that one thing about families is that we learn to know each other well. Epiphany of the Lord January 6 The visit of the Magi occurs directly before the story of the Holy Family s flight into Egypt. Matthew s Gospel tells a version of Jesus birth that is different than the one in Luke. Of the actual birth of Jesus, Matthew tells us little more than, When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod... The story of the census is found only in Luke s Gospel, but we hear about the visit of the Magi only in Matthew s Gospel.

15 We know little about the Magi. They come from the East and journey to Bethlehem, following an astrological sign, so we believe them to be astrologers. We assume that there were three Magi based upon the naming of their three gifts. The Gospel does not say how many Magi paid homage to Jesus. In Matthew s Gospel, they represent the Gentiles search for a savior. Because the Magi represent the entire world, they also represent our search for Jesus. We have come to consider the gifts they bring as a foreshadowing of Jesus role in salvation. We believe the meaning of the gifts to be Christological. Gold is presented as representative of Jesus kingship. Frankincense is a symbol of his divinity because priests burned the substance in the Temple. Myrrh, which was used to prepare the dead for burial, is offered in anticipation of Jesus death. The word Epiphany means manifestation or showing forth. Historically several moments in Christ s early life and ministry have been celebrated as epiphanies, including his birth in Bethlehem, the visit of the Magi, his baptism by John, and his first miracle at Cana. The tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is thought by some to be rooted in the gift giving of the Magi. In many cultures, gifts are not exchanged at Christmas, but rather on the feast of the Epiphany. Whenever you exchange your Christmas gifts, take some time to reflect on this tradition of gift giving at Christmas. Think of the best gift you have received. What was it? What made it special? Was it the gift itself, the thought that went into it, or the person who gave it to you? Read today s Gospel, Matthew 2:1-12. The gifts of the Magi gold, frankincense, and myrrh have come to be understood as symbols of Christ s royalty, divinity, and eventual suffering and death. They are special because in giving them, the Magi acknowledge who Jesus was to be: our Savior. We pray that we will acknowledge Jesus as Savior in all that we do and say. Conclude by singing together We Three Kings. The Baptism of the Lord January 13 Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. In today's Gospel, as in the other Gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism, we hear John the Baptist address the confusion of the people who thought that John might be the Messiah. In response, John contrasts the baptism that he performs with the Baptism that Jesus will inaugurate. John the Baptist says that he has baptized with water, but that someone will come and baptize with the Holy Spirit. The type of baptism that John performed was not yet a Christian Baptism; it was a preparation for Christian Baptism through which sins are forgiven and the gift of the Holy Spirit is received. The baptism of Jesus is reported in each of the three Synoptic Gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Clearly, it was an event of great significance for Jesus and for the early Christian community. The Evangelists Mark and Luke report the story from Jesus' perspective; the voice from heaven is addressed to Jesus. Compare this to Matthew's Gospel in which the voice from heaven speaks to everyone. In Luke, however, the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus during his time of prayer after his baptism. Through his Gospel, Luke will show Jesus to be a person of prayer who withdraws regularly from the crowds and his disciples to pray to his Father. The baptism of Jesus is considered a manifestation of God in Jesus, another epiphany. On this, the last day of the Christmas season, our Gospel reveals to us Jesus' relation to God: the son of Mary and Joseph is also God's own Son. In Luke's Gospel, all three members of the Trinity are manifested here: God the Father in the voice, the Holy Spirit descending, and Jesus the Son. At the beginning of his Gospel, Luke is communicating to us important information about the identity of Jesus. In the verses that follow, Luke lists the genealogy of Jesus, tracing Jesus' ancestry back to the first person, Adam, who is also identified as the son of God. We, the children of Adam and Eve, are again made children of God through Baptism. Every family has a unique identity that is defined by the behaviors, attitudes, and expectations that govern a family's daily life. This identity is influenced by the family history of the parents, but each family's expression of this history is unique. In today's Gospel, we learn that Jesus' behavior, attitudes, and expectations were governed by his identity as God's beloved Son. In our Baptism, we were made children of this same heavenly Father. This identity as members of the family of God, and as brothers and sisters of Jesus, also shapes our family's daily life. As you gather as a family, identify some of the expectations and behaviors that govern your family life by answering the question, What are some of the things that make our family life unique? Celebrate these things about your family life. Read today's Gospel, Luke 3:15-16, Observe that Jesus' identity as the Beloved Son of the Father

16 governed his behaviors, attitudes, and expectations. Recall that at our Baptism we were made children of this same heavenly Father. How does this identity as a member of the family of God govern and shape our family life? Conclude in prayer together that we will remain faithful to our baptismal identity as children of God and as brothers or sisters of Jesus. Conclude by praying together the Lord's Prayer. The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time January 20 This Sunday we begin the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. For many Sundays in this lectionary cycle (Cycle C), our readings will be taken from the Gospel of Luke. Occasionally, however, we will read from John's Gospel. This is true of today's Gospel reading, which describes the beginning of Jesus' ministry and his first miracle. To situate today's reading within the context of John's Gospel, we note that John's report of this event follows Jesus' call of his first disciples. John tells us that Jesus and his disciples were invited to this wedding at Cana, as was Jesus' mother, Mary. There is no parallel report of this miracle at Cana in the Synoptic Gospels. In the Church's liturgical history, the wedding feast of Cana is closely associated with the baptism of the Lord and the adoration of the infant Jesus by the Wise Men. In this context, the sign Jesus performs at the wedding feast is celebrated as an epiphany or a manifestation of Jesus' divinity. Yet awareness of Jesus' impending passion and death is ever present in John's Gospel. Even in this report of Jesus' first sign, the language used anticipates Jesus' passion. When Jesus says to his mother that his hour has not yet come, he protests against her wishes in language that John will use again when reporting Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples. When introducing the story of Jesus washing his disciples' feet, John writes that Jesus knew that his hour had come. In John's Gospel, Jesus is very much in command and aware of all that is to happen to him. Here, as elsewhere in John's Gospel, Mary is not mentioned by name, but is referred to instead as the mother of Jesus. Mary is influential in Jesus' first sign. She will also be present at his Crucifixion, a witness to the final manifestation of his divinity. John's Gospel describes seven signs that indicate Jesus' identity to his disciples. John never speaks of these signs as miracles because their importance is not in the deed that Jesus performs but in what these deeds indicate about Jesus' identity. Here, as when John describes the other signs, the disciples are said to begin to believe, but no mention is made as to whether the other wedding guests are even aware of what has happened. Marriage and wedding feasts are metaphors used in Scripture to describe God's salvation and the Kingdom of God. Here at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, John's Gospel seeks to establish that Jesus is going to re-interpret and fulfill Yahweh's promise to Israel. Jesus establishes the New Covenant. A hint about what this New Covenant will be like is made evident in the deed that Jesus performs. Asked to do something to address the awkward situation that the absence of wine at a wedding feast would create, Jesus' miracle produces vast quantities of wine six jars holding thirty gallons each are filled to overflowing with choice wine. This lavish response to a simple human need is a vision for us of the abundance of God's kingdom. It challenges us to respond generously when confronted with human need today. We respond as best we can, fully confident that God can transform our efforts, bringing the Kingdom of God to fulfillment among us. Weddings are wonderful family celebrations. We go out of our way to make the occasion festive and extraordinary. People work hard to please one another. What better image of the Kingdom of God! Not every day is a wedding celebration, but we can anticipate the Kingdom of God each day in our attentiveness to one another's needs. If your family has attended a wedding celebration together, talk about the experience and the planning and cooperation that made the celebration memorable. Talk about how weddings and feasts are images in Scripture for the Kingdom of God. Consider how these festive occasions are images of God's tremendous love for us and examples of how we can show our love for one another. Then read together today's Gospel, John 2:1-11. Talk about Mary's attentiveness to the needs of the hosts and about Jesus' response. What could your family learn from this story? Consider ways that you might show these values in your family's daily life. Pray together Saint Ignatius' Prayer for Generosity.

17 The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time January 27 Today's Gospel reading combines two separate passages taken from the Gospel of Luke. First we hear the opening verses where Luke establishes the purpose of his Gospel. His style is typical of polished Greek and Roman literature. In this passage, we learn that Luke may have written to a specific person, Theophilus; but the word Theophilus may also be a general reference, functioning as the phrase Dear Reader might in contemporary writing. In Greek, the word Theophilus translates as lover of God. Today's Gospel reading then skips several chapters in which one would find the Infancy Narratives, Jesus' baptism by John, the temptations Jesus faced in the desert, and the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. In chapter four of Luke's Gospel, we hear that Jesus is in his hometown of Nazareth, attending the synagogue on the Sabbath, which is said to be his custom. In this account, we find another important clue that Jesus lived as a faithful, observant Jew. We will continue to read from Luke's Gospel in sequence for the next two Sundays. As Jesus stands in the synagogue, he reads from the scroll handed to him; it contains the words of the prophet Isaiah. At this early moment in his ministry, Jesus announces his mission in continuity with Israel's prophetic tradition. This reading from Isaiah defines Jesus' ministry. We will find more evidence of this as we continue to read from Luke's Gospel throughout the year. Jesus' ministry will include bringing glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, healing to the sick, freedom to the oppressed, and proclaiming a year acceptable to the Lord. Through this text from Isaiah, Jesus announces God's salvation. The year acceptable to the Lord is a reference to the Jewish tradition of Sabbath years and jubilee. The Sabbath year was observed every seventh year. It was a year of rest when land was left fallow and food stores were to be shared equally with all. A year of Jubilee was celebrated every fiftieth year, the conclusion of seven cycles of Sabbath years. It was a year of renewal in which debts were forgiven and slaves were freed. This tradition of Jubilee is the framework for God's promise of salvation. And yet in Jesus, something new begins. Jesus not only announces God's salvation, he brings this salvation about in his person. Jesus is Yahweh's Anointed One, filled with the Spirit of God. The Kingdom of God is now at hand. It is made present in Jesus, in his life, death, and Resurrection. Jesus will send the Holy Spirit so that the Kingdom of God can be fulfilled. The Holy Spirit is Jesus' gift to the Church. The Holy Spirit enables the Church to continue the mission of Jesus. When we do what Jesus did bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, healing to the sick, and freedom to the oppressed we serve the Kingdom of God. Jesus was the one sent by God to bring salvation to the world. Jesus announced that mission using the framework we hear in today's Gospel from the prophet Isaiah: glad tidings will be brought to the poor, liberty to captives, recovery of sight for the blind, and freedom for the oppressed. Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom of God in his person through his life, death, and Resurrection. We are charged with the task of continuing the mission that Jesus began. Jesus set the framework for all of us when he announced his ministry in today's Gospel. Jesus also gave us the helper we would need to enable us to participate in his mission. The Holy Spirit has been given to us so that we, the Church, might serve the Kingdom of God. Gather with your family and suggest that they try to picture the vision that Jesus describes using the words of the prophet Isaiah as you read today's Gospel, Luke 1:1-4; 4: Think about your neighborhood, your community. What are the situations and who are the people who most need to see this vision fulfilled? What steps would be necessary to make the vision a reality for them? Make a family commitment to pray for the Kingdom of God and to take a particular action that will address a need you see in your community. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you by praying the Prayer to the Holy Spirit.