where all are welcome Parish of St. Benedict www.stbenedict.org 16223 S 48th St. Phoenix, AZ 85048 480.961.1610 St. John Bosco Catholic School www.sjbosco.org 16035 S 48th St. Phoenix, AZ 85048 480.219.4848 December 23, 2018 Fourth Sunday of Advent Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ~ Luke 1:42 Parish Mission Statement We are a vibrant and welcoming Catholic faith community that recognizes God s presence in all through our love and service. Parish Vision Statement Build the Kingdom of God, individually and communally, by fostering discipleship and thanksgiving through: the celebra on of Eucharist and other sacraments, prayer and lifelong Catholic forma on, service with and for one another and the greater community. Upcoming Events For a complete calendar of events, please visit stbenedict.org/calendar Monday, 12/24 Masses: 4, 6, 8 and 10 pm Office Closed Thursday, 12/27 Mass: 8:15 am Office Closed Tuesday, 12/25 Merry Christmas! Mass: 10 am Office Closed Friday, 12/28 Mass: 8:15 am Office Closed Wednesday, 12/26 Mass: 8:15 am Office Closed Saturday, 12/29 3:30 pm Reconcilia on 5 pm Mass Office Hours Monday - Thursday 9 am - 5 pm Friday 9 am - 3 pm Closed Daily 12 pm - 1 pm Mass Schedule Weekends: Saturday 5 pm Sunday: 9 am, 11 am, 5 pm Weekdays: M - F 8:15 am Reconcilia on Saturday 3:30 pm or by appointment Mass Inten ons Sunday, 12/23/2018 9 am Charlie Smith 11 am Louis Zanoni 5 pm People of the Parish M 12/24, 4 pm Dominic Mastergeorge 6 pm Marlene Impiccini 8 pm Fr. Bob Binta 10 pm Raymond Nawa Tu 12/25, 10 am People of the Parish W 12/26 Helen Whitmore Th 12/27 Richard Baumgartner (living) F 12/28 Norma Fletcher Sa 12/29 Jeanne Higgins
Page 2 stbenedict.org Liturgy & Administra on Scripture Readings For This Week Monday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; 12/24 Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Lk 1:67-79 Tuesday: Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:1-6; 12/25 Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 (Christmas Day) Wednesday: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Ps 31:3cd- 12/26 4, 6, 8ab, 16bc, 17; Mt 10:17-22 (St. Stephen) Thursday: 1 Jn 1:1-4; Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 12/27 11-12; Jn 20:1a, 2-8 (St. John the Apostle) Friday: 1 Jn 1:5 2:2; Ps 124:2-5, 12/28 7b-8; Mt 2:13-18 (The Holy Innocents) Saturday: 1 Jn 2:3-11; Ps 96:1-3, 5b-6; 12/29 Lk 2:22-35 Sunday: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14; Ps 128:1-5; 12/30 Col 3:12-21; Lk 2:41-52 Presider Schedule* for the Weekend of December 29/30 Saturday 5 pm: Fr. James Aboyi Sunday 9 am: Fr. Wilfred Yinah 11 am: Fr. Wilfred Yinah 5 pm: Fr. James Aboyi *Please note: this schedule is subject to change without no ce.
Page 3 Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 23, 2018 A Reflec on from Fr. Wilfred The Real Meaning of Christmas It s that me of year again. December has come and with it all the joys of Christmas. But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it the gi s under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, turkey dinners with family and friends, stockings hanging in the living room, and shouts of Merry Christmas to those who pass us in the streets? Is this really Christmas? For many people, Christmas is a me of sorrow. They don t have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends. Many are saddened at Christmas me when they think of their loved ones who will not be able to come home for various reasons. Turkey dinners may be only a wish and not a reality for some. Yet, Christmas can be a season of great joy. It is a me of God showing His great love for us. It can be a me of healing and renewed strength. You see, Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born. His birth brought great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men, and angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby. The prophets had told of His coming hundreds of years before. The star stopped over Bethlehem just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child. Jesus was born so one day the price could be paid for the things we have done that are wrong. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 (NLT) We can truly be happy at Christmas! No ma er what may be happening, we can know that we are His children. We are sons and daughters of God. Heaven will be our home one day. Look at Christmas in a new way this year. This is the year to invite Jesus into your heart. You will then have a Merry Christmas. The joy and peace you will receive will last all year as you look to God for all your needs. Fr. Wilfred
Page 4 stbenedict.org Faith Forma on & More Help Decorate the Church Merry Christmas from the Staff of St. Benedict On Monday, December 24 at 9 am, we will be gathering as a faith community to prepare the church for the Christmas Season, sharing our spirit and crea vity with the Body of Christ! All decora ons are provided and all are welcome. Upon arrival, please check in with the coordinator. Crossed Arms in the Holy Communion Line Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God This year, Masses for the Solemnity of Mary (a Holy Day of Obliga on) will be celebrated on Monday, December 31 at 11:59 pm, and on Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at 9 am. This feast day celebrates the motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father, You blessed the Virgin Mary with the fullness of grace. She is our model of faith, hope and love. I give this new year to her intercession and ask for her holy prayers. Place my needs into the protec on of her motherly love. With her help, I want my faith to grow. Increase in me the virtue of hope when troubles tempt me to despair. Help me to understand your infinite love and to love others uncondi onally, like my Savior, Jesus. Amen. Some people cross their arms in the Holy Communion line signifying that the person is not properly disposed to receive Communion, for whatever reason, and wishes to receive a blessing instead. Possible reasons might be that the person is not Catholic, they are not in a state of grace, and the like. Please feel free to invite your non-catholic Christmas Mass guests to come up to receive a blessing during Communion by crossing their arms in front of themselves. Family Promise Begins This Weekend Thank you to everyone who voluteered to help with the Family Promise program this week. Twice a year St. Benedict Parish helps to host homeless families through this program by giving them a place to stay for a week while they are acquiring the tools and training they need to get back on their feet. Volunteers also help to set up, prepare meals, lead evening ac vi es, act as overnight hosts, and help clean up/do laundry at the end of the week. For more informa on please contact Tracy Ryan at tracyryan18@cox.net
Page 5 Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 23, 2018 Faith Forma on www This Week in Children and Youth Faith Forma on Sunday, December 23 No Classes, No CLOW Tuesday, December 25 Merry Christmas! No Classes Wednesday, December 26 No Classes Sunday, December 30 No Classes, No CLOW A Fr. Mike Christmas A en on teens and everybody else! Have you ever wanted to see a priest teaching you about giving your best AND worst to God, while wearing an ugly sweater and singing Christmas Carols? If so, check out, A Fr. Mike Christmas on the Ascension Presents YouTube channel for this funny and inspira onal video! h ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yptyr12k4c/ Celebra ng the Christmas Season The Christmas Season is a beau ful me in our Church when the an cipa on of Advent is replaced with the promise of hope from our Savior s birth! Although December 25th announces the beginning of Christmas, the peace and joy of the Season are celebrated for twelve more days, ending on Epiphany. Here are six ways your family might wish to celebrate the first half of the Christmas Season: 1. Jesus is the Light of the World! Spend an evening together touring various Christmas lights around your neighborhood. 2. Spend me re-reading the Na vity Story from Scripture aloud (Luke 2). Then, share with your children the story of their own birth or bap sm. 3. December 30 is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Spend a few hours as a family without cell phones or television, and enjoy me interac ng with each other. Perhaps take a hike, play some board games or prepare a meal together. 4. Spend twelve minutes each evening wri ng inside a prayer journal and thank God for your blessings. Even the smallest miracles of the day are gi s from God! 5. Host a simple gathering with family and friends. Invite people to bring a dish that represents their heritage and share in one another s culture and tradi ons. 6. Reach out to a local organiza on that serves those in need and find a way for your family to serve together. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful Christmas Season!
Page 6 stbenedict.org Organiza ons & Ministries Save the Date: March 9, 2019 The largest Rummage Sale in Ahwatukee will be here soon! The St. Benedict Annual Rummage Sale is scheduled for Saturday, March 9, so please put aside your valuable rummage sale dona ons for this exci ng community event. More informa on to follow in the weeks ahead! Knights of Columbus Knights in Ac on this Season: We made available and distributed Keep Christ in Christmas magnets a er Masses. We delivered 180 coats through our Coats for Kids Program. Thanks to everyone who helped with this effort which was our largest ever! We delivered gi s and food to our seven member Adopt-a-Family. Thank you to all who helped with this effort. And much, much more! If you are a prac cing Catholic man, please consider becoming a Knight of Columbus to be a part of this great group of men. Thank you, everyone, for making this such a wonderful year in the Knights of Columbus. Wishing all a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! Vivat Jesus! Doug Gasser Grand Knight #12246 480.270.2370 douggasser2@gmail.com St. Vincent de Paul St. Vincent de Paul would like to thank you for your generosity this past year helping the poor in our community. As of the end of our fiscal year, we were able to help over 2,400 people with over $55,000 in rent, u li es, medical expenses and other financial assistance. Thanks to you, we provided over 1,100 bags of groceries to families in need, gave over 80 families Thanksgiving dinners and helped provide gi s to 16 families this year through the Adopt-a-Family Program. God bless! Welcome New Parishioners! Melissa Berg Devyn Greenberg and Noah Has ngs Paula Kirner Curious About Being A Deacon? What is being a Deacon all about? Do you feel called to be a Servant Leader? The Office of the Diaconate for the Diocese of Phoenix invites you to an Inquiry & Informa on Session: Jan. 23 (Wed.) at St. Bernade e, 6:30 pm Feb. 6 (Wed.) at Holy Cross, 6:30 pm Feb. 9 (Sat.) at OLPH, 9 am March 9 (Sat.) at Immaculate Concep on, 9 am Please join us for a me of prayer, discernment and sharing as we explore the call to the Ministry of the Diaconate. For more informa on, including the general requirements for admission and forma on, go to h p://dphx.org/deacons/ To RSVP contact Carmen Lomeli at 602.354.2496.
Page 7 Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 23, 2018 More Sea ng for Christmas Masses Magnificat is a ministry to Catholic women in the Diocese of Phoenix. Mark your calendar for the Magnificat Luncheon on Saturday, February 16 from 11:15 am to 2:30 pm at Corpus Chris Catholic Church (3550 E. Knox Rd, Phoenix). Featured speaker will be Andrea Boring of Communica ons with the Diocese of Phoenix. The cost is $15 and sea ng is limited. Please contact Esther Ramirez for more informa on at 623.565.0304. To be er accommodate our parishioners and guests, seats may not be saved prior to any of the Christmas Eve Masses, except for those Knights of Columbus who are direc ng traffic. For Masses with high a endance, our Hospitality Ministers are instructed to fill empty seats as people arrive, ensuring that all seats are filled before we ask those arriving to stand for Mass. We appreciate your help and ask that en re groups arrive together. Doors will open at 3 pm for the 4 pm Christmas Eve Mass. For the remaining Christmas Eve Masses (6 pm, 8 pm, 10 pm), guests will be invited to enter a er the comple on of the previous Mass. Thank you for your assistance and we look forward to celebra ng this most special feast day with you! Coming Up In January 2019 Jan 4/5 Adora on 2 pm Friday through 9 am Saturday Jan 5 Bap sm Class 9 am to 12 pm Jan 6, 20, 27 A Biblical Walk Through the Mass 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm Jan 7 (each Mon.) Kevin Saunders Bible Study 7 pm to 8:30 pm Jan 8 (each Tues.) Crochet & Cra s 1 pm to 3 pm Jan 8 (each Tues.) History of the Church 9 am to 10:30 am, and 6 pm to 7:30 pm Jan 9 New Church Informa on Mee ng 7 pm Jan 12 Women s Spirituality 9 am to 10:30 am Jan 23 Dynamic Speaker Series: Trent Horn 6 pm Jan 26 Anoin ng Mass 11 am to 1 pm Jan 27 Parish Blood Drive 8 am to 1 pm
From the WLP Vault comes the Bible Story of Christmas featuring 8 Classic Christmas Carols and a reading of the Gospel of Luke 2: 4-20 by Bing Crosby! Also available on vinyl. 800-566-6150 Photo Courtesy of Bing Crosby Enterprises Visit WLPmusic.com to purchase your copy - CD $10.00 Check It Out Today! The Most Complete Online National Directory of Catholic Parishes Medical Alert System $29.95/Mo. billed quarterly One Free Month No Long-Term Contract Price Guarantee Easy Self Installation Call Today! Toll Free 1.877.801.8608 Get this weekly bulletin delivered by email - for FREE! Sign up here: https://www.jspaluch.com/bulletinsubscribe.aspx Courtesy of J.S. Paluch Company, Inc. Grow in your faith, find a Mass, and connect with your Catholic Community with OneParish! Download Our Free App or Visit MY.ONEPARISH.COM AirTime COOLING & HEATING LLC 480-776-7993 Free Service Call with Repair Parish Member *20% OFF FOR PARISHIONERS* *SOME RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY 017984 St Benedict Church (B) www.jspaluch.com For Ads: J.S. Paluch Co., Inc. 1-800-231-0805
Absolute Air Technologies, LLC AIR CONDITIONING HEATING 20% Parishioner Discount 480-759-9810 PARISHIONER Kelly de Simone, OD Parishioner Monica Sawitzke, OD 15725 S. 46th Street, Ste.112 Eye Priority, P.C. providing quality optometry for Ahwatukee-Foothills families since 1991. Eye Exams Contact Fittings Vision Therapy (480) 893-2300 Brian or Sally, coordinators 860.399.1785 CST 2117990-70 an Official Travel Agency of Apostleship of the Sea-USA www.catholiccruisesandtours.com ZAWTOCKI LAW OFFICES, PLLC Richard W. Zawtocki Marie S. Zawtocki Ali R. Abella Attorney Attorney Attorney Personal Injury Family Law Guardianships Office: 480-655-0733 Email: office@zawtockilaw.com www.zawtockilaw.com Se habla español GIVING BACK. For every parishioner that buys or sells with me, a donation of $500 will be given to the St. Benedict Capital Campaign in their name. 602.697.6999 15905 S. 46th St. #160 Phoenix, AZ 85048 Laurie Romeo, Parishioner TIENES EXPERIENCIA EN VENTAS? ESTÁS BIEN CONECTADO EN LA COMUNIDAD LOCAL? J.S. PALUCH COMPANY NATIONAL PUBLISHER OF CHURCH BULLETINS Seguro Médico, Dental, Plan de Retiro 401k, Seguro de Vida, Muerte Acidental y Desmembramiento Trabajos de Tiempo Completo y Medio Tiempo Con Potencial de Altas Ganancias. Excelente Programa de Pagos de Comisión! ESTÁS INTERESADO? Llame a Justin Willis 1.800.231.0805 o Envie un Correo Electrónico a WILLISJ@JSPALUCH.COM www.jspaluch.com Each Office Independently Owned and Operated. GANAR DINERO! CONTRIBUIR A LA COMUNIDAD! TENER UN GRAN IMPACTO! If You Live Alone You Need MDMedAlert! 24 Hour Protection at HOME and AWAY! Ambulance Solutions as Low as Police Fire $19. 95 a month Friends/Family CALL NOW! FREE Shipping FREE Activation NO Long Term Contracts 800.809.3352 MDMedAlert Safe-Guarding America s Seniors Nationwide! Consider Remembering Your Parish in Your Will. For further information, please call the Parish Office. This Button SAVES Lives! As Shown GPS, Lowest Price Guaranteed! GPS Tracking w/fall Detection Nationwide, No Land Line Needed EASY Set-up, NO Contract 24/7 365 Monitoring in the USA 017984 St Benedict Church (A) www.jspaluch.com For Ads: J.S. Paluch Co., Inc. 1-800-231-0805
Page 8 stbenedict.org Meet Our Staff Fr. James Aboyi, VC Parochial Administrator fraboyi@stbenedict.org Ext. 302 Fr. Wilfred Yinah, VC Parochial Vicar fryinah@stbenedict.org Ext. 306 Ed Winkelbauer Deacon dcned@stbenedict.org Ext. 300 Mary Jane Livens Business Manager mlivens@stbenedict.org Ext. 304 Sr. Colleen Braun Dir. of Faith Forma on srcolleen@stbenedict.org Ext. 308 Amy Fletcher Administra ve Assistant afletcher@stbenedict.org Ext. 300 Richard Guerra Director of Music rguerra@stbenedict.org Ext. 312 Carol Lawless Liturgy Coordinator clawless@stbenedict.org Ext. 311 Heather Mooney Coord. of Children s Faith Forma on hmooney@stbenedict.org Ext. 303 David Rees Coord. of Youth Ministry drees@stbenedict.org Ext. 307 Mary Ziebell Forma on Assistant/ Coord. Safe Environment mziebell@stbenedict.org Ext. 309 Visit Us Online! For the most current, up-to-date informa on, visit our homepage, www.stbenedict.org facebook.com/parishofstbenedictinaz