Living the Word of Christ Together Pastor: Deacons: Office Administrator: Rectory Phone: Office Phone: Fax: e-mail: website: Father Bruce Riebe Bill Fredrick, Robert Kirschner Michele Wiltshire 440-526-1818 440-526-0016 440-526-6464 stjoebyz@sbcglobal.net www.stjoebyz.com Dear Parishioners: Peace in the world and good will to all! That s a familiar expression at this time of the year. You ll especially find it on Christmas cards and greetings. But can we find this peace in our world today? There seems to be an overall feeling of unrest because of the rash of terrorist attacks that have occurred, especially on our soil. This would be the opposite of peace as we know it. However, true peace can only be found in the Prince of Peace. To know Him is to know peace. If we do not know Him there will be no peace. It s simple but complicated. To know Him means to make Him our priority the top of the totem pole. That s what is complicated, because other matters compete for our allegiance. When He is at the top, there is no fear of anything, because nobody or thing can truly harm us. It takes real intimacy with Him to arrive at that juncture, but when we do, what a difference our perspective of the world takes. There was no room for Him at the inn. Let s make room for Him in our hearts so that we can enjoy the accompanying peace. In the peace of the Newborn Savior, Fr. Bruce Riebe
December 20, 2015 Christ is Born! Liturgy Schedule Monday December 21 8:00 a.m. Keyosky Family by Joseph Klinkovsky Tuesday December 22 8:00 a.m. Jack/Dorothy Petruno by Petruno Family Wednesday December 23 8:00 a.m. Irene Matuszpwski by Jeff Kostyack Thursday December 24 Christmas Eve 9:30p.m. Carols 10:00 p.m. Intention of the Parishioners Friday December 25 Christmas 10:30 a.m. Emma Wolf by Wolf Family Saturday December 26 Simple Holyday: Holy Family 10:00 a.m. Michael Lechko by Nick/Mary Lizanich Vigil Liturgy 4:00 p.m. Intention of the Parishioners Sunday December 27 St. Stephen 10:30 a.m. Joe/Jennie Smetanka by Mal/Pauline Skabar Altar Servers Lectors Greeters December 24 10:00 p.m. N. Matyas, B. Dirda S. Katrenich J. Carrig & K. Strobel J. Fekete & C. Macik December 25 10:30 a.m. G. & B. Hotaling, K. Ulrich J. Pinchot & L. Greb M. & N. Jaryga December 26 10:00 a.m. S. & G. Lupia December 26 4:00 p.m. S. Lupia & M. Ebert J. Pinchot J. & J. Foreman December 27 10:30 a.m. C. & T. Macik, C. Csornok S. Lambourne & M. Cohn J. Cohn & G. Karaffa The most vivid memories of Christmases past are usually not of gifts given or received, but of the spirit of love, the warmth of Christmas worship, the results of others acting in the spirit of Christ. December 26: Synaxis of the Mother of God Each major feast of the Church is followed, on the second day, by a little feast called the synaxis a Greek word meaning a gathering or assembly. On the second day of the feast the Church gathers to celebrate and remember the person or persons who helped to make the feast possible. For example, on the day after Theophany (The Baptism of Our Lord), we remember St. John the Baptist who baptized Jesus; on the day after the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple, we remember Saints Simeon and Anna, who waited many years to see and receive the baby Jesus in the Temple. On the day after Christmas, we remember the person who made Christ s birth as a man possible: the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. The special hymn for this day says that Jesus, who was begotten from all ages of God the Father without a mother is today made flesh and born of Mary His Mother without a father (meaning, without an earthly father). Mary is the person who said yes to God, on behalf of all mankind, and accepted to give birth to God s Son in the flesh. It is because of Mary that Jesus was able to come into this world and be born as a man. For this, we remember and give thanks to Mary, the Mother of Our Lord. Saturday is a Solemn Holyday. The liturgy will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Father will hear confessions on Christmas Eve from 2-4 in the event you haven t had the opportunity to utilize this wonderful sacrament during this Holy Year of Mercy. The liturgy on Christmas Eve will be at 10:00 p.m. Our newly formed choir will sing the responses. Carols will be sung starting at 9:30. Following the liturgy everyone is invited downstairs for fellowship/merriment. The liturgy on Christmas Day will start at 10:30 a.m. Mirovanije $$ from the Feast will be used for rectory almsgiving.
Next weekend s calendar insert will list the route for this year s house blessing. Father will visit homes in cities west of I-77. The women s BLESS Group is holding a Game Night & Pot Luck at the home of Joyce Huntz (North Royalton) on December 28 at 6:00. Contact Darlene Hritz for more information (440-237-5237). Also the next group sessions will begin on January 11 with discussion/study of the book The Great Lent: Journey to Pascha, by Alexander Schmemann. We welcome into the Catholic Church and Community of Believers, Jonah Timothy Lang, son of Derek and Tiffany, baptized, confirmed and fully initiated at the Sunday liturgy. Our ECF classes are in recess for the next two weeks. Classes resume on January 10. There will not be sandwich making for the next two Saturdays. The a s sembly line r esumes o n January 9. The choir will hold one more practice (Wednesday at 7:00 in the loft) prior to the Christmas Eve Divine Liturgy. If there wasn t an envelope box for you, please contact Father so the situation can be rectified. Also, if you have been attending and would like to officially join the parish, please sign the list located next to the envelope boxes. In the mailboxes next weekend will be invitations for the January 30 volunteer dinner. Your Weekly Offering December 13, 2015 Sunday: 7 Student Envelopes: Cash: Candles: Holy Days: Flowers: Christmas: Total: $3,034.00 7.00 55.00 124.00 65.00 262.00 60.00 $3,607.00 Have you remembered St. Joseph Church in your Will and/or Trust? Last week s mirovanije collection of $158.00 was added to the Global Outreach Christmas Mart proceeds. The Global Outreach thanks everyone who p a t r o n i z e d t h e Christmas Mart last weekend. All the food/desserts were sold. Over $1,500 was raised. New lector schedules are available in the mail slots and on our website. Anyone interested in becoming a lector should contact Father. Presents from the Giving Tree will be delivered this week to the Rose- Mary Home in Euclid. Gift cards will be distributed to parishioners in need. Thanks to everyone who participated in the spirit of St. Nicholas! Thank You! Thanks to the Men s Club for sponsoring last week s Altar Servers Christmas Party. A M 1 2 6 0 T h e R o c k, Cleveland s Catholic radio station, is looking for small businesses interested in advertising on air. The station reaches over two million people. For more information, visit am1260therock.com/ advertising or call 216-227-1260.
A Candy Maker s Witness A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God. The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the Cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life. Unfortunately, the candy became known as a candy cane a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who "have eyes to see and ears to hear." Pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the wonder of Jesus and his great love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominate force in the universe today. PARISH INFORMATION ACTIVITY CENTER & HALL RESERVATIONS: 440-526-0016 PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: 440-526-6464 (24 hours) CONFESSIONS: One half hour before liturgies for fifteen minutes and by request MEN S CLUB: 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. LADIES AUXILIARY: 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. A-OK CLUB: 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. COFFEE SOCIAL: Every Sunday after liturgy EASTERN CATHOLIC FORMATION (ECF) CLASSES: Sundays 9:00 a.m. 10:20 a.m. BULLETIN INFORMATION DEADLINE: Tuesday noon