WEEKEND MASSES Saturday 400 amp 530 pm Sunday 800 amp 1100 am Daily Masses TuesdaymdashFriday 8 am First Friday 800 am Mass 600 pm Confessions 630 pm Sacred Heart Devotions 700 pm Mass Reconciliation Saturday 300mdash345 pm First Friday 600 pm Other times by appointment Anointing of the Sick call Parish Office Funerals 10 am Arrangements made through local Funeral Directors Baptisms Arrange through the Parish Office Weddings Arrange through the Parish Office Adult Faith Formation Communities Contact Sr Madonna (570) 823-4988 Elementary Faith Formation Sundays at 915 am

Worship

and Word

Address 668 N Main St Wilkes-Barre PA 18705 Parish Office (570) 823-4988 Online standrebessettewbcom E-Mail ccnewblivecom FAX (570) 823-5932 Check out our Facebook Page Convent 421 Madison St Wilkes-Barre PA 18702 (570) 822-7629

Contact

Information

Parish Mission

Statement

The Parish of St Andreacute Bessette is a Catholic Christian Community where the Mercy of God is made evident in daily living

We strive to be a community that welcomes the stranger reconciles the outcast and proclaims the Good News to the Poor

In fulfilling this Gospel Mandate we give witness to Godrsquos unfailing Love for all humanity

The Parish of St Andreacute Bessette

2

FOR OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

Awakening Is A Destructive Process by Greg Calise

wwwupliftconnectcom

There is No Easy Road to Enlightenment

ldquoEnlightenment is a destructive process

It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier

Enlightenment is the

crumbling away of untruth Itrsquos seeing

through the facade of pretense Itrsquos the

complete eradication of everything we

imagined to be truerdquo

ndash Adyashanti

Make no bones about it awakening is not a walk in the park It is a ride through hell It is the tearing down of all of your cherished beliefs and everything you thought about yourself There is no way around this In The Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug they had to enter into the Mirkwood Forest to get to their destination There was no other way for them It was not a walk in the park Likewise we must enter the shadowlands and come face to face with our shadows It is there that our false ideas of who we are can be shattered It is there that all of our false beliefs are destroyed We must face these false notions and see them for what they are This is the only way to heal to become whole again to live in integrity

My good friend Julie Anne gave a good description of this process in Enlightenment It is a complete surrender a process of brutal self honesty It is a path of complete acceptance of the truth no matter how difficult it is to bear I still remember it vividly

We go through life with so many false notions ndash of the world of spirituality and of ourselves We build up masks and we believe the facades Itrsquos all a charade It is all based upon illusions and deceit We deceive ourselves at every moment and the world also deceives us at every moment We live in perpetual cognitive dissonance justifying the most absurd things in our minds We constantly lie to ourselveshellip and we believe it

To awaken to the truth that you seek you must tear down the lies

But we are too attached to the lies We want to hold on to the illusions and to become enlightened at the same time That is not possible But there are hundreds of phony gurus and lsquospiritual teachersrsquo that will tell you it is They offer you processes to become happy fulfilled calm find your soulmate be positive get the right job make lots of money balance the chakras become healthy and whatever else you may be desiring This has nothing to do with awakening This is only polishing the ego They all lead you right back into the matrix You may even be lucky enough to get a golden cage but it is still a cage and you remain imprisoned in slavery This is the road that most people choose to follow This road is well traveled by the herd

The Road to Truth and Freedom

It takes courage discernment and self-honesty to walk the road to truth and freedom Not many people have that We have been weakened by the onslaught of programming since our childhood Most people want to remain in the herd as they find comfort in the company of other deluded souls It takes a certain individual to break free of the herd The road is not easy It is a treacherous road that will shatter every part of

your existence No it takes a certain type of person to walk that road a person that is willing to give up everything to find his true Self

My story was one that took me through so many paths to nowhere detours dead ends and off of cliffs I had to eventually be dragged kicking and screaming through the abyss by Grace herself for me to awaken It was simply my time

Now the strange thing about this is that worse things have happened to me before so why did this hit me so hard I believe because it was supposed to for me to transform I took everything much harder than I ever did before Also everything came crashing down at once In the past I was strong and I kept my sense of self of who I thought I was But this time my sense of self who I thought I was gave up I stopped trying to be strong I just collapsed

Yes I remember it well My entire life story collapsed overnight My girlfriend of five years ran off with another man And she lived across the street So every morning I would look out the window to see his van just to rub it in I kept saying

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

THE DREAM OF ST JOSEPH by James Tissot

2

FOR OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

Awakening Is A Destructive Process by Greg Calise

wwwupliftconnectcom

There is No Easy Road to Enlightenment

ldquoEnlightenment is a destructive process

It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier

Enlightenment is the

crumbling away of untruth Itrsquos seeing

through the facade of pretense Itrsquos the

complete eradication of everything we

imagined to be truerdquo

ndash Adyashanti

Make no bones about it awakening is not a walk in the park It is a ride through hell It is the tearing down of all of your cherished beliefs and everything you thought about yourself There is no way around this In The Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug they had to enter into the Mirkwood Forest to get to their destination There was no other way for them It was not a walk in the park Likewise we must enter the shadowlands and come face to face with our shadows It is there that our false ideas of who we are can be shattered It is there that all of our false beliefs are destroyed We must face these false notions and see them for what they are This is the only way to heal to become whole again to live in integrity

My good friend Julie Anne gave a good description of this process in Enlightenment It is a complete surrender a process of brutal self honesty It is a path of complete acceptance of the truth no matter how difficult it is to bear I still remember it vividly

We go through life with so many false notions ndash of the world of spirituality and of ourselves We build up masks and we believe the facades Itrsquos all a charade It is all based upon illusions and deceit We deceive ourselves at every moment and the world also deceives us at every moment We live in perpetual cognitive dissonance justifying the most absurd things in our minds We constantly lie to ourselveshellip and we believe it

To awaken to the truth that you seek you must tear down the lies

But we are too attached to the lies We want to hold on to the illusions and to become enlightened at the same time That is not possible But there are hundreds of phony gurus and lsquospiritual teachersrsquo that will tell you it is They offer you processes to become happy fulfilled calm find your soulmate be positive get the right job make lots of money balance the chakras become healthy and whatever else you may be desiring This has nothing to do with awakening This is only polishing the ego They all lead you right back into the matrix You may even be lucky enough to get a golden cage but it is still a cage and you remain imprisoned in slavery This is the road that most people choose to follow This road is well traveled by the herd

The Road to Truth and Freedom

It takes courage discernment and self-honesty to walk the road to truth and freedom Not many people have that We have been weakened by the onslaught of programming since our childhood Most people want to remain in the herd as they find comfort in the company of other deluded souls It takes a certain individual to break free of the herd The road is not easy It is a treacherous road that will shatter every part of

your existence No it takes a certain type of person to walk that road a person that is willing to give up everything to find his true Self

My story was one that took me through so many paths to nowhere detours dead ends and off of cliffs I had to eventually be dragged kicking and screaming through the abyss by Grace herself for me to awaken It was simply my time

Now the strange thing about this is that worse things have happened to me before so why did this hit me so hard I believe because it was supposed to for me to transform I took everything much harder than I ever did before Also everything came crashing down at once In the past I was strong and I kept my sense of self of who I thought I was But this time my sense of self who I thought I was gave up I stopped trying to be strong I just collapsed

Yes I remember it well My entire life story collapsed overnight My girlfriend of five years ran off with another man And she lived across the street So every morning I would look out the window to see his van just to rub it in I kept saying

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

THE DREAM OF ST JOSEPH by James Tissot

3

FOR OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE Continued

ldquoThere must be a purpose for thisrdquo My health collapsed my business collapsed and those that I thought were my friends were not I was alone I tried to be in denial grabbing straws as I was being dragged down into the abyss My world around me collapsed but so did my self-worth self-esteem and my false ego I felt unloved and abandoned My life story shattered

In the Depths of Darkness

I was left in this darkness for some time four months In that time I was slowly being dismantled as I had to face the hard cold facts I had to be brutally honest with myself Eventually I came to the point of realizing that I hated my broken body I hated the world I hated myself and I really hated God Yes I was very angry at Him He abandoned me I felt the entire world abandoned me It wasnrsquot fair I threw out everything spiritual in my house I was facing my darkness with brutal honesty I sat with that for a while Imagine the despair of seeing what lies hidden behind your persona behind the lies you tell yourself daily

And then a very powerful voice spoke to me From where this voice came from I do not know It said ldquoJust surrender to the sufferingrdquo That was it So I thought about it I realized that I was not accepting what was happening to me I was fighting it I was trying to push away the suffering but it was obviously not working So I followed the message and surrendered to the suffering that which is

This continued for two weeks right through Christmas I felt so rejected so abandoned so alone The pain of being stripped naked in the frigid cold with no hope in sight But I accepted what was happening I was no longer trying to push it away The suffering felt endless yet I endured it I donrsquot even know how to explain it And then on the morning of January 1 2004 I woke up Not to a new year but a new life The suffering was gone all was forgiven and I was at peace A peace that I had never known before That which I thought I was no longer existed My false perception of Self vanished I remember the singing of the birds the sun entering through the window and everything around me was seen in a new light ndash a light of awe and amazement My mind had ceased its chatter I was experiencing a very deep peace

And then it started ndash wave after wave of revelations of deep knowings I began to awaken to who I Am I became acutely aware that I Am eternal and sovereign Each wave awakened me more to my deepest Self Each wave also shattered the illusions and deceptions of the world As I awakened my eyes saw a very different world All the pieces fell into place Someday I will describe the many revelations that flooded over me I have already written much about it

Divine Connection

The largest wave came a couple of weeks into this I was meditating and I went so deep following the river of life to the depths of my Being I was empty but then from this emptiness a powerful divine love sprang forth inundating my entire mind and body This love is unconditional It spread out from me everywhere All of the bugs the lizards the birds the plants the trees everything was inundated with this love I could not tell where I ended and the other beings began We were all intrinsically connected with this love and yet my individual Self remained I was not the bugs the birds or the plants but the connection was so deep that I felt they were as if a part of me There was simultaneously separation and no separation It is not easy to describe but this divine love is nothing like the love of this world

But when you do awaken and you do see the world with new eyes you soon realize that no one else is seeing the same thing I tried to tell a few people what had happened to me but no one believed me They thought that perhaps I cracked under the pressure of suffering and had gone crazy No one

wanted to hear anything I said as it exposed their false beliefs So I remained quiet for eight years

I awoke only to find the rest of the world still sleeping ndash Leonardo daVinci

How can I possibly explain something so deep beyond the mind where people have no concepts or understanding What I woke up to I call Knowings as opposed to knowledge Knowledge comes from outside of the Self either from the world or from lsquoup aboversquo Knowings are who you are It is not new information but rather an awakening to your true Self Someone who has not awakened to his true Self has a difficult time understanding They believe it is just knowledge a different set of beliefs Therefore people say things like ldquoThat is your idea of Truth Itrsquos different from minerdquo or ldquoThere is no absolute Truth only relative truthsrdquo They think they are only my beliefs It is quite pointless to explain this to people because all they know is beliefs So I remain alone with but a few friends that have experienced their own dark night of the soul and awakened to their true Self if sometimes only a glimmer That is all it takes for one to see that there is a deep consciousness separate from the vast majority of people

On the Road to the Self

When one decides to take the road to the Self he soon realizes he is alone on that road The herd is going in the opposite direction One must be prepared for that to find comfort in being alone not understood by others

I cannot take any credit for my awakening I was dragged kicking and screaming grasping straws No I take no credit It was by Grace alone

Grace is within you Grace is your Self Grace is not something to be acquired from others If it is external it is useless All that is necessary is to know its existence is in you You are never out of its operation

ndash Ramana Maharshi

As Eckhart Tolle has stated you donrsquot have to wait for the dark night of the soul to dismantle your false notions your false self your life story You can consciously take that road But it demands courage discernment and brutal honesty of yourself The mind is a very tricky opponent and will deceive you at every step as your awakening is the end of its control over you But it can be done You must simply allow Grace to act within you

As far as inner transformation is concerned there is nothing you can do about it You cannot transform yourself and you certainly cannot transform your partner or anybody else All you can do is create a space for transformation to happen for grace and love to enter ndash Eckhart Tolle

So the choice rests with each of you No one can do this for you All I or anyone else can offer you are signposts pointing in the direction But you and you alone must take that road It does little good to read my writings and not act upon them to not take that road yourself Otherwise you are only hanging out at the signposts believing that you have already arrived at the destination

This road is not for the timid or the faint of heart not at all But there is no other road No one will simply wave a magic wand over you It is a road of destruction and the question is ldquoHow much are you willing to give up How much can you endurerdquo Because on this road you must give up everything Every piece of you will shatter Can you endure that As the Gospels tell us ldquoYou must die to liverdquo

So how serious are you How much do you want it How much will you pay for it

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

4

IN THE PARISH Helpful Information

Join the Parish Anyone wishing to register for membership in the parish is asked to fill out a registration form and drop it in the collection basket

Request Prayers Our INTERCESSORY PRAYER MINISTRY provides prayer for anyone in need throughout the parish Contact MARY ANN MAGDA at 570-820-0525 or make your intention known on our parish website at wwwstandrebessettewbcom

Remember your Parish Your parish serves you faithfully throughout your life Please remember your parish with a memorial gift or a Bequest in your will Make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for you

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATIONS

Anointing of the Sick The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick may take place at any time but sadly too many families wait until the last minute to call the priest to anoint their loved ones If someone in your family is seriously ill preparing for surgery or suffering a prolonged illness please contact the parish office to arrange a time for Fr Ken to visit IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCYmdashor if Fr Ken is unavailable to visit immediately we will contact the first available priest to celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing with your loved one

Funeral Preparations We collaborate with the local funeral directors in arranging the times of the funerals Please be aware that there is an additional fee for funerals on Saturdays imposed by most cemeteries in the area

Baptismal Preparations Parents of newly born infants may call the parish office to arrange a time for the Baptism of their child Baptisms are celebrated for the most part on any Sunday with the exception of the season of Lent

Wedding Preparations Couples contemplating Marriage are asked to contact the parish office at least one year prior to the contemplated date of marriage before making other plans

CHRISTMAS COOKIE WALK We are looking forward with anticipation to our first ldquoCOOKIE WALKrdquo which will be held this SUNDAY beginning at Noon in Fr Zolcinski Hall

If you have any question please contact Thom Jagoda ASAP 570-852-8042

The Christmas Wafer is a symbol of unity Made similarly to the Eucharistic Bread the Christmas Wafer is a reminder that every Christian home is a domestic Church

It is in the home that children learn the ways of Faith passed down from one generation to the next The Christmas Wafer is an annual reminder that our homes are to be places where Christ dwells They are to be havens of hospitality places where the sick are healed and where all living in community learn the ways of holiness WAFERS are available for $300 per package or 2 for $500 and can be picked up in the back of the church

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

LAST OPPORTUNITY to Enter our

GIGUNDA GIFT CARD RAFFLE

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY for our GIGUNDA GIFT CARD RAFFLE

Hundreds of dollars in prizes will be

awarded

Great stocking stuffers or last-minute gift ideas

DRAWING THIS SUNDAY

at the Cookie Walk

As we prepare to Celebrate

our Saviorrsquos Nativity we

extend to all our Parishioners

and Parish Friends best wishes

for a Blessed Christmas

Season

May the joy and happiness of

these days fill your New Year

with every blessing from

above

Fr Ken

and the Parish Staff and

Administrative Councils

5

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Thursday January 9

1 pm

CATECHETICAL COUNCIL Sunday February 2 2020

NOON

FINANCE COUNCIL Thursday January 16 2020

600 pm

LITURGICAL COUNCIL Thursday January 30 2020

600 pm

PARISH LIFE COUNCIL Thursday February 20 2020

600 pm

PASTORAL COUNCIL Thursday January 2 2020

600 pm

SOCIAL JUSTICE COUNCIL

Thursday February 6 600 pm

Night at the Races Wednesday January 8

600 pm

Development Committee

Monday January 13 630 pm

FAITH SHARING

ST ANDRE FAITH SHARERS Monday January 13

6 pm

DISCIPLES of the SPIRIT Saturday January 18

1030 am

COMPANIONS ON THE JOURNEY Sunday January 19

200 pm

For More Information please contact Sr Madonna at

570-823-4988

Advent Season Christmas Season

Weekend of December 21-22 Fourth Sunday of Advent

800 am Mass 930 am Elem Faith Formation 1100 am Mass

NOON CHRISTMAS COOKIE WALKmdashuntil all cookies are gone

Weekend of December 28-29 Feast of the Holy Family

800 am Mass 930 am No Elementary Faith Formation 1100 am Mass

Social Justice Collection

Monday December 23

No Morning Mass

Monday December 30

No Morning Mass

Tuesday December 24

CHRISTMAS EVE No Morning Mass Parish Office Closes at NOON 400 pm Christmas Vigil 1030 pm Mass at Night with Lessons and Carols

Tuesday December 31

NEW YEARrsquoS EVE No Morning Mass Parish Office Closes at NOON

SOLEMNITY OF MARY MOTHER OF GOD

530 pm VIGIL MASS

Wednesday December 25

CHRISTMAS DAY 8 am Mass of Christmas Dawn 11 am Mass of Christmas Day

Wednesday JANUARY 1 2020

NEW YEARrsquoS DAY 9 am MASS of MARY MOTHER OF GOD

Thursday December 26

St Stephen the Deacon 8 am Mass

NoonmdashAdoration begins 6 pm VESPERS

Thursday January 2

8 am Mass

NoonmdashAdoration begins 6 pm VESPERS PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

Friday December 27

St John the Evangelist 8 am Mass 6 pm StaffChoir Christmas Party

Friday January 3

8 am Mass

Saturday December 28

Holy Innocents 300 pm Confessions VIGIL Feast of the Holy Family

Saturday January 4

300 pm Confessions VIGIL SOLEMNITY of the EPIPHANY

ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILS

PARISH COMMITTEES

Loaves and

Fishes Food for December

Hot Chocolate

Check Out Our Website wwwstandrebessettewbcom

CHANGE of ADDRESS HOSPITALIZED CONFINED TO HOME CHANGED FACILITIES

ARE YOU RECEIVING SPIRITUAL CARE FROM YOUR PARISH

If you or a loved one has been hospitalized confined to your home placed in a care facility or moved from one care facility to another please let our PARISH OFFICE KNOW so that we can update our records and continue to provide you and your loved ones with spiritual support especially in times of need You can reach the parish office at 570-823-4988 or Anna Hudock at 570-822-1926

15 December 2019 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

As we approach the Feast of our Lordrsquos Birth we may be busy preparing gifts and packages for our loved ones sending cards and greetings to those far away baking and decorating our homes to reflect the joy of the season In the midst of this bustle have we stopped to consider the greatest gift of all The Gift of Faith given to us by Jesus Christ He spent his entire life trying to turn our hearts back to contemplating God He offered Himself as the Sacrifice which reconciles us to our Father He continues to intercede for us at Godrsquos Right Hand He has given us this community of Faith to support us on our pilgrim way How can we thank Him for so many gifts so freely given Please consider this as you prepare your Christmas Offering Your parish depends upon your generosity to meet its daily financial needs Every gift helps the Parish provide ministries for the People of God that help to alleviate poverty and proclaim the Salvation of God Please be generous in your Christmas Offering

It has come to our attention that there was an ldquoimproprietyrdquo in one of the articles reprinted in last weekendrsquos bulletin which

slipped by our proofreaders We apologize to those who were offended by what appeared there and hope that you can look beyond the writerrsquos use of colloquialism and see the greater point he was addressing We will try to screen the articles that appear in the bulletin much better in the future On the upside it was heartwarming to discover that so many people actually read our bulletin Have a blessed Christmas

6

A Trinitarian Vision of Spiritual Transformation by Derek Vreeland

wwwmissioallianceorg

OUR LITURGICAL LIFE

One of the most common reasons I have heard concerning why non-Christian people choose not to join us for worship on Sunday morning is hypocrisy

Why would I go to church when that church is full of a bunch of hypocrites

Too often this criticism is spot on

In following Jesus we are supposed to become more like Jesus The great promise that ldquoall things work together for goodrdquo (Romans 828) is given to those who are called accorded to Godrsquos purpose which is ldquoto be conformed to the image of his Sonrdquo (Romans 829)

If we are serious about Jesus and Jesusrsquo mission to make disciples then we need a spirituality undergirding our discipleship

We call such a spirituality spiritual transformation Paul writes

And we all with unveiled face behold the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 318 ESV)

We are being transformed We are changing We are experiencing metamorphosis Much like an inchworm that trades his sad slow linear existence for the constriction of a cocoon before transforming into a butterfly we are being transformed to look like Jesus

At least we are supposed to look like Jesus

We are supposed to be a living reminder of Jesus but sadly we are too often a living reminder of the brokenness of our world Too often instead of reflecting the image of our creator into all creation we are reflecting a shattered and incomplete image All of the research that has been done over the years reveals that Christians are by and large not like the Christ we follow

In a 2013 research project the Barna Group determined that 51 of self-identifying Christians tended to have attitudes and actions that are characterized by self-righteousness Only 14 of self-identified Christians demonstrated actions and attitudes consistent with those of Jesus [1]

Not to be cynical but if you spend any amount of time around the church you know this is true While we are supposed to be a reflection of Jesus we tend to reflect the assumed values of the culture around us We need a renewed vision of spiritual transformation rooted in the historic Christian tradition

We need a vision of transformation rooted in the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is how Christians talk about God We believe in one God revealed in three persons the Father Son and Holy Spirit Our understanding of God is the foundation of our faith

Spiritual transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Jesus for the joy of God the Father The Spirit does this work in the context of Christian community as we walk along spiritual pathways

The Work of the Spirit

The sin of our secular age is the sin of self-sufficiency And too often what we call ldquospiritual transformationrdquo or ldquospiritual formationrdquo is really nothing more than weak attempts at Christianized self-help The Christian life is not a matter of willpower but a willingness to open to the Spiritrsquos power

What makes transformation spiritual is the activity of the Holy Spirit

We do not change ourselves We are being transformed by the Holy Spirit Transformation comes from the Lord who is the Spirit The Holy Spirit is like a master sculptor with hammer and chisel in hand chipping away everything from our lives that doesnrsquot look like Jesus

The Image of Jesus

If the Spirit is the artist then Jesus is the model Jesus is not only fully God the second person of the Trinity Jesus is also fully man the prototype of what we are to become

If we want to know what God is like we look at Jesus If we want to know what humanity is supposed to be like we look at Jesus Becoming like Jesus doesnrsquot diminish our uniqueness We come to find that as we are becoming more like Jesus we are becoming unique expressions of the image of Christ

The Spirit uses our uniqueness as well as our mistakes to shape us The Spirit is changing us to have the mind of Jesus the heart of Jesus the motivation of Jesus and the actions of Jesus

The Joy of God the Father

We are ultimately being transformed for the joy of God the Father not merely for our own benefit God the Father loves God the Son and never is this love on display in clearer terms than at the baptism of Jesus

As Jesus emerges from the water and the Spirit descends like a dove we hear God the Father proclaim ldquoThis is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleasedrdquo Every time the Father sees the image of his Son being formed in the hearts of people he exclaims ldquoThere is the Son I love and he makes me happyrdquo

As Jesus is formed more and more in our hearts God the Father cannot contain his joy He bursts forth with delight over his sons and daughters becoming more like Jesus

The Context of Christian Community

Merely attending a church gathering doesnrsquot change us but it does put us in the place where we can be changed When we engage in community we repent of the sin of self-sufficiency The Spirit works through the people we worship with to form us into the image of Jesus

The beauty of Christian community is that we not only gather together with our friends but we also gather together with people we would not normally associate with In other words we will often go to church with people who drive us crazy and that is good for our formation into Christ-likeness Learning to love those who are not like us is integral to becoming more like Jesus

Spiritual Pathways

The Spirit transforms us as we gather in Christian community and as we walk down well-worn trails walked by countless brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us pathways like prayer Scripture contemplation silence solitude fasting and worship

The root of all spiritual pathways is prayer Just like community prayer does not change us but prayer puts us in a place where we can be changed Prayer carves out moments in our day to make space for God Prayer causes us to grow in our awareness of God

To be transformed into Christrsquos likeness we need to learn to pray with the saints of old We need prayer books and prayer liturgies We need to memorize prayers that can keep us from turning prayer into a non-stop plea for God to give us what we want We should certainly make our request known to God but prayer is so much more than that

Learn prayers like the Jesus Prayer Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me

Walk down sacred pathways of the great tradition within the context of Christian community and watch as the Spirit transforms you into the image of Jesus for the joy of God the Father

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

4

IN THE PARISH Helpful Information

Join the Parish Anyone wishing to register for membership in the parish is asked to fill out a registration form and drop it in the collection basket

Request Prayers Our INTERCESSORY PRAYER MINISTRY provides prayer for anyone in need throughout the parish Contact MARY ANN MAGDA at 570-820-0525 or make your intention known on our parish website at wwwstandrebessettewbcom

Remember your Parish Your parish serves you faithfully throughout your life Please remember your parish with a memorial gift or a Bequest in your will Make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for you

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATIONS

Anointing of the Sick The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick may take place at any time but sadly too many families wait until the last minute to call the priest to anoint their loved ones If someone in your family is seriously ill preparing for surgery or suffering a prolonged illness please contact the parish office to arrange a time for Fr Ken to visit IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCYmdashor if Fr Ken is unavailable to visit immediately we will contact the first available priest to celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing with your loved one

Funeral Preparations We collaborate with the local funeral directors in arranging the times of the funerals Please be aware that there is an additional fee for funerals on Saturdays imposed by most cemeteries in the area

Baptismal Preparations Parents of newly born infants may call the parish office to arrange a time for the Baptism of their child Baptisms are celebrated for the most part on any Sunday with the exception of the season of Lent

Wedding Preparations Couples contemplating Marriage are asked to contact the parish office at least one year prior to the contemplated date of marriage before making other plans

CHRISTMAS COOKIE WALK We are looking forward with anticipation to our first ldquoCOOKIE WALKrdquo which will be held this SUNDAY beginning at Noon in Fr Zolcinski Hall

If you have any question please contact Thom Jagoda ASAP 570-852-8042

The Christmas Wafer is a symbol of unity Made similarly to the Eucharistic Bread the Christmas Wafer is a reminder that every Christian home is a domestic Church

It is in the home that children learn the ways of Faith passed down from one generation to the next The Christmas Wafer is an annual reminder that our homes are to be places where Christ dwells They are to be havens of hospitality places where the sick are healed and where all living in community learn the ways of holiness WAFERS are available for $300 per package or 2 for $500 and can be picked up in the back of the church

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

LAST OPPORTUNITY to Enter our

GIGUNDA GIFT CARD RAFFLE

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY for our GIGUNDA GIFT CARD RAFFLE

Hundreds of dollars in prizes will be

awarded

Great stocking stuffers or last-minute gift ideas

DRAWING THIS SUNDAY

at the Cookie Walk

As we prepare to Celebrate

our Saviorrsquos Nativity we

extend to all our Parishioners

and Parish Friends best wishes

for a Blessed Christmas

Season

May the joy and happiness of

these days fill your New Year

with every blessing from

above

Fr Ken

and the Parish Staff and

Administrative Councils

5

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Thursday January 9

1 pm

CATECHETICAL COUNCIL Sunday February 2 2020

NOON

FINANCE COUNCIL Thursday January 16 2020

600 pm

LITURGICAL COUNCIL Thursday January 30 2020

600 pm

PARISH LIFE COUNCIL Thursday February 20 2020

600 pm

PASTORAL COUNCIL Thursday January 2 2020

600 pm

SOCIAL JUSTICE COUNCIL

Thursday February 6 600 pm

Night at the Races Wednesday January 8

600 pm

Development Committee

Monday January 13 630 pm

FAITH SHARING

ST ANDRE FAITH SHARERS Monday January 13

6 pm

DISCIPLES of the SPIRIT Saturday January 18

1030 am

COMPANIONS ON THE JOURNEY Sunday January 19

200 pm

For More Information please contact Sr Madonna at

570-823-4988

Advent Season Christmas Season

Weekend of December 21-22 Fourth Sunday of Advent

800 am Mass 930 am Elem Faith Formation 1100 am Mass

NOON CHRISTMAS COOKIE WALKmdashuntil all cookies are gone

Weekend of December 28-29 Feast of the Holy Family

800 am Mass 930 am No Elementary Faith Formation 1100 am Mass

Social Justice Collection

Monday December 23

No Morning Mass

Monday December 30

No Morning Mass

Tuesday December 24

CHRISTMAS EVE No Morning Mass Parish Office Closes at NOON 400 pm Christmas Vigil 1030 pm Mass at Night with Lessons and Carols

Tuesday December 31

NEW YEARrsquoS EVE No Morning Mass Parish Office Closes at NOON

SOLEMNITY OF MARY MOTHER OF GOD

530 pm VIGIL MASS

Wednesday December 25

CHRISTMAS DAY 8 am Mass of Christmas Dawn 11 am Mass of Christmas Day

Wednesday JANUARY 1 2020

NEW YEARrsquoS DAY 9 am MASS of MARY MOTHER OF GOD

Thursday December 26

St Stephen the Deacon 8 am Mass

NoonmdashAdoration begins 6 pm VESPERS

Thursday January 2

8 am Mass

NoonmdashAdoration begins 6 pm VESPERS PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

Friday December 27

St John the Evangelist 8 am Mass 6 pm StaffChoir Christmas Party

Friday January 3

8 am Mass

Saturday December 28

Holy Innocents 300 pm Confessions VIGIL Feast of the Holy Family

Saturday January 4

300 pm Confessions VIGIL SOLEMNITY of the EPIPHANY

ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILS

PARISH COMMITTEES

Loaves and

Fishes Food for December

Hot Chocolate

Check Out Our Website wwwstandrebessettewbcom

CHANGE of ADDRESS HOSPITALIZED CONFINED TO HOME CHANGED FACILITIES

ARE YOU RECEIVING SPIRITUAL CARE FROM YOUR PARISH

If you or a loved one has been hospitalized confined to your home placed in a care facility or moved from one care facility to another please let our PARISH OFFICE KNOW so that we can update our records and continue to provide you and your loved ones with spiritual support especially in times of need You can reach the parish office at 570-823-4988 or Anna Hudock at 570-822-1926

15 December 2019 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

As we approach the Feast of our Lordrsquos Birth we may be busy preparing gifts and packages for our loved ones sending cards and greetings to those far away baking and decorating our homes to reflect the joy of the season In the midst of this bustle have we stopped to consider the greatest gift of all The Gift of Faith given to us by Jesus Christ He spent his entire life trying to turn our hearts back to contemplating God He offered Himself as the Sacrifice which reconciles us to our Father He continues to intercede for us at Godrsquos Right Hand He has given us this community of Faith to support us on our pilgrim way How can we thank Him for so many gifts so freely given Please consider this as you prepare your Christmas Offering Your parish depends upon your generosity to meet its daily financial needs Every gift helps the Parish provide ministries for the People of God that help to alleviate poverty and proclaim the Salvation of God Please be generous in your Christmas Offering

It has come to our attention that there was an ldquoimproprietyrdquo in one of the articles reprinted in last weekendrsquos bulletin which

slipped by our proofreaders We apologize to those who were offended by what appeared there and hope that you can look beyond the writerrsquos use of colloquialism and see the greater point he was addressing We will try to screen the articles that appear in the bulletin much better in the future On the upside it was heartwarming to discover that so many people actually read our bulletin Have a blessed Christmas

6

A Trinitarian Vision of Spiritual Transformation by Derek Vreeland

wwwmissioallianceorg

OUR LITURGICAL LIFE

One of the most common reasons I have heard concerning why non-Christian people choose not to join us for worship on Sunday morning is hypocrisy

Why would I go to church when that church is full of a bunch of hypocrites

Too often this criticism is spot on

In following Jesus we are supposed to become more like Jesus The great promise that ldquoall things work together for goodrdquo (Romans 828) is given to those who are called accorded to Godrsquos purpose which is ldquoto be conformed to the image of his Sonrdquo (Romans 829)

If we are serious about Jesus and Jesusrsquo mission to make disciples then we need a spirituality undergirding our discipleship

We call such a spirituality spiritual transformation Paul writes

And we all with unveiled face behold the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 318 ESV)

We are being transformed We are changing We are experiencing metamorphosis Much like an inchworm that trades his sad slow linear existence for the constriction of a cocoon before transforming into a butterfly we are being transformed to look like Jesus

At least we are supposed to look like Jesus

We are supposed to be a living reminder of Jesus but sadly we are too often a living reminder of the brokenness of our world Too often instead of reflecting the image of our creator into all creation we are reflecting a shattered and incomplete image All of the research that has been done over the years reveals that Christians are by and large not like the Christ we follow

In a 2013 research project the Barna Group determined that 51 of self-identifying Christians tended to have attitudes and actions that are characterized by self-righteousness Only 14 of self-identified Christians demonstrated actions and attitudes consistent with those of Jesus [1]

Not to be cynical but if you spend any amount of time around the church you know this is true While we are supposed to be a reflection of Jesus we tend to reflect the assumed values of the culture around us We need a renewed vision of spiritual transformation rooted in the historic Christian tradition

We need a vision of transformation rooted in the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is how Christians talk about God We believe in one God revealed in three persons the Father Son and Holy Spirit Our understanding of God is the foundation of our faith

Spiritual transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Jesus for the joy of God the Father The Spirit does this work in the context of Christian community as we walk along spiritual pathways

The Work of the Spirit

The sin of our secular age is the sin of self-sufficiency And too often what we call ldquospiritual transformationrdquo or ldquospiritual formationrdquo is really nothing more than weak attempts at Christianized self-help The Christian life is not a matter of willpower but a willingness to open to the Spiritrsquos power

What makes transformation spiritual is the activity of the Holy Spirit

We do not change ourselves We are being transformed by the Holy Spirit Transformation comes from the Lord who is the Spirit The Holy Spirit is like a master sculptor with hammer and chisel in hand chipping away everything from our lives that doesnrsquot look like Jesus

The Image of Jesus

If the Spirit is the artist then Jesus is the model Jesus is not only fully God the second person of the Trinity Jesus is also fully man the prototype of what we are to become

If we want to know what God is like we look at Jesus If we want to know what humanity is supposed to be like we look at Jesus Becoming like Jesus doesnrsquot diminish our uniqueness We come to find that as we are becoming more like Jesus we are becoming unique expressions of the image of Christ

The Spirit uses our uniqueness as well as our mistakes to shape us The Spirit is changing us to have the mind of Jesus the heart of Jesus the motivation of Jesus and the actions of Jesus

The Joy of God the Father

We are ultimately being transformed for the joy of God the Father not merely for our own benefit God the Father loves God the Son and never is this love on display in clearer terms than at the baptism of Jesus

As Jesus emerges from the water and the Spirit descends like a dove we hear God the Father proclaim ldquoThis is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleasedrdquo Every time the Father sees the image of his Son being formed in the hearts of people he exclaims ldquoThere is the Son I love and he makes me happyrdquo

As Jesus is formed more and more in our hearts God the Father cannot contain his joy He bursts forth with delight over his sons and daughters becoming more like Jesus

The Context of Christian Community

Merely attending a church gathering doesnrsquot change us but it does put us in the place where we can be changed When we engage in community we repent of the sin of self-sufficiency The Spirit works through the people we worship with to form us into the image of Jesus

The beauty of Christian community is that we not only gather together with our friends but we also gather together with people we would not normally associate with In other words we will often go to church with people who drive us crazy and that is good for our formation into Christ-likeness Learning to love those who are not like us is integral to becoming more like Jesus

Spiritual Pathways

The Spirit transforms us as we gather in Christian community and as we walk down well-worn trails walked by countless brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us pathways like prayer Scripture contemplation silence solitude fasting and worship

The root of all spiritual pathways is prayer Just like community prayer does not change us but prayer puts us in a place where we can be changed Prayer carves out moments in our day to make space for God Prayer causes us to grow in our awareness of God

To be transformed into Christrsquos likeness we need to learn to pray with the saints of old We need prayer books and prayer liturgies We need to memorize prayers that can keep us from turning prayer into a non-stop plea for God to give us what we want We should certainly make our request known to God but prayer is so much more than that

Learn prayers like the Jesus Prayer Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me

Walk down sacred pathways of the great tradition within the context of Christian community and watch as the Spirit transforms you into the image of Jesus for the joy of God the Father

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

5

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Thursday January 9

1 pm

CATECHETICAL COUNCIL Sunday February 2 2020

NOON

FINANCE COUNCIL Thursday January 16 2020

600 pm

LITURGICAL COUNCIL Thursday January 30 2020

600 pm

PARISH LIFE COUNCIL Thursday February 20 2020

600 pm

PASTORAL COUNCIL Thursday January 2 2020

600 pm

SOCIAL JUSTICE COUNCIL

Thursday February 6 600 pm

Night at the Races Wednesday January 8

600 pm

Development Committee

Monday January 13 630 pm

FAITH SHARING

ST ANDRE FAITH SHARERS Monday January 13

6 pm

DISCIPLES of the SPIRIT Saturday January 18

1030 am

COMPANIONS ON THE JOURNEY Sunday January 19

200 pm

For More Information please contact Sr Madonna at

570-823-4988

Advent Season Christmas Season

Weekend of December 21-22 Fourth Sunday of Advent

800 am Mass 930 am Elem Faith Formation 1100 am Mass

NOON CHRISTMAS COOKIE WALKmdashuntil all cookies are gone

Weekend of December 28-29 Feast of the Holy Family

800 am Mass 930 am No Elementary Faith Formation 1100 am Mass

Social Justice Collection

Monday December 23

No Morning Mass

Monday December 30

No Morning Mass

Tuesday December 24

CHRISTMAS EVE No Morning Mass Parish Office Closes at NOON 400 pm Christmas Vigil 1030 pm Mass at Night with Lessons and Carols

Tuesday December 31

NEW YEARrsquoS EVE No Morning Mass Parish Office Closes at NOON

SOLEMNITY OF MARY MOTHER OF GOD

530 pm VIGIL MASS

Wednesday December 25

CHRISTMAS DAY 8 am Mass of Christmas Dawn 11 am Mass of Christmas Day

Wednesday JANUARY 1 2020

NEW YEARrsquoS DAY 9 am MASS of MARY MOTHER OF GOD

Thursday December 26

St Stephen the Deacon 8 am Mass

NoonmdashAdoration begins 6 pm VESPERS

Thursday January 2

8 am Mass

NoonmdashAdoration begins 6 pm VESPERS PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

Friday December 27

St John the Evangelist 8 am Mass 6 pm StaffChoir Christmas Party

Friday January 3

8 am Mass

Saturday December 28

Holy Innocents 300 pm Confessions VIGIL Feast of the Holy Family

Saturday January 4

300 pm Confessions VIGIL SOLEMNITY of the EPIPHANY

ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILS

PARISH COMMITTEES

Loaves and

Fishes Food for December

Hot Chocolate

Check Out Our Website wwwstandrebessettewbcom

CHANGE of ADDRESS HOSPITALIZED CONFINED TO HOME CHANGED FACILITIES

ARE YOU RECEIVING SPIRITUAL CARE FROM YOUR PARISH

If you or a loved one has been hospitalized confined to your home placed in a care facility or moved from one care facility to another please let our PARISH OFFICE KNOW so that we can update our records and continue to provide you and your loved ones with spiritual support especially in times of need You can reach the parish office at 570-823-4988 or Anna Hudock at 570-822-1926

15 December 2019 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

As we approach the Feast of our Lordrsquos Birth we may be busy preparing gifts and packages for our loved ones sending cards and greetings to those far away baking and decorating our homes to reflect the joy of the season In the midst of this bustle have we stopped to consider the greatest gift of all The Gift of Faith given to us by Jesus Christ He spent his entire life trying to turn our hearts back to contemplating God He offered Himself as the Sacrifice which reconciles us to our Father He continues to intercede for us at Godrsquos Right Hand He has given us this community of Faith to support us on our pilgrim way How can we thank Him for so many gifts so freely given Please consider this as you prepare your Christmas Offering Your parish depends upon your generosity to meet its daily financial needs Every gift helps the Parish provide ministries for the People of God that help to alleviate poverty and proclaim the Salvation of God Please be generous in your Christmas Offering

It has come to our attention that there was an ldquoimproprietyrdquo in one of the articles reprinted in last weekendrsquos bulletin which

slipped by our proofreaders We apologize to those who were offended by what appeared there and hope that you can look beyond the writerrsquos use of colloquialism and see the greater point he was addressing We will try to screen the articles that appear in the bulletin much better in the future On the upside it was heartwarming to discover that so many people actually read our bulletin Have a blessed Christmas

6

A Trinitarian Vision of Spiritual Transformation by Derek Vreeland

wwwmissioallianceorg

OUR LITURGICAL LIFE

One of the most common reasons I have heard concerning why non-Christian people choose not to join us for worship on Sunday morning is hypocrisy

Why would I go to church when that church is full of a bunch of hypocrites

Too often this criticism is spot on

In following Jesus we are supposed to become more like Jesus The great promise that ldquoall things work together for goodrdquo (Romans 828) is given to those who are called accorded to Godrsquos purpose which is ldquoto be conformed to the image of his Sonrdquo (Romans 829)

If we are serious about Jesus and Jesusrsquo mission to make disciples then we need a spirituality undergirding our discipleship

We call such a spirituality spiritual transformation Paul writes

And we all with unveiled face behold the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 318 ESV)

We are being transformed We are changing We are experiencing metamorphosis Much like an inchworm that trades his sad slow linear existence for the constriction of a cocoon before transforming into a butterfly we are being transformed to look like Jesus

At least we are supposed to look like Jesus

We are supposed to be a living reminder of Jesus but sadly we are too often a living reminder of the brokenness of our world Too often instead of reflecting the image of our creator into all creation we are reflecting a shattered and incomplete image All of the research that has been done over the years reveals that Christians are by and large not like the Christ we follow

In a 2013 research project the Barna Group determined that 51 of self-identifying Christians tended to have attitudes and actions that are characterized by self-righteousness Only 14 of self-identified Christians demonstrated actions and attitudes consistent with those of Jesus [1]

Not to be cynical but if you spend any amount of time around the church you know this is true While we are supposed to be a reflection of Jesus we tend to reflect the assumed values of the culture around us We need a renewed vision of spiritual transformation rooted in the historic Christian tradition

We need a vision of transformation rooted in the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is how Christians talk about God We believe in one God revealed in three persons the Father Son and Holy Spirit Our understanding of God is the foundation of our faith

Spiritual transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Jesus for the joy of God the Father The Spirit does this work in the context of Christian community as we walk along spiritual pathways

The Work of the Spirit

The sin of our secular age is the sin of self-sufficiency And too often what we call ldquospiritual transformationrdquo or ldquospiritual formationrdquo is really nothing more than weak attempts at Christianized self-help The Christian life is not a matter of willpower but a willingness to open to the Spiritrsquos power

What makes transformation spiritual is the activity of the Holy Spirit

We do not change ourselves We are being transformed by the Holy Spirit Transformation comes from the Lord who is the Spirit The Holy Spirit is like a master sculptor with hammer and chisel in hand chipping away everything from our lives that doesnrsquot look like Jesus

The Image of Jesus

If the Spirit is the artist then Jesus is the model Jesus is not only fully God the second person of the Trinity Jesus is also fully man the prototype of what we are to become

If we want to know what God is like we look at Jesus If we want to know what humanity is supposed to be like we look at Jesus Becoming like Jesus doesnrsquot diminish our uniqueness We come to find that as we are becoming more like Jesus we are becoming unique expressions of the image of Christ

The Spirit uses our uniqueness as well as our mistakes to shape us The Spirit is changing us to have the mind of Jesus the heart of Jesus the motivation of Jesus and the actions of Jesus

The Joy of God the Father

We are ultimately being transformed for the joy of God the Father not merely for our own benefit God the Father loves God the Son and never is this love on display in clearer terms than at the baptism of Jesus

As Jesus emerges from the water and the Spirit descends like a dove we hear God the Father proclaim ldquoThis is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleasedrdquo Every time the Father sees the image of his Son being formed in the hearts of people he exclaims ldquoThere is the Son I love and he makes me happyrdquo

As Jesus is formed more and more in our hearts God the Father cannot contain his joy He bursts forth with delight over his sons and daughters becoming more like Jesus

The Context of Christian Community

Merely attending a church gathering doesnrsquot change us but it does put us in the place where we can be changed When we engage in community we repent of the sin of self-sufficiency The Spirit works through the people we worship with to form us into the image of Jesus

The beauty of Christian community is that we not only gather together with our friends but we also gather together with people we would not normally associate with In other words we will often go to church with people who drive us crazy and that is good for our formation into Christ-likeness Learning to love those who are not like us is integral to becoming more like Jesus

Spiritual Pathways

The Spirit transforms us as we gather in Christian community and as we walk down well-worn trails walked by countless brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us pathways like prayer Scripture contemplation silence solitude fasting and worship

The root of all spiritual pathways is prayer Just like community prayer does not change us but prayer puts us in a place where we can be changed Prayer carves out moments in our day to make space for God Prayer causes us to grow in our awareness of God

To be transformed into Christrsquos likeness we need to learn to pray with the saints of old We need prayer books and prayer liturgies We need to memorize prayers that can keep us from turning prayer into a non-stop plea for God to give us what we want We should certainly make our request known to God but prayer is so much more than that

Learn prayers like the Jesus Prayer Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me

Walk down sacred pathways of the great tradition within the context of Christian community and watch as the Spirit transforms you into the image of Jesus for the joy of God the Father

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

6

A Trinitarian Vision of Spiritual Transformation by Derek Vreeland

wwwmissioallianceorg

OUR LITURGICAL LIFE

One of the most common reasons I have heard concerning why non-Christian people choose not to join us for worship on Sunday morning is hypocrisy

Why would I go to church when that church is full of a bunch of hypocrites

Too often this criticism is spot on

In following Jesus we are supposed to become more like Jesus The great promise that ldquoall things work together for goodrdquo (Romans 828) is given to those who are called accorded to Godrsquos purpose which is ldquoto be conformed to the image of his Sonrdquo (Romans 829)

If we are serious about Jesus and Jesusrsquo mission to make disciples then we need a spirituality undergirding our discipleship

We call such a spirituality spiritual transformation Paul writes

And we all with unveiled face behold the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 318 ESV)

We are being transformed We are changing We are experiencing metamorphosis Much like an inchworm that trades his sad slow linear existence for the constriction of a cocoon before transforming into a butterfly we are being transformed to look like Jesus

At least we are supposed to look like Jesus

We are supposed to be a living reminder of Jesus but sadly we are too often a living reminder of the brokenness of our world Too often instead of reflecting the image of our creator into all creation we are reflecting a shattered and incomplete image All of the research that has been done over the years reveals that Christians are by and large not like the Christ we follow

In a 2013 research project the Barna Group determined that 51 of self-identifying Christians tended to have attitudes and actions that are characterized by self-righteousness Only 14 of self-identified Christians demonstrated actions and attitudes consistent with those of Jesus [1]

Not to be cynical but if you spend any amount of time around the church you know this is true While we are supposed to be a reflection of Jesus we tend to reflect the assumed values of the culture around us We need a renewed vision of spiritual transformation rooted in the historic Christian tradition

We need a vision of transformation rooted in the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is how Christians talk about God We believe in one God revealed in three persons the Father Son and Holy Spirit Our understanding of God is the foundation of our faith

Spiritual transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Jesus for the joy of God the Father The Spirit does this work in the context of Christian community as we walk along spiritual pathways

The Work of the Spirit

The sin of our secular age is the sin of self-sufficiency And too often what we call ldquospiritual transformationrdquo or ldquospiritual formationrdquo is really nothing more than weak attempts at Christianized self-help The Christian life is not a matter of willpower but a willingness to open to the Spiritrsquos power

What makes transformation spiritual is the activity of the Holy Spirit

We do not change ourselves We are being transformed by the Holy Spirit Transformation comes from the Lord who is the Spirit The Holy Spirit is like a master sculptor with hammer and chisel in hand chipping away everything from our lives that doesnrsquot look like Jesus

The Image of Jesus

If the Spirit is the artist then Jesus is the model Jesus is not only fully God the second person of the Trinity Jesus is also fully man the prototype of what we are to become

If we want to know what God is like we look at Jesus If we want to know what humanity is supposed to be like we look at Jesus Becoming like Jesus doesnrsquot diminish our uniqueness We come to find that as we are becoming more like Jesus we are becoming unique expressions of the image of Christ

The Spirit uses our uniqueness as well as our mistakes to shape us The Spirit is changing us to have the mind of Jesus the heart of Jesus the motivation of Jesus and the actions of Jesus

The Joy of God the Father

We are ultimately being transformed for the joy of God the Father not merely for our own benefit God the Father loves God the Son and never is this love on display in clearer terms than at the baptism of Jesus

As Jesus emerges from the water and the Spirit descends like a dove we hear God the Father proclaim ldquoThis is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleasedrdquo Every time the Father sees the image of his Son being formed in the hearts of people he exclaims ldquoThere is the Son I love and he makes me happyrdquo

As Jesus is formed more and more in our hearts God the Father cannot contain his joy He bursts forth with delight over his sons and daughters becoming more like Jesus

The Context of Christian Community

Merely attending a church gathering doesnrsquot change us but it does put us in the place where we can be changed When we engage in community we repent of the sin of self-sufficiency The Spirit works through the people we worship with to form us into the image of Jesus

The beauty of Christian community is that we not only gather together with our friends but we also gather together with people we would not normally associate with In other words we will often go to church with people who drive us crazy and that is good for our formation into Christ-likeness Learning to love those who are not like us is integral to becoming more like Jesus

Spiritual Pathways

The Spirit transforms us as we gather in Christian community and as we walk down well-worn trails walked by countless brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us pathways like prayer Scripture contemplation silence solitude fasting and worship

The root of all spiritual pathways is prayer Just like community prayer does not change us but prayer puts us in a place where we can be changed Prayer carves out moments in our day to make space for God Prayer causes us to grow in our awareness of God

To be transformed into Christrsquos likeness we need to learn to pray with the saints of old We need prayer books and prayer liturgies We need to memorize prayers that can keep us from turning prayer into a non-stop plea for God to give us what we want We should certainly make our request known to God but prayer is so much more than that

Learn prayers like the Jesus Prayer Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me

Walk down sacred pathways of the great tradition within the context of Christian community and watch as the Spirit transforms you into the image of Jesus for the joy of God the Father

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

7

STEWARDSHIP

Mass Attendance

December 14-15 2019

of People

In Pew Collection

400 pm 141 170214

530 pm 50 60000

800 am 75 115800

1100am 90 109200

Total 356 455214

Votive Offerings

Bread and Wine

Intention John Sepela

Offered by Daughter Marie

Sanctuary Candle

Intention Joseph Kozelsky

Offered by Aunt Lucy and Aunt Dolores

Your Gift to God

December 14-15 2019

Over $10000 3 $20 43

$10000 3 $16-19 3

$76-99 1 $15 22

$75 1 $11-14 9

$51-74 2 $10 66

$50 9 $6-9 2

$26-49 18 $5 29

$25 10 under $5 24

$21-24 4 Total Envelopes used

249

Is your gift to the parish each week an honest reflection of Godrsquos goodness to you

Awakening to the Presence of God wwwCatholic Stewardcom

In these final days we need to increase our awareness of all that is going on in our lives There is inevitably a longing and a desire associated with Christmas and the purpose of Advent is more than waiting anxiously we should be preparing to find an intimacy with God

Christmas should not just be a symbolic feast of Godrsquos presence or just a ritual commemorating the birth of the Lord It is the Feast of God taking on a real body in the person of Jesus In this body Jesus offered Himself to His Father Christmas should be a feast of our consecration to God and we live out that consecration at this time through the birth of Christ Now is the time to love one another as He has loved us Christmas is not an empty feast it demands a commitment on our part as believers and people of faith

Our First Reading is from the Prophet Isaiah Within that reading we hear ldquoTherefore the Lord himself will give you this sign the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuelrdquo How often have we heard that famous prophecy The older we are the more often most likely This is such a clear statement of prophecy about the birth of Jesus the Messiah We know that within a week that prophecy will have a fulfillment but we also need to be aware that it has a distant fulfillment for us as well

Jesus is indeed Emmanuel That means ldquoGod with usrdquo That name has so much significance for us always but especially at this time With His birth the Lord is indeed with us He is with us in our lives today and by becoming man He was with us here on earth It is not just a title it is a fact He is both near to us and near to God His Father

On this Fourth Sunday of Advent the Second Reading comes from the beginning of St Paulrsquos letter to the Romans the very beginning In a sense it is an introduction of himself to the Romans Scholars have concluded that Paul penned this letter from Corinth while he was en route to Rome he

wanted the Romans to know who he was before he arrived Paul had been warned that he was in danger and he wanted to make sure he got a communication to the Romans

In that sense the letter to the Romans is unique among Paulrsquos many letters Most of his letters focused on the Church and its challenges and problems However this letter is concentrated on God and on His great plan of redemption That of course is why it is significant at this time Without Christ there would be no redemption there would be no Christmas and there would be no Easter either St Clement of Rome quoted Paulrsquos letter so often that some believe he had memorized it Almost every time there was a meeting or a celebration of the Roman Church this letter was read

Paul identifies himself first as a servant of Christ and then as an apostle of Christ It is that for which we strive also At all times especially at this holy time of Christmas we need to acknowledge that Christ has called us to serve just as He served Then He calls us to discipleship just as Paul says he was called to be an apostle That is what stewardship is all about mdash service and discipleship

Finally our Gospel passage from Matthew gives us the exact report of Jesusrsquo birth In providing the specific description of the Birth of Christ this Gospel calls us to know to believe and to do Like Mary we believe Christmas is a feast of faith Just as Mary gave birth we are called to give birth to Christ in our world through our own faith We live in a world that desperately needs a Savior someone who gives ultimate meaning to our lives

St Matthew relates the prophecy from Isaiah exactly as we heard it in the First Reading Jesus is Emmanuel He is ldquoGod with usrdquo as He brings God to us and He is ldquoGod with usrdquo because He lives within us and next to us always Salvation is here and it is here in the Person of Jesus Christ

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

8

FINANCES

Weekly Income December 14-152019

Funds from these collections go directly into the Parish Operating Account They are used to pay the utilities the staff salaries and provide for the day to day running of the parish

PARISH COLLECTION

In Church Mailed

Loose 24614 -0-

Sunday Envelopes

357600 100200

TOTAL WEEKLY COLLECTION

$482414

HOLY DAYS

Assumption -0- -0-

All Saints -0- 1000

Immaculate Conception

10900 4500

Christmas 8500 22000

Mary Mother of God

-0- 2800

Easter 1000 -0-

Ascension -0- -0-

TOTAL HOLY DAYS

$50700

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Initial -0- -0-

Dues 9700 10400

Debt Reduction

36100 6800

Holiday Flowers

6800 2000

TOTAL SPECIALS

$71800

TOTAL PARISH COLLECTION

$604914

These funds augment the

weekend offering go

into the Parish

operating fund and

contribute to the running

of the parish

OTHER INCOME

Candles 7600

Rental of Properties

66600

Perquisites 50000

Transfers -0-

Holy Day -0-

TOTAL OTHER

$124200

Diocesan Collections December 14-15 2019 These Collections pass through the Parish General Account but do not contribute to the running of the parish They are sent directly to the Diocese for Distribution

In Church Mailed

Monthly Collection for the Care amp Education of the Clergy

-0- 3800

Mission Sunday (3rd weekend of October)

-0- -0-

Mission Co-Operative (Funds Specific Mission)

-0- -0-

Human Development (Weekend before Thanksgiving)

-0- -0-

Religious Retirement (Second Weekend of December)

3100 4000

Church in Eastern Europe (Weekend before Lent)

-0- -0-

Catholic Relief Services (4th Weekend of Lent)

-0- -0-

Operation Rice Bowl (Holy Thursday)

-0- -0-

Holy Land Collection (Good Friday)

-0- -0-

Catholic Home Missions (Last weekend of April)

-0- -0-

Catholic Communications (Third weekend of May)

-0- -0-

Peterrsquos Pence Collection (Weekend closest to June 29th)

-0- -0-

Miscellaneous Diocesan Collection (Whenever a need arises)

-0- -0-

TOTAL DIOCESAN COLLECTION

$10900

WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM

Transfer of Funds into the General Account From time to time it becomes necessary to withdraw funds from other parish accounts to augment the weekly offering to fund a ministry or to pay the assessments or unforeseen expenses

From Fund Raising

DanceRaffle -0-

Toy Bingo -0-

Night at the Races -0-

Summer Raffle -0-

FROM Fundraising Acct

FROM Social Justice Acct -0-

FROM Memorial Acct -0-

FROM Stipend Acct -0-

FROM Savings Acct -0-

TOTAL TRANSFERS -0-

Collection + Holy Day + Special + Other Income + Diocesan + Transfers = TOTAL INCOME

482414 50700 71800 124200 10900 -0- $740014

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

9

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO Week of December 05-112019

FINANCES

RUNNING the PARISH

ADMINISTRATIVE 143484

A Portion of the Parish Income goes to fund the Ministries of the Parish Pay the Staff Maintain the properties and provide for those in need

Taxes -0-

Loan -0-

Clergy Residence 5035

RELIGIOUS FORMATION

-0-

SOCIAL JUSTICE -0-

MAINTENANCE 274452

Diocesan Collections

218600

TOTAL PARISH EXPENSES

$641571

SUPPORTING the Diocese

A Portion of the Parish Income goes to fund the Ministries and Services of the Diocese Provide Insurance for parish Properties provide care of the clergy and their retirement and fund Catholic Schools in the Diocese

Assessment Annual Fee Prior

Balance Payments

Made

Balance due by

June 30 2020

SCH0OL ASSESSMENT (145 of Income)

6219600 14833134 344361 20708373

CATHEDRATICUM (95 of Income)

4000800 3787089 465229 3535571

CLERGY BLUE CROSS

1672700 000 000 1672700

INSURANCE 1614800 000 000 1614800

CLERGY CARE AND WELLNESS (Not the monthly collection)

956200 000 000 956200

CLERGY PENSION 744000 000 000 744000

POST RETIREMENT FUND

520000 000 000 520000

EMPLOYER 403 (b) 139392 000 000 139392

PAYROLL PROCESSING FEE

78000 000 000 78000

TOTAL ASSESSMENTS

15945492 11046045 809590 29969036

A Loan was taken from the Diocese to consolidate Inherited debt that occurred when the Parishes

were consolidated to form St Andre Bessette Parish

Parish Loan Amount Paid BALANCE Due

BALANCE 41200000 10063656 31136344

PAYING TOWARD the PARISH DEBT

Calculating Payment of Cathedraticum and School Assessments

Weekend of Envelope Loose Holy Days Special

Collections TAXABLE INCOME

Diocesan x095

Schools x145

24 of Total

Income

Other Income

Nov28Dec01 383500 36475 44900 162900 687307 65295 99660 164955 59532

Dec0708 466175 31325 66400 69250 672050 63845 97448 161293 28900

Dec1415 457800 32214 50700 71800 729114 69266 105722 174988 116600

Dec2122

Dec2829

Monies must be held in Operating Account until Payment of the Monthly Assessments on the 25th of the month This limits our ability to pay other bills in a timely fashion

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

10

FINANCES

PARISH ACCOUNTS

General Operating Account This is the daily operating account of the Parish The Sunday Collection and Other Income are deposited into this account All Expenses are paid from this account

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $322839

Deposits (Sunday Collection) 615814

Other Deposits 124200

Transfers from Parish Accounts -0-

Transfers from Diocesan Accounts -0-

Working Balance $1062853

Withdrawals -641571

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $421282

Parish Social Justice Fund Monies for this account are accrued through the quarterly collection Donations specifically earmarked for the Parish Social Justice Fund and grant monies donated to the fund This fund is used to provide for those in need and to fund programs and ministries of outreach compassion and mercy in the parish and beyond

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $324156

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals -0-

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $324156

Parish Memorial Account Monies for this account are accumulated from Donations to the parish given in memory of parishioners and bequests Funds from this account are regularly transferred into the General Operating account to augment the regular income of the parish

Prior Balance December 18 2019 158387

Deposits 2603000

Withdrawals 33035

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 2728352

Parish Fund Raising Account

This account is used to gather income from all parish fund raising activities and to pay expenses for those activities When an activity is complete the proceeds are then transferred into the General Operating Account to augment the regular income of the parish

Prior Balance December 18 2019 1502061

Deposits 79400

Withdrawals -0-

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 1581461

Parish Stipend Account

Funds in this account come from donations offered for Masses to be said Funds are dispersed directly from this account to the Celebrant who offers the Mass once it is said

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $578086

Deposits 65400

Withdrawals -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $643486

Sacred Heart Cemetery Acct Funds in this account are accrued from the sale of graves or through the monthly collection Funds are dispersed for burials and maintenance of the cemetery

Prior Balance December 18 2019 2704044

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals 105500

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 2598544

St Stanislaus Cemetery Acct Funds in this account are accrued from the sale of graves or through the monthly collection Funds are dispersed for burials and maintenance of the cemetery

Prior Balance December 18 2019 1455733

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals 7500

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 1448233

Parish Saving Account

Funds placed in the Diocesan Bank

Prior Balance December 18 2019 5843359

Deposits -0-

Interest -0-

Withdrawals -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 5843359

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

11

FROM THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

Letter of our Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States Part 1

January 1 2019

wwwvaticanva

Dear Brothers

During my meeting on 13 September last with the officers of your Conference of Bishops I suggested that together you make a retreat a time of seclusion prayer and discernment as a necessary step toward responding in the spirit of the Gospel to the crisis of credibility that you are experiencing as a Church We see this in the Gospel at critical moments in his mission the Lord withdrew and spent the whole night in prayer inviting his disciples to do the same (cf Mk 1438) We know that given the seriousness of the situation no response or approach seems adequate nonetheless we as pastors must have the ability and above all the wisdom to speak a word born of heartfelt prayerful and collective listening to the Word of God and to the pain of our people A word born of the prayer of shepherds who like Moses fight and intercede for their people (cf Ex 3230-32)

In that meeting I told Cardinal DiNardo and the other bishops present of my desire to accompany you personally for several days on that retreat and this offer was met with joy and anticipation As the Successor of Peter I wanted to join all of you in imploring the Lord to send forth his Spirit who ldquomakes all things newrdquo (cf Rev 215) and to point out the paths of life that as Church we are called to follow for the good of all those entrusted to our care Despite my best efforts I will not be able for logistical reasons to be physically present with you This letter is meant in some way to make up for that journey which could not take place I am also pleased that you have accepted my offer to have the Preacher of the Papal Household direct this retreat and to share his deep spiritual wisdom

With these few lines I would like to draw near to you as a brother and to reflect with you on some aspects that I consider important while at the same time encouraging your prayer and the steps you are taking to combat the ldquoculture of abuserdquo and to deal with the crisis of credibility

ldquoIt cannot be like that with you Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of allrdquo (Mk 1043-45) With these words Jesus intervenes and acknowledges the indignation felt by the disciples who heard James and John asking to sit at the right and left of the Master (cf Mk 1037) His words will help guide us in our shared reflection

The Gospel is not afraid to mention certain tensions conflicts and disputes present in the life of the first community of disciples it would even appear to want to do so It speaks of seeking places of honor and of jealousy envy and machinations To say nothing of the intrigues and the plots that whether secretly or openly were hatched around the message and person of Jesus by the political and religious leaders and the merchants of the time (cf Mk 1115-18) These conflicts increased with the approach of the hour of Jesusrsquo sacrifice on the cross as the prince of this world and sin and corruption appeared to have the last word poisoning everything with bitterness mistrust and resentment

As the elderly Simeon had prophesied difficult and critical moments can bring to light the deepest thoughts tensions and contradictions present in the disciples individually and as a group (cf Lk 235) No one can consider himself exempt from this we are asked as a community to take care that at those times our decisions choices actions and intentions are not tainted by these inner conflicts and tensions but are instead a response to the Lord who is life for the world At times of great confusion and uncertainty we

need to be attentive and discerning to free our hearts of compromises and false certainties in order to hear what the Lord asks of us in the mission he has given us Many actions can be helpful good and necessary and may even seem correct but not all of them have the ldquoflavourrdquo of the Gospel To put it colloquially we have to be careful that ldquothe cure does not become worse than the diseaserdquo And this requires of us wisdom prayer much listening and fraternal communion

1 ldquoIt cannot be like that with yourdquo

In recent years the Church in the United States has been shaken by various scandals that have gravely affected its credibility These have been times of turbulence in the lives of all those victims who suffered in their flesh the abuse of power and conscience and sexual abuse on the part of ordained ministers male and female religious and lay faithful But times of turbulence and suffering also for their families and for the entire People of God

The Churchrsquos credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes but even more by the efforts made to deny or conceal them This has led to a growing sense of uncertainty distrust and vulnerability among the faithful As we know the mentality that would cover things up far from helping to resolve conflicts enabled them to fester and cause even greater harm to the network of relationships that today we are called to heal and restore

We know that the sins and crimes that were committed and their repercussions on the ecclesial social and cultural levels have deeply affected the faithful They have caused great perplexity upset and confusion and this can often serve as an excuse for some to discredit and call into question the selfless lives of all those many Christians who show ldquoan immense love for humanity inspired by the God who became manrdquo[1] Whenever the Gospel message proves inconvenient or disturbing many voices are raised in an attempt to silence that message by pointing to the sins and inconsistencies of the members of the Church and even more of her pastors

The hurt caused by these sins and crimes has also deeply affected the communion of bishops and generated not the sort of healthy and necessary disagreements and tensions found in any living body but rather division and dispersion (cf Mt 2631) The latter are certainly not fruits and promptings of the Holy Spirit but rather of ldquothe enemy of human naturerdquo[2] who takes greater advantage of division and dispersion than of the tensions and disagreements reasonably to be expected in the lives of Christrsquos disciples

Combatting the culture of abuse the loss of credibility the resulting bewilderment and confusion and the discrediting of our mission urgently demands of us a renewed and decisive approach to resolving conflicts Jesus would tell us ldquoYou know how among the Gentiles those who seem to exercise authority lord it over them their great ones make their importance felt It cannot be like that with yourdquo (Mk 1042-43) Loss of credibility calls for a specific approach since it cannot be regained by issuing stern decrees or by simply creating new committees or improving flow charts as if we were in charge of a department of human resources That kind of vision ends up reducing the mission of the bishop and that of the Church to a mere administrative or organizational function in the ldquoevangelization businessrdquo Let us be clear many of those things are necessary yet insufficient since they cannot grasp and deal with reality in its complexity ultimately they risk reducing everything to an organizational problem

TO BE CONTINUED

Fraternally

FRANCIS

Vatican City 1st January 2019

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

8

FINANCES

Weekly Income December 14-152019

Funds from these collections go directly into the Parish Operating Account They are used to pay the utilities the staff salaries and provide for the day to day running of the parish

PARISH COLLECTION

In Church Mailed

Loose 24614 -0-

Sunday Envelopes

357600 100200

TOTAL WEEKLY COLLECTION

$482414

HOLY DAYS

Assumption -0- -0-

All Saints -0- 1000

Immaculate Conception

10900 4500

Christmas 8500 22000

Mary Mother of God

-0- 2800

Easter 1000 -0-

Ascension -0- -0-

TOTAL HOLY DAYS

$50700

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Initial -0- -0-

Dues 9700 10400

Debt Reduction

36100 6800

Holiday Flowers

6800 2000

TOTAL SPECIALS

$71800

TOTAL PARISH COLLECTION

$604914

These funds augment the

weekend offering go

into the Parish

operating fund and

contribute to the running

of the parish

OTHER INCOME

Candles 7600

Rental of Properties

66600

Perquisites 50000

Transfers -0-

Holy Day -0-

TOTAL OTHER

$124200

Diocesan Collections December 14-15 2019 These Collections pass through the Parish General Account but do not contribute to the running of the parish They are sent directly to the Diocese for Distribution

In Church Mailed

Monthly Collection for the Care amp Education of the Clergy

-0- 3800

Mission Sunday (3rd weekend of October)

-0- -0-

Mission Co-Operative (Funds Specific Mission)

-0- -0-

Human Development (Weekend before Thanksgiving)

-0- -0-

Religious Retirement (Second Weekend of December)

3100 4000

Church in Eastern Europe (Weekend before Lent)

-0- -0-

Catholic Relief Services (4th Weekend of Lent)

-0- -0-

Operation Rice Bowl (Holy Thursday)

-0- -0-

Holy Land Collection (Good Friday)

-0- -0-

Catholic Home Missions (Last weekend of April)

-0- -0-

Catholic Communications (Third weekend of May)

-0- -0-

Peterrsquos Pence Collection (Weekend closest to June 29th)

-0- -0-

Miscellaneous Diocesan Collection (Whenever a need arises)

-0- -0-

TOTAL DIOCESAN COLLECTION

$10900

WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM

Transfer of Funds into the General Account From time to time it becomes necessary to withdraw funds from other parish accounts to augment the weekly offering to fund a ministry or to pay the assessments or unforeseen expenses

From Fund Raising

DanceRaffle -0-

Toy Bingo -0-

Night at the Races -0-

Summer Raffle -0-

FROM Fundraising Acct

FROM Social Justice Acct -0-

FROM Memorial Acct -0-

FROM Stipend Acct -0-

FROM Savings Acct -0-

TOTAL TRANSFERS -0-

Collection + Holy Day + Special + Other Income + Diocesan + Transfers = TOTAL INCOME

482414 50700 71800 124200 10900 -0- $740014

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

9

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO Week of December 05-112019

FINANCES

RUNNING the PARISH

ADMINISTRATIVE 143484

A Portion of the Parish Income goes to fund the Ministries of the Parish Pay the Staff Maintain the properties and provide for those in need

Taxes -0-

Loan -0-

Clergy Residence 5035

RELIGIOUS FORMATION

-0-

SOCIAL JUSTICE -0-

MAINTENANCE 274452

Diocesan Collections

218600

TOTAL PARISH EXPENSES

$641571

SUPPORTING the Diocese

A Portion of the Parish Income goes to fund the Ministries and Services of the Diocese Provide Insurance for parish Properties provide care of the clergy and their retirement and fund Catholic Schools in the Diocese

Assessment Annual Fee Prior

Balance Payments

Made

Balance due by

June 30 2020

SCH0OL ASSESSMENT (145 of Income)

6219600 14833134 344361 20708373

CATHEDRATICUM (95 of Income)

4000800 3787089 465229 3535571

CLERGY BLUE CROSS

1672700 000 000 1672700

INSURANCE 1614800 000 000 1614800

CLERGY CARE AND WELLNESS (Not the monthly collection)

956200 000 000 956200

CLERGY PENSION 744000 000 000 744000

POST RETIREMENT FUND

520000 000 000 520000

EMPLOYER 403 (b) 139392 000 000 139392

PAYROLL PROCESSING FEE

78000 000 000 78000

TOTAL ASSESSMENTS

15945492 11046045 809590 29969036

A Loan was taken from the Diocese to consolidate Inherited debt that occurred when the Parishes

were consolidated to form St Andre Bessette Parish

Parish Loan Amount Paid BALANCE Due

BALANCE 41200000 10063656 31136344

PAYING TOWARD the PARISH DEBT

Calculating Payment of Cathedraticum and School Assessments

Weekend of Envelope Loose Holy Days Special

Collections TAXABLE INCOME

Diocesan x095

Schools x145

24 of Total

Income

Other Income

Nov28Dec01 383500 36475 44900 162900 687307 65295 99660 164955 59532

Dec0708 466175 31325 66400 69250 672050 63845 97448 161293 28900

Dec1415 457800 32214 50700 71800 729114 69266 105722 174988 116600

Dec2122

Dec2829

Monies must be held in Operating Account until Payment of the Monthly Assessments on the 25th of the month This limits our ability to pay other bills in a timely fashion

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

10

FINANCES

PARISH ACCOUNTS

General Operating Account This is the daily operating account of the Parish The Sunday Collection and Other Income are deposited into this account All Expenses are paid from this account

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $322839

Deposits (Sunday Collection) 615814

Other Deposits 124200

Transfers from Parish Accounts -0-

Transfers from Diocesan Accounts -0-

Working Balance $1062853

Withdrawals -641571

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $421282

Parish Social Justice Fund Monies for this account are accrued through the quarterly collection Donations specifically earmarked for the Parish Social Justice Fund and grant monies donated to the fund This fund is used to provide for those in need and to fund programs and ministries of outreach compassion and mercy in the parish and beyond

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $324156

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals -0-

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $324156

Parish Memorial Account Monies for this account are accumulated from Donations to the parish given in memory of parishioners and bequests Funds from this account are regularly transferred into the General Operating account to augment the regular income of the parish

Prior Balance December 18 2019 158387

Deposits 2603000

Withdrawals 33035

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 2728352

Parish Fund Raising Account

This account is used to gather income from all parish fund raising activities and to pay expenses for those activities When an activity is complete the proceeds are then transferred into the General Operating Account to augment the regular income of the parish

Prior Balance December 18 2019 1502061

Deposits 79400

Withdrawals -0-

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 1581461

Parish Stipend Account

Funds in this account come from donations offered for Masses to be said Funds are dispersed directly from this account to the Celebrant who offers the Mass once it is said

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $578086

Deposits 65400

Withdrawals -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $643486

Sacred Heart Cemetery Acct Funds in this account are accrued from the sale of graves or through the monthly collection Funds are dispersed for burials and maintenance of the cemetery

Prior Balance December 18 2019 2704044

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals 105500

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 2598544

St Stanislaus Cemetery Acct Funds in this account are accrued from the sale of graves or through the monthly collection Funds are dispersed for burials and maintenance of the cemetery

Prior Balance December 18 2019 1455733

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals 7500

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 1448233

Parish Saving Account

Funds placed in the Diocesan Bank

Prior Balance December 18 2019 5843359

Deposits -0-

Interest -0-

Withdrawals -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 5843359

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

11

FROM THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

Letter of our Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States Part 1

January 1 2019

wwwvaticanva

Dear Brothers

During my meeting on 13 September last with the officers of your Conference of Bishops I suggested that together you make a retreat a time of seclusion prayer and discernment as a necessary step toward responding in the spirit of the Gospel to the crisis of credibility that you are experiencing as a Church We see this in the Gospel at critical moments in his mission the Lord withdrew and spent the whole night in prayer inviting his disciples to do the same (cf Mk 1438) We know that given the seriousness of the situation no response or approach seems adequate nonetheless we as pastors must have the ability and above all the wisdom to speak a word born of heartfelt prayerful and collective listening to the Word of God and to the pain of our people A word born of the prayer of shepherds who like Moses fight and intercede for their people (cf Ex 3230-32)

In that meeting I told Cardinal DiNardo and the other bishops present of my desire to accompany you personally for several days on that retreat and this offer was met with joy and anticipation As the Successor of Peter I wanted to join all of you in imploring the Lord to send forth his Spirit who ldquomakes all things newrdquo (cf Rev 215) and to point out the paths of life that as Church we are called to follow for the good of all those entrusted to our care Despite my best efforts I will not be able for logistical reasons to be physically present with you This letter is meant in some way to make up for that journey which could not take place I am also pleased that you have accepted my offer to have the Preacher of the Papal Household direct this retreat and to share his deep spiritual wisdom

With these few lines I would like to draw near to you as a brother and to reflect with you on some aspects that I consider important while at the same time encouraging your prayer and the steps you are taking to combat the ldquoculture of abuserdquo and to deal with the crisis of credibility

ldquoIt cannot be like that with you Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of allrdquo (Mk 1043-45) With these words Jesus intervenes and acknowledges the indignation felt by the disciples who heard James and John asking to sit at the right and left of the Master (cf Mk 1037) His words will help guide us in our shared reflection

The Gospel is not afraid to mention certain tensions conflicts and disputes present in the life of the first community of disciples it would even appear to want to do so It speaks of seeking places of honor and of jealousy envy and machinations To say nothing of the intrigues and the plots that whether secretly or openly were hatched around the message and person of Jesus by the political and religious leaders and the merchants of the time (cf Mk 1115-18) These conflicts increased with the approach of the hour of Jesusrsquo sacrifice on the cross as the prince of this world and sin and corruption appeared to have the last word poisoning everything with bitterness mistrust and resentment

As the elderly Simeon had prophesied difficult and critical moments can bring to light the deepest thoughts tensions and contradictions present in the disciples individually and as a group (cf Lk 235) No one can consider himself exempt from this we are asked as a community to take care that at those times our decisions choices actions and intentions are not tainted by these inner conflicts and tensions but are instead a response to the Lord who is life for the world At times of great confusion and uncertainty we

need to be attentive and discerning to free our hearts of compromises and false certainties in order to hear what the Lord asks of us in the mission he has given us Many actions can be helpful good and necessary and may even seem correct but not all of them have the ldquoflavourrdquo of the Gospel To put it colloquially we have to be careful that ldquothe cure does not become worse than the diseaserdquo And this requires of us wisdom prayer much listening and fraternal communion

1 ldquoIt cannot be like that with yourdquo

In recent years the Church in the United States has been shaken by various scandals that have gravely affected its credibility These have been times of turbulence in the lives of all those victims who suffered in their flesh the abuse of power and conscience and sexual abuse on the part of ordained ministers male and female religious and lay faithful But times of turbulence and suffering also for their families and for the entire People of God

The Churchrsquos credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes but even more by the efforts made to deny or conceal them This has led to a growing sense of uncertainty distrust and vulnerability among the faithful As we know the mentality that would cover things up far from helping to resolve conflicts enabled them to fester and cause even greater harm to the network of relationships that today we are called to heal and restore

We know that the sins and crimes that were committed and their repercussions on the ecclesial social and cultural levels have deeply affected the faithful They have caused great perplexity upset and confusion and this can often serve as an excuse for some to discredit and call into question the selfless lives of all those many Christians who show ldquoan immense love for humanity inspired by the God who became manrdquo[1] Whenever the Gospel message proves inconvenient or disturbing many voices are raised in an attempt to silence that message by pointing to the sins and inconsistencies of the members of the Church and even more of her pastors

The hurt caused by these sins and crimes has also deeply affected the communion of bishops and generated not the sort of healthy and necessary disagreements and tensions found in any living body but rather division and dispersion (cf Mt 2631) The latter are certainly not fruits and promptings of the Holy Spirit but rather of ldquothe enemy of human naturerdquo[2] who takes greater advantage of division and dispersion than of the tensions and disagreements reasonably to be expected in the lives of Christrsquos disciples

Combatting the culture of abuse the loss of credibility the resulting bewilderment and confusion and the discrediting of our mission urgently demands of us a renewed and decisive approach to resolving conflicts Jesus would tell us ldquoYou know how among the Gentiles those who seem to exercise authority lord it over them their great ones make their importance felt It cannot be like that with yourdquo (Mk 1042-43) Loss of credibility calls for a specific approach since it cannot be regained by issuing stern decrees or by simply creating new committees or improving flow charts as if we were in charge of a department of human resources That kind of vision ends up reducing the mission of the bishop and that of the Church to a mere administrative or organizational function in the ldquoevangelization businessrdquo Let us be clear many of those things are necessary yet insufficient since they cannot grasp and deal with reality in its complexity ultimately they risk reducing everything to an organizational problem

TO BE CONTINUED

Fraternally

FRANCIS

Vatican City 1st January 2019

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

9

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO Week of December 05-112019

FINANCES

RUNNING the PARISH

ADMINISTRATIVE 143484

A Portion of the Parish Income goes to fund the Ministries of the Parish Pay the Staff Maintain the properties and provide for those in need

Taxes -0-

Loan -0-

Clergy Residence 5035

RELIGIOUS FORMATION

-0-

SOCIAL JUSTICE -0-

MAINTENANCE 274452

Diocesan Collections

218600

TOTAL PARISH EXPENSES

$641571

SUPPORTING the Diocese

A Portion of the Parish Income goes to fund the Ministries and Services of the Diocese Provide Insurance for parish Properties provide care of the clergy and their retirement and fund Catholic Schools in the Diocese

Assessment Annual Fee Prior

Balance Payments

Made

Balance due by

June 30 2020

SCH0OL ASSESSMENT (145 of Income)

6219600 14833134 344361 20708373

CATHEDRATICUM (95 of Income)

4000800 3787089 465229 3535571

CLERGY BLUE CROSS

1672700 000 000 1672700

INSURANCE 1614800 000 000 1614800

CLERGY CARE AND WELLNESS (Not the monthly collection)

956200 000 000 956200

CLERGY PENSION 744000 000 000 744000

POST RETIREMENT FUND

520000 000 000 520000

EMPLOYER 403 (b) 139392 000 000 139392

PAYROLL PROCESSING FEE

78000 000 000 78000

TOTAL ASSESSMENTS

15945492 11046045 809590 29969036

A Loan was taken from the Diocese to consolidate Inherited debt that occurred when the Parishes

were consolidated to form St Andre Bessette Parish

Parish Loan Amount Paid BALANCE Due

BALANCE 41200000 10063656 31136344

PAYING TOWARD the PARISH DEBT

Calculating Payment of Cathedraticum and School Assessments

Weekend of Envelope Loose Holy Days Special

Collections TAXABLE INCOME

Diocesan x095

Schools x145

24 of Total

Income

Other Income

Nov28Dec01 383500 36475 44900 162900 687307 65295 99660 164955 59532

Dec0708 466175 31325 66400 69250 672050 63845 97448 161293 28900

Dec1415 457800 32214 50700 71800 729114 69266 105722 174988 116600

Dec2122

Dec2829

Monies must be held in Operating Account until Payment of the Monthly Assessments on the 25th of the month This limits our ability to pay other bills in a timely fashion

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

10

FINANCES

PARISH ACCOUNTS

General Operating Account This is the daily operating account of the Parish The Sunday Collection and Other Income are deposited into this account All Expenses are paid from this account

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $322839

Deposits (Sunday Collection) 615814

Other Deposits 124200

Transfers from Parish Accounts -0-

Transfers from Diocesan Accounts -0-

Working Balance $1062853

Withdrawals -641571

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $421282

Parish Social Justice Fund Monies for this account are accrued through the quarterly collection Donations specifically earmarked for the Parish Social Justice Fund and grant monies donated to the fund This fund is used to provide for those in need and to fund programs and ministries of outreach compassion and mercy in the parish and beyond

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $324156

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals -0-

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $324156

Parish Memorial Account Monies for this account are accumulated from Donations to the parish given in memory of parishioners and bequests Funds from this account are regularly transferred into the General Operating account to augment the regular income of the parish

Prior Balance December 18 2019 158387

Deposits 2603000

Withdrawals 33035

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 2728352

Parish Fund Raising Account

This account is used to gather income from all parish fund raising activities and to pay expenses for those activities When an activity is complete the proceeds are then transferred into the General Operating Account to augment the regular income of the parish

Prior Balance December 18 2019 1502061

Deposits 79400

Withdrawals -0-

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 1581461

Parish Stipend Account

Funds in this account come from donations offered for Masses to be said Funds are dispersed directly from this account to the Celebrant who offers the Mass once it is said

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $578086

Deposits 65400

Withdrawals -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $643486

Sacred Heart Cemetery Acct Funds in this account are accrued from the sale of graves or through the monthly collection Funds are dispersed for burials and maintenance of the cemetery

Prior Balance December 18 2019 2704044

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals 105500

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 2598544

St Stanislaus Cemetery Acct Funds in this account are accrued from the sale of graves or through the monthly collection Funds are dispersed for burials and maintenance of the cemetery

Prior Balance December 18 2019 1455733

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals 7500

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 1448233

Parish Saving Account

Funds placed in the Diocesan Bank

Prior Balance December 18 2019 5843359

Deposits -0-

Interest -0-

Withdrawals -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 5843359

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

11

FROM THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

Letter of our Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States Part 1

January 1 2019

wwwvaticanva

Dear Brothers

During my meeting on 13 September last with the officers of your Conference of Bishops I suggested that together you make a retreat a time of seclusion prayer and discernment as a necessary step toward responding in the spirit of the Gospel to the crisis of credibility that you are experiencing as a Church We see this in the Gospel at critical moments in his mission the Lord withdrew and spent the whole night in prayer inviting his disciples to do the same (cf Mk 1438) We know that given the seriousness of the situation no response or approach seems adequate nonetheless we as pastors must have the ability and above all the wisdom to speak a word born of heartfelt prayerful and collective listening to the Word of God and to the pain of our people A word born of the prayer of shepherds who like Moses fight and intercede for their people (cf Ex 3230-32)

In that meeting I told Cardinal DiNardo and the other bishops present of my desire to accompany you personally for several days on that retreat and this offer was met with joy and anticipation As the Successor of Peter I wanted to join all of you in imploring the Lord to send forth his Spirit who ldquomakes all things newrdquo (cf Rev 215) and to point out the paths of life that as Church we are called to follow for the good of all those entrusted to our care Despite my best efforts I will not be able for logistical reasons to be physically present with you This letter is meant in some way to make up for that journey which could not take place I am also pleased that you have accepted my offer to have the Preacher of the Papal Household direct this retreat and to share his deep spiritual wisdom

With these few lines I would like to draw near to you as a brother and to reflect with you on some aspects that I consider important while at the same time encouraging your prayer and the steps you are taking to combat the ldquoculture of abuserdquo and to deal with the crisis of credibility

ldquoIt cannot be like that with you Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of allrdquo (Mk 1043-45) With these words Jesus intervenes and acknowledges the indignation felt by the disciples who heard James and John asking to sit at the right and left of the Master (cf Mk 1037) His words will help guide us in our shared reflection

The Gospel is not afraid to mention certain tensions conflicts and disputes present in the life of the first community of disciples it would even appear to want to do so It speaks of seeking places of honor and of jealousy envy and machinations To say nothing of the intrigues and the plots that whether secretly or openly were hatched around the message and person of Jesus by the political and religious leaders and the merchants of the time (cf Mk 1115-18) These conflicts increased with the approach of the hour of Jesusrsquo sacrifice on the cross as the prince of this world and sin and corruption appeared to have the last word poisoning everything with bitterness mistrust and resentment

As the elderly Simeon had prophesied difficult and critical moments can bring to light the deepest thoughts tensions and contradictions present in the disciples individually and as a group (cf Lk 235) No one can consider himself exempt from this we are asked as a community to take care that at those times our decisions choices actions and intentions are not tainted by these inner conflicts and tensions but are instead a response to the Lord who is life for the world At times of great confusion and uncertainty we

need to be attentive and discerning to free our hearts of compromises and false certainties in order to hear what the Lord asks of us in the mission he has given us Many actions can be helpful good and necessary and may even seem correct but not all of them have the ldquoflavourrdquo of the Gospel To put it colloquially we have to be careful that ldquothe cure does not become worse than the diseaserdquo And this requires of us wisdom prayer much listening and fraternal communion

1 ldquoIt cannot be like that with yourdquo

In recent years the Church in the United States has been shaken by various scandals that have gravely affected its credibility These have been times of turbulence in the lives of all those victims who suffered in their flesh the abuse of power and conscience and sexual abuse on the part of ordained ministers male and female religious and lay faithful But times of turbulence and suffering also for their families and for the entire People of God

The Churchrsquos credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes but even more by the efforts made to deny or conceal them This has led to a growing sense of uncertainty distrust and vulnerability among the faithful As we know the mentality that would cover things up far from helping to resolve conflicts enabled them to fester and cause even greater harm to the network of relationships that today we are called to heal and restore

We know that the sins and crimes that were committed and their repercussions on the ecclesial social and cultural levels have deeply affected the faithful They have caused great perplexity upset and confusion and this can often serve as an excuse for some to discredit and call into question the selfless lives of all those many Christians who show ldquoan immense love for humanity inspired by the God who became manrdquo[1] Whenever the Gospel message proves inconvenient or disturbing many voices are raised in an attempt to silence that message by pointing to the sins and inconsistencies of the members of the Church and even more of her pastors

The hurt caused by these sins and crimes has also deeply affected the communion of bishops and generated not the sort of healthy and necessary disagreements and tensions found in any living body but rather division and dispersion (cf Mt 2631) The latter are certainly not fruits and promptings of the Holy Spirit but rather of ldquothe enemy of human naturerdquo[2] who takes greater advantage of division and dispersion than of the tensions and disagreements reasonably to be expected in the lives of Christrsquos disciples

Combatting the culture of abuse the loss of credibility the resulting bewilderment and confusion and the discrediting of our mission urgently demands of us a renewed and decisive approach to resolving conflicts Jesus would tell us ldquoYou know how among the Gentiles those who seem to exercise authority lord it over them their great ones make their importance felt It cannot be like that with yourdquo (Mk 1042-43) Loss of credibility calls for a specific approach since it cannot be regained by issuing stern decrees or by simply creating new committees or improving flow charts as if we were in charge of a department of human resources That kind of vision ends up reducing the mission of the bishop and that of the Church to a mere administrative or organizational function in the ldquoevangelization businessrdquo Let us be clear many of those things are necessary yet insufficient since they cannot grasp and deal with reality in its complexity ultimately they risk reducing everything to an organizational problem

TO BE CONTINUED

Fraternally

FRANCIS

Vatican City 1st January 2019

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

10

FINANCES

PARISH ACCOUNTS

General Operating Account This is the daily operating account of the Parish The Sunday Collection and Other Income are deposited into this account All Expenses are paid from this account

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $322839

Deposits (Sunday Collection) 615814

Other Deposits 124200

Transfers from Parish Accounts -0-

Transfers from Diocesan Accounts -0-

Working Balance $1062853

Withdrawals -641571

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $421282

Parish Social Justice Fund Monies for this account are accrued through the quarterly collection Donations specifically earmarked for the Parish Social Justice Fund and grant monies donated to the fund This fund is used to provide for those in need and to fund programs and ministries of outreach compassion and mercy in the parish and beyond

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $324156

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals -0-

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $324156

Parish Memorial Account Monies for this account are accumulated from Donations to the parish given in memory of parishioners and bequests Funds from this account are regularly transferred into the General Operating account to augment the regular income of the parish

Prior Balance December 18 2019 158387

Deposits 2603000

Withdrawals 33035

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 2728352

Parish Fund Raising Account

This account is used to gather income from all parish fund raising activities and to pay expenses for those activities When an activity is complete the proceeds are then transferred into the General Operating Account to augment the regular income of the parish

Prior Balance December 18 2019 1502061

Deposits 79400

Withdrawals -0-

Transfer to Parish General Account -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 1581461

Parish Stipend Account

Funds in this account come from donations offered for Masses to be said Funds are dispersed directly from this account to the Celebrant who offers the Mass once it is said

Prior Balance December 18 2019 $578086

Deposits 65400

Withdrawals -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward $643486

Sacred Heart Cemetery Acct Funds in this account are accrued from the sale of graves or through the monthly collection Funds are dispersed for burials and maintenance of the cemetery

Prior Balance December 18 2019 2704044

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals 105500

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 2598544

St Stanislaus Cemetery Acct Funds in this account are accrued from the sale of graves or through the monthly collection Funds are dispersed for burials and maintenance of the cemetery

Prior Balance December 18 2019 1455733

Deposits -0-

Withdrawals 7500

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 1448233

Parish Saving Account

Funds placed in the Diocesan Bank

Prior Balance December 18 2019 5843359

Deposits -0-

Interest -0-

Withdrawals -0-

Service Charges -0-

Balance Forward 5843359

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

11

FROM THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

Letter of our Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States Part 1

January 1 2019

wwwvaticanva

Dear Brothers

During my meeting on 13 September last with the officers of your Conference of Bishops I suggested that together you make a retreat a time of seclusion prayer and discernment as a necessary step toward responding in the spirit of the Gospel to the crisis of credibility that you are experiencing as a Church We see this in the Gospel at critical moments in his mission the Lord withdrew and spent the whole night in prayer inviting his disciples to do the same (cf Mk 1438) We know that given the seriousness of the situation no response or approach seems adequate nonetheless we as pastors must have the ability and above all the wisdom to speak a word born of heartfelt prayerful and collective listening to the Word of God and to the pain of our people A word born of the prayer of shepherds who like Moses fight and intercede for their people (cf Ex 3230-32)

In that meeting I told Cardinal DiNardo and the other bishops present of my desire to accompany you personally for several days on that retreat and this offer was met with joy and anticipation As the Successor of Peter I wanted to join all of you in imploring the Lord to send forth his Spirit who ldquomakes all things newrdquo (cf Rev 215) and to point out the paths of life that as Church we are called to follow for the good of all those entrusted to our care Despite my best efforts I will not be able for logistical reasons to be physically present with you This letter is meant in some way to make up for that journey which could not take place I am also pleased that you have accepted my offer to have the Preacher of the Papal Household direct this retreat and to share his deep spiritual wisdom

With these few lines I would like to draw near to you as a brother and to reflect with you on some aspects that I consider important while at the same time encouraging your prayer and the steps you are taking to combat the ldquoculture of abuserdquo and to deal with the crisis of credibility

ldquoIt cannot be like that with you Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of allrdquo (Mk 1043-45) With these words Jesus intervenes and acknowledges the indignation felt by the disciples who heard James and John asking to sit at the right and left of the Master (cf Mk 1037) His words will help guide us in our shared reflection

The Gospel is not afraid to mention certain tensions conflicts and disputes present in the life of the first community of disciples it would even appear to want to do so It speaks of seeking places of honor and of jealousy envy and machinations To say nothing of the intrigues and the plots that whether secretly or openly were hatched around the message and person of Jesus by the political and religious leaders and the merchants of the time (cf Mk 1115-18) These conflicts increased with the approach of the hour of Jesusrsquo sacrifice on the cross as the prince of this world and sin and corruption appeared to have the last word poisoning everything with bitterness mistrust and resentment

As the elderly Simeon had prophesied difficult and critical moments can bring to light the deepest thoughts tensions and contradictions present in the disciples individually and as a group (cf Lk 235) No one can consider himself exempt from this we are asked as a community to take care that at those times our decisions choices actions and intentions are not tainted by these inner conflicts and tensions but are instead a response to the Lord who is life for the world At times of great confusion and uncertainty we

need to be attentive and discerning to free our hearts of compromises and false certainties in order to hear what the Lord asks of us in the mission he has given us Many actions can be helpful good and necessary and may even seem correct but not all of them have the ldquoflavourrdquo of the Gospel To put it colloquially we have to be careful that ldquothe cure does not become worse than the diseaserdquo And this requires of us wisdom prayer much listening and fraternal communion

1 ldquoIt cannot be like that with yourdquo

In recent years the Church in the United States has been shaken by various scandals that have gravely affected its credibility These have been times of turbulence in the lives of all those victims who suffered in their flesh the abuse of power and conscience and sexual abuse on the part of ordained ministers male and female religious and lay faithful But times of turbulence and suffering also for their families and for the entire People of God

The Churchrsquos credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes but even more by the efforts made to deny or conceal them This has led to a growing sense of uncertainty distrust and vulnerability among the faithful As we know the mentality that would cover things up far from helping to resolve conflicts enabled them to fester and cause even greater harm to the network of relationships that today we are called to heal and restore

We know that the sins and crimes that were committed and their repercussions on the ecclesial social and cultural levels have deeply affected the faithful They have caused great perplexity upset and confusion and this can often serve as an excuse for some to discredit and call into question the selfless lives of all those many Christians who show ldquoan immense love for humanity inspired by the God who became manrdquo[1] Whenever the Gospel message proves inconvenient or disturbing many voices are raised in an attempt to silence that message by pointing to the sins and inconsistencies of the members of the Church and even more of her pastors

The hurt caused by these sins and crimes has also deeply affected the communion of bishops and generated not the sort of healthy and necessary disagreements and tensions found in any living body but rather division and dispersion (cf Mt 2631) The latter are certainly not fruits and promptings of the Holy Spirit but rather of ldquothe enemy of human naturerdquo[2] who takes greater advantage of division and dispersion than of the tensions and disagreements reasonably to be expected in the lives of Christrsquos disciples

Combatting the culture of abuse the loss of credibility the resulting bewilderment and confusion and the discrediting of our mission urgently demands of us a renewed and decisive approach to resolving conflicts Jesus would tell us ldquoYou know how among the Gentiles those who seem to exercise authority lord it over them their great ones make their importance felt It cannot be like that with yourdquo (Mk 1042-43) Loss of credibility calls for a specific approach since it cannot be regained by issuing stern decrees or by simply creating new committees or improving flow charts as if we were in charge of a department of human resources That kind of vision ends up reducing the mission of the bishop and that of the Church to a mere administrative or organizational function in the ldquoevangelization businessrdquo Let us be clear many of those things are necessary yet insufficient since they cannot grasp and deal with reality in its complexity ultimately they risk reducing everything to an organizational problem

TO BE CONTINUED

Fraternally

FRANCIS

Vatican City 1st January 2019

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

11

FROM THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

Letter of our Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States Part 1

January 1 2019

wwwvaticanva

Dear Brothers

During my meeting on 13 September last with the officers of your Conference of Bishops I suggested that together you make a retreat a time of seclusion prayer and discernment as a necessary step toward responding in the spirit of the Gospel to the crisis of credibility that you are experiencing as a Church We see this in the Gospel at critical moments in his mission the Lord withdrew and spent the whole night in prayer inviting his disciples to do the same (cf Mk 1438) We know that given the seriousness of the situation no response or approach seems adequate nonetheless we as pastors must have the ability and above all the wisdom to speak a word born of heartfelt prayerful and collective listening to the Word of God and to the pain of our people A word born of the prayer of shepherds who like Moses fight and intercede for their people (cf Ex 3230-32)

In that meeting I told Cardinal DiNardo and the other bishops present of my desire to accompany you personally for several days on that retreat and this offer was met with joy and anticipation As the Successor of Peter I wanted to join all of you in imploring the Lord to send forth his Spirit who ldquomakes all things newrdquo (cf Rev 215) and to point out the paths of life that as Church we are called to follow for the good of all those entrusted to our care Despite my best efforts I will not be able for logistical reasons to be physically present with you This letter is meant in some way to make up for that journey which could not take place I am also pleased that you have accepted my offer to have the Preacher of the Papal Household direct this retreat and to share his deep spiritual wisdom

With these few lines I would like to draw near to you as a brother and to reflect with you on some aspects that I consider important while at the same time encouraging your prayer and the steps you are taking to combat the ldquoculture of abuserdquo and to deal with the crisis of credibility

ldquoIt cannot be like that with you Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of allrdquo (Mk 1043-45) With these words Jesus intervenes and acknowledges the indignation felt by the disciples who heard James and John asking to sit at the right and left of the Master (cf Mk 1037) His words will help guide us in our shared reflection

The Gospel is not afraid to mention certain tensions conflicts and disputes present in the life of the first community of disciples it would even appear to want to do so It speaks of seeking places of honor and of jealousy envy and machinations To say nothing of the intrigues and the plots that whether secretly or openly were hatched around the message and person of Jesus by the political and religious leaders and the merchants of the time (cf Mk 1115-18) These conflicts increased with the approach of the hour of Jesusrsquo sacrifice on the cross as the prince of this world and sin and corruption appeared to have the last word poisoning everything with bitterness mistrust and resentment

As the elderly Simeon had prophesied difficult and critical moments can bring to light the deepest thoughts tensions and contradictions present in the disciples individually and as a group (cf Lk 235) No one can consider himself exempt from this we are asked as a community to take care that at those times our decisions choices actions and intentions are not tainted by these inner conflicts and tensions but are instead a response to the Lord who is life for the world At times of great confusion and uncertainty we

need to be attentive and discerning to free our hearts of compromises and false certainties in order to hear what the Lord asks of us in the mission he has given us Many actions can be helpful good and necessary and may even seem correct but not all of them have the ldquoflavourrdquo of the Gospel To put it colloquially we have to be careful that ldquothe cure does not become worse than the diseaserdquo And this requires of us wisdom prayer much listening and fraternal communion

1 ldquoIt cannot be like that with yourdquo

In recent years the Church in the United States has been shaken by various scandals that have gravely affected its credibility These have been times of turbulence in the lives of all those victims who suffered in their flesh the abuse of power and conscience and sexual abuse on the part of ordained ministers male and female religious and lay faithful But times of turbulence and suffering also for their families and for the entire People of God

The Churchrsquos credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes but even more by the efforts made to deny or conceal them This has led to a growing sense of uncertainty distrust and vulnerability among the faithful As we know the mentality that would cover things up far from helping to resolve conflicts enabled them to fester and cause even greater harm to the network of relationships that today we are called to heal and restore

We know that the sins and crimes that were committed and their repercussions on the ecclesial social and cultural levels have deeply affected the faithful They have caused great perplexity upset and confusion and this can often serve as an excuse for some to discredit and call into question the selfless lives of all those many Christians who show ldquoan immense love for humanity inspired by the God who became manrdquo[1] Whenever the Gospel message proves inconvenient or disturbing many voices are raised in an attempt to silence that message by pointing to the sins and inconsistencies of the members of the Church and even more of her pastors

The hurt caused by these sins and crimes has also deeply affected the communion of bishops and generated not the sort of healthy and necessary disagreements and tensions found in any living body but rather division and dispersion (cf Mt 2631) The latter are certainly not fruits and promptings of the Holy Spirit but rather of ldquothe enemy of human naturerdquo[2] who takes greater advantage of division and dispersion than of the tensions and disagreements reasonably to be expected in the lives of Christrsquos disciples

Combatting the culture of abuse the loss of credibility the resulting bewilderment and confusion and the discrediting of our mission urgently demands of us a renewed and decisive approach to resolving conflicts Jesus would tell us ldquoYou know how among the Gentiles those who seem to exercise authority lord it over them their great ones make their importance felt It cannot be like that with yourdquo (Mk 1042-43) Loss of credibility calls for a specific approach since it cannot be regained by issuing stern decrees or by simply creating new committees or improving flow charts as if we were in charge of a department of human resources That kind of vision ends up reducing the mission of the bishop and that of the Church to a mere administrative or organizational function in the ldquoevangelization businessrdquo Let us be clear many of those things are necessary yet insufficient since they cannot grasp and deal with reality in its complexity ultimately they risk reducing everything to an organizational problem

TO BE CONTINUED

Fraternally

FRANCIS

Vatican City 1st January 2019

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

12

IN THE DIOCESE

$ 30000

$20 000

$15000

$10000

$5000

$1000

DIOCESAN ANNUAL APPEAL

Parish Goal $3000000 Pledges to date $1789850

Amount due $ 1210150

To Date 29 of parishioners donated 60 toward our appeal Goal Thank You

THANK YOU Bonny Alexy MM Dan Amerise Mary Ann Amesbury Nancy Amesbury Regina Amrick Marcella Antolik Edward Balicki John Baloga MM Joseph Baloga Patricia Baran John Benz MM John Bergold Helen Blizman Mary Blizman MM Martin Birosak Thomas Birosak Anthony Bonczewski MM Joseph Boris Tillie Boza MM Dennis Bozinski MM Mark Breznay Michael Buckman Mrs Regina Buczynski Karen Burke Barbara Ceklosky Florence Check MM William Check MM Mark Choman Mary Chupka Theresa Chupka MM Robert Cirko MM John Connell Monica Cunningham Joan Danishanko Mark Dechman

Michael Degnan Nicholas Degnan MM Peter Degnan Claire Dirvonsky David Dirvonsky Dolores Dlugosh Marcella Domanski Marge Dreier Rinaldo Ercolani MM Daniel Evans James Evans Ann Flannery MM Brian Flannery Marie Flannery Patricia Flynn John Gdovin MM William Giebus MM John Gilligan MM Frank Glazenski MM Louis Goeringer Diane Gregor David Gryczko Patricia Gryskevicz MM John Harowicz MM Theodore Harowicz MM John Hassay MM Marty Heaney Eric Helfrich MM J Hendershot Betty Herbert Eleanor Howe Anne Hrycenko Anna Hudock Margaret Hvozdovic Kariann Iskra ndashWhite Mary Ann Jagoda Thomas Jagoda MM Anthony Janick Kathleen Kaiser Diane Kane

Maria Kasper Andrew Katsock III MM Andrew Katsock II Rita Kcenich Rita Kelly Marilyn Kenzakoski Frank Klemek Bernadine Kondracki Jean Koval MM Joseph Krulack MM Michael Kunec Joyce Langan Mary Langan Anna Lavan Monica Lazorick MM John Lewandowski MM George Lovrinic Karen Luce MM Ronald Lyons Mary Ann Magda Mary Lou Malloy Mary Therese McCabe MM Thomas McCabe MM John McKlosky John McNelis Susan Mentrikoski MM Harry Messersmith MM Francis Montague Scott Montague James Morpeth MM John V Morris III Anthony Mulvey MM Robert Novak Donna Owca Florence Paciga Theresa Partika MM Mark Povilitus Steven Prevuznak Mary Rembish MM Stephen Rembish

MM Robert Ripski John Rollman MM James Rother MM Michael Rushton Bernadine Sabol John Saraka Carol Schultz Joan K Selner MM Dan Shedlock Mary Shorts MM Tony Shurmanek Mary Ann Siegel Agnes Siskovitch MM John Sitar Gertrude Skibinski Mary Ann Slavinski Elaine Snyder MM Jeffrey Snyder Sandra Snyder Mary Lois Sokolski William Stavishak Robert Stofey Joseph Stone Jr Mrs Frances Suchar Mark Suchar Geraldine Tarantini Mary Rose Tomasko Marylin Tosh MM Frank Tribendis MM Joseph Trudnak Geraldine Ulichney MM Carl Walkowiak Christina Walkowiak John Wassil Julia Wilcox Leonard Wilcox Jr DrMrs Jason Woloski Dolores Yesuvida Helen Zuba

Notice Regarding Reporting Sexual Abuse of a Minor It is the policy of the Diocese of Scranton to report any allegation of sexual abuse of a minor to law enforcement If you are a victim of sexual abuse committed by a priest deacon religious or lay employee or volunteer of the Diocese of Scranton you are encouraged to immediately report the matter to law enforcement If any priest deacon religious lay employee or volunteer of the Diocese of Scranton has cause or reason to suspect that a minor has been subjected to any form of abuse including child sexual abuse the matter will be reported to law enforcement It is also the policy of the Diocese to adhere to all civil and state regulations In accordance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaniarsquos Child Protective Services Laws reports of suspected child abuse should also be made immediately by phone to the 24-HourChild Abuse hotline (ChildLine) at 1-800-932-0313 or electronically at wwwcompassstatepauscwis To this end the Diocese is equally committed to adhering to the norms of the Code of Canon Law and to upholding the tenets of the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People which includes supporting victims of sexual abuse in their pursuit of emotional and spiritual well-being As such information regarding an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor should also be reported to the Victim Assistance Coordinator Mary Beth Pacuska at (570-862- 7551)

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

ITrsquos NOT TOO LATE

If you havenrsquot yet made your pledge to the Diocesan

Annual Appeal you may do so by using one of the

forms available in the back of the church Every

donation counts as we strive to meet our goal

Retrouvaille is a peer ministry of volunteer couples that can help you learn the tools of healthy communication build intimacy and heal just as they have done in their own marriages If your marriage is in distress even if you are currently separated or divorced Retrouvaille can help get your relationship back on track For more information visit HelpOurMarriageorg We are working to bring Retrouvaille back to the Diocese of Scranton in 2020 A Retrouvaille Weekend has been scheduled for May 29-31 to be held at St Gabriels Retreat Center in Clarks Summit If you or any other Retrouvaille couple you know would like to assist with the nuts and bolts of restarting the ministry help is needed To learn more about attending the weekend or to learn more about helping to bring this weekend to life contact Phil amp Sue Milazzo philmilazzooutlookcom 631-338-5413 or Jen Housel jhouseldioceseofscrantonorg 570-207-2213 x 1104

13

LOCAL EVENTS 22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Beat the Cold Air CALL

You can contact Chris at

(570) 285-5079 or (570) 262-3109

or Book your appointment by e-mail at

Chomanscaregmailcom

Visit our Website at ChomansCarecom

LIKE us on acebook

Chomans Care is your full-service property care service that helps protect and enrich your most valuable assets A home is a huge investment but sometimes we cant give it the time and attention it needs Thats why at Chomans we always try to go above and beyond by exceeding all of your expectations

Wersquove learned that great service begins and ends with experienced and friendly professionals which explains our rigorous hiring process We believe that our team is the best in the business and have complete and total confidence in every person providing our services Our trained professionals will have your property looking its best Chomans Care finishes each project on schedule and with the highest level of quality With a focus on personalized service competitive rates and customer satisfaction wersquore always striving to meet and exceed expectations

SOME of OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OFFERED

SNOW REMOVAL Plowing Shoveling and

Salting

HOLIDAY DECORATING

Wersquoll deal with those pesky holiday lights so you donrsquot

have to

Power Washing

Soft-Washing

Gutter Cleaning

Headstone Cleaning

Deck and Fence Painting

Concrete Sealing

PILGRIMAGE TO

MEDJUGORJE

August 27mdash

September 4 2020

Accomodations are at the

guest home of the

visionary Marjana

VERY EARLY REGISTRATION deposit of $500 is required to

secure Accommodations which are quickly filled

Full price of trip is $259500 with transportation provided

from Mountaintop PA to Philadelphia Airport

For more information call Gloria at STELLA MAR Croatian

Mir Center (570) 479-1175

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson

14

7 Signs Yoursquore Having a Spiritual Awakening Once youve awakened theres no going back

by Samantha Fey wwwbeliefnetcom

FINAL THOUGHTS

A spiritual awakening is similar to maturing from childhood to adolescence and adulthood in that itrsquos often accompanied by growing pains sadness intense joy and newfound discoveries An awakening occurs when we finally put away the labels beliefs and ideas that have been programmed into us and wake up to the truth of who we are and all wersquore capable of Going through this is at once frightening and exhilarating lonely and joyful How do you know if yoursquore going through a spiritual awakening or just having quarter life or mid-life crisis The awakening experience is accompanied by intense realizations about our soul purpose whereas a crisis moment is focused on the past regret and fear of the future

A spiritual awakening creates a ldquono turning backrdquo point in our lives Once wersquove awakened therersquos no way to return to the old you Itrsquos like a butterfly trying to fit back into the cocoon and rejoin her caterpillar friends It just canrsquot happen But as soon as she grows accustomed to her wings shersquoll discover that flying is much better than crawling If yoursquore going through a spiritual awakening the following are some tips to help you recognize the various emotions you may be experiencing now

1 You question everything

You will start examine what yoursquove been taught to believe This can feel isolating because itrsquos our beliefs that comfort us But you will soon start to see that truth is much more comforting than illusions Often itrsquos a period of loss or suffering that precipitates this questioning period During this tender time you donrsquot need to share all yoursquore questioning with others Allow people to believe what they want to believe and leave it at that But lean into your questions as you investigate research and dive into your truth

2 You need to understand your purpose

Why am I here This is one of the deepest questions an awakener must ask Socrates would say wersquore here to know ourselves As yoursquore busy investigating what you believe versus what you now know to be true take time to explore yourself During this awakening you will develop a hungry desire for a deeper understanding of who you are and why yoursquore here Begin the ldquounlabeling processrdquo remove all labels we blanket ourselves in If you arenrsquot a salesperson a dad a grandmother a teacher a volunteer a sister or brother who are you As you find the courage to remove your labels you will discover who you really are and during this solitary herorsquos journey the treasure yoursquoll find is your soul purpose

3 You become more independent

People who are waking up no longer feel the need to fit in and belong This is not an overnight realization so be gentle with yourself as you begin to understand that the very words ldquofitting inrdquo connote feelings of being trapped boxed in Yoursquore a free soul and have the divine right to think feel and believe what you want During this time you may move away from groups or organizations that no longer matter to you Again the message here is patience Be patient with yourself but also with those around you who may not understand why yoursquore changing and shifting

4 Your friendships shift and change

One of the hardest parts of going through a spiritual awakening is that many of our relationships begin to shift change or even end This can lead to feelings of loss fear and loneliness Your friends may not understand this new you and will begin to question or challenge you Donrsquot default to a defensive posture if this occurs Everyone has a right to their opinion and when you defend your views yoursquore only contributing to the dualistic divide from which yoursquore rising from Listen to your friends Hear their concerns Meet them with compassion Some of them will walk away but many will stay You will also start to meet new friends who are in alignment with your awakening consciousness

5 You lose interest in material things

We all need to work and most of us enjoy shopping for new shiny things But as you go through your spiritual awakening this will become less and less important This is often called the ldquoMinimalist Stagerdquo You may start to clear out your closets donate old clothes

bikes and furniture You start to see how little you really need in order to feel happy and present Your goals may shift now from getting that new promotion or saving up for that new house to achieving inner joy or spending more time with loved ones and learning to live each day in gratitude and awareness

6 You have intense joy

followed by total loneliness

This is one of the hardest stages of the spiritual awakening As you start to see the world as connected and whole you feel a sense of profound joy that we are eternal beings that our energy is linked with all those around us and that we can co-create with the Universe But just as yoursquore settling into this ecstasy you will be hit with a powerful sense of loneliness possibly even a sense of futility Feel your way through this up and down period No emotion will last forever Yoursquore saying goodbye to aspects of yourself that no longer serve you Itrsquos very similar to the grief process When you realize how most people no longer understand you or even support you in your awakening you may feel isolated and think about going back to the ldquoold yourdquo The message here is again one of patience When the butterfly emerges from the cocoon shersquos not ready to fly She must give her wings time to acclimate to the climate Remind yourself during this stage ldquoThis too shall passrdquo and soon yoursquoll be soaring

7 You feel compassion for all beings

As you start to see feel and sense the unified energy flowing through all living beings you begin to feel love and compassion for all humans animals and living things on our planet This will alter the way you see the news interact with those around you and how you treat animals and the planet You may start to recycle more pick up trash as you take your daily walk or even change your eating habits As you reach this stage of compassion much of the difficulties and sense of loneliness will start to dissipate You will see yourself as a soul have a human experience You will start to engage with others through an energy of love which will dramatically alter and enhance your interactions and all your experiences You are now ready to fly

The road we journey during this awakening time can often feel confusing and lonely but as you continue forward ever onward you will soon discover that where yoursquore heading is a beautiful place of truth authenticity and purpose If we are all vibrating at our unique frequencies yet all connected by one universal energy then by the very law of resonance when one of us elevates our consciousness we all move forward to higher states of awareness As you wake up and turn your light on the whole world gets brighter Keep waking up Be the light Share your light

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

15

WEEKLY CALENDAR

LITURGICAL MINISTRY SCHEDULE

December 24-25 2019 Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord December 28-29 2019 Feast of the Holy Family

400 pm 530 pm 800 am 1100 am 400 pm 530 pm 800 am 1100 am

Aiden Burridge

Jackie Barkus Ann Bozinski

Mimi Tosh Rosemary Shedlock

Mimi Tosh Sr Tina

Hanrahan Jackie Barkus

Rosemary Shedlock

SERVER

Tia Amerise

David Alusick Pat Baran

Edward Ostopick-Chesek

Mary Ann Slavinski

Sr Kate Morris Tia Amerise Sr Kate Morris Andy Katsock Sandy Snyder LECTOR

John Bergold Jackie Barkus Mimi Tosh Rosemary Shedlock

Ted Harowicz William Klukoske Jackie Barkus Elaine Snyder EMOC

Joan Cavanaugh Matt Kurtz Brian Clark Matt Kurtz Brian Clark Carol Zukoski Geri Ulichney Matt Kurtz CANTOR

Children of our Faith Formation

Program

Dolores Yesuvida

Jean Koval Ann

Hendershot

Ann amp Dennis Bozinski

Lori amp John Morris

Anna Hendershot

Joe Stone HOSPITALITY

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Fourth Week of Advent December 23-29 2019

Day and Date Time Intention Offered by Events

Monday December 23 Advent Weekday No Morning Mass Scheduled

Tuesday December 24 Late Advent Weekday

8 am No Morning Mass Scheduled Parish Office closes at NOON

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

VIGIL MASS OF CHRISTMAS 4 pm Christmas Intentions Parish The Parish Office will be CLOSED Today

MASS OF CHRISTMAS NIGHT 1030 pm Christmas Intentions Parish

MASS OF CHRISTMAS DAWN 8 am Christmas Intentions Parish

MASS OF CHRISTMAS DAY 11 am Christmas Intentions Parish

Thursday December 26 St Stephen the Deacon 8 am Mary Elizabeth Mickulik

Mr amp Mrs

Stephen Morris amp

Daughter

NoonmdashAdoration Begins 6 pm VespersBenediction

Friday December 27 St John the Evangelist

8 am Charles Perry Bernadine Baluta

Saturday December 28 Holy Innocents No Morning Mass Scheduled

300 pm Confessions

Feast of the Holy Family

VIGIL 4 pm Mrs Margaret Austin The Gryskevicz

Family Social Justice Collection

VIGIL 530 pm Joseph Buczynski Sandy Hopkins

SUNDAY 8 am Parishioners Pastor

SUNDAY 11 am Joseph Walkowiak Mr amp Mrs

Thomas Benesky

16

14

7 Signs Yoursquore Having a Spiritual Awakening Once youve awakened theres no going back

by Samantha Fey wwwbeliefnetcom

FINAL THOUGHTS

A spiritual awakening is similar to maturing from childhood to adolescence and adulthood in that itrsquos often accompanied by growing pains sadness intense joy and newfound discoveries An awakening occurs when we finally put away the labels beliefs and ideas that have been programmed into us and wake up to the truth of who we are and all wersquore capable of Going through this is at once frightening and exhilarating lonely and joyful How do you know if yoursquore going through a spiritual awakening or just having quarter life or mid-life crisis The awakening experience is accompanied by intense realizations about our soul purpose whereas a crisis moment is focused on the past regret and fear of the future

A spiritual awakening creates a ldquono turning backrdquo point in our lives Once wersquove awakened therersquos no way to return to the old you Itrsquos like a butterfly trying to fit back into the cocoon and rejoin her caterpillar friends It just canrsquot happen But as soon as she grows accustomed to her wings shersquoll discover that flying is much better than crawling If yoursquore going through a spiritual awakening the following are some tips to help you recognize the various emotions you may be experiencing now

1 You question everything

You will start examine what yoursquove been taught to believe This can feel isolating because itrsquos our beliefs that comfort us But you will soon start to see that truth is much more comforting than illusions Often itrsquos a period of loss or suffering that precipitates this questioning period During this tender time you donrsquot need to share all yoursquore questioning with others Allow people to believe what they want to believe and leave it at that But lean into your questions as you investigate research and dive into your truth

2 You need to understand your purpose

Why am I here This is one of the deepest questions an awakener must ask Socrates would say wersquore here to know ourselves As yoursquore busy investigating what you believe versus what you now know to be true take time to explore yourself During this awakening you will develop a hungry desire for a deeper understanding of who you are and why yoursquore here Begin the ldquounlabeling processrdquo remove all labels we blanket ourselves in If you arenrsquot a salesperson a dad a grandmother a teacher a volunteer a sister or brother who are you As you find the courage to remove your labels you will discover who you really are and during this solitary herorsquos journey the treasure yoursquoll find is your soul purpose

3 You become more independent

People who are waking up no longer feel the need to fit in and belong This is not an overnight realization so be gentle with yourself as you begin to understand that the very words ldquofitting inrdquo connote feelings of being trapped boxed in Yoursquore a free soul and have the divine right to think feel and believe what you want During this time you may move away from groups or organizations that no longer matter to you Again the message here is patience Be patient with yourself but also with those around you who may not understand why yoursquore changing and shifting

4 Your friendships shift and change

One of the hardest parts of going through a spiritual awakening is that many of our relationships begin to shift change or even end This can lead to feelings of loss fear and loneliness Your friends may not understand this new you and will begin to question or challenge you Donrsquot default to a defensive posture if this occurs Everyone has a right to their opinion and when you defend your views yoursquore only contributing to the dualistic divide from which yoursquore rising from Listen to your friends Hear their concerns Meet them with compassion Some of them will walk away but many will stay You will also start to meet new friends who are in alignment with your awakening consciousness

5 You lose interest in material things

We all need to work and most of us enjoy shopping for new shiny things But as you go through your spiritual awakening this will become less and less important This is often called the ldquoMinimalist Stagerdquo You may start to clear out your closets donate old clothes

bikes and furniture You start to see how little you really need in order to feel happy and present Your goals may shift now from getting that new promotion or saving up for that new house to achieving inner joy or spending more time with loved ones and learning to live each day in gratitude and awareness

6 You have intense joy

followed by total loneliness

This is one of the hardest stages of the spiritual awakening As you start to see the world as connected and whole you feel a sense of profound joy that we are eternal beings that our energy is linked with all those around us and that we can co-create with the Universe But just as yoursquore settling into this ecstasy you will be hit with a powerful sense of loneliness possibly even a sense of futility Feel your way through this up and down period No emotion will last forever Yoursquore saying goodbye to aspects of yourself that no longer serve you Itrsquos very similar to the grief process When you realize how most people no longer understand you or even support you in your awakening you may feel isolated and think about going back to the ldquoold yourdquo The message here is again one of patience When the butterfly emerges from the cocoon shersquos not ready to fly She must give her wings time to acclimate to the climate Remind yourself during this stage ldquoThis too shall passrdquo and soon yoursquoll be soaring

7 You feel compassion for all beings

As you start to see feel and sense the unified energy flowing through all living beings you begin to feel love and compassion for all humans animals and living things on our planet This will alter the way you see the news interact with those around you and how you treat animals and the planet You may start to recycle more pick up trash as you take your daily walk or even change your eating habits As you reach this stage of compassion much of the difficulties and sense of loneliness will start to dissipate You will see yourself as a soul have a human experience You will start to engage with others through an energy of love which will dramatically alter and enhance your interactions and all your experiences You are now ready to fly

The road we journey during this awakening time can often feel confusing and lonely but as you continue forward ever onward you will soon discover that where yoursquore heading is a beautiful place of truth authenticity and purpose If we are all vibrating at our unique frequencies yet all connected by one universal energy then by the very law of resonance when one of us elevates our consciousness we all move forward to higher states of awareness As you wake up and turn your light on the whole world gets brighter Keep waking up Be the light Share your light

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

15

WEEKLY CALENDAR

LITURGICAL MINISTRY SCHEDULE

December 24-25 2019 Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord December 28-29 2019 Feast of the Holy Family

400 pm 530 pm 800 am 1100 am 400 pm 530 pm 800 am 1100 am

Aiden Burridge

Jackie Barkus Ann Bozinski

Mimi Tosh Rosemary Shedlock

Mimi Tosh Sr Tina

Hanrahan Jackie Barkus

Rosemary Shedlock

SERVER

Tia Amerise

David Alusick Pat Baran

Edward Ostopick-Chesek

Mary Ann Slavinski

Sr Kate Morris Tia Amerise Sr Kate Morris Andy Katsock Sandy Snyder LECTOR

John Bergold Jackie Barkus Mimi Tosh Rosemary Shedlock

Ted Harowicz William Klukoske Jackie Barkus Elaine Snyder EMOC

Joan Cavanaugh Matt Kurtz Brian Clark Matt Kurtz Brian Clark Carol Zukoski Geri Ulichney Matt Kurtz CANTOR

Children of our Faith Formation

Program

Dolores Yesuvida

Jean Koval Ann

Hendershot

Ann amp Dennis Bozinski

Lori amp John Morris

Anna Hendershot

Joe Stone HOSPITALITY

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Fourth Week of Advent December 23-29 2019

Day and Date Time Intention Offered by Events

Monday December 23 Advent Weekday No Morning Mass Scheduled

Tuesday December 24 Late Advent Weekday

8 am No Morning Mass Scheduled Parish Office closes at NOON

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

VIGIL MASS OF CHRISTMAS 4 pm Christmas Intentions Parish The Parish Office will be CLOSED Today

MASS OF CHRISTMAS NIGHT 1030 pm Christmas Intentions Parish

MASS OF CHRISTMAS DAWN 8 am Christmas Intentions Parish

MASS OF CHRISTMAS DAY 11 am Christmas Intentions Parish

Thursday December 26 St Stephen the Deacon 8 am Mary Elizabeth Mickulik

Mr amp Mrs

Stephen Morris amp

Daughter

NoonmdashAdoration Begins 6 pm VespersBenediction

Friday December 27 St John the Evangelist

8 am Charles Perry Bernadine Baluta

Saturday December 28 Holy Innocents No Morning Mass Scheduled

300 pm Confessions

Feast of the Holy Family

VIGIL 4 pm Mrs Margaret Austin The Gryskevicz

Family Social Justice Collection

VIGIL 530 pm Joseph Buczynski Sandy Hopkins

SUNDAY 8 am Parishioners Pastor

SUNDAY 11 am Joseph Walkowiak Mr amp Mrs

Thomas Benesky

16

15

WEEKLY CALENDAR

LITURGICAL MINISTRY SCHEDULE

December 24-25 2019 Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord December 28-29 2019 Feast of the Holy Family

400 pm 530 pm 800 am 1100 am 400 pm 530 pm 800 am 1100 am

Aiden Burridge

Jackie Barkus Ann Bozinski

Mimi Tosh Rosemary Shedlock

Mimi Tosh Sr Tina

Hanrahan Jackie Barkus

Rosemary Shedlock

SERVER

Tia Amerise

David Alusick Pat Baran

Edward Ostopick-Chesek

Mary Ann Slavinski

Sr Kate Morris Tia Amerise Sr Kate Morris Andy Katsock Sandy Snyder LECTOR

John Bergold Jackie Barkus Mimi Tosh Rosemary Shedlock

Ted Harowicz William Klukoske Jackie Barkus Elaine Snyder EMOC

Joan Cavanaugh Matt Kurtz Brian Clark Matt Kurtz Brian Clark Carol Zukoski Geri Ulichney Matt Kurtz CANTOR

Children of our Faith Formation

Program

Dolores Yesuvida

Jean Koval Ann

Hendershot

Ann amp Dennis Bozinski

Lori amp John Morris

Anna Hendershot

Joe Stone HOSPITALITY

22 December 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Fourth Week of Advent December 23-29 2019

Day and Date Time Intention Offered by Events

Monday December 23 Advent Weekday No Morning Mass Scheduled

Tuesday December 24 Late Advent Weekday

8 am No Morning Mass Scheduled Parish Office closes at NOON

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

VIGIL MASS OF CHRISTMAS 4 pm Christmas Intentions Parish The Parish Office will be CLOSED Today

MASS OF CHRISTMAS NIGHT 1030 pm Christmas Intentions Parish

MASS OF CHRISTMAS DAWN 8 am Christmas Intentions Parish

MASS OF CHRISTMAS DAY 11 am Christmas Intentions Parish

Thursday December 26 St Stephen the Deacon 8 am Mary Elizabeth Mickulik

Mr amp Mrs

Stephen Morris amp

Daughter

NoonmdashAdoration Begins 6 pm VespersBenediction

Friday December 27 St John the Evangelist

8 am Charles Perry Bernadine Baluta

Saturday December 28 Holy Innocents No Morning Mass Scheduled

300 pm Confessions

Feast of the Holy Family

VIGIL 4 pm Mrs Margaret Austin The Gryskevicz

Family Social Justice Collection

VIGIL 530 pm Joseph Buczynski Sandy Hopkins

SUNDAY 8 am Parishioners Pastor

SUNDAY 11 am Joseph Walkowiak Mr amp Mrs

Thomas Benesky

16

16