What's Happening at SJE
This Week
The Epiphany of the Lord
January 5/6, 2019

As we continue our celebration of the Christmas season, we observe on Sunday the great Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word “epiphany” means manifestation, and throughout the Christmas readings, we have seen that the newborn King is eager to reveal Himself to all those willing to accept His presence in their lives. From the poor and humble shepherds to the international group of magi featured in Sunday's Gospel passage, Jesus makes it clear that He offers Himself as a gift to everyone.

We also see throughout the scriptures that God uses what is familiar to us to draw us to Himself. In the case of the magi, astrologers, He uses a star. Our Lord continues to speak to each one of us today. However, we must be alert to “hear” and “see” Him in our daily lives.

How can we become better attuned to the ways God is speaking to us? We must strengthen our spiritual “senses” by spending time with the Lord in prayer every single day. In the same way that we set professional goals or exercise goals, we can set spiritual goals to ensure that we are taking the time to listen intentionally to God daily.

When we establish a regular, intentional time for prayer, we will find that the Lord continues to speak to us throughout the day. We will more easily recognize the “stars” He places before us to draw us into a closer relationship with Him. We will begin to see that He is indeed present in our lives at every moment.
First Saturday Confession

Just a reminder that this Saturday, January 5, is the First Saturday of the month. In addition to reconciliation on Saturday morning after the 8:00 a.m. Mass, Confession will be available at 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the church. Reconciliation is a great way to keep ourselves firmly united with God, as well as an opportunity to receive grace, to turn from sin, and believe ever more deeply in God's generous Mercy.
Marriage & Family Matters
Friday, January 4, 2019

6:00 p.m. in Church with a social afterwards in the Hall.
Scrip Weekends

January 5/6 and 19/20 will be the upcoming SCRIP weekends. As always, SCRIP is available in the Parish Office during regular business hours.
This program allows .5% of your regular shopping on Amazon to be donated to St. John the Evangelist. If you purchase Scrip, St. John's receives an additional 2.25%. That's 2.75% of your purchases to St. John's if you are already shopping Amazon.
What's Happening in Our School
Pizza Sale

Home & School will be taking order after all Masses January 5/6 for our delicious homemade pizza. Pizzas will be ready for pick-up Saturday, February 9, between 3 p.m. - 6 p.m in the gym.
Small Plates, Big Hearts!
A Night at St. John's

Saturday, February 2, 2019

Food stations from a variety of local restaurants!
Come and enjoy the food, drinks, music, raffles, and an online silent auction. Click here more information. 

Here is a current list of participating restaurants
(check back often for updates):
Bubb's BBQ, Double B's, the Red Onion Cafe, Joey Gerard's

Tickets are now available. The cost per ticket is $25.

We are now accepting auction donations for our event! As you are shopping the great after Christmas sales, look for the following items that make for a successful auction: electronics, jewelry, sports/outdoor equipment, household items, gift cards, timeshares, sporting event tickets, sports memorabilia, spa items, etc.

To purchase tickets online click here!

Questions? Email SJEGive@stjohns-grfd.org

Restaurant Night

Bring this flyer (or a photo of it on your mobile device) and Grate will donate a portion of the proceeds from your purchase. Applies to both dine-in and carry-out orders.

Click on the flyer below for a printable copy
In the Coming Weeks
A New Year, New Beginnings for the Christian Steward

Turning the page to a new calendar year gives us the feeling of a fresh start, a new beginning, and new opportunities. It is a time when people feel that they can begin anew with their lives. Common New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight, exercise more and eat healthier, or to spend more time with family. Still, others include managing money better and being more organized.

Although there is nothing in the Bible or notable in Christian tradition about New Year’s resolutions, many good stewards take advantage of this time of year to become closer to the Lord. They may re-commit themselves to pray more, to read the Bible, or to attend Mass more regularly. If you are looking for some help in your New Year’s resolutions, here are a few ideas to get you started:

Practice gratitude – Cultivating a grateful heart is the hallmark of a Christian steward. Every day, express thankfulness to the Lord and others.

Encounter the Lord each day – Find time to be with the Lord each day, whether it be for an hour or ten minutes. Have a conversation with the Lord. Give your joys and worries to Him as well. Allow God’s love to transform them. Our encounters will keep our eyes and ears open to the presence of Christ in our midst.

Resist overwork – There is a pressure to produce, meet goals, be successful. However, activities that lead us to overwork, constant fatigue and worry do not give glory to God. What God calls us to do, we can do well. Be mindful that life requires balance, downtime and letting go of unrealistic goals.

Nurture friendships – Our friends are those we choose to be with, those with whom we spend our evenings, with whom we vacation, to whom we go to for advice. Friends are gifts from God who give us a greater appreciation of God’s love for us. Friends need our time and love.

Give more – Good stewards realize that everything they have is entrusted to them as a gift to be shared. There is no better place to begin than sharing with the community that gathers around the Lord’s table at Mass. Consider what you are giving to your parish and commit to an even greater contribution as circumstances allow.

Make a difference in your parish community – Believe it or not, your parish community can use your talents. Offering your talents to your faith community is one of the most effective ways to feel useful and connected to others, and it is a potentially life-changing New Year’s resolution.
Miller Park Concessions

As an activity of St. John's Stewardship, we need adult volunteers (18 years old and up) to help with the concession stand at Miller Park for the 2019 season. This past season volunteers generated over $11,000 of additional revenue for the parish and school. All volunteers are requested to do a minimum of 3 games and will receive training.

Contact Gary Tveten at 414-282-1567 for more information.
The newsletter is published on Wednesdays. Articles for each week's publication are due on Mondays at noon.

To submit articles e-mail to: newsletter@stjohns-grfd.org
"Remember God's Will in Yours!"

Please keep the needs of St. John the Evangelist in mind as you do your estate planning. For information on how to include the parish as a beneficiary, contact the Parish Office at 414-321-1965.
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