Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 21/22, 2019
As our Advent preparations draw to a close and Christmas fast approaches, it is fitting that today’s readings demonstrate the intensity of the Father’s perfect and passionate love for each us, culminating in the gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ, on Christmas Day. In response to such an overwhelming gift, what can we do except offer our lives as a gift in return, embracing a stewardship way of life with all the love and strength we have to give?
In our Gospel passage from Matthew, we find a rare example of one who embraced this way of life in St. Joseph, as he obeys God’s call to him through the message of an angel. We never hear St. Joseph speak, but the Scriptures tell us he was always listening, attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit for his family. It was Joseph who found the stable where the baby Jesus would be born. No doubt, it was Joseph who cleaned it up and prepared it for Mary and Jesus since we know that Mary was about to give birth. Joseph protected the family, guarded them, tended to their safety, their comfort, and their well-being at the expense of his own plans and preferences. Though we do not hear any words from St. Joseph, his actions clearly show that he offered himself, his whole life, as a gift to his family through his strong guidance, protection, and service.
Let us imitate St. Joseph then as good stewards, giving our very lives to those around us in love and gratitude to God who has given us everything we have, especially His own Son, Jesus Christ.
|
|
Wednesday, December 18
- 6:30 p.m. Gym Unavailable
- 12:30 p.m. School Christmas Program - Gym
- 6:30 p.m. School Christmas Program - Gym
- 6:30 p.m. Dart Ball - Hall
- 7:00 p.m. Respect Life Holy Hour - Church
Thursday, December 19
- 7:30 a.m. Mass followed by Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
- 2:45 p.m. Youth Hand Bell Choir Rehearsal - Music Room
- 6:00 p.m. Adult Hand Bell Choir Rehearsal - Music Room
Friday, December 20
- 8:00 a.m. Mass followed by Confessions during Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
Saturday, December 21
- 6:45 a.m. St. John’s Men’s Group Meeting - Hall
- 8:00 a.m. Mass followed by Confessions during Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion, Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
Scrip Holiday and Oplatki Sales
Before and After 4:30 p.m. Mass
Sunday, December 22
- No Religious Education Classes
Scrip Holiday and Oplatki Sales
Before and After All Masses
Monday, December 23
- 8:00 a.m. Mass followed by Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
- 6:30 p.m. Simbang Gabi Filipino Mass - Church
- 7:30 p.m. Filipino Community Reception - Hall
Tuesday, December 24
- 7:30 a.m. Mass followed by St. Anthony Devotion, Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
- 12:00 p.m. Parish Office Closes
|
|
Christmas Eve
4:00 p.m. (Church)
4:15 p.m. (Gym)
10:00 p.m. (Church)
Christmas Day
8:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
|
|
Monday, December 23 - 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 24 - 8:00 a.m. to Noon
Wednesday, December 25 - CLOSED
Thursday, December 26 - 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday, December 27 - 8:00 a.m. to Noon
Monday, December 30 - 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 31- 8:00 a.m. to Noon
Wednesday, January 1- CLOSED
Normal Office hours resume on Thursday, January 2, 2020
Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
|
|
CDs from Augustine Institute
Did you know we have CDs (and other items) located in the narthex? Each week we will highlight one of the available CDs.
Cost is $4 each.
|
|
Dr. Scott Hahn takes us through the awesome grandeur of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, from the entrance song to the dismissal. With great clarity, he takes us through a basic outline of the structure of the Mass, explaining how the Sacred Liturgy transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary and the earthly into the heavenly. A must-have for every Catholic and non-Catholic who wants to know what the Mass is all about.
|
|
'Tis the Season! When you are shopping, remember to use SCRIP. When you purchase SCRIP, St. John's will receive a percentage. Click
here to view and print our order form. We order on Mondays and have them ready to be picked up no later than Thursday each week.
Every weekend through December 21/22 will be SCRIP weekends. As always, SCRIP is available in the Parish Office during regular business hours.
|
|
This program allows .5% of your regular and holiday 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
|
|
Restaurant Fundraising
Updates
A huge THANK-YOU to all our parishioners who supported our restaurant fundraisers in November & December. With your support we raised the following:
- Portillo's $160.00
- Red Robin $192.24
- Cafe Zupas $119.78
- Cousin's Subs $236.10
- Panera's $ 56.22
That's $764.34 just by going out to eat! Again, thank-you and a big thanks to our community partners.
|
|
THE 2019 PARISH FINANCIAL BOOKS WILL CLOSE ON DECEMBER 31
If you wish to have any contributions credited to your account for 2019, it must be received by end of day, December 31. Any contributions received after end of day on December 31 will be credited to 2020.
PLEASE BE AWARE: Even if your check is dated 2019, it must be
POSTMARKED in 2019, or it will be credited to 2020.
QUESTIONS??
Please call the parish office to avoid any complications with your 2019 tax deductions.
|
|
Consoling the Heart of Jesus:
Coming soon!
Fr. Michael Gaitley’s
Consoling the Heart of Jesus, a five-week accelerated program, will be offered in January 2020. The first class will be held on Tuesday, January 21, at 1:00 p.m. in Room A in the St. John’s Parish Office, lower level. You can sign up after Masses on January 4 & 5, 2020.
For more information, please call or text
Laura Lee Wierzbinski at 414-840-0261.
|
|
The newsletter is published on Wednesdays. Articles for each week's publication are due on Mondays at noon.
|
|
"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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
