The Angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you the good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord."
Luke 2:10-11
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The Holy Family of
Jesus, Mary & Joseph
December 28/29, 2019
Today, as we continue celebrating the Christmas season, we focus our attention on the Holy Family. This is a great time to thank God for the gift of family life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the family as the “domestic church,” so today’s feast is an appropriate time to consider the importance of the virtue of the stewardship pillar of hospitality within the context of our own domestic churches.
Why is hospitality so important? Well, we can hardly expect our family members to pray together, study their faith, and serve others if we have a home where we are disconnected from each other, or the atmosphere is stressful and tense. Of course, there will be moments like this. But we must be intentional in creating homes where everyone feels accepted and essential. We want our homes to be the place to get recharged to go out and bring love to everyone we encounter outside our home.
This is not easy, but we can turn to the Holy Family for help. Lest we think that the Holy Family is somehow unable to sympathize with our struggles, we see in our Gospel passage from Matthew that this Family was certainly not free from trials and stress; quite the contrary. The very life of the newborn Jesus was threatened by Herod’s extreme jealousy, such that the family had to flee suddenly into a foreign land for protection until Herod’s death. Yet Mary and Joseph remained united and ever obedient to the Holy Spirit for direction. Who better to turn to for help and inspiration for our own families?
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Tuesday, December 24
- 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass in Church (Youth Choir & Youth Hand Bell Choir Prelude at 3:30 p.m.)
- 4:15 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass in Gym (Prelude at 4:00 p.m.)
- 10:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass in Church (Prelude at 9:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, December 25
- 8:30 a.m. Christmas Day Mass (Prelude at 8:10 a.m.)
- 10:30 a.m. Christmas Day Mass (Adult Choir & Adult Hand Bell Choir, Instrumentalists Prelude at 10:00 a.m.)
Thursday, December 26
- 7:30 a.m. Mass followed by Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
- Parish Office Closed
Friday, December 27
- 8:00 a.m. Mass followed by Confessions during Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
Saturday, December 28
- 8:00 a.m. Mass followed by Confessions during Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion, Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
Sunday, December 29
- No Religious Education Classes
Monday, December 30
- 8:00 a.m. Mass followed by Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
Tuesday, December 31
- 7:30 a.m. Mass followed by St. Anthony Devotion, Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
- 12:00 p.m. Parish Office Closes
- 4:00 p.m. Solemnity of Mary (Holy Day of Obligation) Mass of Anticipation
Wednesday, January 1
- 9:00 a.m. Solemnity of Mary (Holy Day of Obligation) Mass
- Parish Office Closed
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Wednesday, December 25 - CLOSED
Thursday, December 26 - CLOSED
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!
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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.
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Dr. Brant Pitre is an enthusiastic and engaging speaker who regularly lectures throughout the country. In this stunning talk, Dr. Pitre applies his knowledge of the Jewish roots of Christianity to the very heart of the Gospel: the love of Christ. You will learn what it really means to have a “personal relationship” with Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, and Bridegroom.
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Whether you want to check off that home improvement project, up your workout routine, or cook more meals at home, use SCRIP to achieve your resolutions. 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.
Upcoming SCRIP weekends are January 4/5 and 18/19. As always, SCRIP is available in the Parish Office during regular business hours.
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This program allows .5% of your 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.
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What's Happening in Our School
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2019 School Christmas Program
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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.
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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.
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The newsletter is published on Wednesdays. Articles for each week's publication are due on Mondays at noon.
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"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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