Saint Joseph Parish 173 Albion Street, Wakefield MA Second Sunday of Advent

Transcription

1 Saint Joseph Parish 173 Albion Street, Wakefield MA Second Sunday of Advent Sunday Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM Sunday Mass 7:30 AM 9:00 AM (Family Liturgy) 11:00 AM, 5:30 PM Daily Mass Schedule Monday - Friday Mass 6:45 AM, 9:00 AM Saturday Mass 9:00 AM Parish Holy Hour Every Sunday: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Confessions Saturday 3:00 to 3:45 PM or by appointment. Pastoral Team Fr. Ron Barker, Pastor Merry Nordeen, Admin. Assistant Rose Dittmer, Faith Formation Anne Grant, Music Director Maureen Miller, Parish Accountant Mary Coles, Bulletin Editor Alex Canto, Facilities Manager Caleb, Parish Dog Phone: Fax: Chapel Hours 7:00 AM - Midnight Adoration (M-F)-10:00AM - 12 AM Weds 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM No Adoration on Holidays December 10, 2017 Religious Education Sophia Griffin, Grade 1, 2 Sharon Keith, Grades 3-8 Fr. Ron Barker, Grade 10 Carissa Scudieri, Grade 9,Youth Minister Diane Murphy, Administration Saint Joseph School & Early Childhood Center Dr. Joseph Sullivan, Principal Alayne Flynn, Administrator Phone:

2 Dear Parishioners, We are in our Advent season. This is a time to remember the first coming of the Lord as we await His second coming. In His first coming, Jesus came as Savior. He will come as judge when He comes again. This is a season for quiet reflection and expectation. Unfortunately in our culture, this is the season when people often find themselves caught up in the materialism of these days. It is easy for the real meaning of Christmas to be lost completely. This makes it difficult to be quiet and reflect on the fact that we need Jesus to save us from our sins. Let us hold on tight for what we truly celebrate on Christmas, the merciful love of God revealed in His Son, Jesus. Bonnie Ware, a former palliative care nurse who wrote a book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, based on her conversations with her patients, states that the biggest, most commonly cited regrets at the end of life - beginning with the most common regret are: 1. Not having the courage to live a life true to oneself but rather doing what was expected 2. Working too much, thereby missing children s youth and their partner s companionship 3. Not having the courage to express one s feelings 4. Not staying in touch with friends 5. Taking life too seriously and allowing worries to diminish happiness May this list be a good source of reflection on our own lives during this Advent season. I will be available for confession this week on Monday, December 11, from 2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. May Jesus continue to shepherd you in all of your needs. God love you, 2

3 Reflection of the Week Never measure God s unlimited power by your limited expectations. HOLY HOUR A time of quiet music & reflection Sunday 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. PRAYER GROUP Hour of praise and charismatic prayer Monday 7:30-8:30 p.m. Music Ministry The Music Ministry will not be performing a Christmas Concert this year, however, they will be providing music for the Holy Hour next weekend: Sunday, December 17th from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 pm. Please join us on this 3rd Sunday of Advent as we pray, sing and prepare our hearts for Christmas. BIBLE STUDY Scripture Reading and Discussion Tuesday 7:30 p.m. HEALING SOAKING PRAYER Come meet us to pray for healing Wednesday 6:30 p.m. Thursday 2:00 p.m. Spiritual Teaching The believer s path toward a hardened heart can start innocently enough it s easy for us to become preoccupied with things that have little or no spiritual value. Once our focus is diverted from God, it doesn t take much for the preoccupation to take up greater amounts of time. The diversion can become so consuming that we end up ignoring matters of importance to the Lord. As our spiritual life withers, we may give up private devotion and public worship. Anyone who is spending time with the Lord daily is going to have a pliable heart, but the person who lays Scripture aside gives Satan an opportunity. When allowed to function apart from God, the heart is deceitful and turns from Him. If a believer s mind is preoccupied and his heart is distant from God, he can easily be swayed by the deceitfulness of sin. As sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is dulled by a hard shell that s been forming around his heart, the drifting Christian begins to find Satan s false promises more tempting. He foolishly trusts in the deception and becomes ever more deeply enmeshed in sin. This, in turn, leads to even greater preoccupation with non-spiritual matters and further neglect of his spiritual life. Believers are not immune to hardening of the heart. We can become as insensitive to God s voice as an unbeliever, but we have a way to remove the spiritual callus that has been forming within us. By repenting and refocusing, we can again turn to devotion and worship in order to be soft-hearted before God. ~ intouch. org 3

4 ADULT FOCUS Bereavement Community Hear how our members have dealt with loss and learn strategies and activities that have helped others move back into the warm peace of the Lord. Meetings are held on first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in Our Lady s Room. Next meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 2. Faith Sharing Join us for insights and fellowship. Mondays at 9:30 a.m. in Our Lady s Room Tuesdays at noon. Call for confirmation. Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in Our Lady s Room. Knit, Purl, Pray The Prayer Knitting Community meets on 9:30 a.m. in Our Lady's Room. All are welcome. Affirming Life Community Heartbeat Pregnancy Center (781) A Women s Concern Toll Free (866) Rachel s Vineyard 877 HOPE 4 ME (877) Living With Chronic Illness Support Group Support ministry for those experiencing chronic illness, cancer, or long-term medical conditions from both visible or invisible illnesses. Caretakers of anyone who has a chronic illness are welcome. Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in Our Lady s Room. Next meeting will be on Wednesday, December 20. Support Group ~ Separated/Divorced, Annulled or those living with any broken relationship Next meeting will be on 2nd Tuesday of the month, Tuesday, December 12, at 6:00 p.m. in Our Lady s Room. St. Joseph Table Serving healthful meals to those in need on the second Friday and fourth Wednesday each month. Schedules may change to accommodate certain holy days and holidays. Please Rose at rmdittom@aol.com or call to volunteer with the dinner or for information on our programs listed above. Men s Group Please join us on Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. and on the last Wednesday of every month from 7:15 p.m. 8:15 p.m. in the Youth Ministry Room. Men of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a ministry that reaches out to all Christian men (18+). For more information please contact Bill Hicks: billhicks@ymail.com. 4 Saint Joseph Social Committee The Social Committee is hosting an evening with Joey Voices, a singer, comedian and musical impersonator. The show is Saturday, January 20 th at 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall and will be a great one! All proceeds benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry. Tickets are $25.00 including dessert & coffee. Tickets: Terry or Janet Our Lady s Sodality of St. Joseph & St. Florence CHRISTMAS PARTY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2017 ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH HALL SOCIAL HOUR: 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. DINNER: 6:30 p.m. (catered by Laurie's 9:09) Please make a reservation by sending a check ($25.00) to: Joanna Spinosa, 20 Hillcrest Road, Wakefield, MA CHRISTMAS GIVING TREES Thank you to our wonderful parishioners for the tremendous response to our Giving Trees! We were once again, overwhelmed with the tremendous response to this year s Giving Trees. The generosity of so many parishioners will enable hundreds of less fortunate individuals to have warm clothing and gifts under the tree as well as food on the table. We wish to thank Rose Finn, our coordinator, and all our veteran and new volunteers and who helped out this year. This project could not have been accomplished without all of their dedication and hard work. W e thank you for making the year 2017 a year filled with the blessings that made our work possible. God bless you and your kind and generous hearts. Thank you for your overwhelming response to sponsor wreaths for service members buried at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. Volunteers are needed to honor those souls who served our country by traveling to Bourne on Saturday, Dec. 16, to place the wreaths. This year we have over 360 wreaths to present. For questions please contact by Paul J. Cancelliere at paul.cancelliere@gmail.com. Thank you!

5 The Daughters of St. Paul The Daughters of St. Paul, Catholic Sisters from Jamaica Plain, who use Media to evangelize will be present after all the Masses this weekend ~ December 9th & 10th. The Sisters provide a wonderful selection of Bibles, Spiritual Reading, Lives of the Saints, books for children, DVD's, music and more! Plan to visit their display in the gathering space and choose items to enrich your faith and help you to share it with others! Many Advent & Christmas gi ideas will be included. For more details or to order online: website: Altar Serving Training Open to all students third grade and above. We are especially in need of students in higher grades. If interested in information about the next training session to be held in January, please call the rectory or Rose Dittmer: rmdittom@aol.com St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box Offering: November 2017 $1, Thank You Distributions for Month of November 2017 Utilities $ Hotel 1, Heating Oil 1, SVDP Annual Dues Rent Gift cards 1, $ 5, Christmas Collection The upcoming Christmas collection will be to support the retirement, medical and financial needs of priests of the Archdiocese of Boston. On behalf of all of our priests, thank you in advance for your generosity. For more information, please visit OFFERTORY DECEMBER 2-3 $ 12,920 Parish Financial Statements for the last fiscal year are now available in the rectory. Please remember St. Joseph Parish in your will. Religious Education Religious Education Class & Meetings Grades 3-6: This weekend: Sunday, December 10, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. all Grades 3-6 parents and students are invited to attend the second of four school year meetings. Fr. Ron & Mrs. Sophia Griffin will meet with the parents and Mrs. Keith will meet with the students. Grade 1: Next meeting for parents and children of Grade 1 is on Saturday, December 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the parish hall. Learning Updates Grades 6 8 will be focusing on the Advent and Christmas Seasons in class during December. It is to be a time of quiet reflection and preparation for Jesus to come in a new way into our hearts and lives. Please encourage your child to share what they have learned about Advent and Christmas with the family. Be sure to check out the Religious Ed website at for information on parent meetings, class times and parent resources. Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry There are drop off baskets located in the foyer by the library for your donations of non-perishable food items to benefit the needy of our community. This month the pantry is especially in need of baked beans, beef stew, Progresso and Chunky Soups, chili, jars of pasta sauce. Thank you for your continued generosity. SAINT JOSEPH SCHOOL NEWS THANK YOU!!! Our Saint Joseph School Annual Craft Fair was a huge success! Thank you to all who contributed, volunteered, and took part in this wonderful event! 5

6 Your prayers are requested for the benefactors of our parish and the deceased of our community. Also, please pray for the sick among us and all those who have asked us to pray for them this week. Their names have been inscribed in our parish Book of Intentions in the Chapel. Please contact the rectory to add a name. Please pray for all those currently serving in the military and for all those deployed overseas especially for Steven Doucette, Matthew Hassey, Brian LeClair, Timothy Morris, and Justin Whitmarsh. It is with great joy that we welcome into the family of St. Joseph s the newly baptized: Saturday, December 9 9:00 Joseph Adinolfi, Birthday Remembrance 4:00 Charlene Diranian, 1st Anniversary Sunday, December 10 7:30 Bill Boylan, Memorial Mass 9:00 Dominic & Emma Luongo, Memorial Mass 11:00 Thomas Alfieri, Birthday Remembrance 5:30 Grace Petraglia, Birthday Remembrance Monday, December 11 6:45 James & Margaret Carlson, Birthday Remembrance 9:00 Marie Theriault, Birthday Remembrance Tuesday, December 12 6:45 Holy Souls in Purgatory 9:00 Kelly Price, Memorial Mass Wednesday, December 13 6:45 John Dermody, Memorial Mass 9:00 Ann & Arthur Hupprich, Birthday Remembrance Thursday, December 14 6:45 James, Mary & Catherine Nolan, Memorial Mass 9:00 Betty Stepasuik, Memorial Mass Friday, December 15 6:45 Joseph Parazzo, Jr., Memorial Mass 9:00 Linda Carpenter, 1st Anniversary Saturday, December 16 9:00 Americo Pat Plantamura, Month s Mind Mass 4:00 John Piskadlo, Birthday Remembrance Sunday, December 17 7:30 Antonetta & Domenic Staffieri, Memorial Mass 9:00 Thomas Brandl, Memorial Mass 11:00 Vera Marino, Memorial Mass 5:30 George Bragalone, Memorial Mass Quinn Brogan Flaherty child of James & Monika Bianca Marie Murphy child of Scott & Jamie Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Altar Servers & Greeters! Sign up sheets will be available in the sacristy for Christmas Masses next week. Adoration Coverage Needed We are especially in need of coverage on Mondays from 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., & 6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., & 7:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. & Fridays 10:00 a.m - 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., & 6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Please call the rectory to sign up. Scripture for the week of December 10, 2017 SUN Is 40:1-5, 9-11/2 Pt 3:8-14/Mk 1:1-8 Mon Is 35:1-10/Lk 5:17-26 Tue Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab/Lk 1:26-38 or Lk 1:39-47 Wed Is 40:25-31/Mt 11:28-30 Thu Is 41:13-20/Mt 11:11-15 Fri Is 48:17-19.Mt 11:16-19 Sat Sir 48:1-4, 9-11/Mt 17:9a, SUN Is 61:1-2a, 10-11/1 Thes 5:16-24/Jn 1:6-8,