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“Arise and Eat, Else the Journey Will Be Too Great for You.” (I Kings 19:7) |
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Mass Intentions Week of December 24 Sat. Dec. 23 5:00 pm People of the Parish Sun. Dec. 24 10:00 am †Jerry Mulvehill 2:00 pm People of the Community Christmas Eve Masses 5:00 pm †Mack Millerbernd 10:00 pm Peace in the Mideast No 6 pm Mass Christmas Day Mass Mon. Dec. 25 10:00 am People of the Parish No Hispanic Mass Tues. Dec. 26 5:30 pm Lucille & Phil Schaefer Wed. Dec. 27 10:00 am Waddick Family Thurs. Dec. 28 5:30 pm Communion Service Fri. Dec. 29 8:00 am Communion Service Sat. Dec. 30 8:00 am Robert Gillespie 5:00 pm People of the Parish Sun. Dec. 31 10:00 am †Joseph Hoffmann Hispanic 2:30 pm People of the Community 6:00 pm †Herman Terhar Mon. Jan. 1 10:00 am People of the Parish |
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Readings for the Week Monday: Vigil: Is 62:1-5; Ps 89; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Mt 1:1-25 [18-25] Midnight: Is 9:1-6; Ps 96; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14 Dawn: Is 62:11-12; Ps 97; Ti 3:4-7; Lk 2:15-20 Day: Is 52:7-10; Ps 98; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 [1-5, 9-14] Tuesday: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Mt 10:17-22 Wed.: 1 Jn 1:1-4; Jn 20:1a, 2-8 Thursday: 1 Jn 1:5 — 2:2; Mt 2:13-18 Friday: 1 Jn 2:3-11; Lk 2:22-35 Saturday: 1 Jn 2:12-17; Lk 2:36-40 Sun.: Sir 3:2-7, 12-14 or 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28; Ps 128 or Ps 84; Col 3:12-21 [12-17] or 1 Jn 3:1- 2, 21-24; Lk 2:41-52 |
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DEAR PARISHIONERS, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS: Even though this is the fourth Sunday of Advent, it is also CHRISTMAS EVE. Four Sundays ago we heard the prophet Jeremiah proclaim: "The days are coming says the Lord." And throughout the days of Advent, the prophets continued to proclaim that that day of the Lord is indeed coming. God's people, the Church, celebrates the arrival of that day on Christmas and throughout the Christmas season. The child born this eve is the Savior of the world! Christmas is the day that Jesus Christ, God, takes on our human form—not just two thousand years ago in the stable of Bethlehem, but today! Once again, we welcome Jesus who walks the earth that we walk—in us, in the poor and the forgotten, in the sick and the dying, in the relative or neighbor we know and like, in those who give happiness and joy to our lives and in those who worry us, and in the stranger we don't know or are suspicious of, even in the aggressor as well as in the victim. Today, and throughout all human existence, this Child born in the stable, lives the life that we all live. With him and like him we live and die so that we can live eternally with him. For us who wait for his birth for us and in us, who pray for the victory of Jesus in every person's life, who wait for the return of Christ in glory, that day, the celebration of Christmas, has begun! A merry and blessed and happy Christmas to everyone of you, to all whom you love and care about. —Father Ralph, and the parish staff Our parish feast day almost always gets lost because it falls in the middle of the Christmas octave, on Wednesday, December 27 this year. Mass is at 10 a.m. that day. Attend if you can, pray for our parish for sure, and read a chapter or two of the Gospel of St. John the Evangelist.
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Christmas Mass Music Prelude Be sure to come 30 minutes before the Christmas Masses to hear and join in special Christmas hymns and music. The choirs and cantors have prepared lively and lovely music to help us all enter into the joyful spirit of Christmas. |
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Thanks to St. John’s Parish! Thank you for your generous donation of $212 from the Thanksgiving Day Mass collection. Caring people such as you assisting our families and individuals in need are greatly appreciated by ICA. Your gift means Love, Hope and Strength to your neighbors in need to help them become more self-sufficient. A special thanks to the school children of the parish for their collection of food for our area’s people in need. —Intercongregation Communities Association |
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Christ is born, that by his birth he might restore your nature. —St. Peter Chrysologus |
