Feast of Christ the King November 24, 2019

Parish Office (863) 453-4757 Fax (863) 453-2620

Parish Office Hours Monday through Friday

9 AM to 2:30 PM

Administrator Fr. Ronnie Sison

Assisting Clergy

Fr. Leo Frechette Fr. Gerald Grogan

Retired

Deacon Dan Hoppe

Schedule of Masses Saturday

Confession 3:15 to 3:45 PM English

6:30 PM Spanish Vigil Mass

4 PM English 7 PM Spanish

Sunday 8 AM and 10:30 AM

Holy Days

Vigil Mass 5:30 PM 8 & 10:30 AM Daily Mass

Monday-Friday 8 AM First Friday

Mass and Holy Hour 8 AM

Visit us on the web!

www.ologap.org

The Feast of Christ the King “Jesus, remember me when you come into

your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in

Paradise” (Luke 23:42).

Community Thanksgiving Service, Sunday, November 24th, 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day Family mass, Thursday, Nov. 28th, 9 a.m.

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The Feast of Christ the King – “Father Forgive them…” In 2016, there were 130 people killed by Isis in Paris. One of those killed was the wife of a French Christian named Antoine Leiris. In a response, Antoine sent a message of defiance to his wife’s killers and their supporters, “On Friday night you stole the life of an exceptional person, the love of my life, and the mother of my five-year-old son, but you will not have my hate. For as long as he lives, this little boy will insult you with his happiness and freedom.” In saying, “You will not have my hate,” Antoine Leiris takes us to the heart of the Christian message which we see exemplified in the scripture readings for feast of Christ the King. The Jewish people were expecting a king in the line of King David, whom we see anointed as King of Israel in today’s first reading from the second book of Samuel. He was Israel’s greatest king and military leader. The Jewish people, who were under the occupation of the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus, were hoping for a “Messiah,” - which means “anointed one” – who would be a king like King David, a strong political leader who would overthrow the occupying Roman military forces. Because Jesus does not measure up to their expectations, today’s Gospel gives us the reaction of the people as Jesus hangs as an abject failure on the throne of the Cross. “The rulers sneered at him;” “The soldiers jeered at him;” Pilate the Roman Governor refers to him mockingly as “The King of the Jews;” And one of the criminals hanging on a cross, in great despair, taunts him with, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.” The other criminal rebukes him with the words, “We have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then, he turns to Jesus and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied to him, “Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” What Jesus does from the cross is to forgive, not only “the Good Thief,” but, all those who mocked him, sneered at him, jeered him, and cussed him out with venom on their lips and put him to death. His response was “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Jesus’ words of forgiveness re-echoed from Paris from the lips of Antoine Leiris on the anniversary of his wife’s murder in 2016, when he said, “On Friday night you stole the life of an exceptional person, the love of my life, the mother of my son, but you will not have my hate.” The Kingdom of Jesus is alive and well in the hearts and minds of those Christians who follow the example of Antoine Leiris, in this often nasty world in which we live, when they re-echo the words of Christ our King from the Cross, “Father, forgive them” and he turns to the “thief” and offers him a place in his kingdom with the words, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year, a time for new beginnings, for new year’s resolutions. In the prayer the “Our Father,” we pray “Thy Kingdom come …” Let us put that prayer into practice by making the words St. Francis our own, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow your love; where there is injury, let me bring your pardon; where there is doubt, let me bring your faith; where there is despair, let me bring your hope; and, where there is sadness, let me bring your joy.” Then, we can join with St. Paul, in sentiments which he expresses on the Feast of Christ the King: “Let us give thanks to the Father…[who]…delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of his Beloved Son” (Colossians 1: 13, 14).

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Thanksgiving Began in Florida and not in New England

Robyn Gioia is a fifth-grade teacher at Boles School in Jacksonville. Gioia, 53, has written a children's book, America's REAL 1st Thanksgiving. What does ‘REAL’ mean? Well, she's not talking turkey and cranberry sauce. She's talking about a Spanish explorer who landed in St. Augustine in Sept. 1565, and celebrated a feast of Thanksgiving with Timucua Indians. They dined on bean soup. That was 56 years before the Pilgrims shared a meal with natives at Plymouth Rock in 1623.

Who knew? Not even Gioia, until she attended a teachers' workshop some years ago and heard Michael Gannon, a retired history scholar from the University of Florida, tell the story of Pedro Menendez de Aviles. Gannon, first laid out the premise of an earlier Thanksgiving in his scholarly book The Cross in the Sand in 1965, but few picked up on it. He says his mention of Menendez's meal was a "throwaway line that lay fallow for 20 years." That was, until a reporter for the Associated Press in 1985 exposed Gannon's academic findings to the world, which caused what Gannon remembers as "a storm of interest. I was on the phone for three days straight." Traditionalists, especially in New England, dubbed him "The Grinch who stole Thanksgiving."

Gannon took it with good humor. "I became rather famous at the time for saying that by the time the Pilgrims came to Plymouth, St. Augustine was up for urban renewal." Gannon thinks the word is finally, but slowly, getting out, but he's well aware that the victors write the history books. And history, once written, is hard to change. "The English wrote the history and established the traditions," he says. "That's life. Get over it." Whether the First Thanksgiving Mass was celebrated by Father Lopez at St. Augustine in 1565, or, the First Thanksgiving Service was celebrated by the English Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in 1623, it is important that in the most blessed nation in the world that we should take time out to thank God, especially during this time when the economy is doing so well, for the many graces and blessings he has showered on all of us. We will honor both traditions, the Spanish and the English. We will have a Community Interchurch Thanksgiving Service on Sunday Nov 24th, at 4 p.m., in the Community Bible Church, 1400 CR 17A North, Avon Park. Pastors and ministers and their congregants from various churches here in Avon Park will participate in the Thanksgiving Interchurch Service. A collection will be taken at the service for the benefit of the Church Service Center. We will have a special Thanksgiving Day Family Mass at 9:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace, on Thursday, November 28th. There will be a collection for the Church Service Center. Let’s take time to give thanks.

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ONLINE GIVING

Go to Our Lady of Grace website

ologap.org

At ologap.org, we offer a web-based offertory opportunity. We provide this service, so that you have the option to manage your contributions online. This service is safe and secure, requires no special software, and is convenient for you and our parish staff. The parish will provide data for your records and for tax purposes but will not have use of the information for any other purpose .

If you would like to make a one-time gift, set up a weekly, monthly, or even annual

donation please click the ONLINE GIVING button.

Online Giving allows you to make contributions to our church without writing checks or worrying about cash donations. This site lets you set up automatic contributions and change the timing or the amount of your gift at any time. You may make pledges and manage your contributions to the pledge amount, and you may make one-time donations to special causes. Please click on "Sign Up for Your New Account" and complete your initial account registration. Thank you!

Bring Box tops for St. Catherine Catholic Grade School next weekend, December 1.

You are invited to bring General Mills Box tops to Church next weekend, December 1, to all masses for St. Catherine Catholic School, Sebring. Drop them in a box for that purpose at the main entrance to the Church.

K of C Breakfast Sunday, December 1, 8 a.m. – 12 noon, Grogan Center

The Knights of Columbus will serve the best breakfast in town, Avon Park, to the best pa-rishioners in town, OLG, at the best price - $7 per person - in the best hall in town, the Grogan Center. Children under 12 eat free.

The K of C breakfast helps you to get to know parishioners while eating a good breakfast.

Feast of Christ the King Page 5

Collection for Church Service Center, weekend of December 1, 2019, at all masses.

The Church Service Center is an interchurch service in Avon Park, which cares for 500 families every month, representing 1,200 poor people in Avon Park. We invite you to bring non-perishable food to Church to all masses next weekend. We will also take a second collection after Communion to assist those who come to the Church Service Center with electric and water bills and with rent and mortgage payments.

Need for Eucharistic Ministers, Readers, Altar Servers

At the Last Supper, Jesus took a jug, a bowl and a towel and he washed the feet of his disciples with the words, “As I have done for you, so you must do for one another. The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve…”

There is a need for three sets of Liturgical Ministers: Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors (readers) and acolytes (altar servers).

If you can serve, call the Parish Office at 453-4757 this week.

2020 Calendars, St. Joseph Missals & Envelopes available in Grogan Center after masses

weekend of November 23rd/24th

The new Liturgical Year begins with the first Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2019. 2020 St. Joseph Missals, Calendars and Box of envelopes will be available at the entrance to the Grogan Center after all masses November 23 and 24, 2019.

Toys & Gift Certificates for kids for Christmas

Let us make Christmas special for children whose parents cannot afford to get them Christmas gifts this Christmas. Last year OLG parish cared for more than 500 children who were in need of toys for Christmas. It can be a ‘hand-me-down’ in good condition from your children, or, you can purchase a gift or a gift certificate. We ask you to leave the gift unwrapped and place it under the Jesse Tree in the Church.

Page 6 Our Lady of Grace MASS INTENTIONS SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23 4:00 pm + Ruben Rodriguez by Jose & Luz

Rodriguez. 7:00 pm + Esteban Cruz by Mother

Special Intention for Perez Family by Jessica Perez.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24 8:00 am + Judy McNulty by Our Lady of Grace

Staff. 10:30 am + Samuel Schettinger by Mary Lee

Cipriano. MONDAY NOVEMBER 25 8:00 am Novena Mass for Life, For a greater

Respect for all Human Life. TUESDAY NOVEMBER 26 8:00 am + Anthony Minielli by Linda Beman. WED NOVEMBER 27 8:00 am + Rudy Tome by Robert Tome THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 8:00 am + Marie Carlson by Dick Carlson. FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29 8:00 am For our Parish Family. SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30 4:00 pm + Arlene Naida by Charles Naida 7:00 pm + Esteban Cruz by Wife. Special Intention of Perez Family by

Jessica Perez. SUNDAY DECEMBER 1 8:00 am + Marlene Burton by Jerry & Elrie

Myers. 10:30 am + Carrie & Lucille Colangelo & Fred

Nugent by Joe Colangelo

FOR THE SICK OF THE PARISH Claudette Laverriere Gregory Syfert Barry Intorre Rosa Arosemena Wayne Davidson Andres Clavijo Liliana Morales Bruno Litwinski J.R. Lejeune Debra Kemmett John Minadeo Jade Jackson Terry O’Leary Gerald Martin Carol DeArmitt Rose Brault And for those who care for the sick, for the deceased member’s of the parish, Gordon Flynn and Marge Lechner and for our loved ones. PRISON MINISTRY Deacon Dan advised us of a need for a computer printer in the chapel office at the prison. Call Deacon Dan at 757-894-0305. MISSALS, ENVELOPES AND CALENDARS Please take a few minutes and stop by the Grogan Center after mass to pick up your envelopes and a calendar. 2020 St. Joseph missals are available for $5.00 each. VOLUNTEER If you would like to serve as an Usher, Eucharistic Minister, Lector or Mass Server please call the parish office @453-4757. Training sessions will be announced soon. EMERGENCY PRAYER CHAIN To be placed on the emergency prayer list call Kevin Murphy at kmurphy@timacusa.com or call Kevin at 863-44-1852.

Staff

& Ministries

Administrative Assistant Betty Heiring

betty.heiring@ologap.org

Religious Education

Angie Heiring, DRE angie.heiring@ologap.org

(863) 453-7537

Music Gene Ryan

mee@generyan.com

Associate Youth Dir. Angie Heiring

(863) 453-7537

Knights of Columbus Joe Hamilton (260) 418-8043

Women’s Guild Debbie Augusta -

President (863) 991-1020

Respect Life

John & Doris Harrison (863) 314-9202

Parish Council

President

Judy Pounds

Vice President Piedad Sarmiento-Noriega

Secretary

Judy Nugent

Members Debbie Augusta Maureen Cool

Darlyne Devany Jim McGann Karen Hecker Tina Starling

Teresa Torres

Full house for OLG Ladies Guild Annual Italian Dinner

Fr. Ronnie with ‘Holy Rollers” as they get ready to serve “meals-on-wheels.”

Fr. Ronnie looks happy to serve the wine with the rest of the gang.

A good time was had by all – ‘thank you’ Ladies Guild, K of C & Gene Ryan