FOR OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

The Incarnation: 5 Reasons Why It Matters by Mark Woods

http://www.christianitytoday.com

This Christmas, like every other, we'll sing some of the great carols that speak of the birth of Jesus.

Some of the greatest are the ones that are clear about his "incarnation". This isn't just an

ordinary human baby. We aren't

even celebrating the birth of a king or a prophet. Christians believe that in Jesus, God himself became human. He was literally "incarnated" – "enfleshed". But that doesn't just mean that he took on a human body,

as if he were just a passenger. It means that he was joined to a human nature.

This is taught in the Bible. In John 1:1 it says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Then in verse 14 it says, "The Word

became flesh and made his dwelling

among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Paul reflects this in his letter to the Colossians, where he says that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation" (1:15) and "For God was pleased to have all

his fullness dwell in him" (1:19). The early Church needed to think through what this doctrine meant and

how to express it. One of the earliest formulations of this is the Nicene Creed,

adopted in 325 AD. This said: We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were

made."

What this creed was trying to say, in

language that was true to Scripture and fitted everything else that the Church believed about human beings, was that

Jesus was fully God and fully human. He was not created by God; he was God.

Other religions had stories of gods

taking human form. Greek and Roman mythology were full of them. But this

was quite different: here, God didn't just look human; he became human. Our Christmas carols echo this. We sing "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity" (Hark, the herald);

we sing " God of God, Light of Light Eternal" and "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing" (O come, all ye faithful).

In the end, this is a mystery; you either believe it or you don't. But here are five reasons why the Incarnation is important.

1. It means that God is on our side.

He is not a distant deity, judging us and hurling thunderbolts from heaven. He made himself weak and vulnerable. He is infinitely

above us, but he came alongside us.

2. It means that God

understands us. At one level, this is true anyway; he's God. But Hebrews 4:15 says, "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been

tempted in every way just as we are – yet was without sin."

3. It means that God identified himself completely with us, so that we will be completely identified with him. The early Church Fathers put this strongly and strikingly: Irenaeus spoke of

"our Lord Jesus Christ, who did,

through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself", while Athanasius wrote, in a highly compressed epigram: "God has become man,

so that man might become God."

4. It means that every part of us is under his lordship. Another

one of the early Church Fathers, Gregory Nazianzen, argued against another bishop, Apollinaris, who taught that in Jesus God had united himself to

a human body alone. Gregory said no: he had assumed a human mind too,

because if he hadn't then our minds would remain unredeemed. In a famous phrase, he explained: "What is not assumed is not healed."

5. It is a constant reminder of how God chooses to reveal himself. At Christmas we think of Christ as a baby, vulnerable and helpless, but still God. As CS Lewis put it in The Last Battle, "Once

in our world, a Stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world." The Incarnation reminds us that

God is in small and helpless things, and that we should care for them.

December 24, 2017, Fourth Sunday of Advent

IN THE PARISH

Helpful Information

Join the Parish

Anyone wishing to register for membership in the parish is asked to fill out a registration form and drop it in the collection basket.

Request Prayers

Our INTERCESSORY PRAYER MINISTRY provides prayer for anyone in need throughout the parish. Contact MARY ANN MAGDA at 570-655-1218 or make your intention known on our parish website at www.standrebessettewb.com

Remember your Parish

Your parish serves you faithfully throughout your life. Please remember your parish with a memorial gift or a Bequest in your will. Make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for you.

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATIONS

Anointing of the Sick

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick may take place at any time, but, sadly, too many families wait until the last minute to call the priest to anoint their loved ones. If someone in your family is seriously ill, preparing for surgery, or suffering a prolonged illness, please contact the parish office to arrange a time for Fr. Ken to visit. IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY—or if Fr. Ken is unavailable to visit immediately, we will contact the first available priest to celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing with your loved one.

Funeral Preparations

We collaborate with the local funeral directors in arranging the times of the funerals. Please be aware that

there is an additional fee for funerals on Saturdays imposed by most cemeteries in the area.

Baptismal Preparations

Parents of newly born infants may call the parish office to arrange a time for the Baptism of their child. Baptisms are celebrated, for the most part, on any Sunday, with the exception of the season of Lent.

Wedding Preparations

Couples contemplating Marriage are asked to contact the parish office at least one year prior to the contemplated date of marriage, before making other plans.

Tuesday, January 2nd

5:30 pm Choir

DECEMBER 24– 25th

CHRISTMAS Vigil 4 pm Sunday Night Mass 10:30 pm Sunday Mass at Dawn 8 am Monday Mass of Day 11 am Monday PARISH OFFICE CLOSED

Thursday, January 4th

Noon—Exposition 5 pm—Vespers

Tuesday December 26th

NO CHOIR Friday, January 5th

FIRST FRIDAY 8 am Mass 6 pm Confessions 6:30 pm Sacred Heart Devotions 7:00 pm Mass

Thursday December 28th

Noon—Exposition 5 pm Vespers 6 pm Staff & Choir Christmas Celebration

Saturday January 6th

FEAST OF ST. ANDRE

BESSETTE

9 am Parish Patron Mass

Weekend of December 30—31

Feast of the Holy Family Regular Mass Schedule Saturday 4 & 5:30 Sunday 8:00 & 11:00 SOCIAL JUSTICE COLLECTION

Weekend of January 6-7

EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

9:15 am Faith Formation Dues Envelope Clergy Collection

Monday, January 1st

New Years Day 9 am Mass PARISH OFFICE CLOSED

Monday January 8

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 8 am Mass

December 24, 2017, Fourth Sunday of Advent

BEST WISHES FOR A BLESSED HOLIDAY SEASON

We extend to all our parishioners and friends, best wishes for a Blessed Holiday

Season. May the Birth of our Savior fill you with renewed hope. May His Presence in

your life give you a new vision. May His Light lead you to fuller life, even as it led

shepherds and wise men to adore Him. Fr. Ken

and the Administrative

and Pastoral Staff

THE LITURGY

What are the Twelve Days of Christmas? by Bryan Cones www.uscatholic.org

As we’re reminded every Advent, our Catholic Christmas customs

are somewhat at odds with the secular “holiday season,” which starts before Thanksgiving and

goes on until the last college bowl game. But even though we Catholics wait a bit to get going,

we have a similarly long season of celebration, of which the “12 days,” made famous by a certain

12-verse carol, are but a piece.

The 12 days themselves are simply the time between the two major Christmas feasts: the

Nativity of the Lord on December 25 and Epiphany on January 6. Since Christmas was the major

“birth” feast in the ancient Western churches and Epiphany was the biggie for the Eastern

churches, the days between them inevitably gained significance. The

exact origins of particular observances and festivals, though, are a little harder to nail down.

Like many Christian festivals, the

roots of the Christmas season can be found in pre-Christian religions and folk customs. The date of

Christmas, for example, is likely connected to an ancient multi-day Roman feast related to the winter

solstice. The “12 days” are probably an adaptation of the pre-Christian winter festivals of

northern Europe, “Yule” among them. These celebrations helped ancient Europeans get through the

longest nights of winter.

Ancient Christians found a happy coincidence between these festivals that sought the sun's

return and the birth of the “Light of the world.” Pagan festivals

became Christian festivals, with many traditions remaining intact.

Yule logs and lighted trees, holding off the seemingly endless night, are examples of such

adaptations. Sometimes, though, to tone down the partying, some local bishops tried to institute fast

days, especially just after the New Year, to stamp out pagan practice.

The Christmas carol comes from 16th-century Europe. But the 12

days are really only part of our Christmas observance, which also includes important feast days in

honor of Stephen, the first martyr (December 26); John the evangelist (December 27); and

the Holy Innocents, the infants slain by King Herod (December 28, Matt. 2:16–18). These are

known as the comites Christi, “companions of Christ,” because

their lives gave unique witness to Jesus through martyrdom (Stephen and the Innocents) and

the written word (John).

Other Christmas feasts include the Holy Family (Sunday after Christmas) and Mary, Mother of

God (January 1). The liturgical season of Christmas ends with the feast of the Lord’s Baptism

(Sunday after Epiphany).

Unfortunately, like the 50 days of Easter joy that we often forget after a rigorous 40 days of Lenten

fasting (notice which is longer!), our Christmas party often ends too early. But though we wait a

bit to get our holy days going, they carry us far beyond the Orange Bowl. So don’t eat all the

cookies on Christmas Day!

December 24, 2017, Fourth Sunday of Advent

The Liturgical Council will meet on

Wednesday, January 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Fr. Murgas Conference Room.

The Parish Social Justice Council

will meet Thursday, January 11th at 6:00 p.m. in the Fr. Murgas Conference Room

The Finance Council will meet on

Thursday, Jamuary 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the Fr. Murgas Conference Room. All members of the Finance Council are asked to plan to attend.

The Pastoral Council will meet on

Thursday, February 15 at 6:30 pm in the Fr. Murgas Conference Room.

Food for December

Coffee

ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILS

PARISH MINISTRIES

PARISH COMMITTEES

The Development Committee

will meet on Monday, January 8th at 6:00 pm in the Lower Meeting Room of the Parish

Office.

The Young at Heart Committee

will meet for their next monthly meeting on January 17th at 1 pm in the Fr. Murgas conference Room.

FAITH SHARING

St. Andre’s Faith Seekers with

Michael Boris will meet at 6 pm

on Monday January 15 in the Fr. Murgas Meeting Room of the Parish Office.

Disciples of the Spirit of Jesus

with Sr. Madonna will meet on Saturday, January 20 at 10:30 am in the Fr. Murgas Meeting Room of the Parish office. There is still room in this group for anyone who might be interested.

Sharers on the Journey with

Christ with Rosemary Shedlock will meet on Sunday, January

21st at 2:00 pm in the home of Elaine Snyder.

Loaves & Fishes

THE PARISH THAT PRAYS TOGETHER —STAYS TOGETHER.

Join Us for EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

every THURSDAY beginning at NOON and

ending with EVENING PRAYER

at 5 pm.

END OF THE YEAR GIVING

We remind all parishioners, especially those of you who only give to your parish once a year, that ALL DONATIONS for 2017 must be in before DECEMBER 31st to appear on this year’s statement. THIS INCLUDES ANY DONATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS 2017. Any donations for the Calendar Year 2017 that come in AFTER DECEMBER 31st will be credited to 2018 and will NOT appear on the 2017 TAX STATEMENT.

SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

Sunday, December 24th 4 pm Vigil Mass of Christmas

10:30 pm Christmas Mass at Night

Monday, December 25th

8:00 am Christmas Mass at Dawn 11:00 am Christmas Mass during the Day

Please Note: The Evening Masses of Christmas Eve do not fulfill the Sunday Obligation. You must

participate in the Eucharist on Saturday evening or Sunday Morning to fulfill the Sunday Obligation and again on Sunday evening or Monday to fulfill the Christmas Obligation.

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY

Saturday, December 30th 4 pm and 5:30 pm Masses

Sunday, December 31st. 8 am and 11 am Masses

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

(New Year)

Monday, January 1, 2018 9 am Mass ONLY

Friday, January 5, 2018 FIRST FRIDAY 8 am Mass 6 pm Confessions

6:30 pm Devotions to the Sacred Heart 7:00 pm Mass

FEAST Of ST. ANDRE BESSETTE

Saturday, January 6th

9 am Mass

SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

Saturday, January 6th 4 pm and 5:30 pm Masses

Sunday, January 7th 8 am & 11 am Masses

9:15 Faith Formation

FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

Monday, January 8th

8 am Mass

CHRISTMAS DONATIONS

As we prepare to celebrate the Birth of our Savior at Christmas,

please remember the needs of your parish as you prepare your Christmas offering.

We are hoping to be able to pay the Insurance for all the parish buildings with the Christmas Collection. To do that, we need $15,076.00 in our holiday collection.

Because of your generosity throughout the fall, we were able to pay off the Clergy Blue Cross, the Post Retirement and the Payroll Processing Assessments.

In addition to the Insurance Assessment, we still owe $31,212.00 for the Parish Assessment; $7,233.00 for the Clergy Pension; and $7,233.00 for the Clergy Care and Wellness Assessment. We also owe

$59,142.00 to support Catholic Schools in the Diocese.

It is only through your consistent generosity that we will make these payments by the end of June 2018.

December 24, 2017, Fourth Sunday of Advent

FROM THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

Pope Francis’ Christmas Homily December 25, 2016

www.vatican.va

“The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all” (Tit 2:11). The words of the Apostle Paul reveal the mystery of this holy night: the grace of God has appeared, his free gift. In the Child given to us, the love of God is

made visible.

It is a night of glory, that glory proclaimed by the angels in Bethlehem and by ourselves as well, all over the

world. It is a night of joy, because henceforth and for ever, the infinite and eternal God is God with us. He is not far off. We need not search for him in the heavens or in mystical notions. He is close at hand. He became man and he will never withdraw from our humanity, which he has made his own. It is a night of light. The light prophesied by Isaiah (cf. 9:1), which was to shine on those who walked in a land of darkness, has appeared and enveloped the shepherds

of Bethlehem (cf. Lk 2:9).

The shepherds discover simply that “a child has been born to us” (Is 9:5). They realize that all this glory, all this joy, all

this light, converges to a single point, the sign that the angel indicated to them: “You will find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12). This is the enduring sign for all who would find Jesus. Not just then, but also today. If we want to celebrate Christmas authentically, we need to contemplate this sign: the frail simplicity of a tiny newborn child, the meekness with which he is placed in a

manger, the tender affection with which he is wrapped in his swaddling clothes. That is where God is.

With this sign, the Gospel reveals a

paradox. It speaks of the emperor, the governor, the high and mighty of those times, yet God does not make himself present there. He appears not in the splendour of a royal palace, but in the poverty of a stable; not in pomp and show, but in simplicity of life; not in power, but in astonishing smallness. In order to meet him, we need to go where he is. We need to bow down, to humble ourselves, to make ourselves small. The newborn Child challenges us. He calls us

to leave behind fleeting illusions and to turn to what is essential, to renounce our insatiable cravinfs, to abandon our endless yearning for things we will never

have. We do well to leave such things behind, in order to discover, in the simplicity of the divine Child, peace, joy and the luminous meaning of life.

Let us allow the Child in the manger to challenge us, but let us also be challenged by all those children in today’s world who are lying not in a crib, caressed with affection by their mothers and fathers, but in squalid “mangers that devour dignity”. Children who hide underground to escape bombardment, on the pavements of large cities, in the hold of a boat overladen with

immigrants… Let us allow ourselves to be challenged by those children who are not allowed to be born, by those who cry because no one relieves their hunger, by those who hold in their hands not toys, but weapons.

The mystery of Christmas, which is light and joy, challenges and unsettles us, because it is at once a mystery of hope and of sadness. It has a taste of sadness, inasmuch as love is not accepted, and life discarded. Such was the case with Joseph and Mary, who met with closed doors, and placed Jesus in a manger, “because there was no place for them in the inn” (v. 7). Jesus was born

rejected by some and regarded by many others with indifference. Today too, that same indifference can exist, whenever Christmas becomes a holiday with ourselves at the centre rather than Jesus; when the lights of shop windows push the light of God into the shadows; when we are enthused about gifts but indifferent to our neighbours in need.

This worldliness has kidnapped Christmas; we need to liberate it!

Yet Christmas has above all a taste of hope because, for all the darkness in our lives, God’s light shines forth. His gentle light does not frighten us. God, who is in love with us, draws us to himself with his tenderness, by being born poor and frail in our midst, as one of us. He is born in Bethlehem, which means “house

of bread”. In this way, he seems to tell us that he is born as bread for us; he enters our life to give us his life; he comes into our world to give us his love. He does not come to devour or to lord it over us, but instead to feed and serve us. There is a straight line between the manger and the cross where Jesus will become bread that is broken. It is the straight line of love that gives and saves, the love that brings light to our lives and peace to our hearts.

That night, the shepherds understood this. They were among the marginalized of those times. Yet no one is marginalized in the sight of God, and

that Christmas, they themselves were the guests. People who felt sure of themselves, self-sufficient, were at home with their possessions. It was the shepherds who “set out with haste” (cf. Lk 2:16). Tonight, may we too be challenged and called by Jesus. Let us approach him with trust, starting from all those things that make us feel marginalized, from our limitations and our sins. Let us be touched by the

tenderness that saves. Let us draw close to God who draws close to us. Let us pause to gaze upon the crib, and relive in our imagination the birth of Jesus: light and peace, dire poverty and rejection. With the shepherds, let us enter into the real Christmas, bringing to Jesus all that we are, our alienation, our unhealed wounds, our sins. Then, in Jesus, we will enjoy the taste of the true spirit of Christmas: the beauty of being loved by God. With Mary and Joseph, let

us pause before the manger, before Jesus who is born as bread for my life. Contemplating his humble and infinite love, let us simply tell him: Thank you. Thank you because you have done all this for me.

December 24, 2017, Fourth Sunday of Advent

IN THE DIOCESE

Do You Want to Know More About the Annulment Process?:

In the Diocese of Scranton, the annulment process is now more “user friendly” than you might expect, and there is no longer a processing fee. Please contact your pastor or the

Diocesan Tribunal Office (570-207-2246) to begin a conversation.

It is possible to get clear answers to these questions and to renew

your connection with the Church.

Notice Regarding the Sexual

Abuse of A Minor

It is the policy of the Diocese of Scranton to report any allegation of sexual abuse of a minor to law enforcement. If you are a victim of sexual abuse, you are encouraged to immediately report the matter to law enforcement. If any priest, deacon, religious, lay employee or volunteer of the Diocese of Scranton has cause or reason to suspect that a minor has been subjected to any form of abuse, including child sexual abuse, the matter will be reported to law enforcement. In accordance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law, reports of suspected child abuse should also be made immediately by phone to the 24 hour Child Abuse Hotline (ChildLine) at 1-800-932-0313 or electronically at www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis. It is also the policy of the Diocese to adhere to all civil and state regulations. To this end, the Diocese is equally committed to adhering to the norms of the Code of Canon Law and to upholding the tenets of the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which includes supporting victims of sexual abuse in their pursuit of emotional and spiritual well-being. As such, information regarding an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor should also be reported to the Victim Assistance Coordinator, Mary Beth Pacuska at 570-862-7551 or to Diocesan Officials, including the Vicar General, Msgr. Thomas M. Muldowney, V.G. at 570-207-2269.

To Commemorate the Founding of the Diocese of Scranton on March 3rd, 1868, a year-long series of

special liturgies, celebration and events will begin next month on the First Sunday of Advent (Dec. 3, 2017) and

conclude on the Feast of Christ the King (November 25, 2018). The Primary Commemoration of our Sesquicentennial Year

will be marked with a major liturgical celebration in Scranton at the Cathedral of St. Peter and also at every parish throughout the

Diocese on the Weekend of March 4th, 2018. Other events have been scheduled throughout the 11 counties of the Diocese to highlight

various churches, institutions, and sites of historical significance.

DIOCESAN CERTIFICATE

IN LAY MINISTRY 2018

The Office for Parish Life encourages parish leaders

to consider application for the Diocesan Certificate in

Lay Ministry for January 2018.

The Diocesan Certificate in Lay Ministry is a ministry

formation program designed to equip and advance the servant leadership capacities of individuals serving their parish in areas such as :

Through Independent online study with the University of Dayton’s Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation, as well as regional skills workshops and opportunities for prayer and reflection, Diocesan Certificate candidates enrich their knowledge base,

while also learning practical tools for effective parish ministry in their faith communities. The Office of Parish Life anticipates welcoming new candidates into the Diocesan Certificate in Lay Ministry Program in the New Year.

Prospective Candidates are encouraged to contact Kitty Scanlan, Coordinator for Lay Ministry Formation at 570-207-2213, or by email at Kitty-

Scanlan@dioceseofscranton.org for application information materials, and application submissions.

Pastoral Council Director of Religious Education

Liturgical Coordinator Catechist

Parish Staff Volunteer Ministry

CANTOR WORKSHOP Saturday, January 13, 2018

9 am—2 pm Kings College Chapel Wilkes-Barre, PA

Join Liz Powell and Nancy Valtos as they share helpful pointers to assist Cantors, accompanists and other liturgical musicians in their ministry of leading sung worship.

This workshop is open to all music ministers.

PEANUTS by Charles Schulz

December 24, 2017, Fourth Sunday of Advent

Celebrating a Significant Wedding Anniversary in 2018?

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, and the Office for Parish Life wish to invite

couples celebrating their 25th or 50th wedding anniversary in 2018 to a diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass on Sunday, June 10. The event includes a 2:30 PM mass at St. Peter’s Cathedral followed by a reception. Requests for an

invitation, with a mailing address, should be made through the Parish Office (570-823-4988) before March 12.

STEWARDSHIP

The renewal of the Church begun by Francis of Assisi was not some grand scheme, nor was it a series of programs, meetings, conferences or

gatherings. For Francis, renewal began within himself. He had no grand plan to change the Church of his day. His only goal was to make a better Francis. We have already seen that this renewal

was rooted in his personal prayer

experience. Francis liked to go away from the bustle of the world and be alone with his thoughts and with his God. It was here that he found energy to go out and seek to do good for others. This became the means through

which he impacted the Church of the late Middle Ages. Small things, done consistently became the “Franciscan Way”. Francis’ spiritual life was rooted in prayer, and that prayer life found its

inspiration in the Scriptures. It was

often his custom, when confronted by a problem or question, to simply open the scriptures and see what the Word of God had to say. When his community began to form around him, it is said that he went into the local church and

opened the Bible to see what this community must do. He read “Sell what you have and give to the poor.” So they did that. In fact, extreme poverty became the hallmark of the Franciscan vocation.

Francis wanted everyone to come to a greater love of God. He is famous for his love of creation. He saw God in the

smallest flower or the most helpless animal. But more than that, Francis found God in the Scriptures and he

desired to bring those Scriptures alive for people who could neither read nor write. His biographers tell how, after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land—no small feat in his day—he was inspired to

recreate the scenes of our Lord’s life for the common people of his day. So it was that on one Christmas Eve, in 1223, that he said to a friend the town

of Greccio: “I want to do something that will recall the memory of that Child who was born in Bethlehem, to see with bodily

eyes the inconveniences of his infancy, how he lay in the manger, and how the ox and ass stood by.” The friend quickly arranged for a cave on his property to be prepared. A feedbox (manger) was brought

in along with a cow

and a donkey, and all the people were invited to come to the cave to see the utter simplicity of our Lord’s Birth. St. Bonaventure, one

of Francis’ earliest biographers, tells the story:

t happened in the third year before his death, that in order to excite the inhabitants of Grecio to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion, [St. Francis] determined to keep it with all possible solemnity; and lest he should be accused of lightness or novelty, he asked and obtained the permission of the sovereign Pontiff. Then he prepared a manger, and brought hay, and an ox and an ass to the place appointed.

The brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise.” “The man of God [St. Francis] stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis, the Levite of Christ. Then he preached to the people around the nativity of the poor King; and being unable to utter His name for the tenderness of His love, He called Him the Babe of Bethlehem.” “A certain valiant and veracious soldier, Master John of Greccio, who, for the love of Christ, had left the warfare of this world, and become a dear friend of this holy man,

affirmed that he beheld an Infant marvellously beautiful, sleeping in the manger, Whom the blessed Father Francis embraced with both his arms, as if he would awake Him from sleep.

This vision of the devout soldier is credible, not only by reason of the sanctity of him that saw it, but by reason of the miracles which afterwards confirmed its truth.

For example of Francis, if it be considered by the world, is doubtless sufficient to excite all hearts which are negligent in the faith of Christ; and the hay of that manger, being preserved by the people, miraculously cured all diseases of cattle, and many other pestilences; God thus in all things glorifying his servant, and witnessing to the great efficacy of his holy prayers by manifest prodigies and miracles.” Each Christmas since that fateful day in Grecio, the Nativity scene graces our homes and our churches as a reminder of the simplicity of the Birth of our Lord. It is said that Francis—who was radically devoted to the virtue of

evangelical poverty—wanted to do this for the people of his day to overcome the rampant greed and materialism that prevailed in Italy at that time. May we take time this Christmas to ponder the Child in the manger and consider if,

perhaps, we too might live more simply

as we seek to follow His Way.

St. Francis of Assisi and Church Renewal

December 24, 2017, 2017 Fourth Sunday of Advent

FINANCES

INCOME

EXPENSES

December 16-17, 2017 December 14—20, 2017

PARISH COLLECTION Administration 234.44

In Church Mailed In Clergy Residence -0-

Loose 240.43 -0- Liturgy 711.22

Offering 4,091.00 1,087.00 Religious Education -0-

Holy Days 133.00 606.00 Social Justice -0-

Initial -0- -0- Maintenance 2,538.83

Dues 229.00 673.00 Deposit to Savings -0-

Debt Reduction 362.00 147.00 Insurance -0-

Holiday Flowers 50.00 45.00 Taxes -0-

TOTAL PARISH COLLECTION

$5,105.43 $2,558.00 Capital Outlay -0-

DIOCESAN COLLECTIONS Diocesan Collections -0-

Diocesan Collection

133.00 107.00 Debt Service

(Principal + Interest) -0-

TOTAL DIOCESAN

133.00 107.00 School Subsidy -0-

OTHER INCOME TOTAL EXPENSES $3,484.49

Candles 44.05

Perquisites -0- GENERAL FUND RECAPITULATION

Rental -0- Previous Balance $3,222.17

Donation -0- + Income +7,947.48

Holy Day -0- - Expenses -3,484.49

TOTAL OTHER INCOME

44.05 BALANCE FORWARD

$7,685.16

TOTAL INCOME $7,947.48 Your Gift to God

December 9-10, 2017

Over $100.00 3 $20 44

$100.00 2 $16-19 0

$76-99 2 $15 25

$75 1 $11-14 9

$51-74 1 $10 78

$50 10 $6-9 15

$26-49 12 $5 37

$25 18 under $5 22

$21-24 1 Total Envelopes used

280

Is your gift to the parish each week an honest reflection of God’s goodness to you?

Mass Attendance

December 16-17, 2017

People In-Church Collection

Average Offering

per person

4:00 p.m. 130 1,757.88 13.53

5:30 p.m. 65 898.00 13.82

8:00 a.m. 74 1,215.00 16.42

11:00 a.m.

110 1,234.55 12.23

Total 379 5,105.43 13.47

REMINDER: In order for our parish to remain solvent, the average weekly offering per person MUST equal or be greater than $15.00 consistently.

Votive Offerings

Bread and Wine

Intention Shirley A. McNelis

Offered by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hapeman

Sanctuary Candle

Intention Joseph & Sophie Pointek

Offered by Daughter, Geraldine

DIOCESAN ASSESSMENTS (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018)

Diocesan

Assessment

School

Assessment

BALANCE

Prior

Balance 0.00 34,646.02 34,646.02

Current

Assessment 81,965.72 59,142.00 141,107.72

Amount

Paid -21,056.00 0.00 -21,056.00

BALANCE DUE

60,909.72 93,788.02 154,697.74

PLEASE NOTE:

We owe $73,230.73 toward the Assessments by December 25th.

PARISH DEBT SERVICE

Parish Loan Amount

Paid

BALANCE

Due

PRINCIPAL 400,000.00 36,102.08 363,897.92

INTEREST 12,000.00 9,900.36 2,099.64

BALANCE 412,000.00 46,002.44 365,997.56

Please Note: The Parish Debt service has been paid

to date. This Account is current.

December 24, 2017, Fourth Sunday of Advent

LOCAL EVENTS

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson

LOOKING AHEAD!

Our Spring Dance (yes,

SPRING) will be held on

FRIDAY, February 9th

beginning at 6 pm in St.

Mary’s Byzantine Social Hall.

Tickets will be $20.00 each,

and will include dinner and

dancing.

Music will be provided by

Millennium.

Tickets will be available soon at the Parish office.

In conjunction with this dance, we will be looking for

items for our Basket Raffle after the holidays.

We will be looking for donations of Gift Cards to local

restaurants and businesses, lottery tickets, cash for the

cash basket, or bottles of cheer. No appliances, please.

These can be dropped off at the rectory before January

14th.

Any questions, please call Tina at 570-814-9227

Safety Concerns in Worship Today

Thursday, January 25th

8:30 am to 10 am

Chamber Office

8 W. Broad Street, Mezzanine Level,

Downtown Hazleton

Everyone would be eligible for the chamber

member price of $10 pp

In light of recent violence and terrorist attacks,

this program will cover the issues surrounding

awareness and assessment of the physical space

and procedures affecting each place of worship.

The program will assist House Of Worship leaders

to improve security by learning how to determine

where your facility is vulnerable, then providing

an overview of conducting a basic security

survey, followed by a report outlining steps for

corrective action.

Refreshments will be provided.

Program presented by Dale Rothenberger of Zee

Medical

Reservations are required by

calling Leann at the Chamber office at

570.436.7960 The Annual Respect Life Mass, sponsored by the Wyoming Valley Councils, Knights of

Columbus, will be held at Saint Faustina Parish, Hanover Street, Nanticoke, Sunday, January 14, 2018, at the 11:00 am Mass.

The Knights of Columbus, along with Pro-Life Representatives, will offer prayer intentions during the Mass for a greater respect of all Human Life and to end

abortion.

Father Nash, Pastor, warmly invites all to attend and to pray for the most vulnerable of Human Lives, those with

disabilities, the ill, and the unborn. PRO-LIFE MARCH, Washington DC January 19, 2017

Those wishing more information concerning a local Bus going to the March

For Life in Washington, Friday, January 19th, may contact Christopher Calore, Pennsylvanians for Human Life Representative, at 570-

824-5621.

December 24, 2017, Fourth Sunday of Advent

WEEKLY CALENDAR Third Week of Advent December 25, 2017—January 1, 2018

Day and Date Time Intention Offered by Events

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord VIGIL Sunday

4 pm Christmas Intentions PARISH OFFICE CLOSED

MASS AT NIGHT Sunday 10:30 pm

Christmas Intentions

MASS AT DAWN Monday 8:00 am

Christmas Intentions

MASS DURING THE DAY Monday 11:00 am

Christmas Intentions

Tuesday, December 26 St. Stephen, Deacon and Protomartyr

8 am James Iskra Rita Kelly No Choir

Wednesday, December 27 St. John the Evangelist

8 am Marianne Baloga John & Loree Gerich

Thursday, December 28 Holy Innocents

8 am Sean Kane St. Andre Bessette Finance

Council

Noon Exposition 5 pm Vespers 6 pm Staff and Choir Christmas Dinner

Friday, December 29 St. Thomas Becket

8am George Lindquist Patricia & Joan Cavanaugh

Saturday, December 30 Christmas Weekday in the Octave

NO Morning Mass Scheduled

3:00 pm Confessions

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

VIGIL 4:00 pm Alfred Yanovich Amy Zapp, Maria Zapp &

Michael Green

NO FAITH FORMATION

VIGIL 5:30 pm Craig Cummings David Alusick

SUNDAY 8:00 am Parishioners Pastor

SUNDAY 11:00 am Scott Snyder Mother & Family

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (New Year’s Day)

Holy Day 9 am Parishioners Pastor

Since this feast falls on a Monday,

participation in the Eucharist is not

mandated. It is a noble custom,

however, to begin the New Year by participating in the Eucharist.

December 24, 2017, Fourth Sunday of Advent

LITURGICAL MINISTRY SCHEDULE December 30-31, 2017 Feast of the Holy Family January 1, 2018 Solemnity of Mary Mother of God

Server Lector EMOC Server Lector EMOC

4:00 pm Ted Harowicz John Bednarz Ted Harowicz 9 am AJ Kondracki Mary Ann

Slavinski Maggie Benish

5:30 pm Rosemary

Shedlock Jackie Barkus

Rosemary

Shedlock

8:00 am Nicholas

Kreidler Anna Hudock A.J. Kondracki

11:00 am Manuel Baez Sr. Tina

Hanrahan Mimi Tosh