A Word From Your Pastor - December 1

 Dear Parishioners:

Advent begins a new Church Year.  We have just concluded the Year of Faith called for by Pope Benedict XVI and completed by Pope Francis.  The Mystery of Christ unfolds in ever new ways in each season.

The Season of the Incarnation, the Advent-Christmas cycle of our Liturgy, sets our sights on the wondrous fact that in Jesus Christ, God is with us.  Forever our human nature has a place in the heart of the Trinity.  If we only knew the depth of this Mystery, we would see our whole world in a new light.  Every human being is one with us in Christ.  When we are aware of this unity, the troubles we face do not overwhelm us.  We begin to hope in Christ for the resolution of conflicts and for peace in the world.

As we begin a new year together, it is good to make new resolutions and to listen deeply to the call of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  As I hear it, three particular themes are emerging in the life of our community: Evangelization, Family, and Catechesis in the Faith for all. 

As a Parish, we are the presence of the local Church in a distinct area.  Our members have heard the Gospel and are called to be disciples who share our Faith in Jesus in practical ways with any and all we encounter.  The Family is the Domestic Church, the very place where each one of us begins to understand the meaning of Faith and our relationship with God.  Catechesis is the manner in which we deepen our understanding of the Faith. The Good Shepherd is among us, calling us back into the flock and bringing us to green pastures.  He is inviting us to grow in our relationship with Him through a renewal of our commitment to one another and through our going out into the wilderness to find the lost.

What are your resolutions concerning Faith?  How will you respond to the Good Shepherd as He gathers you and your family into His arms and leads you home?  To whom do you need to proclaim the Gospel?

Focolare Word of Life for December 2013:

“May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all.” (I Thessalonians 3:12)

http://www.focolare.org/en/news/category/parola-di-vita/

 The New Evangelization at St. Timothy Parish

Our Seminarian interns, Stephen Vaccaro and Alex Pacelli, are making the rounds of parish groups to share their mission for the year at St. Timothy Church.  They have visited with the Knights of Columbus, the Parish Pastoral Council, the Youth Group and with the Home and School association.  They have now had two Door-to-door missions with Seminarians of the PCJ New Evangelization Club and members of our Parish this year.  Two more will be planned in the Spring semester.

Dec. 5th - Planning day at the parish

Anyone who wants to tag along or participate in some way can contact Stephen Vaccaro at smv4h@virginia.edu. The hope/plan is to create our own Evangelization Club to learn about the process of evangelization and to create opportunities for members of our parish to respond to the Church’s call for a New Evangelization – new in its ardor and new in its methods.

 

Penance Services for Advent in our deanery (Northwest Columbus) are set as follows:

 

Our Lady of Victory: December 8, 6:30 pm.

St Brendan: December 9, 7 pm
St Joan of Arc & St. Peter together: December 11, 7 pm at St. Peter
St Agatha: December 15, 3 pm
St Timothy: December 17, 7 pm
St Margaret of Cortona: December 17, 7 pm
St Brigid of Kildare: December 22, 5 pm

Make plans to open your heart to the Lord through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Synod on the Family 2014

The upcoming special Synod on the Family and the preparatory document available at the Vatican website look promising for dealing with issues of primary importance.   It was suggested that the parishes of our deanery take themes for future efforts from those noted in the questionnaire:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20131105_iii-assemblea-sinodo-vescovi_en.html

Collection for Aid to the Philippines

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has asked that all dioceses in the United States hold a special collection to raise desperately needed funds to assist the recovery following the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan. Bishop Campbell has designated the weekend of November 30-December 1, 2013 for this collection.

This storm destroyed entire villages and wrecked cities across the Philippines and Vietnam. As many as 10,000 people are feared dead and more than 9 million people have been affected. The full extent of structural damage is still unknown. On this weekend that follows our national celebration of Thanksgiving, let us show our gratitude for the good things we enjoy by supporting those who are suffering in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.