A Word from Your Pastor December 30

Dear Parishioners:

The Holy Family of Nazareth serves as God’s reminder to us that He has a plan for family life in our world.  Through the Incarnation, God is with us in the Person of Jesus Christ.  Through the family life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we are taught that the ordinary experiences of human beings in the home are fodder for holiness of life.  Every human circumstance that can be experienced is open to divine grace.

Human Life begins at Conception:  Mary, the Mother of Jesus is the Immaculate Conception; Jesus, her Son and the Son of God, is conceived her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit; Joseph, who serves as Jesus’ foster father, is given the Name he himself is to give the Child while He is still in the womb.  The time of pregnancy is a grace-filled time for all who are part of it.

Birth into the World has a meaning for earth and for Heaven:  Jesus is born in the place where animals received their food.  Shepherds and Angels both herald the Coming of the Christ, born in the City of David.  Magi from the East reveal that the Birth of the King of the Jews is written in the stars and that this King is for all nations.

Religious practices serve to initiate a living relationship with God: The Circumcision and Naming of the Child Jesus mark Him as Savior for His own People.  The Presentation in the Temple returns the Gift received to His Heavenly Father and hints at the future.

The complexities of human life at home and beyond all serve to fulfill God’s plans: Herod’s envy fulfills Scripture and foreshadows the Cross.  Infant Martyrs witness to the value of the Messiah’s Birth.  The travel to Egypt to save the Child’s life mirrors the plight of refugees in every era.  Return to Nazareth marks a time of growth in grace and favor that hallows the life of every family.  The losing and finding of the Adolescent Jesus at the Temple marks a new understanding of His role and His revelation of His Heavenly Father to the People of Israel and their religious leaders.

The disappearance of Joseph before Jesus’ Public Ministry begins hints at the loss an grief that Mary will experience at the Crucifixion and the strength of her Faith in the face of the persecution and rejection all who follow her Son will know.

This Sunday, as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, let us renew our own commitment to be the family we are called to be as disciples of the Lord.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us!

 

Year of Faith October 11, 2012 – November 24, 2013

October 11, began the Year of Faith.  As one way of observing this year, each week a small section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church will be read before the start of Mass and will be included in the Bulletin.  This is a small way of offering some food for growth in Faith throughout this year.

52 God, who “dwells in unapproachable light,” wants to communicate his own divine life to the men he freely created, in order to adopt them as his sons in his only-begotten Son. (1 Timothy 6:16; cf. Ephesians 1:4-5.)  By revealing himself God wishes to make them capable of responding to him, and of knowing him, and of loving him far beyond their own natural capacity.

53 The divine plan of Revelation is realized simultaneously “by deeds and words which are intrinsically bound up with each other” (Dei Verbum 2) and shed light on each other. It involves a specific divine pedagogy: God communicates himself to man gradually. He prepares him to welcome by stages the supernatural Revelation that is to culminate in the person and mission of the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ.

St. Irenaeus of Lyons repeatedly speaks of this divine pedagogy using the image of God and man becoming accustomed to one another: The Word of God dwelt in man and became the Son of man in order to accustom man to perceive God and to accustom God to dwell in man, according to the Father’s pleasure. (St. Irenaeus)

Comment:  Jesus, Who is the Word of God, reveals God to us through His words and His actions.  What He says to us and What He does are both a way of communication from God to us.  Pondering Who He Is means hearing Him and watching Him as He lives among us.  The Living Word of God is still speaking to us.  How do you hear God’s Word to you through Jesus?  What words from the Gospel speak to your heart?  What actions does Jesus perform that bring you to a deeper understanding of God?

 

WeShare Online Giving:  Save Time and Donate Online!

Our parish now uses an Online Giving system called WeShare. This will allow you to make your donations without writing a check each week. You can set up a recurring weekly or monthly payment, allocate different amounts for our different collections, and view complete, accurate financial records at any time. It saves all of us time and is a win-win for our parish!

Those who wish to continue to use traditional methods of offering may do so, however, we ask that you prayerfully consider Online Giving. If you would like to enroll, please visit https://sttimothyoh.weshareonline.org/.  If you have any questions about the program or about setting up your account, don't hesitate to call our parish office at 614-451-2671.

"Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." --Luke 6:38

This Week in Our History:   December 30-January 6

Note: This project was started in February 2012; we will continue it until a full year of review is completed.

1967:   May the New Year be a Blessed and Happy One.

1973:   The United Farm Workers are greatly in need of your assistance.  You can help by not buying or eating grapes and lettuce.  The migrant farm workers have sacrificed their livelihood by standing for their rights.  Today the migrant worker is hungry and you can help him directly by sending a donation to United Farm Workers of America.

1975:   Some Special Thanks:

-To the musicians for all their fine work on the Christmas music

-To DeSantis Florists for the flowers, especially the magnificent poinsettias

-To the Women’s Club and to Teresa Hogan and Mary Jane Sanese for the lovely new set of altar cloths (made by Teresa and Mary Jane); stop up and take a look at them

-To all the parishioners for their generous Christmas collection for Diocesan Charities: $2310.00

-To all who wrote cards and sent gifts to the Priests: grateful blessings on you.

1977:   Have you noticed those neat new ciboria that are used for Holy Communion?  One was given by Mrs. Vienna DeSantis in memory of her parents, Guiseppe and Maria D. Fracasso; and the other in memory of Margaret and John Post, by their children John, Margaret (O’Grady), and Patricia.

1978:   The thanks of all of us go to Mrs. Angela Ernst for all her hard work in arranging the beautiful ‘luminaria’ for Christmas Eve.

1979:   From the Pastor’s Desk

Our church is looking really good.  We all owe a sincere “Thank you” to Ralph Geiser, who drew up the plans; to Pete Moro, who worked extra long hours to get so much done before Christmas; and to Bill Elzey, who provided installation of the carpet.  God bless them!

Our Nativity is just too large for our little church building.  We would like to obtain one about half the size for next year, so we will be able to place it in the Sanctuary.  If you have one you might wish to donate, or would like to buy one for us, please let me know.

Father DeVille and Father Tague thank all of you who sent Christmas greetings or gifts.  May God bless everybody in our parish with a very Happy New Year, and, in fact, with a happy decade of the 1980’s.

1981:   May God grant eternal joy to:

Mrs. Carolyn Ferraro

Mrs. Carol Ferraro Schoonover

James Ferraro, III

Elizabeth Ferraro

Thomas Ferraro

Jeffrey Ferraro

Mr. John “Judy” Carroll

Timothy Edgington

1982:   New Year’s Resolution

Why not include in your New Year’s resolutions one big one to help keep our parish church clean, neat and attractive?  Since it has been painted, redecorated and polished, it has a simple dignity and is conducive to prayer.

However, if Missalettes and Parish Bulletins are thrown willy-nilly in the pews after use and used tissues are dropped on the floor, much of the dignity and attractiveness is marred.

You might take a personal responsibility to put your Missalette at the end of the pew as you leave church and take your bulletin with you.

If others tend to be litter-bugs, perhaps you can take it upon yourself to straighten up their mess and keep our parish church clean and attractive.

1984:   Congratulations to Paul Kanakkanatt on receiving the Eagle Scout Award at a beautiful ceremony on December 17^th.  Paul is a member of Troop 169, sponsored by the Men’s Club of St. Timothy.  Also, our thanks to troop member Shafi Saiduddin, who has placed railings on the bridge behind church and is working on a trail back there as part of his Eagle Scout project.

1998:   Please remember in your prayers Clara DeSantis who died and was buried this past week.

1999:   Please remember in your prayers Frank Kosec who was buried this past week.  May he rest in peace.

2000:   Words from the other Paul:

It’s the last day of the year.  Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet?  Well, whether you have or not I hope that prayer is somewhere in our resolutions for the New Year.  No matter what level our prayer may be there is always room for improvement.   Isn’t that what life is about, growth and improvement?

…Can ten minutes a day make a difference?  Consider…if just one person in each family here at St. Timothy took it upon themselves to pray for our parish and everyone in it…there would be 121 hours of prayer offered up each day…Do you think our parish would become even stronger than it already is?  Do you think God would notice 121 hours of prayer from one of His little parishes here on earth?  I think you know the answer…

You know if you take the ‘s’ out of resolution and put in the letter ‘v’, you have a revolution.  So let’s make a resolution here at St. Timothy to start a revolution in prayer.  May God continue to bless us all.  Have a Holy New Year. 

2004:   Our prayers and sympathy to the family of Donald Seelbach who died.  May he rest in peace.

2007:   Thank you to Jeannine Davis for her generous donation of the beautiful new censor and boat, holy water pot and sprinkler which you will see during special liturgical celebrations throughout the year.

2011:   A Word from Your Pastor

Happy Feast of the Epiphany and Happy New Year!

2011 will prove to be a significant year in our journey as a parish family since it is our 50^th year of establishment as a parish in the diocese of Columbus.  We have a lot to accomplish this year in terms of planning and arranging for a worthy celebration.

Some key dates to remember:

-November 29, 1961 – St. Timothy Parish was officially established

-December 10, 1961 – First Mass for St. Timothy Parish in the gym of Cranbrook Elementary School

-September 2, 1962, - Father Gus Winkler broke ground for St. Timothy’s first building.