A Word from Your Pastor - December 29 Feast of the Holy Family

Dear Parishioners:

The Feast of the Holy Family mirrors all that is good about God and His world.  The Triune God is a Family – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Human beings are called to live as a family united in holiness – just as Jesus, Mary and Joseph did in Nazareth.  We pray in the Lord’s Prayer “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”  It is God’s Will that we live in His Love, the very Love that created the universe.  Life begins and ends in "The Love that moves the sun and the other stars," as Dante put it.  As members of God’s Family, we find our life’s meaning in that same Love.

As we seek to grow in our understanding of the Mystery of the Incarnation, we discover that it is not a merely abstract idea or a concept.  It is a creative reality that moves us outside of our isolation and individualism into a community of Love.  Family life in the world today seems ever more complex.  But in the end, it is simple.  We are a Family in relationship to the God Who created us all.  We are to love one another and to do what we can to make sure that all with whom we have contact know and experience that love in a personal way.

My first assignment as a priest was at St. Mary’s in Lancaster.  My first Christmas there, I learned a custom they had which I have since carried to every parish I have served: the individual family blessing at all the Masses of the Solemnity of the Holy Family.  As we offer this blessing, I delight in watching how families configure themselves across the generations.  Children are helpful in showing just how far the blessings have to extend.  Mothers are delighted when they have managed to pull their children together.  Individuals present alone are welcomed into other families or come forward to receive the blessing to carry it home.  Family life itself, with all its joys and sorrows, is a blessing.

I am grateful to be part of the St. Timothy Parish Family.  We have walked together these years through some amazing experiences.  No doubt God has in store for us many blessings yet to come!

Focolare Word of Life for December 2013 Focolare Word of Life for December 2013: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all (1 Thes. 3:12).

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

A Word from your Pastor - Christmas 2013

 

To the King of ages, the immortal,

the invisible, the only God. . .

 Be honor and glory

forever and ever!  Amen.

 

(I Timothy 1:17)
 

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 St. Timothy Parish Mission Statement

“United in the Body of Christ,
we strive to promote the greater glory of God

through a spirit of welcome and willing service

to our brothers and sisters.”

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Schedule of Liturgies

Our Usual Weekend Schedule:

   Reconciliation:    Saturday – 4:00 - 4:45 p.m.

   Masses:                Saturday - 5:00 p.m. Vigil

 

                                Sunday - 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.

Daily Services:

   Monday- Friday: 9:00 a.m. Weekday Mass

   Wednesdays during the School year: All School Mass

Holy Days:   Vigil - 6:00 p.m.

                     Holyday - 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
                     Unless otherwise noted in the bulletin

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Devotion to the Eucharist

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament:

Wednesdays: You are invited to spend part of your day once a week in Adoration of the Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.  The Host is exposed on the altar in the church from 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, after the Morning Mass, all day until 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise announced.

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A WORD FROM YOUR PASTOR, FATHER TIMOTHY M. HAYES

Dear Parishioners and Guests for Christmas:

2013 has been quite an exciting year in the Catholic Church throughout the world and at St. Timothy Church locally. 

With the election of Pope Francis, we have experienced a new invitation to “rebuild the Church” by an active and loving witness of all that is good about the Catholic Church.  In particular, we are called to renew our relationship with Jesus Christ in a personal way and to move beyond our comfort zone to share with others the Joy of the Gospel.

St. Timothy School, which opened its doors to students first in the academic year 1963-64, has been celebrating its Golden Jubilee.  In January 2014, we will experience special Masses with the Parish and the School as we celebrate the Feast of our Patron Saint Timothy.  Many other events throughout the year will serve to acknowledge the gift of our Parish School.  We encourage all Alumni and families of St. Timothy School students to take part.

The Good Shepherd has been calling us to renew and deepen our understanding of the Catholic Faith and to develop resources as a Parish and a School to respond to the New Evangelization.  Journey with us as we follow the voice of the Shepherd who calls us by name to belong to His Flock.

A Blessed Christmas to All!

Rev. Timothy M. Hayes, Pastor

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Do good, be rich in good works, be generous,
ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure
a good foundation for the future,
so as to win the life that is true life.

O Timothy, guard what has
been entrusted to you!

(I Timothy 6:18-20)

 

A Word from Your Pastor - December 22

Dear Parishioners:

The Fourth Sunday of Advent tells us that Christmas is right around the corner. 

Christmas tells us that Jesus, Who is Emmanuel, God-with-us, is born for us.  We celebrate the gift of the Incarnation, that is, the reality of the Word-made-flesh, God’s entering fully into our world as one of us in the Person of Jesus Christ.  This Mystery changes how we see our life in this world.

Often, Christians are accused on not looking at this world as important.  Because we turn our thoughts to Eternity, it is thought that we do not concern ourselves with the world around us.  If Christmas is understood properly, however, it becomes quite clear that the exact opposite is true.  “God so loved the world, that He sent His Only Son to be our Savior.”  (John 3:16)  If God so loves us as to be concerned with our lives on the earth even to the point of living out a human life among us, then our Faith calls us to attend to the realities of this world as well.  God’s Love, lived among us, leads to a deeper involvement in the world.

All human beings are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26).  Jesus Christ is the perfect human being.  Christians are called to live in this world in order make Christ present to all.  As we enter into the events of Christmas, the family traditions and the cultural activities that shape our experience of the season, may we open our hearts to the simple truth that we share this life with God and that He promises to draw us into something even greater in the next.

Let us be a community of welcome to all who join us in the Masses of Christmas.  May we become ever more truly a sign to the world that Christ is born for us all.

To all who will be away from our parish family: be sure that you are in our prayers at all the Masses of Christmas.

Focolare Word of Life for December 2013: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all (1 Thes. 3:12).

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

 

 

A Word from Your Pastor - December 15

Dear Parishioners:

Advent is a season of expectation, waiting and preparation.  We await the fulfillment of God’s promises in human history, in our hearts and in our lives.  The Advent of Jesus Christ refers to three “Comings”:

• The “Second Coming” at the end of time, when Jesus will return in Majesty;
• the Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, when His Coming fulfilled the promises of Scripture, announcing Salvation for Jews and Gentiles, His Coming in History;
• and His Coming to us through the Sacraments in the Life of Grace, His Coming in Mystery.

As we live out our Faith, we are charged to be ready for the Lord when He comes again in glory.  We also cooperate with grace in opening our hearts to His Presence in human history and in our experience of the Sacraments.  One special form of preparation is the “housecleaning” that takes place through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The children of our parish in PSR, in St. Timothy School and in any of our Catholic High Schools have had the opportunity to receive the Sacrament with their classes.  Our Parish Advent Penance Service will be this Tuesday, December 17, at 7 p.m.  All are invited to approach the Sacrament at this time or to make plans for another time – available every Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at St. Timothy Church, or at one of the other parishes of our deanery.

How often do you put off going to see your physician?  Now is the time to approach the Doctor of your soul, to allow Him to heal whatever ails you.  If it has been a while, let this be the year you decide to renew your commitment to open your heart to the Lord.

Sometimes, folks will stay away because they are not sure how to approach the Sacrament.  Don’t worry, the priest will guide you.  The tech savvy may find an app for a smart phone to walk you through the Sacrament.  For anyone, here is a short summary of what to do:

1. Make the Sign of the Cross with the priest.
2. Say “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.  It has been [however long] since my last Confession.  These are my sins.” [Name them, especially those weighing most heavily on your heart.]  Remember, the seal of Confession means that the priest can never under any circumstances reveal your sins to anyone, so you can be completely honest with him.  You are speaking to Jesus in and through the priest.
3. The priest will give you a few words of counsel and then name a penance, that is, a prayer or an action that expresses your sorrow and your desire to change.  You will “do your penance” after the Confession is over.
4. The Act of Contrition is usually done in common at a penance service.  When you go to confession at other times, you are invited to make one at this point.  Call to mind the one you learned when you made your First Reconciliation.  Or you may say something as simple as, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.”  The main point is to express your sorrow and your intention to turn away from sin in the future.
5. The priest will give you absolution (God’s forgiveness) and you make the Sign of the Cross as you receive it. 
6. The priest may say, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.”  If he says this, you respond, “His Mercy endures forever.” 
7. Some final words of dismissal are spoken, and you will say “Thanks be to God.”  You may also say Thank you to the priest when he gives you your penance and at the end of the encounter.

The St. Timothy Penance Services for Advent is Tuesday, December 17, at 7 p.m.

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

Focolare Word of Life for December 2013: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all (1 Thes. 3:12).

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

A Word from Your Pastor - December 8

Dear Parishioners:

God has given us many gifts.  The greatest gift is His Presence among us in the Person of Jesus Christ.  If we but knew this Gift of God and Who He IS, all else would make sense.  As it is, we only get a glimpse.  Through our cooperation with Grace, we get an inkling of what He offers, and we are invited to make a personal response.

God is God.  He could overpower us.  But He wills our freedom.  And He seeks our love in response to His Love.  The essence of the Christmas Message is that God has come to live among us, and that He has empowered us to live in His Love.  All the actions of charity, all the exchange of presents, all of the celebrations with food and fellowship that we experience together are a reminder that Love moves creation.

This weekend, we experience the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick as part of our weekend Masses.  Each Sacrament imparts a special grace.  This Sacrament plunges the reality of human weakness and illness into the Mystery of Christ, offering us a taste of Mercy as healing and strength.

Notice the simple details of the Sacrament.  There is prayer for the Sick and those who care for them.  There is a laying on of hands, a touch that calls to mind the Presence and action of the Holy Spirit.  There is an anointing with the Oil of the Sick, on the forehead and palms of each person who comes forward.  There is silence and unity of mind and heart among those receiving the Sacrament and the whole body of believers assembled to pray with them and for them.  Together, in the context of the Proclamation of the Word and the Celebration of the Eucharist, we know the Presence of Jesus the Healer.  God’s Mercy flows among us and we are to carry it out into the world in need of healing.

Monday will be the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – our Nation’s Patronal Feast.  Although due to its transfer from Sunday it is not an obligation day this year, all are invited to participate in the Mass of the Solemnity in order to pray for our country and to honor our Blessed Mother for the gift God made present in her – redeemed humanity and a vessel of Grace.

Make plans now for your participation in our Parish Penance Service Tuesday, December 17, at 7:00 p.m.  Give Christ His place in your heart this Christmas by attending Mass on Christmas Eve at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. or 10 p.m., and then again on Christmas Day at 8 a.m. or 10 a.m.  Note that you are able to receive Holy Communion twice if you attend a second Mass.  There are four distinct Masses of Christmas: the Vigil, Mass at Night (traditionally called the “Midnight Mass”), Mass at Dawn and Mass at Day.

In the meantime, live Advent – waiting patiently and longingly for the Messiah.

Focolare Word of Life for December 2013:

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all (1 Thes. 3:12).

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

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.