St. Anthony of Padua Bulletin
December 21, 1997

Fourth Sunday of Advent

The Lord is coming soon! Are you ready to meet him?

From Bethlehem (which means the "city of peace" and implies the dwelling-place of peace in our hearts) shall come forth the one who is to be the ruler of people, the one who "shall stand firm and shepherd his flock" (Mi 5:1-4, 1st reading). And he says, "I have come to do your will, O God" and thereby "takes away the first covenant to establish the second" (Heb 10:5-10, 2nd reading).

The Word-made-flesh comes to lead us to the kingdom, to guide us in our pursuit of holiness, to establish a new relationship with us.

When he comes into our life, he stirs something deep within -- something that calls us to conversion, community, and communication of the Gospel. Just like the Word-made-flesh, through the mediation of Mary, caused the baby in Elizabeth's womb to leap for joy (cf. Lk 1:39-45, gospel passage), so does the Lord Jesus jolt us into reality through the instrumentality of the human beings and events of our existence.

What if Christ comes to us, and we're not ready to receive him? How do we ready ourselves? Here's a bit of a checklist (maybe an examination of conscience):

1. personal moral integrity, a sense of duty and responsibility, a willingness to discipline oneself or sacrifice one's self- promotion for the common good;

2. active participation in the liturgy (not just "attending" Mass), a family prayer life, ongoing and regular daily prayer;

3. responsible membership in the family; active volunteerism in the parish; honest stewardship in support of the archdiocese, parish, school, and missions; collaboration and shared responsibility;

4. welcoming acceptance of people of different races, colors, creeds, preferences, or orientations; giving others a sense of belonging and showing hospitality; overcoming the injustice of discrimination and oppression; promoting respect and dignity, human development and social betterment; involving oneself in social outreach and neighborhood stabilization.

This, you realize, is only a partial strategy for readiness. With these kinds of attitudes and behaviors, however, a person will be open to receiving and sharing the presence of Christ Jesus, like another John the Baptist.

Merry Christmas as you make the Word flesh in your own world!

--Father Benet OFM

Offering

Envelopes $5,792.79
Loose Collection 380.80
Children's Envelopes 2.75
TOTAL: $6,176.34
COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUDGET:

This Week Cumulative
(12/14/97): (Week #24):
$5,453.06 $130,882.44
$6,176.34 $111,869.80
$+ 723.28 -$-19,012.64

DID YOU KNOW???

A Brief Look at the History of Christmas (Part 2)
...During the first two centuries Christians centered their entire year around an annual remembering of the Pascha: Passover and Easter.
There was no developed religious or liturgical theme other than the Paschal Mystery. According to the Julian calendar computation at that time, Jesus would have died on March 25 and the annual Pascha was celebrated around that time.
The Paschal Mystery was comprehensive in the thinking of these early Christians. It included the Incarnation without distinguishing between conception and birth. The anniversary of Jesus' death included, therefore, the mystery of his conception.
While this may strike the contemporary person, who is accustomed to a highly developed church year, as strange, it was not to these early Christians. Their ancestors in the Jewish tradition had identified the births and deaths of patriarchs on the same day ... Nine months after March 25 is December 25 and the festival of Jesus' birth. It is the liturgical completion of his conception.
This December 25 date for a Nativity feast was not intended, therefore, to argue for a particular historical arrangement of event. It is a liturgical observance of a saving event, rather than a memorial anniversary of a calendar or historical event.
Greg Dues. Catholic Customs and Traditions.
--compiled by Brother Richard OFM

May the Blessings
of this Holy Season
be with you always.

For these last days of Advent and for the Christmas Season you will need to mark your calendars for the special upcoming parish events:

Advent
1. ADVENT HOME MASSES on December 22, & 23. Reserve at least one of the evenings of December 22 or 23 at 7:00pm for an Advent Home "Posada" Mass as we accompany Mary and Joseph to the church for the celebration of Christmas. Anyone is welcome at any or all of the Masses. The homes for the last two Masses are as follows (contact the host of your choice to RSVP): Monday, December 22, at the Forchee Home (3428 Montana); call Jerry or Phyllis at 481-2815. Tuesday, December 23, at the Geldmacher Home (4347 South Compton); call Steve or Sue at 481-8651.

Confession

2. CHRISTMAS CONFESSIONS: In preparation for Christmas some special times for Confessions have been added: Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday (Dec. 22, 23, & 24) after the 8:00am Mass.

Christmas Greeting

3. LITURGICAL MINISTERS FOR CHRISTMAS: Lectors:
4:30 (Posada Mass) Special Lectors
11:15 (Vigil Service) Special Lectors
12:00 (Midnight Mass) Alured McNulty, Gene Rombach
6:00 Alberta Stackle
8:00 Philipa Krueger and Volunteer
10:30 Matt Halbauer, Sandy Montgomery
Eucharistic Ministers:
4:30 Posada Mass
Hosts: Cheryl Degenhart, Patty Penrose
Cups: Janice Leicht, Bill & Doris Kamper, Rick Busiek, Ed & Wanda Meyer
12:00 Midnight Mass
Hosts: Valerie Geldmacher, Debbie Williams, Robert Donahue, Tom Moran
Cups: Jackie Kappler, Anne Weiss, Sue Geldmacher, Julie Brown, Jackie Schmittgens, Theresa Mayer, Dorothy Schaefer, Bev Ruzicka
6:00 Rich Steger
8:00 Hosts: Tony Minnick, Mike Mount
Cups: Sr. Virginia, Doris Eagan, Jay Doolittle, Betty Marton
10:30 Hosts: Jerry & Phyllis Forchee
Cups: Ruth Brown, Robert Harre, Phyllis Morrison, Mary Ann Schmidt, Steve & Gloria Derickson

Christmas Eve

4. CHRISTMAS VIGIL "POSADA" MASS will be celebrated on Christmas Eve at 4:30pm; children are invited to come dressed as angels and shepherds and to gather in the sacristy before 4:15pm.

Christmas

5. CHRISTMAS VIGIL SERVICE AND MIDNIGHT MASS
will begin at 11:15pm with carols and readings, followed by the traditional solemn celebration of the Eucharist.

6. CHRISTMAS DAY: Masses on Christmas Day will be celebrated at 6:00am, 8:00am, and 10:30am.

Christmas Party

7. THE PARISH FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY will take place on Saturday, December 27, after the 4:30 Mass at 5:30pm in St. Anthony Hall; a buffet dinner will be served. RSVP to Gerry Sippel (353-7470). (Fill out the form inserted into last week's bulletin and return it as quickly as possible.)

Happy New Year

8. THE ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S EVE BINGO, sponsored by the Men's Club, will begin on Wednesday, December 31, at 6:00pm; doors will open at 3:30pm.

9. HOLY DAY MASSES for January 1, the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, will be celebrated on Wednesday, New Year's Eve, at 4:30pm and on New Year's Day at 8:00am and 10:30am. There will be NO 6:00am Mass and NO evening Mass on January 1.

Epiphany Sunday

10. THE PARISH "WELCOMEFEST" will be celebrated on Epiphany Sunday, January 3-4, in St. Anthony Hall after the 4:30 Mass on the 3rd and from 9:00am to 1:00pm on the 4th; the gifts and talents of the parish's commissions and organizations will be displayed.

BAPTISM OF THE LORD, JANUARY 11

11. "PARENTS AS FIRST CHURCH" PROGRAM will be introduced and begun after the 4:30, 8:00, and 10:30 Masses. This is a program to show parents how to share the faith with their children at home. School parents and parents of newly baptized are especially invited.

NEWS ABOUT PARISHIONERS

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLY BAPTIZED: Taylor Elizabeth Bratton, daughter of Timothy D. Bratton and Patricia A. (nee Ostrander) Bratton, baptized on December 13 at 4:30 Mass; Connor Patrick Scott, son of Todd A. Scott and Lisa Marie (nee Polete) Scott, baptized on December 14 at 10:30 Mass; Nicholas John Saggio, son of Michael A. Saggio and Kelly P. (nee Vainiko) Saggio, baptized on December 20 at 4:30 Mass.
WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT: Christine Selby of our parish will marry Stephen Dutton on Friday, December 26, at 6:00pm.
RESTING IN PEACE:
Dorris Snyder, 79, buried on Dec. 13, 1997; Gertrude Cardwell SFO, 89, buried Dec. 17, 1997; Donald Krull, Sr., 69, buried Dec. 18, 1997.
SANCTUARY LAMP: One of the sanctuary lamps is lit this week in prayerful remembrance of Mike Moran at the request of Tom Moran. The other one is lit in prayerful remembrance of Henry Marton at the request of the Marton Family.
IN MEMORIAM: On Christmas morning 75 years ago Professor Aloys Rhode, founder and director of St. Anthony's Choir, had a fatal heart attack while arranging music for morning Masses.
QUILT WINNER: Dorothy Shepphard, 4229 Michigan.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY: The only regular income for our parish's St. Vincent DePaul Society is the weekly sale of Our Sunday Visitor. With the money gained from the sale, the poor of the parish can be helped. But recently less than $15.00 a week is collected. This means that the resources for the poor are cut drastically. Please help remedy the situation by purchasing before or after each weekend Mass a copy of this highly respected national Catholic newspaper. There's a double benefit for you: outreach for the poor and healthy updating for you!
A SPECIAL REMEMBRANCE AT CHRISTMAS: On sale at the parish office is the two-set video for $40.00 documenting the tragic fire and miraculous rebuilding of St. Anthony's; call Gerry at 353-7470.

Mass Intentions for the Week

Monday, December 22, Late Advent Weekday
6:00 Steve Boliance, Jr.
8:00 Edward Jarus
7:00 For Parishioners (Advent Home Mass)
Tuesday, December 23, Late Advent Weekday
6:30 Serafin Shield
8:00 Robert Borgers
7:00 For Parishioners (Advent Home Mass)
Wednesday, December 24, Late Advent Weekday
6:30 Schwald & Kadlez Families
8:00 Dorothy & Mathilda Swehla
Thursday, December 25, BIRTH OF OUR LORD
4:30 (Wednesday) Harold Holtz
12:00 Debbie, Joe Jr., Tim, Gary & John
6:00 For the Parishioners
8:00 Leo Pancer
10:30 Bertha Brocksmith
Friday, December 26, St. Stephen
6:30 Jacob Trubacek
8:00 Raymond Buchheit
10:30 Mathilda M. Holdener
6:00 Selby/Dutton Wedding
Saturday, December 27, St. John the Apostle
6:30 Flora Holtz
8:00 Magdalen Boliance
Sunday, December 28, HOLY FAMILY
4:30 (Saturday) Helen & Matt Quarternik
6:00 For the Parishioners
8:00 Henri Bouchard
10:30 Deceased of Flynn Family

Liturgical Assistants

Week of December 22-28

LECTORS:
6:30 Weekdays, Dec. 22-27: Alberta Stackle
8:00 Weekdays, Dec. 22-27: Joe Sestric
Sunday, December 27-28
4:30 Cheryl Degenhart, Jackie Young
6:00 Georgia Berry
8:00 Bob and Karen Morgan
10:30 Doris Eagan, Charlie Tucker
6:30 Weekdays, 12/29-1/3: Alberta Stackle
8:00 Weekdays, 12/29-1/3: Georgia Berry
EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS:
4:30 Hosts: Esther Ehlen, Jackie Schmittgens
Cups: Philipa Krueger, Alured McNulty, Anne Weiss, Phyllis Morrison
6:00 Pat Behnan
8:00 Hosts: Dave Bergfeld, Betty Marton
Cups: Marie Mergel, Mike Mount, Gene Rombach, Debbie Williams
10:30 Hosts: Brenda Boyer, Julie Brown
Cups: Ruth Brown, Alberta Stackle, Jackie Kappler, Betty Krull, Tom Moran, Dorothy Schaefer

This Coming Week

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, EPIPHANY
9am-1pm - "WELCOMEFEST" of Parish Commissions, Organizations, & Opportunities
MONDAY, JANUARY 5
7:30 p.m. - Prayer Group (E)
TUESDAY, JANUARY 6
6:30 p.m. - Bingo
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7,
11:00 a.m. - A.A. Meeting (W)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8
6:30 p.m. - School Board Meeting
FRIDAY, JANUARY 9
9:00 a.m. - Exercise (L)
3:00 p.m. - Holy Hour (Ch)
8:00 p.m. - A.A. Meeting (F)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10
5:30 p.m. - "Parents as First Church" Program
SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, BAPTISM OF OUR LORD
9am-1pm - "Parents as First Church" Program

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St. Anthony of Padua Bulletin December 21, 1997