Saint John XXIII Roman Catholic Church

3390 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3K 0Z3

Telephone: 204-832-7175 • Fax: 204-885-2447 Email: office@johnxxiii.ca • Website: www.johnxxiii.ca

January Office Hours: As announced __________________________________________________________________________________________________

SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST SUNDAY LITURGIES (MASSES)

Saturday 5:00 p.m., Sunday 9:00 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. WEEKDAY LITURGIES

Check the bulletin or website for the current schedule

COMMUNION TO THE SICK AND SHUT-IN Contact the parish office for assistance

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION (CONFESSIONS) Friday 3:15 p.m., Saturday 4:00 p.m. and/or as announced or by appointment

PARISH BULLETIN FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD – January 13, 2019 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – January 20, 2019

PARISH PASTORAL TEAM

Pastor: Reverend Fr. Robert Polz Administrative Assistant: Joanna Mason 204-832-7335 rpolz.johnxxiii@gmail.com 204-832-7175 joanna@johnxxiii.ca

Pastoral Assistant: Sharon Camier Head Custodian: José Barrera 204-832-7206 sharon@johnxxiii.ca 204-888-9340

Ministry Coordinator/Office Volunteer: Lynda Hunt Music Ministry: Donna Vendramelli 204-832-7175 lynda@johnxxiii.ca 204-888-8200 d_vendramelli@mymts.net

Trustee: Loris Vendramelli Building and Maintenance Chair: Claude Precourt 204-888-8200 loris@mymts.net 204-898-1893 cfp3899@gmail.com

Trustee: William Gould Fundraising and Development Committee 204-990-3011 william.d.gould@gmail.com 204-832-7175 call if interested in serving

Parish Stewardship Committee Parish Visioning and Strategic Planning Committee Facilitator: Loris Vendramelli Facilitator: Laurette Burch 204-888-8200 loris@mymts.net 204-885-6988 burchd@mymts.net ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FAITH FORMATION: Catechism sessions for children (K to Grade 8) are held on Sunday mornings, September through May, from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. Periodically other programs, workshops, and/or study sessions are offered for adults. Contact our Pastoral Assistant (Sharon) for further information and/or to register.

SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION (BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, EUCHARIST): Contact the parish office for further information.

SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK: Contact the Pastor (Fr. Robert).

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE: Arrangements for preparation and celebration should be made at least six months in advance.

CELEBRATION OF CHRISTIAN FUNERALS: Contact the parish office before finalizing arrangements with funeral directors.

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All are welcome to participate with church leaders in the

CITY-WIDE

ECUMENICAL WORSHIP SERVICE Sunday, January 20, 2019

7:30 p.m.

THE SALVATION ARMY HERITAGE PARK TEMPLE 825 School Road, Winnipeg

Telephone: 204-889-9203 Email: josh_howard@can.salvationarmy.org

The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be celebrated around the world from January 18 - 25, 2019. The theme and resources for 2019 have been prepared by a group of representatives of different Christian communities in Indonesia. The 2019 theme, “Justice and only justice you shall pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20a), calls us to move from shared prayer to shared action. Drawing on the traditional values of Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) and gotong royong (living in solidarity and by collaboration), Indonesian Christians invite us to be a united witness, and an agent of Christ’s healing grace in a broken world, by making specific commitments to justice, equality, and unity. In Winnipeg the 2019 Week of Prayer will be marked by a City-wide Ecumenical Worship Service at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 20, 2019 at The Salvation Army Heritage Park Temple, 825 School Road. All are cordially invited to participate in this celebration with church leaders and to pray in a special way throughout the entire week of prayer. For more information, please see the Week of Prayer poster on the church bulletin board or speak with Fr. Robert Polz who is the ecumenical officer for the Archdiocese of Winnipeg.

ECUMENICAL CHOIR FOR CITY-WIDE CELEBRATION An ecumenical choir is being formed to lead music at the forthcoming celebration on January 20th during the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. No audition is required. Anyone who can carry a tune and wishes to sing in the choir is welcome! A rehearsal will be held at The Salvation Army Heritage Park Temple, 825 School Road, Winnipeg, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 13, 2019. A short final rehearsal will be held immediately before the Ecumenical Worship Service on Sunday, January 20, 2019. For further information, you may call Michele Barr at 204-453-5016 or contact her via email: mbarr41@shaw.ca

STATEMENT BY THE CANADIAN CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS on the 2019 Canada Summer Jobs Program

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is pleased with the positive revisions which the Government of Canada has made in the 2019 version of the Canada Summer Jobs application and welcomes the same changes, which not only indicate a willingness to listen seriously to faith-based organizations, but likewise the importance of respect of conscience and freedom of religious expression. It is certainly a step in the right direction as the controversial language associated with the 2018 attestation was removed. This significant improvement vis-à-vis the 2018 version will allow for a number of those groups, agencies, organizations who hold different religious and moral views, true to their faith tradition and/or conscience, to apply for the federal grants without compromising integrity, life values or being obliged to commit to contentious moral positions. We were grateful for the numerous opportunities provided by the Government over the past several months to enter into frequent dialogue regarding the program.

However, an area of concern remains in the 'eligible activities' section of the application with language relating to 'restricting or undermining rights' and how this wording will be interpreted for applicants. We will closely monitor the participation of charities and faith-based organizations in the 2019 program and trust the review of applications will be undertaken in a fair and equitable manner, consistent with the rich make-up of Canadian society which includes people of faith.

Canada has long been a bulwark of tolerance and diversity, plurality and multi and inter-culturalism. Moreover, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is meant to protect all those basic freedoms which are the building blocks of any healthy, democratic and truly free society, namely: freedom of belief, conscience, religion and thought. In the common pursuit of a more just, caring, peaceful and respectful society, the Canada Summer Jobs program remains a commendable initiative that contributes to the formation of future leaders by affording opportunities to our young people through mentorship and training. 10 January 2019

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TWO WEEK SCHEDULE: JANUARY 13 – 27, 2019 N.B.: As circumstances suggest, the schedule below may be subject to change.

Sunday, January 13 FEAST: THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD 5:00 pm Saturday MASS – Keira Samantha Bond+ and Ricky Brousseau+, requested by Penny Stephensen 9:00 am MASS – Walter Hoshowski+, requested by Phyllis Garet

10:15 am CATECHISM CLASSES (begin in the parish hall) 10:15 am Sacramental Preparation Session for First Reconciliation (in room 12) 11:45 am MASS – “Pro populo” / Intentions of parishioners

Monday, January 14 FERIAL Parish office closed Monday

11:30 am Rite of Committal – Monique Marie Armstrong +

Tuesday, January 15 FERIAL 9:00 am Recitation of the Rosary 9:15 am MASS – Jacqueline Camier+, requested by Nina Turner and Henrietta Zhanel 10:00 am – 12:00 noon Office open in the morning 10:00 am Al-Anon Meeting (in room 12)

Wednesday, January 16 FERIAL

10:00 am – 4:00 pm Office open 5:00 pm Winnipeg Harvest Food Bank (in room 12) 6:45 pm Our Mother of Perpetual Help Devotions 7:00 pm MASS – Warren Brady+, requested by Donna Collins

Thursday, January 17 MEMORIAL: SAINT ANTHONY, Abbot Parish office closed Thursday

2:00 pm MASS at Heritage Lodge, 3555 Portage Avenue – Fr. Raphael Glofcheski+ (Bequest)

Friday, January 18 FERIAL

9:00 am Recitation of the Rosary 9:15 am MASS – Monique Armstrong+, requested by Nina Turner and Henrietta Zhanel 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Office open 3:00 pm Recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel)

Saturday, January 19 FERIAL 5:00 pm MASS – Catherine Corcoran+, requested by Patti Corso-Driedger

Sunday, January 20 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 9:00 am MASS – “Pro populo” / Intentions of parishioners

10:15 am CATECHISM CLASSES (begin in the parish hall) 11:45 am MASS – Marinella Poclen+, requested by Delia Poclen and family

7:30 pm CITY-WIDE ECUMENICAL WORSHIP SERVICE FOR THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY at The Salvation Army Heritage Park Temple, 825 School Road

Clergy from various churches and traditions (including Catholic leaders) will assist in leading the worship service – Reception to follow – All welcome!

Monday, January 21 MEMORIAL: SAINT AGNES, Virgin, Martyr Parish office closed Monday

Tuesday, January 22 FERIAL 9:00 am Recitation of the Rosary 9:15 am MASS – Jacqueline Camier+, requested by staff and parishioners of Saint John XXIII 10:00 am – 12:00 noon Office open in the morning 10:00 am Al-Anon Meeting (in room 12) 6:00 pm Fr. Robert is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Manitoba Multifaith Council

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Wednesday, January 23 FERIAL

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Office open in the afternoon 1:00 pm Knitting Group Gathering (in room 10) 6:45 pm OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP DEVOTIONS 7:00 pm MASS – Special intention for Nemi and Luz Buen, requested by José Barrera

Thursday, January 24 MEMORIAL: SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES, Bishop, Doctor Parish office closed Thursday

Friday, January 25 FEAST: CONVERSATION OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE

10:00 am – 4:00 pm Office open 10:45 am MASS at Sturgeon Creek I Retirement Residence, 10 Hallonquist Drive 3:00 pm Recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel)

Saturday, January 26 MEMORIAL: SAINT TIMOTHY AND SAINT TITUS, Bishops 5:00 pm MASS – Douglas Pease+, requested by Linus Endacott and family

Sunday, January 27 THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 9:00 am MASS – Carl Starodub+, requested by René and Sue Gobeil

10:15 am CATECHISM CLASSES (begin in the parish hall) 10:15 am Sacramental Preparation Session for First Reconciliation (in room 12) 11:45 am MASS – “Pro populo” / Intentions of parishioners

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Sunday, January 13, 2019 Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Isaiah 40.1-5, 9-11 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it.

Psalm 104.1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27+28, 29-30 O bless the Lord, my soul!

Titus 2.11-14; 3.4-7 God saved us through the water of rebirth

and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 3.15-16, 21-22 When Jesus had been baptized and was praying, The heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him.

STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION As we celebrate this feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we can study His actions at the Jordan River as a powerful example

of servant leadership. We see in Jesus a type of leadership that is characterized by humility and leading by example. Certainly the sinless Savior did not need a baptism of repentance! But Jesus humbly made Himself one with his people

to draw us to Him and create a relationship with us so that we would be open to His teachings and influence. As a servant leader, we also see that Jesus leads by example. He doesn’t just tell the people they need to be baptized.

He shows them how and does it Himself to teach them. To lead like Jesus, we, too, must “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk.” If we want those we lead to be generous and hard-working, then we must show them how to do this by demonstrating generosity and hard work ourselves.

Immediately after His baptism, we learn of the powerful affirmation of the Father who opens the heavens, sends the Holy Spirit upon Jesus in bodily form and says audibly, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.” Let us be filled with gratitude for our amazing God and be reminded that when we are grateful followers of Jesus and servant-leaders in imitation of Him, the Father will be well-pleased with us, too.

Copyright © 2019 Catholic Stewardship Consultants, Inc. All rights reserved.

People of every nation, come and receive the immortality given in Baptism… Do you wish to know how to do this? By water and the Holy Spirit. This is to say, by the water through which we are born again and given life,

and by the Spirit who is the Comforter sent for your sake to make you a child of God. — Third-century homily

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Sunday, January 20, 2019

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 62.1-5 The bridegroom will rejoice over the bride.

Psalm 96.1-2, 3-4, 7-8, 9-10ac Declare the marvelous works of the Lord

among all the peoples.

1 Corinthians 12.4-11 One and the same Spirit allots these gifts to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

John 2.1-12 Jesus did the first of his signs in Cana of Galilee.

EXPLORING THE WORD Forsaken or delighted?

“That woman,” a friend observed, nodding to a somber figure across the room, “is followed by a black cloud.” What he meant was that the person in question seemed perpetually haunted, a steadfast messenger of bad news and victim of “unlucky breaks.” We are all subject to difficult times, of course, and may have long seasons of unavoidable unhappiness. But some people seem to settle into darkness and reside there permanently and deliberately. They find their comfort zone, we might say, in being forsaken. Some folks take their identity from this attitude and wouldn’t recognize themselves any other way.

If individuals can take on a persona of rejection and dejection, so too can communities and even nations. Oppressed and economically imperiled groups often internalize their experience and become locked into a cycle of “thinking poor.” People suffering from long-term illness or disability may retreat into their suffering until they forget how to be more than the sum of their limitations. Just as wage earners can lose sight of the fact that they are more than their jobs, we all too easily get lost in the roles we play or the events of our lives that sweep us up (or down) and carry us off where we would not willingly go. Once there, we are in danger of not making our way back to our truer, richer selves.

Attitude: the needle of the compass Perhaps that was the experience of the people of Israel when the prophet delivered his oracle from the Lord. They were

used to being jeered at as “forsaken” by foreign peoples because of the hardships they faced. Famine, war, and exile in turn made them desolate and seem abandoned by the God they prayed to for help. Did God hear their prayers? Didn’t the Lord care about their suffering?

Exiled in a foreign land for a generation, perhaps the Israelites internalized the idea that they were indeed forsaken and desolate. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names only hurt us when we believe that’s who we really are.

So Isaiah proclaimed the message that God had names for Israel, too: To the Lord, these people were “my delight” and “espoused.” Tell that to the nations who disparaged this holy people! If Israel held onto this true identity and whispered these comforting names in the dark, they would already be one step down the road to regaining the light.

Our belief shapes who we are A person who believes that nothing good can happen to him or her probably will reject or rename anything good that

shows up on the radar screen to suit the self-fulfilling prophecy. But we are called to be a people of hope, the delight of God no less! Do we believe that, and how do we live into that identity with the direction we are taking and the decisions we are making?

Think about it: There are two ways to approach every situation. One is to say, This is how things are. The other is to say, This is how they could be. At Cana, Mary of Nazareth shows us what the possibilities are when we refuse the easy surrender to what is in favor of what could be. At the wedding that day, there is a conspicuous shortage of wine that threatens to break up the celebration—and wedding parties back then could last as long as a week. Was the wine gone in only a day, or two? However long it took to run out, no wine spelled the end of the party for sure unless something could be done, and quickly.

Mary could have sighed like everyone else did as they tipped the wineskins and came up dry: “Oh, dear. No more wine.” And headed for the door to go home. But Mary went to the one sure source of every Christian celebration for the next 2,000 years and reported the situation: “They have no wine.” These weren’t words of resignation and defeat. They were expectant words, anticipating an active response.

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Taking the next step The initial reply she gets from Jesus is not exactly affirming. He basically questions what she expects him to do about it.

And her reply is a model for us: She makes a perfect act of faith. Approaching the servers, she says, “Do whatever he tells you.” She leaves it up to Jesus to decide how to keep the party going. But she clearly believes he can and he will.

Mary’s example is instructive to us as we meet the challenges of life: First, take them to Jesus. Second, believe that he can and will do something about it. Third, do what we can to prepare the way for divine action. Finally, get out of the way and let it happen!

The miracle at Cana is known as the first recorded sign of Jesus’ identity in the Gospel of John. But Mary’s example reveals who we are, too, as people of faith, by showing us how the life of perfect discipleship is led.

Applying the word: Keeping the party going As Christians, our job is to keep the celebration of Good News going in every generation until the end of time. That is a

tall order, considering that war and famine and run-of-the-mill human suffering haven’t changed a whole lot in 2,000 years. Often it seems that humanity is running out of wine, and the party’s just about over. Some of us remember sitting up in our college dorm rooms talking about The Bomb and how it could all be over in a flash of nuclear holocaust. Many people in our world still live with the threat of bombs hanging over their heads or grave illness or simple, deadly hunger. On what grounds and under what authority, then, do we party?

On the grounds of our faith in Jesus Christ and under his authority! Faith tells us that he is the Lord of life, the conqueror of sin and death and everything in between that causes human suffering. If we believe this, we have much to celebrate, and like Mary, we know what to do. – Alice Camille

Alice Camille is a religious educator, scripture commentator, and author of many books including This Transforming Word and other titles found at alicecamille.com.

Reprinted with permission from PrepareTheWord.com

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE IN NEED OF HEALING AND COMFORT Max Armstrong, Darrell Aucoin, Bill Camier, René Defries, Lynda Dodd, John Foucart, Darryn Hellofs, Rosario Jequinto, Tracy Kingsland, Amanda Klaasen, Joanna Mason, Deb McEnturff, Cynthia Patterson, Zonia Patson, Shirley Payment, Albin Polz, James Polz, Owen Robertson, Janice Skene and Helen Yankoski.

Please contact our Pastoral Assistant, Sharon Camier, to help us update the list to include the names of those parishioners, relatives and friends currently in need of prayer. Please remember that to have names added to the list and printed in the bulletin and/or posted online we require permission from the person(s) concerned. Thank you for your help and for your prayers of intercession.

TABERNACLE LAMP OFFERING Week of January 13 – 19, 2019 Jacqueline Camier+, requested by John and Sharon Camier Week of January 20 – 26, 2019 For Christian Unity, requested by the pastor and parishioners

If you wish to have the Tabernacle Lamp in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of Saint John XXIII Church burn in memory of a loved one, to honour a special occasion, or for a particular intention, you may make arrangements through the Parish Office. The offering to cover one week (from Sunday through Saturday) is $25.00. As circumstances permit, notice of your prayer intention will be published in the parish bulletin.

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NO CHILD ALONE DINNER in support of Rossbrook House Foundation will be held on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at Canad Inns Destination Centre Polo Park, 1405 St. Matthews Avenue. 5:30 p.m. Reception, 6:30 p.m. Dinner. Keynote speaker will be Niigaan Sinclair, Award-winning activist, writer and Winnipeg Free Press columnist. Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair is Anishinaabe (St. Peter’s/Little Peguis) and an Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba. He is an award-winning writer, editor and activist who was named one of Monocle Magazine‘s “Canada’s Top 20 Most Influential People”. His first book on Anishinaabeg literary traditions will be coming out with the University of Minnesota Press in 2018. Ticket purchase at rossbrookhouse.ca $125 each ($75 tax deductible). For more information call 204-949-4093. “No child who does not want to be alone, should ever have to be.” — Sister Geraldine MacNamara.

JANUARY ILLUMINATE: You are invited to join in a dynamic evening of adoration, praise & worship, reconciliation, and fellowship on Friday, January 25, 2019 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 353 St. Mary Avenue. Come and worship Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as part of a vibrant Catholic community. All are welcome! The evening starts at 7:30 p.m. More information is available at www.illuminatemb.com or at facebook.com/illuminatemb

ST. JAMES ASSINIBOIA C.W.L. GENERAL MEETING will be held on Monday, January 28th at St Charles Parish at 7:00 p.m. Come out meet the new executive and hear about our new theme “Care for our Common Home”.

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PLASTIC CONTAINERS NEEDED: The Missionaries of Charity (i.e. Saint Mother Teresa’s Sisters) regularly distribute food to those in need, especially soup. To do this, the sisters have an ongoing need for donations of various sized containers with lids, e.g. bigger yogurt containers, margarine tubs, plastic coffee containers, etc. Plastic carry bags, grocery bags, are also needed for people to place food containers in to carry with them. If you have containers and/or bags to donate, please drop them off at our parish office during regular office hours or before or after Sunday Masses. Thanks for your help!

KNITTING GROUP: The next gathering of our Knitting Group will be held on Wednesday afternoon, January 23rd. All women and men who can knit or crochet are invited to participate. We greatly appreciate donations of yarn, fleece, flannel and toweling. For further information, you may contact Beverly Hewitt at 204-885-1202 or bevhewitt@mymts.net

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING CLASS: Serena teaches a comprehensive two-hour class on the Sympto-Thermal Method, a scientifically based, highly effective method of Natural Family Planning. The next class date is Monday, January 28, 2019 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Classes are held at the Misericordia Health Centre, 99 Cornish Avenue, Winnipeg. For more info, call or text Serena at 204-783-0091 or email mbserena@gmail.com or check out our website www.serenamb.com

FALL IN LOVE, STAY IN LOVE, RESOLVE CONFLICT - MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND LIFE: This evening and series is for people involved in all stages of relationships: Why do people fall in love? Why do they fall out of love? How can a bad marriage become a great marriage? What can I learn from past relationships and apply to future relationships? How can I help marriages around me? Join these sessions to find out more. An interactive presentation (video, assessment tool, worksheets, and discussions) will be held on Monday, January 28, 2019 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Mary, Mother of the Church, 85 Kirkbridge Drive, Winnipeg. Participants will learn Dr. Harley’s unique approach to resolving conflict and restoring and maintaining love. Hosted by MMOC’s Marriage, Family and Life team. For more information and future series dates, call 204-261-1579 or visit the parish website at www.mmoc.ca

CREATED FOR CONNECTION - A GUIDED RETREAT FOR CHRISTIAN COUPLES: Are you looking to enrich, reenergize or heal your marriage? The Service of Marriage, Family and Life at the Archdiocese of St. Boniface invites you to participate in an outstanding guided retreat for Christian couples, which will be taking place February 1-3, 2019. Couples will be invited to deepen their connection and create a more secure love relationships, by exploring 7 conversations for lasting love. The retreat is based on the life-giving and highly effective method for helping couples: emotionally focused therapy. Retreat location: St. Benedict’s Retreat Centre, 225 Masters Ave, West Saint Paul, MB. Cost: $350/couple. *REGISTRATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 18, 2019* For information and to register contact Marie Brunet, mfl@archsaintboniface.ca, call 204-594-0274.

ST. CHARLES CATHOLIC SCHOOL invites you to our Kinder Fair on Tuesday, February 5th at 6:00 p.m. and our Grades 1-8 General Open House on Tuesday, February 5th at 6:30 p.m. The Kinder Fair will include hands-on activities for your child. We are a K-8 school, offering full day, every day Kindergarten, a Before and After School Care Program with no waiting list, violin enrichment, K-8 French, arts and drama, as well as a Kindergarten to Gr. 2 Learn to Skate Program. For more information, please visit our website at www.stccs.ca. Please call 204-837-1520 or email sec@stccs.ca to R.S.V.P.

WINTER RETREAT: The theme “Blessed with a Treasure” will be developed by Sister Cathy Laviolette, SNJM. Come learn about the gifts that you have been given by God and the gift that you are. The retreat will be held on Saturday, February 23, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at St. Charles Parish Hall, 320 St. Charles Street, Winnipeg. Cost: $20 includes lunch and snacks. Please register no later than February 21st by calling Anna at 204-895-2420.

For other news and events in and around the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, please see information posted on bulletin boards at the north and south entrances of the church, and/or go to the website: www.archwinnipeg.ca

“Truly spiritual gifts, genuinely charismatic persons all are activated by the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Personal faith is never private, for it exists only in a public body for the common good.” — Rev. John Gibbs

“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is too low and we reach it.” — Michelangelo (c. 1500)

THE WORD AMONG US Daily Meditations for Catholics: Copies of the January and February 2019 issues are available at the counter in the parish office. Price $5.00 each. Canadian Edition with CCCB approved Mass readings.

PARISH COLLECTIONS deposited December 2018 PAD (Pre-authorized debit) $ 7,820.00 Regular Envelopes 20,547.00 Other Identified 5,163.00 Loose Collection 2,886.05 OMPH Devotions 62.00 Caroling Fundraiser 2,500.00 Charity (Christmas Hampers) 1,615.00 Flowers and Decorations 816.50 In Memoriam 500.00 Building Repairs 1,000.00 Memorial Christmas Tree Appeal 3,055.00 Shrines, Vigil Lights 727.30 TOTAL $ 46,691.85

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS deposited December 2018 Chalice (adopted child) $ 118.80 TOTAL $ 118.80

OFFERING ENVELOPE BOXES FOR 2019 ARE READY for regular parishioners of Saint John XXIII to pick-up in the parish office following Masses on the weekend or on weekdays. In 2019, please use 2019 envelopes only. Parishioners are encouraged to register for pre-authorized debit. Visitors may use “My Offering” envelopes available in the pamphlet rack at the church entrance. New parishioners are encouraged to contact the parish office to register for pre-authorized debit or regular offering envelopes.

Have you tried the biblical norm of tithing? cf. brochure: “Where Your Treasure Is ...” by Rev. Fr. Joseph Champlin,

Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1983

Principles of Tithing:

a) The word "tithe" originally meant ten percent (10%). The "tithe," however, is only a barometer or guideline to help determine one's sacrificial giving. Some can and should offer more than a 10% tithe; others may have circumstances that warrant them paying less than a 10% tithe.

b) If a tithe (10%) is legitimately too much for one's current budget, a member may begin with a lower percentage that will be both sacrificial and yet possible. Then the member may gradually raise the level of giving until the full tithe is reached. In this way brothers and sisters and families are making a decision for the Lord first and only afterward considering their own needs and wants.

c) Families should involve their children in tithing by teaching them through word and by example the priority of returning to God a portion of the blessing God has given us. Children may do this through tithing their allowances or income from part-time jobs.

d) Those faithful Christians who do tithe (give sacrificially) report how remarkably their material needs have been met. Moreover, they will cite these blessings as even greater, spiritual rewards:

1. a sense of serenity and satisfaction that comes from generosity;

2. an awareness that God comes first, even in decisions about money;

3. a recognition that one has eliminated the practice of making contributions that are mere leftovers or contributions of habit;

4. a deep sense of satisfaction in the progress made by the parish due to the amount of tithing by its members;

5. an ability to distinguish between wants and needs; 6. a deeper consciousness of society's materialism and

consumerism; 7. a keener appreciation of the world's poor and how we

should and can alleviate their pain and poverty; 8. a quiet confidence in the Lord's protective care.

Parish Christmas Fiesta

Financial Report (Draft)

Saturday, January 5, 2019

RECEIPTS Ticket Sales $1,410.00 Beverage Receipts 639.00 Silent Auction 445.00

50/50 Draw 140.00 TOTAL RECEIPTS $2,634.00

EXPENDITURES Liquor & Permit $444.59 TOTAL EXPENDITURES $444.59

Total receipts $2,634.00 Less total expenditures 444.59 NET PROCEEDS (excluding Raffle) $2,189.41

A HEARTFELT THANK YOU once again to those who by their presence, assistance and support contributed in any way towards the success of our third Parish “Christmas Fiesta” Fundraising Gathering. Many, young and not so young, have commented that it was an enjoyable evening, our best Fiesta to date! May God continue to bless you all for your kindness and generosity!