NKCC

Parish Mission / One ‘Ohana

“...that the light of Scripture might fill the human heart.”  (Dei Verbum 26)

This year’s Parish Mission will be held in the tent from Monday, Jan. 25th through Thurs­day, Jan. 28th. The time will be 7pm each eve­ning.

The topic for this year’s Mission is Dei Verbum (The Word of God). Many of you have asked for more information and discussion of the Sacred Scrip­tures or the Bible.  The presenter this year will be Fr. William Burton, OFM of Chicago. Fr. Burton just recently returned from one of many of his trips to the Holy Land.

Dei Verbum is the official title of the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation solemnly promul­gated by Pope Paul VI in November, 1965.

The following is a quote from a pastor where Fr. Burton has worked with the congregation:  Fr. Bur­ton’s vast knowledge of the Bible … makes Bible study rewarding, intriguing, interesting, and just plain fun.  Parishioners are always asking:  “When is Fr. Burton coming back?”

Please Note! Attendance at the Parish Mission will count as the One ‘Ohana gathering.  The Feb. 7th gathering has been cancelled. Call the office if you have any questions about the Mission or One ‘Ohana.

See you at the mission!

The Lord Jesus is come to save all human­kind, Jews and non-Jews alike.  Today we feast the revela­tion of that great mystery.  God’s grace-filled cove­nant is opened up to all.  The “Wise Men,” and all wise women and men seeing with a child’s eyes, dis­cover the star-marked babe in the arms of His mother, Mary.  Humbly offering their gifts, they receive the Gospel, the Good News of the Lord’s arri­val amongst His people.  God shows Him­self to us in Jesus and so begins His saving work for each of us.  Come let us adore Him!

St. Michael’s Parish has recently welcomed three new persons to our faith family through their Baptisms last weekend: Dylan James Gump, Kaselon Jumila, and Selena Marie Portus. Con­gratulations to them and their families!

Retirement Fund for Religious

Thank you to all who gave so generously to last weekend’s special collection for the Religious’ Retire­ment Fund. Your prayers and donations mean so much.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton – January 4th

Though her liturgical designation is “religious,” Elizabeth Seton, her feast-day prayer reminds us, was also “wife, mother, educator, foundress.”  Born into a wealthy Episcopalian family (1774-1821), Elizabeth married William Seton, whose untimely death in Italy where the young family sought healing for William’s tuberculosis, left her, at twenty-nine, a widow with five children.  Inspired by the faith and charity of the Italian family with whom they stayed, Elizabeth embraced Catholicism despite her family’s disowning her and ceasing financial support.

This woman of many firsts (and several vocations!) opened the first free Catholic school, beginning the American Catholic educational system, and founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity.  The tuberculosis that claimed her husband took also her oldest and youngest daugh­ters and, finally, at just forty-seven, Elizabeth herself.

Another first:  in 1975 she was canonized the first native-born American Saint.  Once asked to summa­rize her spirituality, she replied:  “Faith lifts the stag­gering soul on one side, hope supports it on the other, experi­ence says it must be, and love says let it be!”  —Peter Scagnelli, © Copyright, J.S. Paluch Co.

Reflecting on the Gospel

Children love stories, and the more imaginative the better.  Witness how popular the Harry Potter series has been.  Parents and caretakers enjoy telling such sto­ries to children who listen with rapt attention.  As chil­dren age, however, they come to see how many of the stories of childhood were fairy tales and they move beyond them.  This Gospel is a wonderful story, and it’s easy to get caught up in the imaginative details of the narrative:  stars and kings, journeys and searches, newborn Baby and gifts.  But like small children, we must move beyond these enticing details to get to the challenge of the message that is there.

The point of the Gospel is even more amazing than the imaginative details it includes:  God chooses to manifest the mystery of Christ Jesus to all the nations.  This, of course, includes each of us today:  we are to both search for the Christ as well as manifest His pres­ence for others.  Our task-response, note, is not only to search for the Christ among us but also to manifest that divine presence.  In other words, we are to be the revelation of His presence, and this is possible for we are “members of the same body” and “co-partners in the promise” (Second Reading).  We are to be the story of the manifestation of Christ to all the world.

The three Magi from the East were Wise Men; yet they followed the light of a star from the far regions of the East to Bethlehem in search of a “newborn king.”  What enabled them to see that light and receive the insight to follow it to their journey’s end?  It appears from the very beginning of their journey they were single-minded about their purpose.  They journeyed to “do Him homage;” they brought Him gifts.  Seeing is possible when we are singled-minded, when our goal is clear and we prepare well and never lose sight of why we undertake the journey.

The light of the glory of God’s presence is all around us.  Unlike the Magi, we don’t have to under­take an arduous journey.  We need only do two things:  be single-minded about seeking God’s presence, and arm ourselves with whatever we need to reach our journey’s end.  The real challenge of the Gospel is that we do not seek the light outside ourselves, but within.  We ourselves have become the story; we ourselves are the guiding light; we ourselves manifest divine pres­ence.     —Living Liturgy™ Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities, Year C·2010.  © 2009 Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota.  All rights reserved.

Living the Paschal Mystery

Simply because God’s generosity in offering us divine presence is so lavish, our response must be just as lavish.  God has given us great treasures, two of which are a mystery so deep:  the gift of the only-begotten Son as the divine presence that dwells among us, and the gift of our own selves being “members of the same body” (see Second Reading) with the power to manifest that divine presence for others.  Our response can be no less than the total gift of ourselves as a story made real in our relationships with others.

At baptism we become “co-heirs” and “co-partners” in Christ.  We are co-partners, therefore, in Jesus’ saving ministry.  Clearly, seeing the revelation of Christ among us requires of us a unique kind of seeing.  We do not “look at” the light; we become the Light.  We do not simply “see” the glory of divine presence; we become the glory of that divine pres­ence.  The challenge of daily living is that all our actions and decisions reflect the goodness of the reve­lation that has been given to us.  We must consistently cooperate with God’s revelation of divine presence.

—Living Liturgy™ Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities, Year C·2010.  © 2009 Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota.  All rights reserved.

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Stewardship Report:  Week of Dec. 24th-27th