SUNDAY BULLETIN JANUARY 17TH, 2021 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
Mon Jan 11th NO MASS
Tues Jan 12th NO MASS
Wed Jan 13th NO MASS
Thurs Jan 14th NO MASS
Sat Jan 16th NO MASS
Sun Jan 17th
9:00AM TO 11:00AM – PRIVATE PRAYER
The Sanctuary Lamp Burns for
The Verbickas Family
Jan 17th to Jan 23rd.
Offertory Jan 3rd/10th Inc PAG $ 2345.00
Solemnity Mary Mother $270.00
Of God
2021 OFFERTORY ENVELOPES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP AT THE OFFICE. PLEASE CALL IN ADVANCE SO I CAN HAVE THEM READY FOR YOU
Anyone wishing to purchase a Sunday Missal for the next Liturgical year can do at the office, they are $6.00
WHY A PRE-AUTHORIZED GIVING PLAN?
PAG allows St. Mary’s parishioners to make their regular Sunday offering and if they wish their ShareLife offering using the “Direct Debit” system. PAG is an option, not a requirement!
When you participate in the pre-authorized giving, your offering is withdrawn from your account one a month on or about the 20th day of each month.
BENEFITS FOR YOU AND FOR ST. MARY’S
PAG is convenient. Your offering is deducted automatically. There is no need to search for your cheque book or stop by a bank machine on the way to Mass. PAG allows you to support St. Mary’s when you are away – a benefit for the church since expense continue all year long. Most importantly, you are in control; you can increase or decrease the amount or withdraw fro the PAG plan simply by dropping a signed note in the collection basket or the parish office.
HOW DO I ENROLL IN PRE-AUTHORIZED GIVING
Decide the amount of your monthly offertory contribution, fill out the PAG authorization form, we have forms at each entrance to the church and in the parish office. Include a blank cheque marked “VOID” and place both in a sealed envelope. You can place the envelope into the collection basked or drop it into the parish office.
WILL I STILL USE ENVELOPES
If you still wish to use envelopes you can, there is a box on the front of the envelope that you can check it says “PAG Donation”. You can also use the envelopes for any of the special collections not covered by your PAG.
PAG only covers regular offertory and ShareLife.
Please call the office if you are interested in signing up for our PAG program.
Although the liturgical season of Ordinary Time begins this week, today’s reading continues with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, which concludes the Christmas season. Today’s reading from the Gospel according to John immediately follows John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus and his identification of Jesus as the Lamb of God. Having been baptized by John, Jesus begins to gather followers. The first followers sought out Jesus because of the testimony and witness of John the Baptist.
We are familiar with the title that John the Baptist uses for Jesus—the Lamb of God. We hear it weekly at the fraction rite during Mass. For those who heard John the Baptist, however, this title recalled key themes from the Old Testament. It alludes to the paschal lamb offered as a sacrifice when God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, the event that is commemorated by the Jewish Passover celebration. The designation also recalls the prophet Isaiah’s description of the suffering servant of Israel. In using this name for Jesus, John the Baptist predicts Jesus’ passion and death and the new interpretation of Passover that will begin with Jesus’ Last Supper.
We learn in today’s reading how Jesus’ first followers were gathered. The first two, Andrew and another man, were followers of John the Baptist. After hearing John’s testimony, they became followers of Jesus. During their time with Jesus, the details of which are not specified, Andrew and the other follower came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Andrew then brings his brother, Simon, to Jesus. Immediately, Jesus gave Simon a new name, calling him Peter, which means “rock” in Greek. The renaming of Simon to Peter is reported in all four of the Gospels.
In the exchange between Andrew, the other disciple, and Jesus, we see an example of the usual pattern for first-century Jewish rabbinical schools. Jews sought out rabbis and established themselves as disciples of a particular rabbi. Jesus appears to have been unique in that he sought out individuals, inviting them to be his followers. In the passage that follows, John’s Gospel tells us how Jesus took the initiative in calling Philip and Nathanael.
Jesus asks Andrew and the other disciple, “What are you looking for?” This is a telling question, and one that we might often ask of ourselves. John the Baptist testified to Jesus’ identity, the Lamb of God, using the framework of the Old Testament. Andrew, Simon, and the other first disciples were looking for the Messiah, whom they also came to know as the Son of God. What do we look for and what do we find in Jesus?
Pope Francis proclaims “Year of St Joseph”
Pope Francis on Tuesday announced a special year dedicated to St. Joseph starting from 8 December 2020 until 8 December 2021, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church, as well as the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady.
The Apostolic Penitentiary also issued a decree granting special indulgences for the duration of the special year to celebrate the anniversary and “to perpetuate the entrustment of the whole Church to the powerful patronage of the Custodian of Jesus.”
Pope Francis proclaims “Year of St Joseph”
During this period, the faithful will have the opportunity to commit themselves “with prayer and good works, to obtain, with the help of St. Joseph, head of the heavenly Family of Nazareth, comfort and relief from the serious human and social tribulations that besiege the contemporary world today.”
YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH
DECEMBER 8TH, 2020 – DECEMBER 8TH, 2021
PRAYER TO THE SLEEPING ST. JOSEPH
O Saint Joseph, you are a man greatly favoured by the Most High.
The Angel of the Lord appeared to you in dreams, while you slept, to warn you and guide you as you cared for the Holy Family. You were both silent and strong a loyal and courageous protector. Dear Saint Joseph as you rest in the Lord confident of His absolute power and goodness, look upon me. Please take my need (mention your request) into your heart, dream of it, and present it to your son. Help me then, good Saint Joseph, to hear the voice of God to arise and act with love. I praise and thank God with joy.
Saint Joseph. I Love You. Amen
St. Joseph Pray for Us
“Remember Jesus slept sweetly under the protection
of St. Joseph” – Pope Francis
The CWL will be holding our sign up for Spiritual Bouquets for the Ordinandi of 2021 a little different this year. Due to covid 19 we are going to take prayers through phone, email or voice mail. There is NO FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS required. Just prayers!!
What is a spiritual bouquet? A spiritual bouquet is a collection of all the Rosaries, Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic Adorations, Visits to The Blessed Sacrament, Sacrifices, Prayers, Communions, Masses or other types of prayers that anyone would like to offer up for the Seminarians studying at St. Augustine’s Seminary. They will be taking their vows and be ordained as Priest in 2021. For example, if you pray your Rosary every day you could put down on the sign up sheet 365 Rosaries. If you plan on fasting every Friday during Lent you could put down 7 under Sacrifices. We do not ask for your name just the Parish name. All of these offerings will be tallied and shared by The Serra Club and then presented by the Toronto CWL on a beautiful framed card and given to each of the newly Ordained Priests.
We ask for your help and support for these dedicated men on their journey with God. Please contact Carol Johns at, carolhjohns@stambrosechurchsupply.com or call 519-599-5028. The deadline is Feb. 14th, 2021.
Please let me know.