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Pre-Authorized Contributions (PAC) Our parish has introduced a Pre-Authorized Contribution option using automatic account debit to assist you in financially supporting your parish. PAC forms (ivory in color) available at both entrances of the Church. Please return completed forms and a void cheque, through the Sunday collection basket or bring to the parish office weekday mornings, as soon as possible so that there will be time to implement this PAC option in the New Year. As of January 31 we have 46 parishioners who are signed up for PAC. We are hoping to soon have 50 participants. Therefore we have begun the process with the Archdiocese and the bank. We are working hard so that hopefully deductions will begin March 1, 2019. It is never too late but please decide and submit your forms as soon as possible. Please continue to use your regular envelopes until we begin deducting from your account. Stay tuned and we will let you know for certain if deductions will begin in March 2019. Feast of the Presentation of the Lord February 2 On Saturday we celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, when Mary and Joseph, forty days after the birth of Jesus, brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to God in the Temple in fulfillment of the law of Moses. According to Jewish law, the firstborn male child belonged to God, and the parents had to "buy him back" on the 40th day after his birth, by offering a sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24) in the temple (thus the "presentation" of the child). On that same day, the mother would be ritually purified (thus the "purification"). Originally, the feast was celebrated on February 14, the 40th day after Epiphany (January 6), because Christmas wasn't yet celebrated as its own feast, and so the Nativity, Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany), and the feast celebrating Christ's first miracle at the wedding in Cana were all celebrated on the same day. By the last quarter of the fourth century, however, the Church at Rome had begun to celebrate the Nativity on December 25, so the Feast of the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days later. When Christ was presented in the temple, "there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25). When Blessed Mary and Saint Joseph brought Christ to the temple, Simeon embraced the Child and prayed the Canticle of Simeon: "Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32) inspired the words of the canticle ("a light to the revelation of the Gentiles"). By the 11th century, the custom had developed in the West of blessing candles on the Feast of the Presentation. The candles were then lit, and a procession took place through the darkened church while the Canticle of Simeon was sung. Because of this, the feast also became known as Candlemass. In the lighting of candles we remember and truly live the words of Our Lord: "I am the Light of the World." Bulletins – In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, if you are receiving bulletins in your email inbox please do not take a printed bulletin from the church. If you are not receiving bulleting in your email inbox please register for the Bulletin on line http://stjwinnipeg.weebly.com/ To have the bulletin delivered to your email inbox navigate the page under “Contact” and scroll to the bottom where you will find a section that you can submit your email address. Archbishop Appeal Sharing God’s Gifts 2019 Envelopes You will have noticed in your boxed set of 2019 Offertory Envelopes we have once again, for your convenience, inserted Sharing God’s Gifts envelopes (ivory in colour). If you find it burdensome to make one large donation these 12 envelopes allow you to make smaller monthly donations. The 2018 Sharing God’s Gifts appeal, which supports our Archbishop and his projects, is officially completed. Our target was $105,880. Unfortunately we were $19,600.00 short. This deficit had to be paid from our regular operating cost bank account. For 2019 we encourage every family to take part beginning NOW. If every family will use the ivory colored Sharing God’s Gifts envelope every month, the 2019 target will easily be met. We appeal to all parishioners but especially to those who have never contributed. Traditionally the minimum donation for Sharing God’s Gifts campaign is $300.00. ($25.00 donation per 12 months). You can start or continue to use the Sharing God’s Gifts envelopes in your boxed set of Offertory envelopes. Or if you prefer to use a credit card or pre-authorized payment this can be set up with the Archdiocese. Simply fill out a Sharing God’s Gifts envelope and submit it to the Parish Office. Envelopes can be found at the church entrances. January donations for SGG - $3,697.00 Even though the Archdiocese has not announced our 2019 parish target, previous years have shown that to realize the goal for this appeal the monthly average should be at least $8,800.00 so we are already $5,103.00 short. The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick On First Fridays, the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is administrated to all those who wish to receive it and be strengthened by it. The official “Rite of Anointing of the Sick” states: “Great care and concern should be taken to see that those of the faithful whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age receive this sacrament.” A prudent or reasonably sure judgment, without scruple, is sufficient for deciding on the seriousness of an illness.” The Sacrament may be repeated if the sick person recovers after the anointing and then falls ill again, or if during the same illness the person’s condition becomes more serious. A person may be anointed before surgery if a serious illness is the reason for the surgery. Sick children may be anointed if they’re old enough to know what’s going on. Elderly people may be anointed if they have become notably weakened even though no serious illness is present. Those who have lost consciousness or the use of reason may be anointed if it’s likely they would have asked for it under other circumstances. Sacraments are meant to be for people, if there is a doubt whether someone should be anointed or not, let that person be anointed. When a person is admitted to the hospital please be sure your loved one receives the Sacrament of Anointing by approaching the nursing station and asking for the “on-call Priest” to come and visit the patient. Don’t wait until their health worsens because this sacrament is for the sick, an anointing for the living, not the dead. Please change your mind set and do not call this Sacrament the “last rites”; it is the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for healing. At St. Joseph’s Parish the Sacrament of the Sick is administered every 1 st Friday at the 9:30 morning Mass or by appointment. Mass Intentions and Mass & Prayer Requests on Wednesdays To request a Mass to be offered on a Saturday, Sunday or Tuesday to Friday, please use the envelopes (with black printing) found at the entrances of the Church and place them in the collection basket. Saturday and Sunday Masses are beginning to book into March and April. If you have death anniversary or other special dates please book these Masses well in advance. If you have an urgent or a date sensitive request such as – health, birthday, anniversary, thanksgiving, special intention or death anniversaries please use a special envelope (with blue printing) Mass & Prayer Request on Wednesdays. These intentions and names will be honoured at Wednesday Mass & at the Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament at around 10:45 am. If you would like a deceased loved ones name mentioned at a weekend Mass in the Prayers of the Faithful please contact the parish office at least 2 weeks prior. Unfortunately you may not be accommodated if you bring the request the day of. The office is not open on Sundays (or Saturdays) therefore these requests need to be processed in advance. Following the mentioning of a name the Mass will be offered on the earliest available date or included in the Prayer Requests on Wednesdays. And lastly an increase in your stipend for Mass would be greatly appreciated. Weekly Marriage Tip Do you get jealous? Do you focus more on the things that other people have than on the gifts that God has given to you? Are you pompous? Do you acquire more possessions to impress others? At times we're all guilty of these things. So pray for more humility. Pray to become less self- centered and more God- centered! FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2018 is inserted in this week’s bulletin. Financial records are open this week to anyone who has questions. Please make an appointment by contacting the parish office. Thank you. Rest in Peace Father Chris Your kind prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Reverend Christian Soeterboek who passed away on January 29, 2019 at the age of 91. A priest of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg for over 63 years, Fr. Chris was born in Bakel, Netherlands on June 30, 1927. Vigil Prayers will be on Tue Feb 5 at 7:00 pm at Clark Funeral Chapel, Gladstone, MB. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wed Feb 6 at 11:00 am at St. Dominic’s Parish in Neepawa. Interment will take place in the Plumas Cemetery. Eternal Rest Grant Unto Him O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.
