Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 29th, 2006
     Today we are summoned from our homes by the Holy Spirit to offer praise to our God. Today's liturgy reminds us to sing joyfully to the Lord, for our God is a gentle shepard who guides the flock with love and care. Let us open our hearts to receive God's living word, which has the power to transform us and give us life.
     Today we are given a glimpse of the power of the word of God. In the Gospel, Jesus' words drive out unclean spirits. That same word, the living word of God, is proclaimed in this assembly of faith. That word has the power to turn us away from sin and into the loving embrace of our forgiving God. Let us be attentive to God's saving word.

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Please remember in prayer the repose of the souls of Antonina Joiner, Dorothy Larrick and Delores Nicholson who passed away recently. May they rest in the arms of their creator.

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Liturgical Publications, the company that prints the church bulletin, will have an Advertising Representative in Junction City on Monday, January 30th. He will be soliciting advertisement for the back of our bulletin. These ads pay for the bulletin. The ads would be helpful for your business and well as helping the church. We would also ask our parishioners to patronize those businesses.

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Congratulations to the children who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time on Saturday, January 21st, 2006.
A special thank you to the Catechist (teachers) Rosemay Rapp and Deb Chaudary.

RCIA Classes are held on Sunday nights at 6:00 pm in Building C. For more information or explanation of the process of RCIA, call Kurt/Sandy at 210-5006 or Sister Mary Jo Thummel at 238-3429. TOPICS January 29, 2006 - - - "A Walk Through the Mass" February  5, 2006 - - - Reconciliation February 12, 2006 - - - Anointing of the Sick February 19, 2006 - - - Holy Orders February 26, 2006 - - - Lent & Saying Yes to Jesus

Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors
We were pleased by the number of you who were able to attend the meeting last Sunday. If you were unable to attend, please pick up you a copy of the materials fro the folders near the main entrance of church. After studying the materials, if you have questions, please call Sr. Mary Jo (238-3429). Please look over the schedule and let us know of any changes which need to be made.

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Scout Sunday will be observed February 5th at the 11:00 am Mass. The Scout Troop and Pack 41 will be Liturgical Ministers for that Mass.

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CATHOLIC DECLARATION ON LIFE & NATURAL DEATH
This Declaration is designed to reaffirm the teaching of the Church on the dignity of human life, and to help others both to know and, in the case of the other's incapacity, to follow another person's wishes about health care decisions. You are able to pick up a copy of this declaration at the main entrance of church or on line at www.salinadiocese.org , then click on Kansas Catholic Conference, then click on Catholic Declaration on Life & Natural Death.

Or you can click this shortcut, right here.

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 22nd, 2006
      The Holy Spirit gathers us together of this Third Sunday in Ordinary Times to give praise and thanks to our God, who continually calls us to discipleship. Let us imitate the disciples and readily follow the Lord who calls us each by name.
     The people of Nineveh listened to the words of the prophet Jonah. Their repentance stands as a sign of the generosity of God's mercy and believe in his Gospel. It is in the context of announcing the reigh of God that Jesus calls his disciples to follow him. As the word of God is proclaimed today, let us pray that we will turn away from sin and truly learn to follow the way of the Lord.

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We welcome to our Christian Community, Kara Chelsea Griffin, child of Kent and Cyndi Griffin, who was recently baptized. May God's blesssing be with your family.

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Salina Diocese East Vicariate Meeting
will be on Tuesday, January 31st, at St. Andrews Church in Abilene. Coffee and Registration start at 9am, meeting at 9:30 am. Lunch served by St. Andrew Ladies. Free will offering will be taken. Adjournment will be at 2:30 pm.

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20th Annual School AuctionSt. Xavier School is preparing for its 20th annual benefit auction to be held on Saturday, April 1, 2006. This is our major annual fundraising event of the year.
    Auction tickets are available through the Parish Office at a cost of $30 per person. This price includes food, drinks and the opportunity to bid on a variety of items in both a live and a silent auction. We discourage attendance by those under age of 21 because of alcohol is served at this event.
    
Raffle tickets are available for $5 each or 6 for $25. Raffles will be held for cash drawings that evening for $1000, $500, $250, and $100. You need not be present to win but we hope that you will be able to join us.
    
If you or your business can support us with a donation, we accept any new items, antiques or service donations in addition to cash donations.Your name or business will be listed in the auction book. Various cash donations categories are set up for this event to include Major Donors ($1000 and above), Gold Donors ($500-999), Silver Donors ($100-499) and Patron($99 and under). Any amount, no matter how small or large, will be greatly appreciated.

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Catholic School Week
Catholic School Week is January 30th - February 5th. As the Holy Father has put it, there has been found no subsitute for Catholic schools to provide for the spiritual formation for our young people. Even those parishes that do not have a Catholic school should take the opportunity to promote Catholic schools.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 15th, 2006

    Today we stand at the beginning of a short stretch of Ordinary Time. Each year, once the Christmas season is completed, we hear the Gospel story of the call of the first disciples. And each year we hear the call issued to us as well. Let us be attentive to the many ways that the Lord speaks to us throughout this celebration.

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ATTENTION - All present Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors and those who signed up to be Eucharistic Ministers or Lectors during Discovery Days.
We would like to meet with all of you at 1:00 pm on Sunday, January 22nd for renewing and training session. Eucaristic Ministers, please meet at the rectory and Lectors please meet at the Church.

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We welcome to our Christian Community Kellie Rose Powers, Miranda Lynn Powers and Griffin James Powers, children of Eric and Melanie Powers, who were baptised December 21st , 2005. May God bless all of you.

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Thanks to all who supported the Youth Group pie sales. St. Xavier's group was able to donate $100 to the Sisters of Mercy to help the Hurricane relief efforts.

God Bless you.

Mary Ann Vieyra

The Epiphany of the Lord

     The glory of the Lord shines upon us as the Holy Spirit gathers us together to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The Lord Jesus visits this holy place today becomeing manifest in our presence through word and sacrament. For this immense gift, we raise heart and voice to God in a song of endless praise.
    Today's Liturgy of the Word begins with the prophet Isaiah's announcement that our light has come -- the glory of the Lord shines upon us. Just as the magi followed the light of the star to Bethlehem, so, too, do we follow the light that is the Lord. Our search brings us here -- to the table of the Lord -- where we are bathed in the light of God's eternal word.

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DONATION STATEMENTS
In the near future, we will be sending out statements on your financial donations in 2005. Often we are called to evaluate our giving from the heart back to God. Know you giving time, talent and treasure is what makes a parish an exceptional welcoming community of faith.
As our mission statement says: "We are a catholic community called by God to share in the mission of Jesus." We thank those who are helping to live up to our mission statement. Many things can be accomplished as we minister together.

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A Special Thank You

    We would like to thank all who worked together to make our services at Christmas and New Year's a memorable tribute. To the choirs, children and adult, who through their many hours of practice gave fitting music to honor the new born King and New Year. To the Arts and Environment Committee, who shared their gifts of the Arts to beautify the church. To the liturgical ministers: Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Ushers, and Servers who all worked well together to create a unity throughout the services. And finally to all who attended to worship in faith and welcome the "strangers" and visitors. May God's blessings be with you all.

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    Our deep and sincere thanks to each and every one for your Christmas greetings, prayers, food and other gifts which you shared with us during the Advent and Christmas Season. You have been most generous. May you experience Christ's special peace throughout the New Year!

Father Al, Sister Mary Jo and Doneva

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ARTS AND ENVIRONMENT
On behalf of the Art and Environment Committee, we would like to thank all of those who contributed to the flower fund and to those who provided funds for the poinsettias. Your support is deeply appreciated.
Ellen, Ellie, Retta, Connie and Pat

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Lest You Think We Forgot

Ever since Discovery Days, we have been busy incorporating those of you who signed up into the various groups and ministries in our parish. We will soon be getting in touch with those who signed up to be Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers, for the purpose of training and commissioning.

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RCIA

Classes are held on Sunday nights at 6:00 pm in Building C. For more information or explanation of the process of RCIA, call Kurt/Sandy at 210-5006 or Sister Mary Jo Thummel at 238-3429.
TOPICS
January 8th, 2006 **** Baptism
January 15th, 2006 **** Confirmation
January 22nd, 2006 **** Eucharist
January 29th, 2006 **** "A Walk Through The Mass"

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Celebrating The Feast Of Epiphany At Home

     This great feast has been celebrated around the Christian world for hundreds of years. Epiphany means manifestation or revelation and marks the visit of the three Wise Men to Bethlehem. Epiphany has been celebrated with festivals, rituals and special blessings.
     HOME BLESSING: One person takes holy water and an evergreen branch and walks from room to room blessing each space in the home and each person. Be sure to include doorways, porches, fireplace rooms and other "sacred spaces" in your home. This prayer may be said:
Bless this space, O Lord, and those who pass this way. Deliver us from every evil and show us your face.
Begin and end at the front door of your home. Mark the doorway with the current year plus the initials of the Three Kings, (Their names were Baltasar, Gaspar and Melcior), for example "20 B+G+M06." or use the initials of special visitors who brought Christ into your home in the last year. When you finished, you can pray:
Bless our home, Lord, with peace and the joy of your presence. Heal all of our family who are in need of your touch. Teach us how to offer hospitality to every guest, seeing your face in every stranger and welcome all who enter here as you welcome us into your Kingdom in this life and the next. Praise Be To God. Amen.

Epiphany Cake: Bake a family favorite cake as a special dessert for this day. Hide a penny (or a piece of candy) somewhere in the cake. When the cake is served, the person who gets the penny or candy in their piece is crowned "King or Queen" for the evening. That person may choose the night's entertainment, receive a small prize or be the one who blesses the house with holy water.

Taken from Faint and Fest, Archdiocese of Omaha