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Nov./Dec. 2013 Emmanuel By Fr. Rick Bolte We celebrate Christmas when Christ came to the world but take courage! I have overcome the live among us: Matthew 1:23, “The virgin shall world.” Jesus’ mission isn’t to save us from be with child and give birth to a son, and they worldly suffering but to lead us to peace even in shall call him Emmanuel,” a name which means the midst of pain and suffering. Jesus overcomes “God is with us.” Do we celebrate this as a past the world as he reveals its limits and that it has event recalling the birth of a famous person as no hold on him. He can and does lose everything The Companion we do on President’s Day? What relevancy does the world has to offer yet goes to his death is the newsletter of it have for us today? willingly and with peace. Even as he hung upon St. Timothy Parish Frequently we pray in times of crisis. We ask the cross dying, Jesus prays for the forgiveness P.O. Box 120 for problems to be solved and our lives to be less of those putting him to death (Luke 23:34) and Union, KY 41091-0120 859.384.1100 fearful and difficult. But God doesn’t sweep in to offers paradise to the repentant criminal (Luke www.saint-timothy.org our rescue and suddenly fix all our problems. In 23:43). Contributions are welcome. fact we may often wonder where God is. This Jesus became one of us to show us the way. Contact Lynn Profitt: leads some to pray without conviction that their His message is one of detachment as we are [email protected] prayer will be answered. Still others give up on called by him to renounce all our possessions God altogether. and to give up our lives as we carry our cross to Publisher At Christmas we celebrate that Jesus not only follow him. Jesus begins his life with so little and Fr. Rick Bolte, Pastor came into the world, but remains “Emmanuel,” shows us how what we need requires so little. To [email protected] with us. Jesus, born fully human, experienced love, to be compassionate, to be generous, to be Editor life as we do. By becoming one of us he forgiving, to live in communion with others Lynn Profitt [email protected] demonstrates his awareness of the challenges especially those in need; all this requires little of Graphic Designer and difficulties of life. He was born without what the world tells us is important. He offers us Tom Tally power, wealth or esteem. He lived his life and freedom and peace as he shows us the way to be [email protected] died without acquiring any of these as the world liberated from the insatiable trap of needing the Sue Fichner recognizes them. And he said, “Follow me.” things of the world. Contributors: Jesus didn’t show us how to escape the We can recognize God’s presence with us when Fr. Rick Bolte challenges of life but rather how to face them. Deacon Dave Profitt we pause to reflect on the goodness we carry in Blair Boone However, Jesus did work miracles to relieve our hearts. We experience God’s presence when Mark Deis some people of illness, possession, and pain. we are true to the goodness of our being created Pam Doremus These were expressions of his compassion. Mark in the image and likeness of God. We know the love Lesley Duggan 1:32-34 speaks of Jesus’ compassionate healing of God when we strive to love as freely as he did. Jennifer Fedders Pete Freeman of the sick and driving out demons. Mark 1:36- We celebrate Christmas not as a remem- Deb Froschauer 38 tells us of Simon finding Jesus in prayer, tells brance of something past but as Emmanuel. We Pat Tenbrink him, “Everyone is looking for you!” But Jesus celebrate that Christ is with us even when we Dr. Tony Riegling responds “Let us move on to the neighboring “walk in the dark valley.” We call to mind that we villages so that I may proclaim the Good News have nothing to fear from the world because there also. That is what I have come to do.” So Christ has overcome the world. He has shown us while Jesus reveals the compassion of God the way by revealing to us that treasure of great through healings, his mission is to spread the price. At Christmas we celebrate that God is with Good News. us and is revealed to us in our efforts to imitate Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “I tell you all this him. At Christmas we recall that gift of peace that in me you may find peace. You will suffer in which the world cannot know nor take from us! Why I Made a Pledge for St. Timothy School By Pete Freeman I will be 59 years old this year. I have being taught. Many of us, parents or along with other subjects, our faith no children or grandchildren that might not, know that we don’t know becomes part of who the child is. be future students at St. Timothy everything about our faith. We don’t Along with knowledge of Math, School. I am going to pledge money for fully understand the Catholic Church’s Science, English, Art, etc.; knowledge the school. position on many things that our of why we are who we are, as I’ve been to several meetings about society finds acceptable and that the Catholics, is instilled in our children. the school. I’ve heard all the reasons, Church doesn’t. We don’t fully If you went to Catholic schools, you logic and benefits for building St. understand why the Liturgy changed probably understand what I am talking Timothy School. My reasons for and many other things. The Catholic about. I went to 12 years of Catholic supporting St. Timothy School may not Church is a beautiful but, complex, school. The Catholic faith is part of be related to anything you have heard Church. who I am. It is what makes me take so far. Let me try to explain. There are those in the parish, lay part in Mass and other liturgies as well I have younger friends at St. Timothy people, that study our faith and as makes me feel guilty when I don’t. with school age children. One thing understand more than I do. They are One of the reasons stated for many of them comment on is how hard doing an amazing job of passing that building St. Timothy School, at the it can be to help their children with on to their children. However, they are meetings, was to build a legacy that their homework. These younger more of the exception than the rule. would stand long after we are gone. To parents find that they don’t completely Most parents, try to explain our faith me, the building is not the legacy. The understand the Math, Science, Biology to their children but, like Math and school itself is not the legacy. The or even simpler subjects like English, Biology, they can only explain to the legacy we are building is our children that their children are being taught. limits of what they understand. and is their children. It is the legacy of They do the best they can but, parents I believe that our Catholic Faith keeping our Catholic faith alive and rely on the professional teachers to needs to be an integral part of who we strong and growing Jesus’ love in our provide the education their children are. Catholic teaching needs to be part children. If our children and grand- need. It even oftentimes becomes a of the knowledge and wisdom base of children grow to be good Catholics, collaboration between the parent and the next generation. Attending public our Church will continue to live the teacher working together to school gives children knowledge and forever, as Christ intended it. educate the child. they can attend PSR but, public schools I am pledging for that legacy and for The Catholic faith, or “Religion class” have become mostly devoid of a sense the life of the Catholic Church. as it was called when I was in school, is of Christianity. When Catholicism is Thank you and God Bless you. no different than those other subjects taught as part of a daily curriculum Memories from a Senior Citizen By an Anonymous Senior Citizen So, St. Timothy Parish wants to build After three years in the U.S. Army, I St. Tim’s. a new grade school...... completed my college education on I know there are a lot of similar I recently found my 8th grade report the GI bill where Uncle Sam picked up stories for our senior citizens at St. card from St. Augustine School in the tuition. I then fully realized that my Tim’s. It is time for us all to pay it back Covington. My brain was a little complete education was paid for by and also pay it forward for our shocked when I read that my parents others. grandchildren. paid $1.00 per quarter for a total of Our daughters attended both Catholic None of our grandchildren will be $4.00 for the year. Multiplying $4.00 Grade School and Catholic High attending the new St. Timothy Grade by eight grades gave me a total of School.