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Our Lady of Perpetual Help Volume 16, Issue 2 Winter 2014 2255 Central Grove Toledo, Ohio 43614 Perpetual Times 419-382-5511 FROM THE PASTOR’S PEN: JOY TO THE WORLD! Our Lady of Dear OLPH Family, Once again we find ourselves in the midst of the Christmas Season preparing for all Perpetual Help those things that bring Joy to our lives. First of all, we rejoice in the birth of the Christ Child, the “Reason for the Season” and the center of our existence. As Advent draws to a close, we anticipate a Birthday Party that is the Party of All Parties that promises us Parish is a Catholic gifts that are “out of this world” and a future that is Eternal. With so many things taking up our time during this season, we must always stop and community reflect on the “Birth of Our Savior”, who came into the world to rid us of darkness and despair and call us “Into the Light”. Jesus is that Light that came into the world and the committed to Word that became Flesh. We receive this “Flesh” each time we receive the Eucharist and are renewed in strength and in Spirit. We know that presents are nice and food is plentiful during our Holiday Gatherings, even though many go without, and yet without celebrating and Jesus in our lives, we are left empty and unsatisfied. Our greatest gifts are those that are not bought in Malls or on the Internet. The gifts that remain are those most extending the important to us….Gifts like Family, Faith, and Friends…..Gifts like Wonder and Awe in his Presence. mission of Jesus Who doesn’t get chills going to Midnight Mass and gazing upon the Baby Jesus in the crib and hearing the Choir that sounds like Angels celebrating the Birth of Our Lord? Let us pick up the Baby Jesus in our minds and Love him like every baby needs to be Loved Christ through and tell him everything we’ve wanted to tell him…that he’s the most important thing in our lives….that we want him to guide us to spiritual growth, where we need to be….that we are willing to die for him and live for him, because we know that when we put Jesus first, everything else education, service falls into place. This past year has seen its challenges and and compassion for difficulties, but I believe as I said when I came here: that there are so many possibilities for growth in this Community, both in Faith and in all God’s people, Spirit, that we are only beginning to realize our potential. As you celebrate with those you under the Love this Christmas, make sure that you save time for “Baby Jesus” and wish him a Happy Birthday! His will is that we may find Joy in all patronage of our we do and work to make all we do find Joy in Him. May God continue to Bless us with all Blessed Mother. that is good and guide us to even better days ahead. May the Child Jesus Inspire you to Holiness! YÜA Wtä|w The Nativity. Lorenzo Lotto, 1523. Page 2 Volume 16, Issue 2 PARISH 2014 CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE Sacrament of Reconciliation Deanery Parish Penance Service: Sunday, December 7 —1:00 p.m. at St. Pat’s Heatherdowns with O.L.P.H. Individual Confessions: Saturdays of Advent, November 29, December 6, 13 & 20 from 3:45-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 16—7:00-8:30 p.m. Thursday, December 18—9:45-11:15 a.m. Friday, December 19—11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. MASS SCHEDULE Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24 (NO 8:45 a.m. Mass) 4:00 p.m. - Children’s Mass 11:00 p.m. - Solemn Vigil Mass Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25 10:00 a.m. only New Year’s Day Vigil 5:00 p.m. Mass on Wednesday, December 31, 2014 (No 8:45 a.m. Mass) Thursday, January 1, 2015 10:00 a.m. Perpetual Times Page 3 A NEW YEAR PRAYER Holy Father, God of our yesterdays, our today, and our tomorrows, We praise You for Your unequaled greatness. Thank You for the year behind us and for the year ahead. Help us in Your New Year, Father, to fret less and laugh more. To teach our children to laugh by laughing with them. To teach others to love by loving them. Knowing, when Love came to the stable in Bethlehem, He came for us So that Love could be with us, and we could know You, That we could share Love with others. Help us, Father, to hear Your love song in every sunrise, In the chirping of sparrows in our backyards, In the stories of our old folks, and the fantasies of our children. Help us to stop and listen to Your love songs, So that we may know You better and better. We rejoice in the world You loved into being. Thank You for another New Year and for new chances every day. We pray for peace, for light, and for hope, that we might spread them to others. Forgive us for falling short this past year. We leave the irreparable past in Your hands And step out into the unknown New Year knowing You will go with us. We accept Your gift of a New Year, and we rejoice in what’s ahead, Depending on you to help us do exactly what You want. I say it again, we rejoice! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Page 4 Volume 16, Issue 2 PARISH CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2014 Dear OLPH Family, Merry Christmas! & Happy Birthday Jesus! As we approach our Savior's birth, hopefully we are as excited as a child to welcome this Holy Season. We know that in our secular world Christmas can become a season of stress, anxiety, and "stuff". God takes us to a better place and asks us to relax, refresh, and enjoy! Christmas is first and foremost about Our Savior's Birth. Light came into the world to lead us out of darkness and give us a new purpose and a new way of life. This Advent we have awaited his birth with anticipation and welcomed him with open arms. If we find ourselves disappointed and depressed, then we know that what we have waited for is that which does not sustain us. Making Jesus truly the reason for the season never disappoints and always finds a way to bring peace and harmony even in the midst of trouble and difficulty. I pray that this Christmas finds you happy in the company of your Faith, Family and Friends and that you are inspired by your experience of this Most Holy Time. I encourage you to "bring a friend to Mass" and continue to welcome those who, for whatever reason, have not joined our celebrations. We have been so very Blessed by our God and look forward to even better days ahead. May God touch your hearts and bring you his peace so that you may experience his Loving Care Now and Always. In Christ's Love, YÜA Wtä|w Perpetual Times Page 5 WELCOME, HELEN RACZKOWSKI We welcome Helen to the Parish Staff as our Financial Secretary, and after 19 years we say goodbye and best wishes to Lisa Musil who has taken employment at her home parish, Regina Coeli. Helen was officially hired on August 25 and is quite familiar with OLPH, as she and her husband Paul have been parishioners for 40 yearsl. Both her children, Paulette and Jim, graduated from OLPH School. She comes to us with an extensive background spanning 30 years in human resources and accounting. Helen looks forward to serving OLPH for many years to come, and she would like to thank Lisa Musil and Linda Simmons for all their hours of training and always being available to answer questions. A thank you also goes out to everyone in the Parish Office for being so welcoming. After her last stressful position Helen can easily say, “It’s so nice to go from working for the “devil” to working for God!” We find she fits it quite beautifully! FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD Imagine this scenario: I’m asked to write down in one sentence my response to the question: “What is a Christian?” My first inclination might be to write down something about how Christians act or what we do or don’t do. But the proper answer would have to be, “A Christian is someone who believes Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” The story of the baptism of Jesus is placed at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in all four Gospels. It’s placed there because that is the starting point. This is the story of the revelation of who Jesus is – the Son of God. That’s why the Church celebrates the feast of the Baptism of the Lord at the conclusion of the Christmas season and the beginning of the rest of the liturgical year. I can’t go anywhere in my life as a Christian unless I understand, first of all, that I am what I am because I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Period. Page 6 Volume 16, Issue 2 DEADLINE FOR S.O.S.--SOCIAL OUTLET SPRING ISSUE FOR SINGLES Mark your calendar for Monday, (DIVORCED & WIDOWED) February 2, as the deadline for articles and pictures for the spring We have had some great activities together this past edition of the Perpetual Times.