THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF OAKMONT, PLUM & VERONA St. Irenaeus, Oakmont St. Januarius, St. John the Baptist, Plum St. Joseph, Verona, Our Lady of Joy, Plum www.opvcatholic.org The only official website for our parishes. School sites can also be accessed from this website. CLERGY Group Email: [email protected] Rev. Kevin G. Poecking Priest Administrator Rev. George Dalton Senior Parochial Vicar Rev. David DeWitt Senior Parochial Vicar Rev. Frederick Gruber Parish Chaplain Deacon Joseph Vannucci Deacon Timothy Noca Weekend Mass Times Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM St. Irenaeus 4:00 PM St. John the Baptist 5:30 PM St. Joseph 6:00 PM Our Lady of Joy Sunday: 8:00 AM Our Lady of Joy 8:30 AM St Joseph 9:00 AM St. John the Baptist DECEMBER 1, 2019 10:00 AM Our Lady of Joy 11:00 AM St. Januarius 11:00 AM St. Irenaeus 11:30 AM St. John the Baptist 6:00 PM St. John the Baptist Confessions: Monday 6:00-6:20 PM St . Januarius Wednesday 6:00-6:20 PM St. Irenaeus Saturday 9:30-10:00 AM St. John the Baptist - Or By Appointment - Beau Quattrone Principal St. John the Baptist / St. Joseph Catholic Schools Dear Friends in Christ, and enjoy a fun family morning, bring your camera because I The Gospel reading today is, of course, appropriate for the heard Santa will be making a stop. This is an all OPV first Sunday in Advent. It clearly falls in the category of being Community Building Event. I hope to see you there! a discussion for the return of Christ and the events that will As the Gospel states, we do not know if we have a short accompany that return. As always, God reveals just enough time or a long time to live; much less do we know the time about the future to give us hope, but not so much that we do fixed for our judgment. Our Lord's coming will be wonderful not have to live and walk faithfully each and every day. We to those that will be found ready, but those that are not have assurance about the things hoped for, and belief about ready, it will not be as joyous. “Therefore, you don’t know in the things not yet seen, but what we do not have is a what hour your Lord comes.” Our preparation has to do with timetable in the Scriptures, nor would that have been helpful spiritual awakening rather than physical. The people who live to us anyway. “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know as Jesus has taught, will not be threatened by Jesus’ sudden on which day your Lord will come.” This presents us with Je- appearance. Instead, the coming of Jesus will be very sus telling his disciples that neither angels, nor ordinary hu- satisfying. man beings, nor even he himself, know the timing of His Re- turn. Only the Father knows such things as is written in the Gospel, “So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour God Bless, you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." Beau Quattrone, Principal With that being said, we are getting ready for our Advent St. John the Baptist/St. Joseph Catholic Schools services and we will continue them as usual at St. John the Baptist school and I would like to start a new tradition at St. Joseph school. The students will assemble in the cafeteria to prepare for an Advent service with the 8th grade students leading the prayer during this time. This will be taking place at both schools and should not take away too much instructional time. To me, this is something important to offer to the students at both schools because “Advent” means the coming of Jesus into the world. I feel we need to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. Unfortunately, we will not be able to complete all four Sundays for the Advent prayers, but we will pray what we can before the students leave for Christmas break. They will leave for break with an understanding of what the Christmas season is really about. Also, our annual Breakfast with Santa will be offered again this year at St. John the Baptist School on Sunday December 9th. The breakfast will be from 9:00 am to 11:30 am and they will be serving my favorite, French toast sticks. Come out 2 SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT READING I I S 2:1-5 R. Alleluia, alleluia. CF. P S 85:8 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established Show us Lord, your love; and grant us your salvation. as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: R. Alleluia, alleluia. "Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his GOSPEL MT 24:37-44 paths." For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jesus said to his disciples: Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, ark. let us walk in the light of the Lord! They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. RESPONSORIAL PSALM PS 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. will be left. Therefore, stay awake! I rejoiced because they said to me, For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. "We will go up to the house of the LORD." Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night And now we have set foot when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his within your gates, O Jerusalem. house be broken into. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, 7 Medios espirituales para recibir a Cristo en la Navidad the tribes of the LORD. (primera parte) R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. El sacerdote, escritor y funcionario de la Secretaría de Estado del According to the decree for Israel, Vaticano, Mons. Florian Kolfhaus, compartió siete medios espirituales prepararse y recibir a Cristo en Navidad. to give thanks to the name of the LORD. In it are set up judgment seats, 1. Empezar la jornada con Dios: Levantarse unos 10 minutos seats for the house of David. antes de lo habitual permite tener un tiempo para Dios y empezar bien R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. la jornada. Una oración personal, una breve lectura de las Escrituras, el rezo del Rosario, entre otros, pueden ayudar. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you prosper! 2. Ayunar en Adviento: Si bien las cuatro semanas previas a la May peace be within your walls, Navidad tienen un carácter “más alegre” se debe esperar hasta el prosperity in your buildings. cumpleaños de Jesús para celebrar en la cena navideña. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Este sacrificio, además de tener un valor espiritual, genera más gusto y expectativa por la Navidad. Because of my brothers and friends I will say, "Peace be within you!" 3. Un tiempo de silencio: El sacerdote sugiere tener una hora de Because of the house of the LORD, our God, silencio todos los días de Adviento. Sin radio, teléfono, televisión, ni I will pray for your good. música de fondo, sino utilizar el tiempo para momentos de oración y reflexión. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Si se siente inquietud o preocupación, hay que dejar que el Mesías READING 2 ROM 13:11-14 entre en el corazón. La paz externa y silencio interior limpia casi automáticamente el alma. Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. 4. Obsequiar desde el corazón: “¿Por qué no dar una alegría a For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is alguien por cada día de Adviento?”, se pregunta el P. Kolfhaus. advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of Todos los días se puede obsequiar un pequeño regalo, carta o i darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly magen.