December 24th– Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 25th– The Nativity of Our Lord
St. Benedict Catholic Church
455 S. Suncoast Blvd. Crystal River, FL 34429 �
(352)795�4479�
Pastor: Fr. Ryszard Stradomski (Fr. Richard)
Mass Schedule Mon—Fri 8:00am
Saturday 5:00pm
Sunday 8:30am & 10:30am
Confessions Saturday 3:30pm-4:30pm
Office Hours Mon—Thurs 8:00am-12Noon
1:00pm-3:30pm
Parish Information Email [email protected] Website www.stbenedictcrystalriver.org
Parish Staff Deacon
Frederick Oberst Administrator
Noreen Brown [email protected] Bulletin Editor/Receptionist
Marianne Zarek [email protected] Maintenance
Tony Moser—Dean Smith Music Ministry
Organist/Choir Director
Josh Whiteneck Contemporary Choir Director
Vicki Raney R.C.I.A.
George Dluhy Sacristan
A.J. Gogan
Father Ryszard and the parish staff wish you and yours a very
Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Pray for our People… Our Sick…
Clarence Redd, Ellie Halagera, Norma Arkell, Dorothy Hahn,
Michael Bottichio, Gordon Gould, Chris Massaclia, Michael Grivois,
Julia Covert, Al Plante, Adelheid Hagge, Christi Galmish,
Maria Canale, Steven Doyle, Martin Drango, Juanita Downum,
Bill Dexter, Kevin Terrell, Alexander Enderlin, Jay Treat,
Irene Cmar, Christine Kirkland, Joan Golway, Ann Darling,
Joanne Harder, Maureen Winn, Robert Abshear, Connie Meyers,
Melda Lazertu, Kathy Mayfield, Frances Rondeau,
Ron Guadagnini, Nan and Ted Fitzgerald, Debra Cappadona,
James Grossman, Eugene Janusz,
Chalise Brown, Annetta Wieczorek, Jennie O’Conner,
Debbie Connolly, Milton Miller, Barbara Born, Ed Colitz,
Louisa Berardi, and Maureen LaTour*
Active Duty… Anna Bily, Chandra Walton, Steve Sunstrom, Richard Pistone,
Sean Ross, Christopher Dergosits, Kevin Knudsen, Cody Albritton, Michael Turcotte, Cody Hibbard, Lucas Zobel, Matthew Zarek,
Dadrian Ruiz, Kristopher Craig, John Kelley, Ron Casasanta Jr., Butch Tonnessen, Ian Ross, Derick Hannigan, Boyer Kornfeind,
Matthew Baker, Todd Vanderbogart, Garrett Gibson, Gage Gibson, Chris Grillo, Richard J. Surowiec, Billy Keating,
Tim Dottillis, and Robert J. Milan, Jr.,
Our Deceased… The Lord has chosen to call Roy Horn to come back home with
him. May he rest in the arms of God. As we pray for him, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to his family and friends.
Mass Intentions
For the Fourth Week of Advent December 24—December 31, 2017
Saturday, December 23 Late Advent Weekday
5:00pm ✞Geri Bronkie by Ginny Svoboda and Dotty Hahn
Sunday, December 24 Fourth Sunday of Advent
8:30am Parishioners of St. Benedict 10:30am ✞Josie Baca by Mary Jane Eggleston 5:00pm Christmas Spiritual Bouquet
Monday, December 25 The Nativity of The Lord
8:30am Christmas Spiritual Bouquet 10:30am Parishioners of St. Benedict
Tuesday, December 26 St. Stephen, First Martyr
8:00am ✞Nora Pagano by Shirley and John Kornfeind
Wednesday, December 27 St. John, Apostle
8:00am ✞David Salvador by John and Shirley Kornfeind
Thursday, December 28 The Holy Innocents
8:00am ✞ Marie Kelley by Sunniva Brown
Friday, December 29 Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord
8:00am ✞Edlin Torralba by Loving Family
Saturday, December 30 Sixth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord
5:00pm ✞Julia Stradomska by Noreen
Sunday, December 31
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
8:30am Parishioners of St. Benedict 10:30am ✞Ernest Medeiros by Friends
Make your request at any time to Anne at
MINISTRY SCHEDULE
The parish office will be closed Monday,
December 25th and Tuesday,
December 26th in observance
of the Christmas Holiday.
Readings of the Week Sunday: Is 40:1-5, 9-11/2 Pt 3:8-14/Mk 1:1-8 Monday: Is 35:1-10/Lk 5:17-26
Tuesday: Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab/
Jdt 13:18bcde, 19 [15:9d]/
Lk 1:26-38 or Lk 1:39-47
Wednesday: Is 40:25-31/Mt 11:28-30
Thursday: Is 41:13-20/Mt 11:11-15
Friday: Is 48:17-19/Mt 11:16-19
Saturday: Sir 48:1-4, 9-11/Mt 17:9a, 10-13
Next Sunday: Is 61:1-2a, 10-11/
Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54 [Is 61:10b]/
1 Thes 5:16-24/Jn 1:6-8, 19-28
Today’s Readings
First Reading — A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the
way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for
our God! (Is 40:3)
Psalm — Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your
salvation. (Ps 85)
Second Reading — The Lord does not delay his promise, as
some regard "delay," but he is patient with you, not wishing that
any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
(2 Pt 3:9)
Gospel — John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins... John was
clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He
fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me." (Mk 1:4, 6-7a)
Dec. 30�31�� 5:00 PM (Mass)� 8:30 AM (Mass)� 10:30 AM (Mass)�
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Lector�D Clemmer � 1st�Krasny � 2nd�
McInnis � 1st�Morgan � 2nd�
Redd � 1st�Celentano � 2nd�
AS�Corkery (1)� Blasing (1)� Kleinemeier (1)�
Komara (2)�Hegarty (3)�
Computer Classes
Once again Fr. Ryszard is offering computer classes! This class is a hands-on training on a one-to-one basis that will help with basic computer skills including Internet, email and word processing. If you are interested in attending, please call the parish office at 795-4479. Classes begin Monday, January 22nd.
Community of Catholic Women.. Meets September to May on the second Thursday of every month.
Next meeting is on January 11th with a guest speaker!
All Ladies of the Parish are invited. �
Men’s Club... Meets the first Tuesday of every month from September to May at
6:30pm in Hilgert Hall. Their next meeting is on January 2nd. All men of
the parish are invited. �
Knights of Columbus... We meet every month on the third Wednesday in Hilgert Hall,
at 7:00pm. Their next meeting is January 17.
All men of the parish are invited.
Stewardship Not available at time of print
This Week’s Challenge
In the next few days, determine to spend
some extra time with someone who needs
you. It could be a
son, daughter, a
parent, a friend,
or a coworker.
Christmas
Masses
Christmas Eve 4:30pm - Congregational Caroling
5:00pm Vigil Mass
Retired Bishop Robert N. Lynch, Presider
Choirs of St. Benedict with Flautist
Christmas Day 8:30am Mass
10:30am Mass
Choirs of St. Benedict with Flautist
Mary Mother of God
Not a Holy Day of Obligation
Monday, January 1st, 8:00am Mass
Crumbs from the desk of Fr. Ryszard
�
Q. Was Jesus Really born on December 25th? �
A. The exact date on which Jesus was born is unknown. History teaches us that originally, March 25th, the first day if spring, was discussed as the most appropriate day of the year to celebrate the birth of Christ since this is when the re-birth of spring takes place.
Scholars noted that this date would be more appropriate to celebrate this conception of Jesus the moment when God incarnated in Mary’s Womb. Accordingly, if we add 9 months to March 25th we arrive the date of December 25th.
On the matter of the date of December 25th, this is when the Romans, who were sun worshipers, celebrated the feast of the sun. Others worshipped a virility God named Mithra on the same date. Over and above this, the Romans observed a debaucherous time of year called Saturnalia from December 17th to the 23rd
In opposition to these sinful and pagan holidays, it was determined appropriate to counter evil by celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25th. Accordingly, in 336 A.D., the Emperor Constantine officially named December 25th as the day on which Jesus was born.
St. Benedict Knights of Columbus Presents:
Lost in the 50’s
It’s that time of the year again. A time to forget all those present day problems and we get lost
again in the 50’s!
Sunday, January 21st, 2018 5pm — 9pm
Roast beef dinner with all the fixings. DJ: The Price is Right
The tickets are $25 and will be sold before and after mass and at the parish office
during normal office hours.
Come One, Come All and Celebrate!
*Pot Luck*
Bring a dish to share.
Spend the end of the year with a glass of Champagne and your friends at St. Benedict
Good Food — Good Cheer — Good Friends
Where: St. Benedict — Hilgert Hall
When: December 31st
Time: 6:00pm �
Hosted by the St. Benedict CCW.
Give as God gave at Christmas
We give because God gave. God gave us his son, so every December we imitate him by giving gifts to our loved ones. What about gifts for God? God gave the gift of himself. God was the first Christmas gift, lying in a manger. In his image, we are called to give the gift of ourselves to him. Go to Mass every Sunday and in between, too. Kneel in adoration before the tabernacle or in a Perpetual Adoration chapel. Go to Confession to stay connected. Give the gift of love. God loves freely whether or not we love in return. He asks us to share love with others. Give others your undivided attention. Put down the cell-phone in meetings, in conversations, and definitely at Mass. Listen when someone has a problem. Put people before things. Give the gift of prayer. Are your prayers like a letter to Santa – lists of wants and needs? God already knows all that. Instead, pray for friends or loved ones who aren’t active in their faith. Offer Rosaries for those who are sick. Ask God for guidance and thank him for his goodness. Give the gift of help. Don’t forget your parish where God’s work is done. Help clean the church, teach a class, shovel snow, support a ministry. Without you, God’s work won’t get done.
The Birth of Jesus
While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel disgraced. He knew the child was
not his own, and Mary's apparent unfaithfulness carried a grave social stigma. Joseph not only had the right to divorce Mary, under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning.
Although Joseph's initial reaction was to break the engagement, the appropriate thing for a righteous man to do, he
treated Mary with extreme kindness. He did not want to cause her further shame, so he decided to act quietly. But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to verify Mary's story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's
will. The angel explained that the child within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that his name would be Jesus and that he was the Messiah, God with us. When Joseph woke from his dream, he willingly obeyed God and took
Mary home to be his wife, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. Perhaps this noble quality is one of the
reasons God chose him to be the Messiah's earthly father.
Joseph too must have wondered in awe as he remembered the words found in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go
to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Probably due to the census, the inn was too crowded, and Mary
gave birth in a crude stable. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.
Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings
appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child.
There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable. After their visit, they began to spread the word about this
amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to
grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.
After Jesus' birth, Herod was king of Judea. At this time wise men (Magi) from the east saw a star, they came in search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. The wise men came to the Jewish rulers in
Jerusalem and asked where the Christ was to be born. The rulers explained, "In Bethlehem in Judea," referring to
Micah 5:2. Herod secretly met with the Magi and asked them to report back after they had found the child. Herod told the Magi that he too wanted to go and worship the babe. But secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child. So the
wise men continued to follow the star in search of the new born king and found Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. (Most likely Jesus was already two years of age by this time.) They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of
gold, incense and myrrh. When they left, they did not return to Herod. They had been warned in a dream of his plot to destroy the child.
Organ Concert
Please join us for a special Organ Recital given by Alexander Pattavina. He is a graduate student of Julliard School of Music and the Principle Organist at St. John the Devine, New York City. This is a free concert but there will be a donation basket at the main
door of the church.
The concert will be held here at St. Benedict’s on
Friday, January 5th, 2018 at 5:00pm
Tickets: $25 per person � � Proceeds to St. Benedict’s Parish Expansion Project�
Bring along some extra, spendable/donatable cash! � � (PEP!) that includes a new kitchen!)�
THIS IS A FUN�FILLED FUND RAISER! � Sponsored by St. Benedict’s FRFC� �
Dressy attire requested!
The pleasure of your company is requested at the Seventh Annual
St. Benedict’s Valentine Gala!
By popular request, Join the “Little Sisters of the Sister Bertilla Kielbasa is Rich” for a special evening returning, this time with a to include Mother Superior’s Heavenly Gift for each favorite food, entertainment, person who attends! dancing and more!
She’s back!
Sunday, February 18, 2018 - 4:00 o’clock p.m. St. Benedict’s Hilgert Hall
Featuring the Crowning of St. Benedict’s Valentine Sweetheart 2018
♥ ♥ ♥ REGISTRATION FORM ♥ ♥ ♥
Complete form, enclose check and send to parish office or drop in collec�on basket� Name(s): Print first and last name of each person who will attend ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________
______ Person(s) at $25 each …………………………………………………………………………… $ ______________
(___) I/WE WILL HELP SPONSOR THIS EVENT! PLEASE ACCEPT A DONATION OF:
__$100 __$300 __$500 __$1000 __$3000 __$5000 __$10,000 __Other……… ________________ (We can dream, can’t we?)��
(___) I/We would like to nominate and/or vote for _____________________________________ for St. Benedict’s Valentine Sweetheart. $5 per vote! Amount added for that purpose: ________________
(___) Check Enclosed TOTAL AMOUNT……………$ ______________
Your ticket(s) will be held at the door under your name.
Final Deadline: February 12TH.
