FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT “Behold, you will

conceive in your womb

and bear a son, and you

shall name him Jesus.”

Today is the last Sunday

of the Advent season,

and we hear in the

Gospel the anticipation

of the feast we will

celebrate in just one day. Christmas is coming! Jesus

is on his way!

We have had weeks to prepare for this

momentous occasion, and now we are on the very

verge of its arrival. The children in our midst can

hardly contain their excitement as they wait to wake

up on Christmas morning. The thrill of this coming

moment is meant to remind us of the joy and

anticipation we should all feel as we await the coming

of Christ. Yes, Christmas is a great feast, but there is

more here than a remembrance of the past or a

fabulous party in the present. There is a looking-

ahead as well. We celebrate as we anticipate.

Much as Mary must have waited in wonder

during the nine months of her pregnancy, we wait in

hopeful expectation as Christians looking forward to

being reunited with our Savior. Our future is full of

hope. The deflating melancholy that afflicts many

people after a holiday runs its course need not be the

experience of the Christian waiting for Christ. We are

always looking forward to something! There is never

a moment when we have no cause for joy. Our lives

are lived in a kind of unending advent as we stand in

watchful waiting.

Let us remember this as we enter into our

Christmas Eve gatherings and festivities. As we join

with family and friends to share in the good things of

this life, may we carry with us the joy of knowing that

even better things lie in store for us who welcome the

infant Jesus into our hearts and homes.

Today’s Homily Jesus will be born into the House of David, the fulfilment of all that the prophets have foretold. Yet his Good News will

be not only for the people of Israel but for everyone.

ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH

Readings for Next Weekend

December 31st, 2017 & January 1st, 2018

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 (11B)

Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29

Romans 16:25-27

Luke 1:26-38

Scripture readings are held each Wednesday after 8am

Mass in the Parish Hall. These readings help us to

prepare for the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel. Please join us.

Prayers for the Healing Amy Howlett, Donna Kenward, Nikera Kolacki

A Special Thank You to Lori Roth for our rectory tree. A humble thank you

goes out to Ray & Ann Zywiczynski for the altar trees. We warmly thank the

Altar & Rosary and Liturgy Committees along with

James and Heather Zywiczynski for making our Christmas wreaths

that hang between the Stations of the Cross. Our hearts our filled with the kindness of our parishioners.

Vol LXII No. 52

A Very Special Thank You goes out to all the wonderful people who helped decorate the church last weekend. It looks beautiful!!

Solemnity of Mary

Mother of God

Mass Schedules

Sunday, December 31st ~ 4:00pm

New Year’s Eve Mass

Monday, January 1st ~ 9:00am

New Year’s Day

Feast of Epiphany Saturday, Jan. 6th ~ 5:00 pm Sunday, Jan. 7th ~ 8 am and 10:30 pm

Gifts to God: Collection Week Of: 12/17/2017

$2327 Regular Collection, $565 Religious Education,

$1150 Religious Retirement Appeal

Counters for December 31st - Team M September-November

YTD Collections $35,528 YTD Budget $39,000 YTD Variance ($3,472)

December 23rd – December 24th, 2017

Merry Christmas

Mass Schedule & Intentions for the Week

M – Memorial A – Anniversary L –Living Monday, December 25th

Midnight Mass Alton & Carol Levesque (Joe & Cathy Levesque)

9am All Mom’s in the Kasprzyk Families Tuesday, December 26th

8am All Souls Wednesday, December 27th

8am Ignatius Kalinowski (Mike & Lori Kasprzyk) Thursday, December 28th

8am Florence Widzienski (Ann Petroski) Friday, December 29th

8am All Souls* Saturday, December 30th

5pm Stanley Zywiczynski (R & A Zywiczynski) Sunday, December 31st

8am George Weissenburger – M (Bill & Sandy Franczak)

10:30am Valerie (Klimaszewski Family) 4:00pm All Mom’s in the Kalinowski Families

ALTAR SERVER SCHEDULE

Saturday, December 30th 5pm Help Needed

Sunday, December 31st

8am Help Needed

10:30am Help Needed

4pm Cameron Kehl

Monday, January 1st 9pm Help Needed

EUCHARISTIC MINISTER SCHEDULE

Saturday, December 30th

5pm N Kolacki, E & B Russell

Sunday, December 31st 8am J Hilton & M Major

10:30am K Gray & P McBride

4pm Help Needed

Monday, January1st

9am Help Needed

LECTOR SCHEDULE

Saturday, December 30th 5pm Sherrie Krzeminski

Sunday, December 31st

8am Valerie Sullivan

10:30am Terry Bennet

4pm Help Needed Monday, January 1st

9am Help Needed

SACRISTAN SCHEDULE

Sat/Sun December 30th – December 31st

5pm A Howes ● 8am A Antholzner ● 10:30am M Szucs