PSR NEWS

St. Michael Catholic Church

MASS SCHEDULE GIRARD
Saturday
5:30 pm
Sunday
10:00 am

ARMA
4:00 pm
8:00 am

CONFESSION
GIRARD
ARMA
Saturday
2:00-2:30 pm 3:15-3:45 pm
Weekdays before Mass, anytime by appointment
RECTORY HOURS & INFORMATION
Tuesday-Friday: 9:00 am - Noon
Rectory: (620) 724-8717
Fr. Maxs cell: (316) 708-9473
Fr. Maxs email: thomas.becket.fan@gmail.com
STAFF Pastor: Fr. Max Biltz
Secretary: Faith Paoni
Bookkeeper: Janel Scales
Bulletin Editor: Nancy Bauer
PARISH WEBSITE:
www.stmichaelgirard.com
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Finance Council
Parish Council
Tony Stonerock, Chair Dale Coomes, Chair
TBA
TBA

!Altar Society

Knights of Columbus
4th Monday of month 1st Tuesday of month
Parish Hall
7:00pm in hall

!Helping Hands

Daughters of Isabella
Carrie Smith
Marilyn Bradshaw
724-6684
724-7133
Kapauns Men: Fridays at 6:00am in the hall

Jan. 2 Saturday
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

4:00pm
5:30pm
Sunday
8:00am
10:00am
Monday
7:00am
Tuesday
5:30pm
Wednesday 6:30pm
Thursday 8:00am
8:30am-3:00pm
Friday
7:00am
8:00am-6:00pm
Saturday 4:00pm
5:30pm
Sunday
8:00am
10:00am

106 N. Western Ave.

Girard, KS 66743
(620) 724-8717
Pastor: Fr. Max Biltz

Dear Parish Family, Instead of my words, here is a homily by the former Pope Benedict on Mary
The Mother of God,
SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD - 45th WORLD DAY OF PEACE. On the first
day of the year, the liturgy resounds in the Church throughout the world with the ancient priestly
blessing that we heard during todays first reading: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord
make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace (Num 6:24-26). This blessing was entrusted by God, through Moses, to Aaron
and his sons, that is, to the priests of the people of Israel. It is a triple blessing filled with light,
radiating from the repetition of the name of God, the Lord, and from the image of his face. In fact,
in order to be blessed, we have to stand in Gods presence, take his Name upon us and remain in
the light that issues from his Face, in a space lit up by his gaze, diffusing grace and peace.
This was the very experience that the shepherds of Bethlehem had, who reappear in todays
Gospel. They had the experience of standing in Gods presence, they received his blessing not in the
hall of a majestic palace, in the presence of a great sovereign, but in a stable, before a babe lying
in a manger (Lk 2:16). From this child, a new light issues forth, shining in the darkness of the night,
as we can see in so many paintings depicting Christs Nativity. Henceforth, it is from him that
blessing comes, from his name Jesus, meaning God saves and from his human face, in which
God, the almighty Lord of heaven and earth, chose to become incarnate, concealing his glory
under the veil of our flesh, so as to reveal fully to us his goodness (cf. Tit 3:4).
The first to be swept up by this blessing was Mary the virgin, chosen by God from the first
moment of her existence to be the mother of his incarnate Son. She is blessed among women (Lk
1:42) in the words of Saint Elizabeth. Her whole life was spent in the light of the Lord, within the
radius of his name and of the face of God incarnate in Jesus, the blessed fruit of her womb. This
is how Lukes Gospel presents her to us: fully intent upon guarding and meditating in her heart
upon everything concerning her son Jesus (cf. Lk 2:19, 51). The mystery of her divine motherhood
that we celebrate today contains in superabundant measure the gift of grace that all human
motherhood bears within it, so much so that the fruitfulness of the womb has always been
associated with Gods blessing. The Mother of God is the first of the blessed, and it is she who bears
the blessing; she is the woman who received Jesus into herself and brought him forth for the whole
human family. In the words of the liturgy: without losing the glory of virginity, [she] brought forth
into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord (Preface I of the Blessed Virgin Mary).
Mary is the mother and model of the Church, who receives the divine Word in faith and offers
herself to God as the good soil in which he can continue to accomplish his mystery of salvation.
The Church also participates in the mystery of divine motherhood, through preaching, which sows
the seed of the Gospel throughout the world, and through the sacraments, which communicate
grace and divine life to men. The Church exercises her motherhood especially in the sacrament of
Baptism, when she generates Gods children from water and the Holy Spirit, who cries out in each
of them: Abba, Father! (Gal 4:6). Like Mary, the Church is the mediator of Gods blessing for the
world: she receives it in receiving Jesus and she transmits it in bearing Jesus. He is the mercy and the
peace that the world, of itself, cannot give, and which it needs always, at least as much as bread.

No Intention
Jim Peak
For the People
Jim Davied
Carol Kavcich
No Intention
Joe Hofer
No Intention
Adoration
Sponsel family
Adoration
No Intention
Ron Breneman
No Intention
For the People

Altar Ministers for Next Weekend

Arma
Girard
Arma
Girard
Girard
Arma
Girard
Arma
Arma
Girard
Girard
Arma
Girard
Arma
Girard

Next Saturday (1/9/16)

!Altar Servers:
!EMHC:
!

5:30 pm

Contributions

CHRISTMAS CALL TO SHARING

Its not too late to make a contribution to the Christmas Call to

Sharing, and support our seminarians and retired priests.

From the Pastor

Mass Schedule and Intentions for Jan. 2 - 10

Collections

Reminder: St. Michaels PSR classes resume Jan 6 for the

evening program and Jan 10 for the elementary students.

Next Sunday (1/10/16)

10:00 am

Volunteers

Volunteers

Volunteers

Volunteers

Lector:

Volunteers

Volunteers

Gift Bearers

Volunteers

Volunteers

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

STEWARDSHIP FORMS
If you have not already done so, please return your
stewardship forms in the collection basket. Thank you.

BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENTS DEADLINE

Because there are times that the bulletin must be completed

early (vacation, holidays, etc.), please try to have
announcements to Nancy Bauer (nbauer@girard248.org or
724-8533) by 6:00pm on Tuesdays. This will ensure your
announcement will make it in the following weekends bulletin.
Announcements sent up until 4:00pm on Thursday will most
likely make it in, but no guarantee.

PARISH SHED

The shed just west of the parish hall was purchased to house
the parish lawn mower and the 2 new Christmas trees that
were purchased in recent years. Unfortunately, it has become a
catch-all and numerous items have been stuffed inside. One
of our Christmas trees was damaged because of this. We are
asking anyone with items stored inside to please come and get
them. Any items not removed will be discarded. Thank you.

CONFIRMATION MEETINGS

Parents of high school students participating in Confirmation

at St. Michaels are asked to contact the parish hall to schedule
a meeting with the student, their parents and Fr. Max.

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK OF OUR PARISH

Please pray for parishioners Gerald Davied, Dave Garrett,

Herman Masser, Rosemary OToole, Tom Weston, and Judy
Widner who are ill or in need of prayers.

ST. PEREGRINE ITEMS AVAILABLE

St. Peregrine cards, medals and tokens are available free of

charge for persons with a cancer diagnosis or cancer survivors.
St. Peregrine is the patron saint of persons suffering from
cancer. If you would like one for yourself or a loved one, call
Teresa Davenport at 362-3042.

July 2015 to date

$1,853.00

$62,521.85

$8.00

$359.73

Childrens Offering

Volunteers are needed to help take down the Christmas

decorations on Sunday, Jan. 10 after 10:00am mass. Thanks!

Last Week

Expenses

$69,075.23

Over / (Under)

($6,193.65)

Building Fund Contributions

$165.00

Building Fund Loan Balance

$226,577.27

ALTAR FLOWERS DONATIONS

If you would like to make a donation in honor of a loved one
that will be used to purchase flowers for the altar, please
contact Faith at the parish office, 724-8717. The flowers will
remain as long as they are fresh, and the memorial information
will be included in the bulletin.

DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA

The Daughters of Isabella will not meet in January.

KAPAUNS MEN

Kapauns Men will not meet during the holidays, they will
resume meeting after the first of the year. Kapauns Men meet
on Friday mornings at 6:00am in the parish hall. All men 18+
are invited.

MASS AND PRAYER SERVICE

This year on Friday, January 22, you have a special

opportunity to join the Diocese for Mass and a candlelight
vigil. Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of the
Immaculate Conception, Broadway and Central, Wichita at
6:00 p.m. Rosary will be recited together before the Mass
about 5:40 p.m. Immediately following Mass, a candlelight
prayer service will be held at South Wind Womens Center at
5107 E. Kellogg, Wichita. You are welcome to attend one
event or both events. Please join us as we stand for the
voiceless and pray that abortion will come to an end.

SICK, HOSPITALIZED, HOMEBOUND

Please let Fr. Max know if you are sick, in the hospital, or in
need of a visit - or know a parishioner who is. Father visits our
shut-in parishioners monthly, but is happy to visit more
frequently if the request is made. His cell phone number can
be found in the leftmost column of the bulletin under Rectory
Hours & Information.

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