DECEMBER 17, 2023
Saturday, Dec. 16 ~ 4:00 PM ✞Peter Phillips – son Peter Phillips
Sunday, Dec. 17 ~ 8:30 AM SUNDAY OF THE FOREFATHERS
God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS –
SUNDAY OF THE ANCESTORS
Saturday, Dec. 23 ~ 4:00 PM ✞ John Phillips – brother Peter Phillips
Sunday, Dec. 24 – 8:30 AM SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS –
SUNDAY OF THE ANCESTORS
God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
Many things are possible for the person who has hope.
Even more is possible for the person who has faith.
And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love.
But everything is possible for the person who practices all three .
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Christmas Peace
In the heart of the Christ Child
Sparks the love we all can share
With the peace the world is yearning
In its own vast heart to bear.
May the love He designs to give us
Fill our world with peace anew
As that grace sent from the Father
Like a warm refreshing dew.
May the peace brought by the angels
As they sing the glorious refrain
Fill our world and hearts with gladness
As we welcome Christ again.
Sr. Judith Piszyk, OSBM
A Touching Christmas Story
I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered if the grandkids would even play with them.
I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about 5 holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered whom the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman and he called his aunt by name and said, “Are you sure I don’t have enough money” She replied a bit impatiently, “You know that you don’t have enough money for it. The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left the aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll.
After a bit I asked the boy whom the doll was for. He said, “It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it.” I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. He said “No, Santa can’t go where my sister is…I have to give the doll to my Momma to take to her”. I asked him where his sister was.
He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, “She has gone to be with Jesus”. My Daddy says that Momma is going to have to go be with her. My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, “I told my Daddy to tell Momma not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store”. Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some pictures he’d had taken at the front of the store. He said “I want my Momma to take this with her so she don’t ever forget me.” “I love my Momma so very much and I wish she did not have to leave me”. “But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister.”
I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very quiet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pulled out a handful of bills. I asked the little boy, “Shall we count that money one more time?” He grew excited and said, “Yes, I just know it has to be enough”. So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it.
Of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, “Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money.” Then the boy said “I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Momma can take it with her to give to my sister.” “And he heard my prayer, but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Momma.” “She loves white roses so very much”.
In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on rather to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story.
Two days later I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young woman was. And there she was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store.
I left there in tears, my life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming. And in a split second a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces. “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
Submitted by: John London
SANCTUARY LIGHT: The Sanctuary light is requested to burn this week Dec. 16 – 23 in memory of Mary Ann Youells by her husband David Youells.
SYMPATHY: We extend our sincere sympathy to the family of Vera Hubick who was called to her eternal rest. Eternal Memory. Vichnaya Pamyat!
BUILDING FUND: Our thanks for the donations received from Carole Kosek and M/M John Ostrum to the Parish Building Fund in memory of Vera Hubick.
Your donations are greatly appreciated.
NATIVITY SET UP: The men and women will be setting up the Nativity Set on this Sunday, Dec. 17 at 1:00 PM. Help is needed for this project. Please try to lend a hand.
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 