it,sly n; Slovenska župnija sv. Gregorija Velikega | St. Gregory the Great Slovenian Church 51/55 Številka - Number / Leto - Year 15. 12. 2019 3. Adventna NEDELJA 3rd Sunday of Advent Fr. Drago Gačnik, sdb župnik - pastor Naslov - Address 125 Centennial Pkwy N. Hamilton, ON L8E 1H8 Phone: 905-561-5971 Cell: 905-520-2014 E-mail gregory_sdb@ stgregoryhamilton.ca Web page www.carantha.com Hall rentals Cell: 905-518-6159 E-mail hallrental@ stgregoryhamilton.ca Veselite se v Gospodu! Prerok Izaija nariše v prvem berilu čudovito podobo. Puščava naj se veseli in vriska, saj bo prepolna čudovitega cvetja. Gre za obljubo, ki jo Bog daje svojemu ljudstvu, ki trpi v izgnanstvu v babilonski sužnosti. Bog obljublja svojemu ljudstvu, da jih bo povedel nazaj v svobodo, da bosta izginila žalost in vzdihovanje in da se bosta mednje spet vrnila radost in veselje. Izraelci so v babilonski sužnosti doživljali življenje podobno življenju v puščavi: težko, brez veselja, brez žarkov upanja. Bili so podvrženi tlaki, kar pa je bilo še hujše, mislili so, da jih je Bog zapustil, da je popolnoma pozabil nanje. Vedno bolj sta se med njimi širila utrujenost in obup. V to splošno občutje nemoči in obupa zakliče prerok Izaija: »Naj vriskata puščava in goljava, raduje naj se pustinja in naj cveti kakor narcisa.« Prerok pa ne ostane samo pri govorjenju v prispodobah, ampak postane zelo konkreten: »Okrepite utrujene roke, utrdite klecava kolena. Recite njim, ki so plahega srca: Bodite močni, nikar se ne bojte!« lz besed preroka Izaija vejeta optimizem in upanje, čeprav deli z izgnanci v Babilonu isto usodo. Ne preda se ner-ganju in godrnjanju, ampak ima oči odprte za božje delovanje: »Glejte, vaš Bog! Bog prihaja, da vas reši.« Bog vas ne zapušča, ampak je z vami tudi v teh trdih in težkih trenutkih življenja. Tudi vsakemu izmed nas podobne izkušnje puščave niso tuje. Kljub visoki kvaliteti življenja, pa se tudi sodobni človek srečuje z različnimi oblikami puščave. Mladi, ki so mnogokrat zbegani ne najdejo poti, ki bi zadovoljila njihovo iskanje sreče in zadovoljstva. Zakonci doživljajo dneve puščave, ko nimata več kaj povedati, ko jima zmanjka besed in dejanj, s katerimi bi osrečevala življenje drug drugemu in družini. Bolnih in ostarelih se tolikokrat počutijo osamljeni, nekoristni in zapuščeni. Na različne načine vsakdo doživlja čas puščave, v katerem se počuti ubogega, nemočnega, brez pravega upanja in poguma. V takih trenutkih se v člove- VESTNIK 2019 | 547 kovi notranjosti vse bolj širita strah in obup. Današnja božja beseda pa tako sivo in pesimistično ozračje prinaša žarke upanja in veselja. Obljuba, dana Izraelcem v babilonski sužnosti, velja tudi nam. Dostikrat nas prav izkušnja lastne nemoči odpre za božje delovanje. Ko konkretno naletimo na meje svojih zmožnosti, spet napravimo prostor Bogu za njegovo delovanje v našem življenju. In Bog je še na poseben način navzoč prav v naših stiskah in brezupnih izkušnjah. Bog tudi nas krepi in nam kliče: »Le pogum, ne boj se, saj sem s teboj.« On krepi naše utrujene roke in utrjuje naša klecava kolena. Je kot vrelec vode v naših izkušnjah puščave, izkušnjah izčrpanosti in nemoči. Bog mnogokrat na poseben način deluje tudi po ljudeh. V današnji božji besedi smo srečali dva preroka: Izaija, ki je Ijudstvo spodbujal v babilonski sužnosti, in Janeza Krstnika, ki je ljudi usmerjal na pot za Jezusom. Oba vlivata ljudem upanje na odrešenje, upanje na poseben božji poseg v njihovo življenje. Oba delita usodo svojega ljudstva in torej nista izvzeta iz trpke izkušnje sodobnikov - trpita izgnanstvo in ujetništvo v zaporu. Vendar pa v tej konkretni izkušnji nemoči upirata pogled kvišku. Na življenje gledata iz druge perspektive, odprta sta za božji pogled na stvarnost in za božje delovanje. Ta njuna zasidranost v življenju svojega ljudstva in hkrati usmerjenost v Boga ju usposobi, da sta lahko znanilca veselja, da lahko bližnjim vlivata upanje. Prerok je torej tisti, ki je zelo realno ukoreninjen v konkretne okoliščine, ki ne beži pred tem svetom, ki pa ni zaprt samo v ta svet, ampak ima oči uprte kvišku, ki je odprt za božje navdihe in za božje delovanje. Po krstu je tudi vsakdo izmed nas poklican v preroško službo. Vprašajmo se: kje naj bom jaz v svojem okolju prerok? Biti prerok pomeni biti realno v tem svetu, pa vendar znati razbirati božje sledi v njem. V puščave današnjega sveta prinašati oznanilo upanja in veselja. Biti prerok lahko preprosto pomeni biti prijatelj, ki si vzame čas za bližnjega, z njim deli skrbi in strahove in mu odkriva razloge za veselje in radost. Biti prerok lahko pomeni tudi narediti prvi korak na poti k spravi, končati sovraštvo in zamero z nekom, in s tem pomagati k razcvetu novega življenja. Biti prerok lahko pomeni biti solidaren s tistimi, ki so v stiski, pomagati bližnjim po svojih močeh in jim dajati upanje na boljše življenje. Bodimo odprti za božje delovanje. - (Prim. Oznanjevalec 2005) 552 | VESTNIK 2019 3. Sunday of Advent v > Response: Lord, come and save us!. First Reading Isaiah 35:1-6. 10 The prophet looks forward to a day when those who are blind will see, those who are deaf will hear and those who are lame will "leap like a deer". Second Reading James 5:7-10 Be patient, says the writer. Take the example of a farmer waiting for the crop to ripen. Impatience will not hasten the Lord's return. Gospel Matthew 11:2-11 In prison and nearing death, John sends messengers to ask who Jesus is; Jesus replies that John must read the signs for himself. "Happy is the one who does not lose faith in me." Illustration A once-famous abbey had fallen on hard times. Once it housed a thriving and vibrant community and visitors flocked to learn from wise monks, to share with them in prayer, and to return home refreshed from having experienced something of monastic life. But now the monks had became older; their numbers dwindled. Visitor numbers declined dramatically, and even from a distance people could see that the building was becoming dilapidated and the grounds less well kept. The monastery no longer attracted people. The abbot agonised over what he could do to restore the dying community. He visited a neighbouring abbey to get advice from the abbot there. He told of his community's decline, leaving out no detail. His host listened intently without interrupting, and when the whole story was told he said: "Your problem is this. The Messiah is among you, and he goes unnoticed." Puzzled, the abbot returned home and told this to his brothers. They too were puzzled, but soon a change came about among the brothers. Whenever a brother thought, "Here comes Brother so-and-so; I can't stand him!" he then wondered, "But what if he is the Messiah?" Unwittingly, they started to treat each other with respect and kindness... just in case this was the Messiah. The outcome was that visitors started to return to the abbey, vocations increased, all because each person in the community treated everyone as if that person was the Messiah. Gospel Teaching On this third Sunday of Advent each year, John the Baptist features in the Gospel; only in Year A, however, do we encounter John in prison, near the end of his life. He has heard of the things that Jesus has done and said. John knows his life is likely to end very soon on the command of Herod, so he wants to make sure he has not been mistaken in identifying Jesus as the awaited one. He sends his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?" Jesus' answer is that to see the signs of God requires noticing what is all around. In the monastery that was slowly dying, the brothers had to start looking for signs of the Messiah's presence. Jesus tells John's disciples to tell their master what they had seen and heard, the signs of the messianic age: "the blind see. the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor". There is one more statement that Jesus makes about the signs he has produced to show the kingdom of God is at hand. He says, "happy is the [one] who does not lose faith in me". Does this refer to John? Is John wavering now that his life is in danger? Perhaps it is more likely that Jesus is describing John as the one who is most likely to see the signs of the Messiah's presence. Application Those who go back to John will need to do more than tell what they have seen and heard. They must describe with conviction the signs they have seen indicating that the kingdom of God is at hand. So why did people not see these signs? Isaiah spoke of people who "Hear and hear again, but do not understand; see and see again, but do not perceive." John clearly doesn't come into that category. He is the one of whom Jesus says, "happy is the [one] who does not lose faith in me". The question arises, how well do we recognise the signs that the kingdom of God is among us today? The answer must be the same as it was in Jesus' time: "the blind see. the deaf hear. the Good News is proclaimed to the poor". Few of us have the power to do these things literally, but we do have power to do so in a spiritual sense. So many people are voiceless in today's world, but we can help their voices be heard; our own lives proclaim the Good News when we are concerned for others' well-being. We may not heal people who have leprosy, but we can ensure that no one in our presence is made to feel inadequate or excluded. John the Baptist was a great prophetic figure, witnessing to the one whom God had sent. In baptism, we are incorporated into Jesus' prophetic role. We act this out when our entire lives are proclamations of the Good News. VESTNIK 2019 | 547 552 | VESTNIK 2019 Ringing in 2020 is going to be amazing with this year's theme: "A night at the Oscars - On the Red Carpet" it will be impossible for this night not to win an Oscar itself! Featuring a Grammy/Oscar winning superstar surprise performance, New Year's 2019 will be a night to remember! (this wasn't easy to arrange... but we did it!) We've got the music, décor and a delicious meal which includes appetizers, late night buffet and a complimentary drink upon entrance into our New Year's event! Of course, there will be a raffle which will include over a $1,000 in raffle prizes to be won. All this should guarantee an amazing time for everyone! Sunday December 15th is the final day for black Friday tickets to be purchased at $80 for adults, $55 for students. On Monday, December 16th, we will be initiating a Special Christmas sale with tickets priced at $85 for adults and $60 for students for one week - after December 22nd, ticket pricing will return to: $99 for adults and $65 for students and the final day to purchase tickets will be Thursday, December 26th. So... to ensure the best pricing for your New Year's tickets and a guaranteed place at our 'New Year's Oscars/Red Carpet event', be sure to contact Heidy Novak at 905-3176002 or novakh@mail.com. We always need helping hands to make this a great night, so, volunteers, give me a call and sign up! Friends of our community, we always welcome more raffle prizes - if you can help out with this, please let us know ahead of time -and thank you in advance for your generosity. - On behalf of your parish council, and Slovenski Park - We wish you all a wonderful and hopefully warm Sunday and look forward to seeing you at New Years! cwl - kžz - REZANCI_ Članice KŽZ so tudi ta teden delale domače rezance - »nudlce«. Eno rundo v torek in drugo v petek. Kar precej časa vzame, da je izdelek tako kot mora biti. Še tako dobri kupljeni »domači« rezanci niso niti senca tistih, ki so res doma narejeni brez kakršnikoli »dodatkov«. Vrednost tega pa ni samo, da se naredi rezance, ampak tudi da se pride skupaj. Gotovo bi vsaka imela kako delo doma. Pa vendar so si vzele čas tudi za skupno dobro in tudi za druženje. VESTNIK 2019 | 547 Novo leto v društvu Sava Sreda, 1. januar 2020 - NOVO LETO Pričetek praznovanja ob 1:00 p.m. Za dobro razpoloženje bosta skrbela Ansambel Niagara Button Boxers in Walter Ostanek Praznično kosilo bo samopostreženo ob 2:00 p.m. Obvezne rezervacije in plačilo najkasneje do 15. decembra. Cena vstopnice: Odrasli $30, Študentje $15 Otroci od 12 let navzdol prost vstop Rezervacije sprejemajo: Marija Prilesnik (519-884-4736), Angela Prilesnik (519-579-8620), Zinka Mirt (519-884-6194) 552 | VESTNIK 2019 Mitfavž pri sv. Qreßoriju VeCifigm V nedeljo, 8. decembra 2019, na drugo adventno nedeljo smo imeli sveto mašo samo ob 10h dopoldne. Pri maši sta sodelovala slovenski in angleški zbor. Po maši, pa so smo bili povabljeni v dvorano, kjer je bilo naprej kosilo, ki so ga pripravile, Nancy Dundek Taylor, Dragica Ferenčak in Jenny Antolin. Po kosilu, pa nas je obiskal Miklavž s svojim spremstvom. Sodelovali so otroci Slovenske šole z učiteljicama Sandy in Lorie. Po uvodni pesmi in plesu angelčkov so na odre prihrumeli tudi vražički in porožljali z verigami a so jih angelci kaj hitro napodili iz odra. Nato pa je prišel Miklavž s svojim spremstvom in obdaril otroke. Na koncu so se še poslovili s pesmijo: »Sedaj glej odhaja ...« in »Bratci sestrice, čujte naš zadnji pozdrav«. Še enkrat hvala vsem, ki ste sodelovali pri izpeljavi programa, pomagali pri pripravi dvorane in pri baru in vsem, ki ste dogodka udeležili. Vedno je lepo, ko se ohranjajo naše lepe navade. VESTNIK 2019 | 547 552 | VESTNIK 2019 tudi postavili. Tako cerkev postaja vsak dan bolj božično okrašena. Olga in Nancy pa sta šli na lov za »božičnimi zvezdami - »Poinsettiami«. Ta teden pa smo »šli tudi na lov« za božičnimi smrekami.. Maks Pavlič pa nam je pri lastniku, ki vzgaja smreke, rezerviral tri smreke. Tokrat nam je, da smo jih posekali in pripelji domov, ponudil pomoč Vlado Glavač. Skupaj z Mirkom smo šli, jih posekali in potem v cerkvi Week 1 Candle : Prophet's Candle Symbolizes: Hope Reminds Us: Jesus is coming Verse: Romans 15:12-13 Prayer: O Lord, stir up Thy power, we pray Thee, and come; and with great might help us, that with the help of Thy grace, Thy merciful forgiveness may hasten what our sins impede. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen. Christ Candle Light on Christmas Eve Week 2 Candle: Bethlehem Candle Symbolizes: Faith Reminds Us: Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem Verse: Luke 3:4-6 Prayer: O Lord, stir up our hearts that we may prepare for Thy only begotten Son, that through His coming we may be made worthy to serve Thee with pure minds. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen. Week 3 Candle: Shepherd's Candle Symbolizes: Joy Reminds Us: The Joy the world experienced at the coming birth of Jesus. Verse: Luke 2:7-15 Prayer: O Lord, we beg Thee, incline Thy ear to our prayers and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the race of Thy visitation. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen. Week 4 Candle: Angel's Candle Symbolizes: Peace Reminds Us: The message of the angels: "Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men". Verse: John 3:16-17 Prayer: O Lord, stir up Thy power, we pray Thee, and come; and with great might help us, that with the help of Thy grace, Thy merciful forgiveness may hasten what our sins impede. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen VESTNIK 2019 | 547 Obvestila - Announcements v četrtek 19. decembra. Ob 5:30 p.m. se bo začela spoved in med mašo bo kratek nagovor. Spovednika bosta lazarista g. Leopold Valant in dr. Stanko Gerjolj. Christmas Pageant_ We invite all children of our parish to come and participate in our Christmas Pageant on December 24th, 6:00 p.m. Mass. The theme this year is "The Night before Christmas". Scripts will be available for those wishing to participate and practice will be on Dec . 21st at 10:00 a.m. Please contact Mary Miklavčič at 905664-4927 / mtmik@sympatico.ca or Sonya Podrebarac at sonya.odorem@gmail.com and let us know that you will be joining us. Come on out and share your talents and have some fun! dogodki v bližnji_ prihodnosti_ ♦ 15. dec.: Sava - Mass 12:00 p.m., Dinner & Mi-klavž-Santa Claus ♦ 15. dec.: Slovenski Park - Members Christmas Party 2:00 p.m. ♦ 15. dec.: Triglav - Mass 4:00 p.m. at St. John the Divine, Social ♦ 15. dec.: Bled - Božičnica - Christmas Lunch ♦ 17. dec.: Društvo sv. Jožefa - Božičnica 7:30 p.m. ♦ 24. dec.: St. Gregory the Great - Christmas Eve -English Mass 6:00 p.m., Slovenian Mass 10:00 p.m. ♦ 25. dec.: St. Gregory the Great - Christmas Day -Slovenian Mass 9:30 a.m., English Mass 11:00 a.m. ♦ 26. dec.: Lipa Park - St. Stephan - Mass 3:00 p.m. ♦ 31. dec.: St. Gregory the Great & Slovenski Park -New Year's Eve Celebration ♦ 1. jan. 2020: Lipa Park - New Year's Day Luncheon ♦ 1. jan. 2020: Sava - New Year's Day Luncheon gift bearers - DAROVE PRINAŠAJO_ ♦ 15. dec. 9:30 a.m.: Jože in Albina Antolin ♦ 22. dec. 9:30 a.m.: Karol in Milka Ferko ♦ 25. dec. 9:30 a.m.: Danny & Aranka Dundek ♦ 29. dec. 9:30 a.m.: Jožica Vegelj & Eva Erzetič ognjišče_ Prosimo vse naročnike, da čimprej povedo ali bodo naročeni na revijo OGNJIŠČE tudi v letu 2020. Če bo kakšna sprememba moramo to sporočiti do 15. decembra. Naročnina za leto 2020 je 88 kanadskih dolarjev. Hvala. duhovnaobnova_ Letošnja duhovna obnova bo v sredo, 18. in društvosv. jožefa_ The Annual Društvo Christmas Party will be on Tuesday, December 17th at 7:30 PM. On behalf of the Board, we invite you as our guest. We will have special entertainment provided by Branko Pouh. Our traditional draw for Poin-settias will be held with all funds raised going to St. Gregory Parish fund raising projects! Diocesan Newsletter For information about Activities and Events of interest in the Diocese of Hamilton, subscribe to the online Diocesan Newsletter at www.hamiltondiocese.com. 552 | VESTNIK 2019 cwl- kžz_ CWL initiated Food Drive for the month of December. At this time of year our minds turn to thinking of the less fortunate. In the spirit of the Christmas season we are inviting everyone to donate non-perishable food items for those in need. Consider donating items such as canned fish/meat, canned/dry soup, pasta/ rice, sauce, canned vegetables and baby food. A donation box has been placed in the church foyer. We thank you for your support. cwl Monthly Report_ Our parish welcomed the St. John's illuminated Bible on Nov. 24th. Open viewing of two volumes, Prophets and Letters and Revelation and a slide presentation about the making of this beautiful Bible took place. On Nov. 27th we held a Memorial Mass with Slomšek Altar Society to remember and pray for our deceased members. We held a general meeting on Dec. 4th. We collaboratively reflected on the meaning of Advent and became prayer partners. We are in the process of visiting some of our elderly members and/or sending them Christmas cards. Preparations for our March 1st Bazaar are underway. Fr. Drago has already printed our blue lottery tickets and a team of ladies has worked on making noodles. We are asking our parishioners to support our Food Drive during the month of December. Together with our CWL please keep our ill sisters in your prayers. Several of them have undergone operations recently. We wish all of our parish community and their families the blessings of the Christmas season. Our next general meeting is scheduled for Jan. 8th, 2020. - Rosemary Šušteršič božična devetdnevnica_ V ponedeljek, 16. decembra zvečer ob 7:00h, bomo začeli z Božično devetdnevnico. Med večerno mašo bomo prepevali besedilo devetdnevnice in odpevali: »Kralja, ki prihaja, pridite molimo!« Naj nam vsem pomaga tudi to bogoslužje, da bi se bolj zavestno pripravili na Božično, na rojstvo Deteta, ki želi, letos na poseben način, vstopiti tudi v naše življenje na in nam prinesti miru, radosti, veselja, novih milosti in moči, da bi svoje krščansko življenje še poglobili in ponotranjili. darovi_-_ donations_ Za gradbeni sklad je darovala $50 Jožica Vlašič. Za božične smreke sta darovala $100 Maks in Milena Pavlič. V spomin na pokojne starše, Jožeta in Francko pust je hči Agnes darovala $ 1200 za cerkev sv. Gregorija Velikega. Hvala vsem za vašo velikodušnost in podporo naše župnije. . i # SVETE MAŠE - MASS TIMES: Monday: 8:00 a.m., Tuesday to Friday: 7:00 p.m., Saturday: 5:30 p.m. (Slovenian); Sunday: 9:30 a.m. (Slovenian), 11:00 a.m. (English); From Long weekend in July to the Long weekend of the September Sunday Mass is 111 only at 10:00 a.m. (Slovenian-English) - KRSTI / BAPTISMS: For an appointment, call one month before. POROKE / MARRIAGE: For an appointment, call one year before the wedding date. SPOVED / CONFESSIONS: First Friday of the month 6 -7:00 p.m. (or by appointment) BOLNIKI - Sporočite, če je kdo bolan ali v bolnišnici, da ga obiščemo. You are welcome to call don bosco for a personal conversation with your priest - please call for an appointment. Tel: 905-561-5971, VESTNIK 2019 | 547 od 15. 12. 2019 do 22.12. 2019 svete mase - masses Za žive in rajne župljane 9:30 a.m........... ff Martin in Jožefa Kobe Hči Marija Bajuk f Ed Kodarin Ned Sejranič 3. Adventna nedelja ff Ignac in Ana Krampač Olga Čulig 15. December f Irma Dorenčec Ignac in Gabriela Robačer f Jožef Gerič, obl. 11:00 a.m. Joe in družina Kristina, devica ff Pokojni člani društva Sava 12:00 noon SAVA - Breslau ff Pokojni iz družin Kraner in Vinter Družina ff Pokojni člani društva Triglav 4:00 p.m. St. John the Divine Church f Štefan Horvat Joe Lackovič z družino Ponedeljek - Monday 16. December Albina, mučenka V zahvalo za 60 let v Kanadi 7:00 p.m.Francka Seljak Začetek Božične devetdnevnice: »Kralja, ki prihaja, pridite molimo!« Torek - Tuesday 17. December Lazar iz Betanije, sp.mož. t Marič Franc t Marič Franc 7:00 p.m. Društvo sv. Jožefa (3) Kristina in Kolman Mes Sreda - Wednesday 18. December Gacijan, škof. t Štefka Rihar 5:30 p.m Spoved Confessions 7:00 p.m. Mož z družino Petek - Friday V čast Jezusovi Krvi 7:00 p.m. Ana tadic 20. December Cecilija Smodiš, 30. dan Sestra Regina in Martin Nedelko Evgen, mučenec Cecilija Smodiš, 30. dan Gizela Žalik z družino f Irma Dorenčec 5:30 p.m. Olga Čulig Sobota ff Bratje in sestre Marinič Družina Raduha Saturday f Vera Balažič (Montreal) Družina Raduha f Franc Raduha Žena z družino 21. December f Irma Dorenčec Marija Korošec z družino Peter Kanizij, duh. uč. f Franc Marič Marija Korošec z družino f Za duše v vicah Marija Košir 4. Adventna nedelja 22. December Frančiška, red. ustanov. Za žive in rajne župljane tt Matija in Martin Zelko f Janez Kosednar t Ed Kodarin t Janez Recek 9:30 a.m. Toni in Marija Franc Žena Hema z družino Ned Sejranič 11:00 a.m. Družina Recek 552 | VESTNIK 2019