3. POSTNA NEDELJA 3RD SUNDAY OF LENT SLOVENSKA ŽUPNIJA SV. GREGORIJA VELIKEGA | ST. GREGORY THE GREAT SLOVENIAN CHURCH 9/52 Številka - Number / Leto - Year 28. 2. 2016 Fr. Drago Gačnik, SDB ŽUPNIK - PASTOR NASLOV - ADDRESS 125 Centennial Pkwy N Hamilton, ON L8E 1H8 TEL.: 905-561-5971 FAX: 905-561-5109 E-MAIL Gregory_sdb@ stgregoryhamilton.ca WEB PAGE www.carantha.com HALL RENTALS CELL: 905-518-6159 E-MAIL Hallrental@ stgregoryhamilton.ca VESTNIK KESANJE ALI POGUBLJENJE Kakšen je bil namen ljudi, ki so Jezusu pripovedovali o dogodkih v Galileji? Mogoče so poskušali v njem vzbuditi ogorčenje in ga spodbuditi, da bi povedel ljudi v upor. Mogoče pa so bili radovedni, kako bo Jezus odgovoril na vprašanja, ki so jih begala. Jezus je odgovoril s protivprašanjem. Jezus presega običajna razmišljanja. S korenitim zanikanjem poudari, da se pogubljenje ne ozira na družbene razlike. Ne odgovori na vprašanje, zakaj je tiran moril ali zakaj se je podrl stolp. Zanj je pomembno vprašanje: zakaj mi je podarjeno življenje? Videl je, da judovski narod drvi v prepad. Zavračal je upor, saj bi bil kljub preliti krvi verjetno jalov: nihče ni mogel jamčiti, da bodo voditelji upora ali pa veliki duhovnik Kajfa pravičnejši voditelji kot so Rimljani. Upor tudi ni bil v skladu z narodovim poslanstvom, da oznanja svetu Boga. In to poslanstvo je z Jezusom zopet poudarjeno. Božje kraljestvo je prišlo kot milost in vabilo v Sinu človekovem. Če bo Izrael zaupal odpadnikom, se bo izgubil v mraku brezciljnosti. Dežela bo upostošena in krivični, a vojaško močni Rimljani bodo meč v Gospodovi roki. Jezus je trdil, da ima Izrael posebno mesto - kot smokvino drevo v vinogradu. Raste na prisojnem pobočju in se dviga visoko nad trto: nebo je popolnoma njegovo. V zgodovini je bil sicer večkrat opustošen, a njegov resnični blagoslov ni v materialni blaginji. Izrael ima zavezo z Bogom in poslanstvo, da oznani Boga vsemu svetu. To je njihovo prvenstvo, njihov sončni vinograd. Prvenstvo pa je povezano z odgovornostjo. Od smokvine-ga drevesa pričakujemo sadov. Zelenje in senca pod drevesom ne odtehta-ta smokev. A Izrael je le zelenel, hrepenel je po bogastvu in moči, s katero bi premagal nasprotnike. To je njegova napaka. TRI LETA so veliko časa in simbolično število poudarja veliko božjo potrpežljivost. Njegovi izbranci so nepokorni, Bog pa je še vedno potrpežljiv. Človek lahko prične znova in v spreobrnjenju črpa moč za življenje po evangeliju. 82 | VESTNIK 2016 84 | VESTNIK 2016 86 | VESTNIK 2016 88 | VESTNIK 2016 PREŠERNOV VEČER 2016 V TORONTU V soboto, 20. februarja je VSKO - Milan Vinčec, organiziral kulturni večer. Na začetku je moški zbor Majolka iz Hamiltona zapel kanadsko in slovensko himno. Nato je po pozdravu voditeljice vse navzoče pozdravil predsednik VSKO-ja Milan Vinčec in za njim je nekaj besed spregovoril slovenski veleposlanik iz Ottawe dr. Marjan Cencen. Moški zbor Majolka je nato zapel tri pesmi: Kje je moj mili dom, Hišica draga domača in Slovenec sem. Program je nadaljevala plesna skupina Moladi glas ml.; po vodstvom Nancy Kajin so zaplesali tri plese na melodije: Na Golici, Moravska dolina in Po zlati poljani. Dr. Tone Kačičnik je odlično deklamiral Uvod h Krstu pri Savici. Sledila je točka pianistke Nastasie Žibrat. Zaigrala je odlomke Sergei Prokofieva: Selections from Romeo and Juliet Op. 75 in Ballade No. 1 in g. Minor, Op. 23, Frederica Chopina. Simon Pribac je nato deklamiral dve pesmi. Prva je bila Pevcu, Franceta Prešerna in druga Kosovelova Opolnoči. Kulturni program večera je zaključil mldisni zbor župnije Brezmadežne pod vodstvom Milana Vinčeca. Zapeli so: Sonce rumeno (M. Vinčec), Poj, za nami poj (Joe Raposo, M. Vinčec), Siva pot (J. Denver, A. Mežek) in Venček narodnih. Po zaključku programa so bili vsi povabljeni še na okrepčilo. Lepo kulturno doživetje večera je obogatilo vse navzoče. VESTNIK 2016 | 83 VESTNIK 2016 | 85 VESTNIK 2016 | 87 2016 - OBČNI ZBOR SUMMARY 49 parishioners attended an informative meet-ing on February 21st. Each of the committees, socie-ties and groups within the parish presented high-lights of their work during the year with many anni-versaries and successes being celebrated. The men’s choir, Majolka, the Canadian Sloveni-an Scholarship Foundation and the Slovenian Sum-mer Day Camp celebrated 50, 20 and 15 - year anni-versaries respectively. Heidy Novak, parish council president, provided updates on new initiatives in 2015. She mentioned the success of the joint New Year’s Eve 2015/16 event, planned in conjunction with Club Bled and the increased number of parishioners volunteering for events. She was also pleased to report that, with input from Tony Horvat, the C.A.A. contract has been successfully renewed for a period of 5 years. She also outlined major upgrades completed in 2015 - the hall air conditioning refit and the new flooring in the rectory hallways. Plans for 2016 in-cluded ideas for extra fund raising efforts – to offset the cost of a much needed new flat roof on the rec-tory and church, a major on site clean up scheduled for March and the anticipated publication of the parish history book. This year, two new members were acclaimed to the council - Mary Ann Demšar and Joe Pust. Their ideas and enthusiasm will be welcomed. Throughout the meeting many parishioners shared ideas, suggestions and positive comments - all of which were appreciated by council members. The final words were, of course, reserved for Father Drago, who provided an overview of both the spiritual and practical components of parish life. He concluded the meeting with a prayer and invited everyone present to share in the refreshments orga-nized by Nancy Dundek, Jožica Vegelj, Gizela Hauzar and Dragica Ferenčak. Slovenska šola je v nedeljo po mašah pripravila krofe, kavo, čaj in sok. Kar lepa udeležba! Hvala učiteljicam in otrokom. 3RD SUNDAY OF LENT Response: The Lord is merciful and gracious. First Reading Exodus 3:1-8. 13-15 The Lord not only reveals the name by which he wants to be known; he declares that he has heard his people’s cry in their distress. God acts on their behalf. Second Reading 1 Corinthians 10:1-6. 10-12 In a brief history lesson, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the deeds of God on behalf of God’s people in the past. Their infidelity should be a warning to greater effort in the present. Gospel Luke 13:1-9 Jesus makes it clear that sudden death is never to be seen as a punishment for sin. A more important issue is that people take to heart the call to embrace the arrival of God’s kingdom. “Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered… were greater sinners than any other Galileans?” Illustration On 17 June 1940, the greatest British maritime disaster in history took place. A British troopship, the former Cunard liner Lancastria, was lying off the French coast near Saint-Nazaire, waiting to evacuate troops and civilians including women and children. No one knows how many people were actually on board. It’s certain that there were more than six thousand, but some think there could have been as many as nine thousand. The ship was bombed by German aircraft and sank rapidly. Only about two thousand were rescued. The sinking of the Lancastria and the great loss of human life combined two types of suffering that cause us most horror, because they entail the suffer-ing of innocent people. The many deaths were caused by the combination of the sea and the bombing – in other words, by natural forces and human atrocity. Both types of tragedy are the sub-ject matter of today’s Gospel passage. Gospel Teaching In the Gospel, only here, in Luke, is the thorny subject of the suffering of innocent people tackled. There is a conversation between Jesus and people who told him about Pontius Pilate’s latest atrocity: he had killed some Galileans who were offering sac-rifices. This is an atrocity on different levels. First, Pilate had innocent people slaughtered: according to Jesus these were no greater sinners than other Galileans, and therefore their deaths were not pun-ishment for sins. Second, Pilate violated their reli-gious practice by mixing human blood he had caused to be shed with the blood of sacrificial ani-mals, adding desecration to murder. No documentary evidence for this example of Pilate’s brutality exists apart from this passage in Luke, but such impetuous and disproportionate action was in keeping with his customary behaviour. We need only remember his actions during Jesus’ trial, when he chose to condemn a patently inno-cent man to death in order to save his own reputa-tion with the Roman emperor. In today’s Gospel, Jesus adds his own tragic story, about a collapsed tower at Siloam (near the Temple) that killed eight-een people. Again, we have a story that is not found anywhere else in contemporary literature, although archaeological discoveries in the area may possibly point to just such a structure. Again, Jesus states that the tragic deaths of the poor victims are no indication of their guilt. Jesus stresses that all people need to repent, otherwise they too will perish – a strange state- ment, until we realise that in the New Testament the word that in English be-comes “repent” literally means a change of mind, ra-ther than penitential activity. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus issues a call to repent when he announces the Good News that the kingdom of God is at hand. This repentance means a change of mind, which em-braces the idea of the king-dom of God among us. Now Jesus implies that failing to make that change of mind, repentance, carries even greater danger than the threat of unexpected death. Application The Gospel leaves some major questions unanswered. How can God allow innocent people to suffer and die? It would almost be easier to understand (though harder to accept) a God who instantly punishes sins, but Jesus clearly distances himself (and his Father) from any such conclusion. Of course, this is what causes people to ask, “How can God allow innocent people to suffer?” Glib answers are not helpful. There is, however, some helpful biblical background to this issue in today’s first reading: the conversation between Mo-ses and God via the burning bush. Moses is given a remarkable insight into the plans of God. Briefly, what God says to Moses is, “I have heard the cry of my people in their distress… I mean to respond to their need.” This applies to the distress of God’s people who are slaves in Egypt. God pledges to free them, but there is also the revelation of the name by which God chooses to be known: “I Am”, meaning “the one who always is”. We can conclude, then, that God always hears the cry of God’s people in their distress, and always responds. The Good News that Jesus reveals is that he is God’s response to our need. In Jesus, God does not take away human suffering; God shares in it. Every parent knows the impossibility of tak-ing away a child’s pain; like every parent, God our Father shares the suffering of all his children. The death of Jesus guarantees this, and his resur-rection points to the total de-struction of all suffering, all pain, all sorrow. 24 HOURS FOR THE LORD Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, invites us to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of a worldwide initiative called “24 Hours for the Lord.” Confessors will be available at the Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King, Hamilton on Friday, March 4th from 4:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. with Father Bill Trusz (Missionary of Mercy) preaching at 7:00 p.m. On Saturday, March 5th we will begin with a Mass for Reconciliation and Peace at 8:30 a.m. in the Cathedral Basilica. Confessions will resume after Mass until 4:30 p.m OBVESTILA - ANNOUNCEMENTS PEVSKE VAJE Mešani pevski zbor bo imel v četrtek zvečer po maši pevske vaje. DOGODKI V BLIŽNJI PRIHODNOSTI . 28. februar: CWL-KŽZ: BAZAAR, Društvo sv. Jožefa: general meeting. Mass at 10:00 a.m. . 6. marec: London: maša v dvorani Triglav ob 1:45 p.m.; Bled: Dan žena-Women's Day . 13. marec: Društvo sv. Jožefa - Banket; London-Triglav: Annual Membership Meeting; Sava: Membership General Meeting at 1:00 p.m. . 17-18. marec: St. Gregory - Duhovna obnova . 20. marec: Palm Sunday - Mass starts at 9:15 in the hall. Sava: Mass at 12:00, London -St. John the Divine, Mass at 4:00 p.m. . 20. marec: Lipa park - Predstavitev novega ambasadorja leta 2016 - začetek ob 1:00 p.m.- igra: »Europa« (Steve Cafuta) . 25. marec: St. Gregory - Good Friday celebration at 3:00 p.m. - FISH FRY at 4:30 p.m. . 26. marec: Blessing of the Easter Food: London: 10:00 a.m., Sava: 12:00, St. Gregory the Great at 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 p.m.; Easter Vigil at 8:00 p.m. . 2. april: St. Gregory the Great - Slovenska noč - VSKO is organizing . 10. april: St. Gregory the Great - Spomladanski banket; Mass at 10:00 a.m. PRINAŠANJE DAROV: GIFT BEARERS Feb. 28th, 10:00 a.m.: Vera Gonza & Sidonia Poppa March 6th, 9:30 a.m.: Gizela Hauzar & Emilia Mertuk CWL-KŽZ CWL Annual Parish Bazaar - today!! Our parish family and friends are invited ! Doors open at 11am. Lunch Tickets are $17 for adults. Children 10 and under are $5. Children 3 and under are free. - Hope to see you there! DRUŠTVO SV. JOŽEFA Slovenian Society/Villa Slovenia Annual Meeting - Sunday, February 28th: Meeting will be held following the 10:00 a.m. Mass at Villa Slovenia. St. Joseph Society/Društvo membership is now due. Please see Frank Erzar for payment of your 2016 membership card. The Annual St. Joseph Society Banquet will be held on Sunday, March 13th. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by contacting Frank Erzar @ 905-643-0285. Entertainment and door prizes. Reserve your table now. Admission: Adults: $25, Students 20, Children: $7. A Call for Youth Talent: At the annual St. Joseph Society Banquet we will be featuring “Nageljčki Dancers” from Toronto & our own youth who will share their artistic talents. Perfor-mances may include: dance, vocal, instrumental, gymnastics or other stage performances. - For interest and confirmation contact: Peter Novak @ 905-560-4201, Jerry Ponikvar @ 905-333-5813. PRVI PETEK Ta teden je prvi petek v mesecu. Obiskovali bomo bolnike. Zvečer ob 5:30 bo priložnost za zakrament sprave - sveto spoved. Ob pol sedmih bomo začeli s pobožnostjo križevega pota. Vabljeni! SVETE MAŠE - MASS TIMES: Ponedeljek/Monday – Petek/Friday: 7:00 P.M. Sobota/Saturday: 8:00 A.M. – slovenska / in Slovenian 5:30 P.M. – slovenska / in Slovenian - Nedelja/Sunday: 9:30 A.M. – slovenska / in Slovenian - 11:00 A.M. – angleška / in English KRSTI / BAPTISMS: Po dogovoru, prijava 1 mesec prej. - For an app’t, call one month before. POROKE / MARRIAGE: Prijava eno leto prej. / For an app’t, call one year before the wedding date. SPOVED / CONFESSIONS: Vsak prvi petek ob 6:00 P.M. / 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 for a personal conversation (person counselling) with your priest – please call during business hours for an appointment. Tel: 905-561-5971. DON BOSCO FISH FRY Vas obveščamo, da bomo na Veliki petek, 25. marca po obredih, učiteljice in otroci slovenske šole nudili pohane ribe in krompirček v zgornji dvorani. Vljudno Vas prosimo in vas vabimo, da pridete in se pogostite. S tem boste pomagali našim učencem zbirati potrebna finančna sredstva za šolo. The teachers and students of Slovenian School will be selling fish and chips in the upper hall after the Good Friday Service on March 25th. Doors will open at 4:30pm and everyone is welcome. There will only be limited tickets availa-ble at the door so please get your tickets as soon as possible! With this you will be helping our school children raise funds for their school. Tickets will be available for sale after each Mass on Saturdays and Sundays. You can also reserve ticket/orders by contacting Sandy Ferletic by email at sferletic@gmail.com or by phone at (905) 977-8464. Tickets are $15 and include one drink. We thank you in advance for your generosity and cooperation. We hope to see you soon on Good Friday! 3. POSTNA NEDELJA 28. FEBRUAR Ožbolt, škof † † † za žive in rajne župljane Anton Vogrinc Vinko Kovič Marija Grebenc BAZAAR - CWL - KŽZ 12:00 Hčekre Stojanka Zečevič Lojze in Peter Grebenc Parish Hall PONEDELJEK - MONDAY 29. FEBRUAR Prestopni dan † Adela Žekš 7:00 P.M. Gerda Žekš TOREK - TUESDAY 1. MAREC A,lbin, škof †† Alojz, Franc, Jože Kornhauzer 8:00 A.M. Gizela Hauzar SREDA - WEDNESDAY 2. MAREC Neža Praška, dev. † †† † Eileen McKenzie Marija in Jože Zelko Stanko Demšar 7:00 P.M. CWL - KŽZ Hči z družino Demšar-Scarcelli ČETRTEK - THURSDAY 3. MAREC Kunigunda, ces. † †† † Ivan Juršič Pokojni iz družine Kološa Vid Kastelic 7:00 P.M. Anica Saje Majda Salajko Župnijski zbor PRVI PETEK FIRST FRIDAY 4. MAREC Kazimir, kralj † † † † KRIŽEV POT Ivan Ferenčak Za verne duše v vicah Štefan Gonza Rudi Zafred, obl. Duh. Alojz Tomc, obl. 6:30 P.M. 7:00 P.M. Frank in Ana Ferenčak Tone in Marija Bukvič Tone in Marija Bukvič Family Klepec Pavel in Jožica Novak SOBOTA - SATURDAY 5. MAREC Olivija, mučenka Hadrijan, mučenec †† † †† †† † † Eufemija in Jožef Tompa Štefan Gonza, obl. Franc in Verona Korošec Štefan in Barbara Kovač Ida Ftičar Sofija Virant, obl. 8:00 A.M. 5:30 P.M. Agata Sarjaš in družina Vera Gonza in hči Sandy Ignac in Marija Korošec Marija in Ignac Korošec Mož Joe Ftičar Romana Novak 4. POSTNA NEDELJA 6. MAREC Fridolin, opat †† †† † †† Za žive in rajne župljane Ida in Jožef Ftičar Jernej in Lucija Ponikvar Anton Hočevar Pokojni člani društva London 9:30 A.M. 11:00 A.M. 1:45 P.M. Ana in Zoltan Gergyek Družina Ponikvar Tom in Mary Miklavčič London-dvorana Triglav SVETE MAŠE - MASSES Od 28. 2. 2016 Do 6. 3. 2016 MASS ONLY AT 10:00 A.M.