Slovenska župnija sv. Gregorija Velikega | St. Gregory the Great Slovenian Church 04/48 Številka - Number / Leto - Year 22.01.2012 3. NEDELJA MED LETOM 3rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Drago Gačnik sdb ŽUPNIK - PASTOR Naslov - Address 125 Centennial Pkwy N Hamilton, ON L8E 1H8 Telefon - Telephone 905-561-5971 Fax 905-561-5109 E-mail gregory_sdb@cogeco.ca http://www.carantha.net/ st_gregory_the_great_slovenian _church.htm "Hodita za menoj... // Takoj sta mreže popustila in šla za njim. Če bi sam evangelij ne poročal, da je bilo tako, bi se nam zdelo nemogoče. Na en sam Jezusov klic sta ribiča Simon in Andrej pustila vse za seboj ter odšla za njim. Kakšen čar le je moral Jezus izžarevati, da sta Simon in Andrej, takoj nato pa še Jakob in Janez, v trenutku zapustila vse, kar jima je bilo doslej domače: družino in kraj ter delo, s katerim sta se do tedaj preživljala! Brez dvoma sta spoznala nekaj tako velikega, da se jima je zdelo vredno zaradi tega zastaviti vse življenje. Takšna življenjska odločitev je možna. Obstoje vrednote, zaradi katerih je vredno »zapustiti vse« in prekrižati vse tisto, kar nas usodno zaznamuje. In šele takrat začnemo resnično živeti iz sebe, resnično bivati. Življenjska odločitev prvih apostolov, kot odziv na Kristusov klic, nam osvetljuje globoki smisel tistega klica, ki ga Jezus izgovarja tudi nam vsem. V Jezusovem času je bila navada, da so si znanja željni iskalci izbirali učitelje po svoji volji. To pa ne velja za prve apostole. Le-te je izbral Jezus za svoje učence. »Niste vi mene izbrali, ampak sem jaz vas izbral.« Vedno je najprej Jezusov pogled, v katerem se iskri njegovo sporočilo in obljuba srečanja. In človek jo sprejme — ali zavrne. Tudi na bogatega mladeniča se je Jezus ozrl, ga vzljubil in povabil (Mr 10,21). Toda zasužnjeni mladenič se je žalosten odvrnil stran. Učenci so se brez strahu ločili: od mrež, družine, morja in znancev. Niso si zavarovali mrež na obali, za vsak primer, če bi šlo slabo, da bi se spet vrnili na staro delo. Odločitev je bila enkratna, neponovljiva in celostna. Duhovitega irskega pisatelja Georgea Bernarda Shawa, sicer neverujočega, je reporter vprašal tik pred smrtjo: »Mr. Shaw, če bi vam bilo dano še enkrat živeti, kdo izmed tistih, ki ste jih poznali, bi želeli biti?« Brez pomisleka je na to Shaw odgovoril: »Želel bi si biti človek, ki bi George Bernard Shaw lahko bil, pa ni nikdar bil.« CHRISTIAN UNITY WILL TAKE MORE THAN KINDNESS Calls for Conversion at Personal and Community Level The path to Christian unity requires more than being nice to each other and cooperating, says Benedict XVI. Full and visible unity will require transformation and being conformed to the image of Christ. The annual celebration is held in the Northern hemisphere in the week leading up to the feast of the conversion of St. Paul (Jan. 25), while in the Southern hemisphere, it is generally marked around the feast of Pentecost. "The full and visible unity of Christians for which we long demands that we allow ourselves to be ever more perfectly transformed and conformed to the image of Christ," the Holy Father stated. "The unity for which we pray requires interior conversion, both communal and personal. It is not simply a matter of kindness and cooperation; above all, we must strengthen our faith in God, in the God of Jesus Christ, who has spoken to us and who made himself one of us; we must enter into new life in Christ, which is our true and definitive victory; we must open ourselves to one another, cultivating all the elements of that unity that God has preserved for us and gives to us ever anew; we must feel the urgency of bearing witness before the men of our times to the living God, who made himself known in Christ.' The theme for this year's Week of Prayer is "We Will All Be Changed By the Victory of Our Lord Jesus Christ," and the texts for reflection and meditation were prepared by ecumenical groups in Poland. The Holy Father reflected on the Church's commitment to ecumenism, 'The Second Vatican Council put the ecumenical pursuit at the center of the Church's life and work," he said. He cited John Paul II, who referred to unity, not as "something added on, but [which] stands at the very heart of Christ's mission. ... [I]t belongs to the very essence of this community." Benedict XVI affirmed, "The ecumenical task is therefore a responsibility of the whole Church and of all the baptized, who must make the partial, already existing communion between Christians grow into full communion in truth and charity. Therefore, prayer for unity is not limited to this Week of Prayer but rather must become an integral part of our prayer, of the life of prayer of all Christians, in every place and in every time, especially when people of different traditions meet and work together for the victory, in Christ, over all that is sin, evil, injustice, and that violates human dignity." The Pontiff noted the "clear recognition" that the lack of unity jeopardizes Christians' credibility and "prevents the Gospel from being proclaimed more effectively." "How can we give a convincing witness if we are divided?" he asked. "Certainly, as regards the fundamental truths of the faith, much more unites us than divides us. But divisions remain, and they concern even various practical and ethical questions -- causing confusion and distrust, and weakening our ability to hand on Christ's saving Word." The Bishop of Rome stressed, however, that only Christ is "capable of transforming us and changing us -- from being weak and hesitant -- to being strong and courageous in working for good. Only he can save us from the negative consequences of our divisions." Thus, the Pope invited the faithful to "be more intensely united in prayer during this Week for Unity, so that common witness, solidarity and collaboration may grow among Christians. Vatican City, Jan. 18,2012 (Zenit.org) s Sunday's Readings I 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time First Reading Jonah 3:1-5,10 The reluctant prophet Jonah finally does his job and preaches repentance. Second Reading 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Paul urges the Corinthians to put their lives in order. Gospel Mark 1:14-20 Jesus wastes no time, but sets about his mission with urgency. Illustration Preparing for a mission in their parish, the enthusiastic team entrusted with getting the show on the road decided to look for innovative ways to advertise the event. A large banner which could be strung across the front of the church was planned, knowing that it would attract the attention of the thousands who passed each day on their way to and from town. The message was simple but challenging: You cannot recycle time, but you can use it well. But it wasn't that simple: the message was cleverly disguised in a series of icons, which had to be translated. The first phrase began with a ewe -a female sheep - and was followed by a tin can, a 28 | VESTNIK 2012 knot in a rope, and the green recycling logo, before ending with a large clock to signify time. The parish priest had enormous fun listening to parishioners and others trying to unravel the message. Some of those whose first language wasn't English made great strides in solving the riddle, but couldn't understand why a sheep should have such trouble with recycling! We live in a busy world and many of us complain that we haven't got time even for the things we consider of real importance. Yet deep down most of us are honest enough to recognize that we don't manage our time very well and that we often waste time or procrastinate, looking for distractions. Gospel Teaching If there is one thing that defines Mark's Gospel it is that right from the beginning there is a sense of urgency. Mark is keen to let us know that now is the time for action. He is forever telling us there is no time for delay. Jesus begins his public ministry with the words "This is the time of fulfillment"; and the first apostles are called and follow him. This message is reinforced for us today by Paul's insistence with the Corinthians that they should not waste time on things that are no longer of importance. We might think that he rather overdoes things, suggesting that those with wives should live as though they had not, and so on. However, it is worth reminding ourselves that Paul really did think that Jesus was due to return any day and that everyday life would soon be over and done with. In his later letters, he tempers his approach and offers a longer-term perspective on things. All this is in stark contrast to the story of Jonah. We hear about his arrival in Nineveh and his call to the people to repent; but remember that Jonah, like so many of his counterparts, was a reluctant prophet. He was trying to escape his com- "This is the time of fulfillment." mission from God when the ship he was fleeing on was caught in a mighty storm, whereupon he confessed and was thrown overboard. Only when he had been spat out on the shore by the sea creature did he dry himself off and _ accept his mission. Application There is a touch of the Jonah in most of us: there are tasks that we know await our attention, yet we find all kinds of excuses to avoid them, either because we can't be bothered, or because we fear the consequences, or because we fear failure. The mission that inspired the banner about not being able to recycle time invited the parishioners to think about our Lord's statement: "This is the time of fulfillment." To begin with they pondered that powerful passage in the book of Ecclesi-astes, which tells us that there is a time for every season under heaven; and then each evening they focused on a different aspect of the gift of time: a time for stillness, a time for healing, a time for searching, a time for growth, a time for others and a time for rejoicing. Jesus provides us with the perfect model when it comes to the use of time. For all the urgency in Mark's Gospel, Jesus finds time to be still and to pray, he always has time for others and he is not afraid to rejoice at the appropriate time. When it comes to searching, isn't it interesting that while we think it is up to us to spend our lives searching for meaning, searching for purpose, searching for God, the Gospel reminds us that actually it is the other way round? We have a God who is searching for us. Jesus says to us, as he said to his first disciples: "Follow me." Devetdesetletnik Janko Demšar z družino se iskreno zahvaljuje duhovnim gospodom, sožuplja-nom, sorodnikom, prijateljem in znancem za vse tako dobrohotno izražene pisne in ustno izrečene čestitike, dobre želje in darila ob priložnosti proslave moje 90-te obletnice življenja. Prav tako vsem, ki so tako izvirno pripomogli, da je to slavje potekalo tako prisrčno in ganljivo zato ponovna zahvala in Bog povrni, hvaležen Janko Demšar in družina. For those who do not understand our Slovenian language, I wish to also let you know that I extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to all who helped celebrate my 90th Birthday last week at mass. May God bless you and yours. Obvestila - Announcements pevski zbor_ V četrtek po maši so pevske vaje. Naslednjič zbor poje pri maši 29. januarja, ko se spominjamo sv. Janeza Boska, ustanovitelja salezijanske družbe in Jezusovega darovanja - Svečnica. folklorna skupina »soča«_ Folklorna skupina "SOČA" is starting its 46th season. All past and new members are invited to attend practices on Saturdays at 12:30 [following Slovenska šola]. January 28 will be our first practice. All children from 7 years of age and above are encouraged. If we have sufficient numbers, a teenage group will be formed. Encourage your children, grandchildren and friends to learn a little about their roots through music, dance and song. For more information, please contact Dave Antolin: 905.664.5980. folklorna skupina »venec«_ "VENEC" will have practice on Sunday, January 29th at 2pm. All members are encouraged to attend. New members and couples are always welcome to join this cross-community organization. For more information, call Dave Antolin: 905-6645980. persons separated and divorced LEARNING TO COPE (Level I) is a ten week support program starting Tuesday, February 28th (7:00 pm to 9:30 pm) for persons experiencing the trauma of a separa- tion or divorce. For more information, please contact the Family Ministry Office at (905) 528-7988, ext. 2249. Cost: $35. Past participants are welcome to inquire about other Levels programs available. COME join US to FIND THE "KEYS TO loving RELATIONSHIPS"_ "Keys" is a ten week video-based program meant for anyone (married or single) who is looking for a more meaningful relationship with a spouse, family member or friend. The program runs Thursday evenings from 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. starting March 1st, at the Chancery Office, 700 King St. W, Hamilton. The cost is $45.00. For more information, please call the Family Ministry Office at (905) 528-7988 ext. 2249. obletnice porok_ S škofije so tudi za letos poslali plakat s prijavnicami za različne obletnice porok /25, 40, 50, 60 in več/. Kdor bi se želel pridružiti škofijskemu praznovanju v hamiltonski katedrali, naj izpolni prijavnico in jo do 20. junija pošlje na škofijo Hamilton. Praznovanje bo letos v nedeljo, 9. septembra 2012 ob dveh popoldne. TALENT SHOW_ Share your Talents for a Worthy Cause in this Year's TALENT SHOW, March 18, 2012. Registration/Audition February 3rd and 10th from 7:00 p.m. To 9:00 p.m. At 739 Browns Line. Call: Matt Lebar 647-2950192 or Milena soršak: 905-276-7258. Our hope for tomorrow is in the good we do today. Victoria Funds helps Slovenians with Special Needs. DOGODKI V PRIHODNJIH DNEH ♦ V nedeljo, 22. januarja, bodo pri društvu BLED KOLINE. Vabljeni vsi, ki ne bi radi doma kuhali. ♦ V nedeljo 29. januarja pa greste lahko k društvu LIPA PARK, kjer imajo Kulturni dan, Lovski in ribiški dan in koline. Ob eni uri popoldne bo na razpolago odlično kosilo /cena $15.00/, po kosilu kratka proslava in nato družabno popoldne. Za rezervacijo kosila pokličite Francko Seljak: 905-735-5207 ali Paulo Kunej: 905934-2557. The Catholic Girl's Club 2nd Annual Spaghetti Dinner will be held on Saturday, January 28th, 2012 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Tickets will be sold after Sunday Masses. Music donated by »Ansambel ŠIBAJ!« Ticket prices are: Adults: $10.00 Children 3 - 12: $5.00 Children 2 and under: Free All funds raised will go to support children's charities. Your support is always appreciated! DD 29. 01. 2012 svete mase - masses Do 29 01 2012 Masses Monday-Friday 7:00 p.m., Saturday 8:15 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. NEDELJA - SUNDAY 22. Januar 3. Nedelja med leton Vincencij, mučenec za žive in rajne župljane Bogu v zahvalo f Amalija Klepec 9:30 A.M. 11:00 A.M. Martin Malevič z družino Antonija Kreže Ponedeljek - Monday 23. Januar Henrik, duh. ff Stefan in Terezija Žabot ff Matija in Marija Zver 7:00 P.M. Toni Vinčec sin Torek - Tuesday 24. Januar Frančišek Saleški, šk ff Za pokojne duhovnike ff Maximilijan in EJza Kisner ff Rozalija in Ivan Sneler 7:00 P.M. Slomškovo oltarno društvo Julija Sagadin z družino Mary Veličevič Sreda - Wednesday f Stefan Plevel, obl. 7.00 p.m. Žena z družino 25. Januar f Tomaž Grebene Družina Pelcar Spreobrnjene ap. Pavla za zdraVJ'e N.N. Četrtek - Thursday 26. Januar Timotej in Tit, škof. f Angela Kovač f Tomaž Grebenc 7:00 P.M. Viktor in Olga Glavač Družina Cestnik Petek - Friday f Jožef Pust 7:00 P.M. Družina Vlašič 27. Januar ff vsi pokojni Dragana Ceko Angela Merici f Martin Kolarič Viktor in Olga Glavač Sobota - Saturday 28. Januar Tomaž Akvinski, c.uč. po namenu ff Francka in Rezka Regina f Anton Vengar f Matija Vlašič 8:15 A.M. 5:30 P.M. N.N. Anica Saje Cecilija Lehner Žena in otroci NEDELJA - SUNDAY | za žive in rajne župljane 29. JANUAR ff starši Slobodnikin Težak 9:30 a.m. Družina Slobodnik 4. NEDELJA med leton f Amalija Klepec 11:00 a.m. Antonija Kreže Valerij, škof svete maše - mass times: Ponedeljek/Monday - Petek/Friday: 7:00 p.m. Sobota/Saturday: 8:15 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.