Epiphany Reflection—Day 2 In some homes the feast of the

Epiphany always had an added signifi-

cance. The children knew that the

scene in the Christmas crib was incom-

plete until the strange camels and their

owners made their appearance. And so

throughout the Christmas season they

awoke everyday with the same ques-

tion: “Is it today that the kings can go

in the crib?” Looking back it seems as

though the anticipation of the event

was every bit as important as the ac-

tual placing of the strange figurines.

Once the three kings were in place

they were quickly forgotten—just as

the initial preoccupation with the new

toys faded with each passing day.

This sense of anticipation and subse-

quent dissipation is not limited to the

world of children or the season of

Christmas. Over and over again in our

adult lives we seem to be riding the

roller coaster of enthusiasm and drudg-

ery. How often do we bust into action

and eventually fall into routine pat-

terns of living? This seems especially

true deeper awareness of those around

us; commitment to reading the Scrip-

tures — all of these are subject to dissi-

pation and loss of fervor. The feast of

the Epiphany offers us a chance to re-

flect once more on the Christmas mys-

tery and to renew our commitment to

live it.

The incredible message contained in

today’s gospel account is that three

wise and distinguished leaders should

leave their centers of learning and in-

fluence and seek out an infant born

amid squalor and obscurity—all of this

in order to seek out the light of under-

standing and wisdom. These three

Feasts of Wonder and Awe:

Christmas, Epiphany, and

The Baptism of Jesus each celebrating

a disclosure of Divinity! The whole

season invites us into a celebration of

these sacred mysteries.

Emmanuel, Our God is with us.

Jesus the Christ has come;

Hope dwells among us.

The Epiphany of the Lord

January 6

“If the magi had come in search of

an earthly king, they would have been

disconcerted at finding that they had

taken the trouble to come such a log

way for nothing. Consequently they

would have neither adored no offered

gifts. But since they sought a heavenly

king, though they found in him no

signs of royal pre-eminence, yt, con-

tent with the testimony of the star

alone, they adored; for they saw a

human, and they acknowledged a

God.”

St. John Chrysostom

Bless Your Door on Epiphany

The Sunday Good News Our Christmas Season St. John Bosco December 24—January 13, 2013

men, whom we remember as WISE,

prove their wisdom by their willingness

to leave behind all that they had ac-

complished in search of the “more” yet

to be discovered. These three men,

whom we name King, prove their lead-

ership by their willingness to follow the

light of God’s love. In remembering

these men, the Scriptures hold out a

challenge to us; amidst our learning

and achievement, do we possess the

wisdom to seek further? Amidst our

powerful accomplishments, do we pos-

sess such leadership?

Soon we will return the crib and its

message to the storage cartons for an-

other year. But what shall we do with

the Light it has reminded us of? The

God who chose to be born in simplicity

seeks us as the bearers of this Light—

Let’s not pack that away too!

Epiphany Reflection—Day 3 Gazing at Divinity

The feast of the Epiphany is a richly

layered and textured moment in Chris-

tian life, played out in a wonderful

array of poetic elements; a great

mother star signaling sages and seekers

to undertake the great journey to see

and find the divine child birthed in

obscurity, in vulnerability, in primor-

diality, so that those who seek can

behold divinity in its infancy, in its

familiarity , its vulnerability, its nov-

elty, its likeness to us. In some ways,

Epiphany is one of the most profound

festivals of the Christian liturgical cycle

because it ritually signals the birth of

the contemplative life. It is about com-

ing to see which, to behold, and to be

held. The feast is about sacred gazing

which we call contemplation: to seeing

and recognizing what it is we actually

see. Remember the last time you sim-

ply, silently, beheld an infant, were

beheld by an infant: that startling ex-

change—the wonder, the awe of that

encounter; a metaphor, or perhaps the

reality itself, of divinity gazing upon

us. This is the mystery of Epiphany.

Adapted: “A Feast of Wonder”

Sr. Kathleen Deignan

THIS WEEK…

AA & Al-Anon…………………………...…….......Wednesday, January 9, 7:00PM

Catholicism Series……………….....Wednesday, January 9, 10:00AM, 6:30PM

Nativity Take-Down…………………………...…....Saturday, January 12, 9:00AM

WE ARE NOT ALONE In this age of ruthless bottom-line efficiency, of a libertarian ethos that celebrates the strong individual and scorns the weak, there is a need to recover the Catholic sensibility of communio. We are not alone, nor are we meant to be alone. Instead, we are called to support and sustain one another. In the Acts of the Apostles, we are introduced to this sense of communio in the early Christian community, and we see it in its more radical forms today in monastic com-munities and some ecclesial move-ments. Out of the darkness that descended on America at 9:30 in the morning on Dec. 14, we have seen signs of com-munio in action. The tremendous outpouring of solidarity for the vic-tims and the families of Newtown, Conn., is as heartening as the massa-cre itself was devastating. People streamed into town to offer consola-tion, song and support. Gifts of food and money were sent by total strang-ers. With all of the distractions of fiscal cliffs and Christmas prepara-tions, we still felt the need to express our solidarity, our communion, with the people of Newtown. This mani-festation of communio is the hint of what we need going forward. While much of the discussion right now is focused on specific pieces of legisla-tion — more gun control or more funding for mental health programs — the larger issue is individual isola-tion and the lack of concern for the other that ultimately are symptoms of the culture of death. As Pope Blessed John Paul II wrote in Evan-gelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”): “This reality is characterized by the emergence of a culture which denies solidarity and in many cases takes the form of a veritable ‘culture of death.’ This culture is actively fos-tered by powerful cultural, economic and political currents which encour-age an idea of society excessively concerned with efficiency. Looking at the situation from this point of view, it is possible to speak in a certain sense of a war of the powerful against the weak: a life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless, or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected in one way or an-other.” Considering what is best for society, what benefits those who are weakest or most troubled, and most of all, to

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LITURGICAL MINISTERS

January 12th & January 13th

4:00 PM Lectors………… Robert Shanno Dave Glassberg

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Altar Servers

Jason Seiwell Julia Tihansey Ann Corazza Dominic Yanuzzi Nadine Skawski Mary Lou Glassberg

7:30 AM Lector…………. Frank Polidora

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Altar Servers

Appey Palfey Miranda Fetchen Cecilia Zielinski Jim Zielinski Paul Monkoski

9:00 AM Lector……………. Christina Davis James McAndrew

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Altar Servers

Janet Naylon Laura D’Amato Joan Carrelli Larry Zapotocky Joe Carrelli Margaret McAndrew

11:30 AM Lector……………. Rosie T. Hickey

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Altar Servers

Amy Triano Ayla Triano Ray Triano Eden Triano Jan Kelly

Personal Home Care Ministry January 6 Janice Palubinsky January 13 Walter Skawski January 20 Appey Palfey

The Sunday Good News

live in solidarity with others, this is ultimately what the culture of life, in fact the Gospel of life, calls us to. There was a time when this sense of community was reflexive. Parents looked out for other families’ kids. Neighborhoods were aware of their troubled souls, and the community — school, family, church and gov-ernment — was more likely to work together. But for many years, we have been a society that has been splintering. Parents don’t support teachers. Families barely see each other in most neighborhoods. Peo-ple don’t want to get involved. The idea of what benefits the common good has become less and less dis-cussed, while the new mantras are “What’s in it for me?” “What have you done for me lately?” Perhaps Newtown will serve as a reminder that we as a community are called to something more. We are called to be in solidarity with the weakest and most troubled among us, to stand with those who are hurting, those who are grieving, those who have no voice. We may never be able to fully answer the question why this horror happened. We will debate the details and argue about the legislation. What is most important, however, is that we real-ize that resisting the culture of death is a task each one of us is called to, and each one if us is capa-ble of.

Our Sunday Visitor Editorial

YOUTH GROUP NEWS The Combined Youth Ministry of GS/SJB meets on the 2nd & 4th Sun-day from 6—8PM. All those in grades 6—12 are welcome to come. For more information, call Scott Hig-gins at 570- 406-9953. There is a gathering at SJB on Sun-day, January 13th from 6—8PM and at GS on Sunday, January 27 from 6—8 PM.

All high school students are welcome to attend the International Student Leadership Institute (ISLI) February 22—

24 hosted by the Diocese. For more information, contact Scott Higgins or check out the Diocesan website at:

www.dioceseofscranton.org

PAGE 3

TABERNACLE CANDLE

The Tabernacle Candle burns this week in memory of Robert Wallace by Pat & Tom Rusnock.

Classes resume today, January 6th.. The Faith Formation Office wishes you a very Happy New Year!.

High School Classes resume on Sunday, January 13th. See you then!

The Sunday Good News

WE REMEMBER...

DAILY READINGS The Epiphany of the Lord

Sunday

Is 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12

Monday

1 Jn 3:22―4:6; Mt 4:12-17, 23-25

Tuesday

1 Jn 4:7-10; Mk 6:34-44

Wednesday

1 Jn 4:11-18; Mk 6:45-52

Thursday

1 Jn 4:19―5:4; Lk 4:14-22a

Friday

1 Jn 5:5-13; Lk 5:12-16

Saturday

1 Jn 5:14-21; Jn 3:22-30

In recognition of our need to give, the many needs of our church and parish, and in gratitude for God’s gifts to us, we de-clare our willingness to return a portion

of our Treasure to our parish, as a part of our total Christian stewardship.

This week’s second collection is for the Care & Education of Priests.

Thank you for your generosity!!

Due to the holiday schedule, our our Sunday Stewards’ report for the weekend

of December 22/23 & December 29/30 will be in next week’s bulletin.

Saturday, 4:00PM January 5 Rosalie Luchi By Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Altar & Rosary

Sunday, 7:30AM January 6

Priest’s Intention

Sunday, 9:00AM January 6 Living & Deceased Members of St. John Bosco

Sunday, 11:30AM January 6 Joan Mattioli By Lou & Marge Mattioli

Monday, 8:00AM January 7 Kay Lyman By Bob Shanno

Tuesday, 8:00AM January 8 Lucia & Pasqualina Lamberti By Mr. & Mrs. Lorenzo Ruggiero

Wednesday, 8:00AM January 9 Robert Wallace By Janet Naylon

Thursday, 8:00AM January 10 Walter Bartusiak By Roseanne Deom

Friday, 8:00AM January 11 Souls in Purgatory By John & Jeanette Donahue

Saturday, 4:00PM January 12 Alan Bailey By Ingemar & Delores Dalstad

Sunday, 7:30AM January 13

Priest’s Intention

Sunday, 9:00AM January 13 Ann Lauria By Maryanne Bailey & Sons

Sunday, 11:30AM January 13 Living & Deceased Members of St. John Bosco

GREY DOG SUPER BOWL TICKET Don’t be left without a ticket on Super Sun-

day, February 3rd! Our Grey Dog Raffle Ticket is $100.00 and greatly helps our parish. They’re avail-able after all masses and at the parish office.

A NEW YEAR’S PRAYER Good and gracious God,

A new year of grace is upon us, giving us impressions of crisp beginnings new goals,

a fresh sense of hope.

Though we cling to our own expectations

for the year ahead, we know you alone are

the sovereign of our future, Lord of our lives, and the

source of whatever good we may do.

We thank you, O Lord, for the gift of the days and weeks you have entrusted to us.

Teach us to be good stewards of our time ahead,

that we go about our days keeping you

at the center of our lives.

In the midst of our daily pur-suits and activities, focus our eyes on

the needs of others; help us respond with

compassion to the poor; and open our hearts to a suffering world.

We ask for a year of peace, a year that brings an end to

hatred and strife, and a year where we find a

deeper joy that can only be found in you.

We ask this through Christ your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Celebrating our Year of Faith With a Parish Prayer Exchange

Baptism of Our Lord January12/13

“Praying it Forward”

Christ’s Vision

“I have told you these things, so that in me

you may have peace. (John 16:33)

Epiphany Reflection—Day 6

Praying Isaiah 60: 1-3 Rise up in splendor

(your name!) Your light has come, the glory of the Lord

shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth

and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines,

and over you appears God’s glory. Others shall walk by your light

and respond to your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you.”

Will you accept your call to be “one who shows”, “one who reveals” the light in 2013?

Called to Follow Our Star Guiding and protecting Spirit

grant us the patient perseverance of those travelers of old who

found the Savior at journey’s end. In the darkest of nights and in

moments of deepest hopelessness, let us never surrender to despair but always rather seek his star.

We bless and praise the coming of this new year, and look forward anxiously to discovering You our

Provider God in the course of 2013’s journey. From east to west, let a new offering be made to You by women and men of every land.

Amen

Epiphany Reflection—Day 5 It’s not having many differences that threatens our world; it is the failure to cultivate having one heart that is dan-gerous.

“How do you know when it is dawn?” the rabbi asked his disciples.

“Why, you know it is dawn when you see an animal in the distance and can tell if it is a sheep or a dog.”

“No,” the rabbi answered, “that is not dawn.”

“Is it,” another answered, “when you look at a tree in the distance and know if it is a fig tree or a peach tree.”

“No,” said the rabbi.

“Then when is it?” the pupils demanded to know.

It is, the rabbi said, “when you can look on the face of any man or woman and see that it is your sister or brother. Be-cause if you cannot see this, it is still night.”

And we said to the one

who stood at the gate of the year: “Give us a light

that we may tread safely into the unknown.”

And the one at the gate replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into

the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light

and safer than a known way. Adapted : Minnie Louise Haskens

1875—1957

Four Epiphany Feasts—Day 4 Like everything in this universe, the feast of Epiphany evolved into the richly textured and multifaceted cele-bration it is today. Liturgists speculate about the origins of this festival which has its source in the eastern church and may date to the late second century. It is a feast older than Christmas, which is a western festival, and, several centu-ries later, was fused with Christmas to embellish the celebration of the Nativ-ity of Jesus, as the churches began to incorporate each other’s feasts into a more developed liturgical pattern for celebrating and contemplating the mys-teries of Christ.

While the feast itself celebrates the birth of Christ, it also constellates the baptism of Jesus and his first miracle at Cana, because these are the great and first epiphanies of Christ—that is, the disclosures of divinity, the manifesta-tion of the true nature of this sacred person to the world of human persons.

Celebrated on the solstice of the year in December, this feast had many local variations. Some Christians remem-bered the nativity of Jesus. Others re-called the baptism of the Lord. Some acknowledged the arrival of the magi, and still others contemplated the miracle at the wedding of Cana. The point of the feast was to mark the manifestation of God-with-us. The gos-pel event depicting that revelation was not standardized universally. Gradually a “season of Epiphany” emerged featur-ing Christmas, the magi feast, and the baptism of the Lord in order. The wed-ding at Cana suffered a slight demotion, being relegated to the fourth week of the season and only observed every third year.

PAGE 4 The Sunday Good News