Cycles of Faith
33rd Sunday in
Ordinary Time
For more than twenty years, the Golden Apple Award has been
given to Chicago-area teachers for excellence in education. The 2007 winner,
Danna Dotson, says this about her pupils: "I insist that my students know
they have a lot to offer in what they already understand and that they overcome
their fear of being incorrect. I try to instill in them that the smallest
contribution can have the most dynamic effect." Danna wants them to know
that they are all given tremendous gifts, and no matter how small, they must be
willing to invest the time to grow them and share them with others.
At first glance, today's Gospel reading from Matthew appears
to be a lesson in sound economic principles, but as with all of Jesus' parables,
one must look beyond the obvious to discover the true meaning. Just as the man
in the parable entrusted his servants with various amounts of money, God
entrusts us with gifts. And just as some of the servants chose to invest his
money, most of us use our gifts. But the servant who buried his coin is likened
to those of us who fail to share our gifts with others.
It could be said that the only consistent thing in life is
that we are all different. But our differences-our talents-are what belong to
God's plan, and God wills that each of us receive what we need from others, and
that those endowed with particular "talents" share the benefits with
those who need them (CCC 1937). This quite simply is the concept of sharing; a
doctor shares his or her talents to save lives, an artist shares a painting to
add beauty to the world, a teacher shares her understanding of the human being
to bring out the confidence in her students. Do you recognize your talent? Do
you share it with others?
©2008 Liturgical Publications Inc
Things New Prayer Group
Meets every Thursday evening 7:30pm – 9:00pm
in the chapel.
Please Note
Nearly 37 million people in the United
States live below the poverty line, and 13
million of those are children. The
Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) works to create lasting
solutions to the problem of poverty through real community change. Please donate prayerfully and generously to
CCHD next weekend to help those in poverty help themselves. Visit www.povertyusa.org
to learn more.
Thoughts on Life
A new generation of Christians is being called to help build
a world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished – not
rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed.
A new age in which love is not greedy or self-seeking, but pure,
faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity,
seeking their good, radiating joy and beauty.
A new age in which hope liberates us from shallowness, apathy and
self-absorption which deaden our souls and poison our relationships…The Lord is
asking you to be prophets of this new age, messengers of his love, drawing
people to the Father and building a future of hope for all humanity.
Pope Benedict
XVI
A Family Perspective
Like the servants in today’s gospel, God has given us
special assets and expects us to totally invest ourselves in them. Laziness or
being too busy is not tolerated. Family
was freely given to us and is our most precious asset. Invest yourself!
Bud Ozar
Children’s
Corner
Sharing the
Gospel
You can choose to waste your time, your money and your
special talents. You can be selfish with them, too. Or, you can use those gifts
from God to spread good news about Jesus. When you choose to use your gifts for
God, he will fill your heart with joy.
Prayer
God, help me to use my time, my money and my special talents
for you.
What’s Your Catholic IQ?
In the bible, the symbol of hope
is
a. an anchor b.
a boat
c. a
fish d. a net
Looking for the answer? You will
find it somewhere in the bulletin.
Year of St. Paul
Pope
Benedict XVI invites the entire Church to renew its missionary spirit by
reflecting, praying and actively participating in the "Year of St.
Paul" from June 28, 2008
to June
29, 2009. Each diocese has been
invited to name churches as sites of pilgrimage at which the faithful may gain
a plenary indulgence. Most Reverend Henry J. Mansell has named SS. Peter and
Paul Church as one of the designated churches.
The church will be open during the
week between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm.
Please use the front entrance or the side door on the rectory side of
the building.
Sponsor of the Week
Jump With Joy
School News
SSPP HSA Proudly Announces
The 4th
Annual Italian Night
Time: 7:00pm-11:00pm Saturday,
November 22nd
SSPP Gym
$12.00 per person
Featuring internationally acclaimed
Frank Sinatra tribute artist, Patrick
Tobin
This is a byob and
byos (bring your own snacks) affair.
SSPP HSA will be serving Ponte Club’s pasta
fagioli.
For more information contact
Brian J. Mongelluzzo
@ 203-574-2326 or via
email at bjm@brasscitylaw.com
Holiday Celebration
Sponsored by the SSPP Home and School Association
Sunday,
November 30, 2008
9:00 am to 2:00pm
In the school gym
Something for everyone:
Breakfast with Santa, Crafts, Raffle, Grab Bag, Gift Baskets and more!!!!
Breakfast with Santa Claus
Santa’s Arrival
Times: 9:00
– 10:30 am and 11:30 am – 1:00 pm Bring Your Cameras
Following the 8:00am and 11:00am Masses
$5.00 per person (Pre-sale by November 26th)
$6.00 At the Door
Children 2 and under free
Wreath Sale (Pre-Order)
Handmade Balsam Double Sided
22”
$12.00 or 26”
$20.00
Both with red bows
Orders must be placed by November 19th and
will be ready
for pickup during the Holiday
Celebration.
Forms for these events are available at the
entrances of the church.
For information about these
events contact Ann Ferraro at 756-9515
For Your Information
Senior Nutrition Program
Mattatuck Senior Center would like to re-start our Senior Nutrition
Program prepared daily by NOW Inc. Many
of our members have expressed a desire to have this congregate meal program at
our center for at least 3 days a week.
To begin the program, NOW requires that we have at least 15 people
daily who will participate.
For more details, call our Mattatuck Senior Center at 757-1307 daily from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30
p.m.
Please help us to establish this nutritional program again
at our center.
St. Leo the Great Bingo
7:00pm Wednesday evenings in the Guild Hall
Door prize ticket as you enter
Free coffee, specials, sealed tickets and
more
Handicap accessible Well lit parking lot
Friendly atmosphere Smoke free environment
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry has lap
blankets and shawls available for the sick both young and old. If you know of anyone that may need one of
these items, please contact Mary at 757-4705 or Shirley at 574-3634.
Parish Support
The contributions
for the weekend of November 9th
totaled $5,560.00.
The Building Repairs
totaled $2,833.00.
Thank you for your
continued support of our parish.
Answer: a.
The symbolism comes from Hebrews 6:19, which refers to hope as “a sure
and steadfast anchor of the soul”.
Upcoming Events
Boy Scout Troop 302
Sponsored by WARC
after all the Masses
this weekend.
Madonna Guild
The Madonna Guild
general meeting will be held on November 18th at 6:30pm in Memorial Hall.
The speaker will be
Dr. Peter Zilahy speaking on clinical nutrition and orthopedics.
All are welcomed,
both men and women.
The annual Christmas
party this year will be a luncheon to be held at Mona Lisa Restaurant on Wolcott Rd. in Wolcott. The date is December 11th
from 1:30 to 3:30pm and the cost is $20.00.
For more information
call Marie at 755-4923.
Lourdes in Litchfield
The
Montfort Missionaries in celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception
will present an Advent Day of Marian Prayer on Saturday,
December 6, 2008, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Montfort House on the grounds
of Lourdes in Litchfield.
$20 suggested donation includes 10:30am Mass, lunch and the opportunity to
celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. Reservation required by Monday,
December 1st.
Please call 860-567-8434 for
more information
or visit our website: www.shrinect.org.
Send
registration to: Montfort Missionaries:
Advent Day of Marian Prayer
PO Box 667
Litchfield,
CT 06759
Plan Ahead
On the weekend of February 20th
to 22nd 2009, the women of St. Leo’s and SS. Peter and Paul are
invited to Our Lady of Calvary Retreat in Farmington. This year’s theme “One with the Vine”
promises to be provoking and transformative.
Be prepared to change your mindset and see the world and your global
neighbors in a new light. Cost should
never be the reason not making a retreat.
Our Lady’s Guild offers two $100.00 scholarships. You must be a Guild member. Our Lady of Calvary will also find a way to
make a retreat possible. Write a short
note addressed to Sr. Theresina Scully with your request. Any questions, call Ceil at 203-753-4266 or
Kathy at 203-754-6482. Leave name and
number if answering machine picks up and your call will be returned.
Please remember SS. Peter and Paul Church
and School in
your planned giving.
Saturday, November 15th
4:00 Mary and
Bill Conroy - Memorial
(Family)
Sunday, November 16th
8:00 Ann
Tomasiewicz – 1st Anniversary
(Family)
11:00 John Samela –
5th Anniversary
(Family)
Monday, November 17th
7:30 Jeanne
Ciullo – Remembrance Mass
(Daughter
and family)
Tuesday, `November 18th
7:30 Salvatore
Daddona – Birthday Remembrance
(Family)
Wednesday, November 19th
8:00 Mass at St.
Leo the Great
Thursday, November 20th
8:00 Mass at St.
Leo the Great
Friday, November 21st
7:30 Clara Nagrabski
– 5th Anniversary
(Family)
Saturday, November 22nd
4:00 Louis
Pelosi - Memorial
(Pryor Family)
Sunday, November 23rd
8:00 Helen and
Edward Kandel - Anniversary Remembrance (Daughter.
Lillian)
11:00 Giuseppe
Valletta – Memorial
(Family)
Please Remember In your Prayers
Please remember the sick members of our parish
at home, in hospitals and convalescent homes
in your prayers
this week.
Also, please pray for the deceased of the parish
Helen Wiehn
John Connolly
**The
Sanctuary Lamp will burn this week in memory of
Louis Pelosi