wing: Light & Medium Duty

Smith Funeral

Home, Ltd.3126 Main Street

W. Middlesex, PA 16159724-528-3222

Craig Cunningham SmithSupervisor

August 2019For advertising information, contact Minuteman Press

Financial Planning

HARTLE ELDER LAW PRACTICE, LLC

CAROLYN E. HARTLE, ESQUIRE

The law firm where we treat you like part of the family

PA

3170 E. STATE ST TAGE, PA FAX: 724.346.1107

Email: customerservice1@minutemanpress.comwww.hermitage.minutemanpress.com

FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE

FULL COLOR DIGITAL IMAGINGBROCHURES POST CARDS FLYERS PROGRAMS

BUSINESS CARDS NEWSLETTERS FORMS MAILERS RACK CARDS INVITATIONS TICKETS POSTERS

724-347-7575

PARISHIONERS REGISTRATION FORMNAME _________________________________________________ PHONE ________________________

STREET_______________________________CITY_____________________________ZIP__________CHECK: New Registration Change of Address Moving out of Parish Want envelopes

Please drop this information into the Offertory basket or mail to the Rectory.

Secretary - Lisa SaltsgiverChurch of the Good Shepherd

wing: Light & Medium Duty

Smith Funeral

Home, Ltd.3126 Main Street

W. Middlesex, PA 16159724-528-3222

Craig Cunningham SmithSupervisor

August 2019For advertising information, contact Minuteman Press

Financial Planning

HARTLE ELDER LAW PRACTICE, LLC

CAROLYN E. HARTLE, ESQUIRE

The law firm where we treat you like part of the family

PA

3170 E. STATE ST TAGE, PA FAX: 724.346.1107

Email: customerservice1@minutemanpress.comwww.hermitage.minutemanpress.com

FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE

FULL COLOR DIGITAL IMAGINGBROCHURES POST CARDS FLYERS PROGRAMS

BUSINESS CARDS NEWSLETTERS FORMS MAILERS RACK CARDS INVITATIONS TICKETS POSTERS

724-347-7575

PARISHIONERS REGISTRATION FORMNAME _________________________________________________ PHONE ________________________

STREET_______________________________CITY_____________________________ZIP__________CHECK: New Registration Change of Address Moving out of Parish Want envelopes

Please drop this information into the Offertory basket or mail to the Rectory.

Secretary - Lisa SaltsgiverChurch of the Good Shepherd

For advertising information, contact Minuteman Press • 724.346.1105

Church of �e Good ShepherdPastor- Fr. Glenn Whitman • Secretary - Lisa Saltsgiver

Religious Education Director - Lauren DeFelice • Music Director - Greg HansleyEmail: prayerrequestsgswm@gmail.com • (724) 977-3369 Email: goodshepherd55@roadrunner.com

(724) 528-3539 • www.goodshepherdwm.org • 3613 Sharon Road • PO Box 226 • West Middlesex, PA 16159

To an open house in the eveningHome shall men come,

To an older place than EdenAnd a taller town than Rome.

To the end of the way of the wandering star,To the things that cannot be and that are,

To the place where God was homelessAnd all men are home.

G.K.Chesterton, “The Wise Men”

EPIPHANY OF THE LORD MASS INTENTIONS MONDAY, JANUARY 4th 8:30 AM – Betty Sherbine c/o Family TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th 8:30 AM – Ruth Rogers c/o Ken & Barb Rogers WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6th 7:00 PM – James Carlos c/o Jerry & Diane Bator THURSDAY, JANUARY 7th 8:30 AM – Charles Cerni c/o Tommie Yourga FRIDAY, JANUARY 8th 8:30 AM – John Murcko c/o Ed & Mary Jane Derr SATURDAY, JANUARY 9th 6:00 PM – Joan Bruno c/o Tommie Yourga SUNDAY, JANUARY 10th 9:00 AM – Chase Tyillian c/o Gary & Diane Salatino 11:30 AM – For Our Parishioners

ALTAR SERVERS E. MINISTERS 1/9 6:00 pm Blaze Knight Michael Drda Monica Hanrahan 1/10 9:00 am Rylee Adams Howard Fagan Ron Adams 11:30 am Martina Zrile Rudy Koraus

LECTOR #1

1/9 6:00 pm James Sobey 1/10 9:00 am Mary Svirbly 11:30 am Jennifer Muir

HOSPITALITY MINISTERS 1/9 6:00 pm Paul Bauer/Jody Drda Kathy Bauer/Alexis Onestak 1/10 9:00 am Bob Devlin/Ed Grober Volunteer/Bonnie & Peter Gibb 11:30 am Jim Burgoon/Patrick Chovan Volunteer/Aimee Zrile

WHY GOLD, FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH? The Magi offered baby Jesus three special gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold, for this baby is a King. Frankincense to worship him, for he is God. And myrrh to remind him of his human condition that will perish one day. When Jesus dies and is buried, Nicodemus will bring 100 pounds of myrrh to anoint his body. (See John 19:39) In excessive amounts, just as recorded in the Gospel according to John, myrrh was used to anoint the kings at their burial.

Like” and “follow” Good Shepherd on Facebook and Twitter: facebook.com/goodshepherdwm

twitter.com/goodshepherdwm

JANUARY 3, 2021 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Week/January 3, 2021 Sunday January 3rd No Religious Ed Classes (Holiday)

REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR OUR HOMEBOUND THOSE ON OUR PRAYER CHAIN & HOSPITALIZED

DUE TO EARLY SUBMISSION OF THE BULLETIN, COLLECTION INFORMATION WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE JANUARY 10, 2021 BULLETIN. Child Protection and Creating Safe Environments – January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month: Who are the perpetrators? Traffickers can be anyone who profits from the selling of a child for sex to a buyer, including family members, foster parents, friends, gangs, trusted adults, or “boyfriends.” Much of the trafficking of children has moved from street corners and truck stops to the internet where children are sold for sex. Online classified sites allow traffickers and buyers anonymity and accessibility when exploiting children. In some cases, there is no identified trafficker, and it is the person buying sex from the child who is exploiting the child’s vulnerabilities. A child cannot consent to being bought and sold for sex, and anyone purchasing sex from a child is committing a serious crime. If you suspect a case of Child Sex Trafficking you can call 1-800-THE-LOST or make a report at www.CyberTipline.org. Visit https://www.eriercd.org/childprotection/ to see what the diocese is doing to help maintain safe environments for children and youth.

A FAMILY PERSPECTIVE The Magi in today’s gospel were led to Jesus by a star. Who are the stars your children follow? Don’t let it be the tabloid stars. Resolve in this New Year to be the guiding star in the life of your children.

WHAT SHALL WE GIVE THE CHILDREN

It seems certain that they will travel roads

we never thought of, navigate strange seas,

cross unimagined boundaries, and glimpse horizons

beyond our power to visualize. What can we give them

to take along? For the wild shore of Beyond,

no toy or bauble will do. It must be something more, constructed of stouter fabric

discovered among the cluttered aisles and tinseled bargain

counters of experience, winnowed from what little

we have learned. It must be devised out of

responsibility and profound caring – a homemade present

of selfless love. Everything changes but the

landscape of the heart. McCalls Magazine

CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD FROM OUR PASTOR To some, King Herod was a man at “the top of his game.” He held a position of some significance, but that wasn’t enough for him. History reveals that he had a couple family members slaughtered because he suspected a possible coup led by his sons, jealous of his power. He always wanted more, expected more, imagined more. His appetite for power left him vulnerable in his leadership, reationships and life. Imagine what it was like for those who served in his administration. They knew the king was prone to anger at the least upset in the schedule or plan. They also knew what could happen if his uneasiness was left unrestrained. So, on that fateful day when the intellectuals from the East appeared in Jerusalem, asking questions, it was a day of deep concern for the inner circle of staff members, the chief priests and the whole of Jerusalem. Wouldn’t you have loved to see the expression on his face when some poor hapless staffer informed him of these exotic philosophers of status and great wealth entering his city? Of course, at first he must have believed that these individuals of intellect and prestige had traveled for months to learn more about the one who was a legend in his own mind – Herod himself! After all, from his perspective, he was the most important person in Jerusalem. He must have believed that he had “arrived.” Then the sucker punch! He learned the magi weren’t inquiring about how to meet with Herod. They were asking the citizens, “Where’s the child born to be king of the Jews? Seeing his star from afar, we’ve come in search of him.” In an instant, his crowned head lifted high in arrogance lowered as the rage of humiliation rose and set in. In a moment, Herod’s ego-driven expression changed. He was afraid people might discover there was one born so significant that a star was placed in the heavens to announce his arrival. Fear of losing control took over. The limitations of his unrestrained ego affected his leadership. So far, this story is reminding me of something else, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Waiting for the Messiah was a yearning ingrained in the minds of Jews for centuries. It was the job of the chief priests and scribes to know the signs. A star appeared, angels were singing on the hillsides, Micah the prophet foretold it happening in the little town next door – Bethlehem. That’s like from here to Pulaski! It would be a time of liberation. Why did the people who were “in the know” have to be reminded? It all comes down to liberation. New possibilities for the common folk meant that things would change for those who had finally reached the level of having something to lose. This was not for them, not the Publisher’s Clearing House van pulling up with balloons and a large cardboard check! This was not the good news the powers-that-be were waiting for. We assume much about these mysterious, legendary figures from the East. They must have lived a disciplined life of study; the text does not number or identify the gender of these travelers. We know they went a great distance and gave three thoughtful gifts.

WEST MIDDLESEX, PA Gold, representing Christ’s majesty; frankincense his divinity and myrrh used to prepare prophets and the like for burial. Given the wild and wooly nature of long-distance travel in those days, most people moved in substantial caravans for safety, picking up with other groups as they made their way forward. And maybe they all pitched in for the gifts! Matthew tells us that they didn’t come to study Jesus. They came to worship a newborn king by following a special star. They sacrificed time and comfort and there was no visible confirmation to them from the child that their gift-giving was expected. And from a magi’s perspective, what they saw was modest surroundings and an economically limited toddler in the arms of a teenaged mother with her confused husband. This snapshot is not a formula for future success! Yet, by God’s grace, the magi had the faith to experience unbridled joy. They beheld “the substance of things hoped for” and humbled themselves to worship the gift of God. Jesus was the promise of salvation for the world and the sort of deep down joy that sent the wise home by another route. Follow your star! Father Glenn THANKS SO MUCH The decorations for Advent – Christmas were put together by Donna and John Pavlovich, Sue and Jeff Creveling and Ed Robich and we’re grateful for their fidelity to this task year by year. Donations to the Christmas Flower collection helps defray the cost of plants as well as replacing or repairing some of the standard decorations, and we’re grateful for that. This year has been a test for us all, not the least of whom are the ushers/greeters who also are our “sanitizers” after each assembly. Staff members also stepped up for the “all hands on deck” odds and ends that multiply during these busy weeks like snow removal, adjusting Religious Education classes, getting six bulletins done in three weeks, setting up for distanced seating, etc. Thanks, too, to the Rumelfanger kids for cleaning up the debris. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

CLASS SCHEDULE January 10th – Class resumes for grades 1-11 Confirmation ceremony has been scheduled by the Diocese – Monday, May 10, 2021 at 7:00 PM at St. Joseph Parish, Sharon, PA (Confirmation for St. Joseph and Good Shepherd.) Dear Parents and Guardians, Winter Weather is here. Below is the procedure for Religious Education cancellations.

1. When Religious Education is cancelled Lauren DeFelice will call the catechists.

2. Each catechist has a list of 4-5 families to call. 3. Lauren DeFelice will send out a notification on

our REMIND APP. Every attempt will be made to make a cancellation decision on Saturday evening.

2020-2021 PLEASE NOTE: The diocese has instructed religious education programs to follow local school districts to determine if we need to change the type of instruction we are giving. Good Shepherd will follow the West Middlesex School District.