Pastor: Fr. Vincent T. Euk

Parochial Vicar: Fr. John Chang

Weekend Assistant: Fr. Bill O’Brien

Deacons: Tom Cechulski, Sr.

Charles R. Daye, Jr.

John Franey

Gino (Louis) Esposito

School Principal:

Sr. Cherree Power, C.R.

Religious Education:

Sr. Ann Norton, D.R.E.

Linda Clayton

Business Manager:

Deacon Gino Esposito

Director of Music: Emer O’Mahony

Youth Ministry Coordinator:

Sr. Ann Norton

Envelopes: The use of parish envelopes enables us to maintain up-to-

date records of those who are actively attending & supporting our

church.

Parish Census: Every family in the parish should be properly

registered. You may do so at the rectory office during regular rectory

office hours.

January 6, 2019

The Epiphany of the Lord

Rectory: 732-363-4200 • Rectory Fax: 732-370-3891 • Convent: 732-364-2361

School: 732-364-4130 • Religious Education: 732-364-4137

Rectory Office Hours, Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM-4:30 PM

Second & Fourth Saturday: 9:00 AM-12:30 PM

4215 Route 9 North - Howell, New Jersey 07731

Weekend Masses

Saturday: 4:00 PM

Sunday: 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 AM, 12 Noon, 5:00 PM

Daily, Monday-Friday: 7:20 AM & 12 Noon, Saturday: 8:00 AM

Holy Days: As Announced in the bulletin

Healing Mass: Every first Friday: 7:30 PM

Sacrament of Reconciliation, Saturday: 3:00-3:45 PM & before each Sunday Mass

Sacrament of Baptism: Every 2nd & 4th Sunday of each month

Miraculous Medal Novena– Monday 8:00 PM

The Wise Still Seek Him

Mass Intentions for this Week January 6, 2019

7:20 Dermot F. Murphy…………………………………………...Vita Emmersi 12:00 Marie Gardella…………………………………………...Paul Gembara

WEDNESDAY 7:20 Madalene Rieker ................................................. Rieker Family 12:00 Valeria Troger ................................................. Gloria Galamos THURSDAY 7:20 Susan Incremona..................................................Brian Walling

12:00 Lorraine Morgese ................................................ Reiff Family

8AM Barbara Fernandez ......................... Hector & Priscilla Alimario 4PM Dorothy Rowland (Fr. Bill) ..................................... Toni LaBella SUNDAY ......................................................... Baptism of the Lord 7:30 Enrique Flores (Fr. Bill) ................................... Gloria Galambos 9:00 Geraldine Guempel (Fr. Chang) .................... SVS Class of 2018 10:30 For the People of the Parish (Fr. Chang) 12:00 Ana Estevez (Fr. Euk) ....................................... Diana Porpora 5:00 Mandy Baker Rice (Fr. Euk) ............................ Wittstruck Family

Events for this coming Week– See our website www.stveronica.com

Sacrificial Offering Update Readings for the Week of January 6, 2019

Sunday: Is 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12 Monday: 1 Jn 3:22-4:6; Mk 4:12-17, 23-35 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 4:14-22 Friday: 1 Jn 5:5-13; Lk 5:12-16 Saturday: 1 Jn 5:14-21; Jn 3:22-30 Sunday: Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

Sanctuary Candle– Week of January 6, 2019

In memory of Aunt Sue, Uncle Rob & Uncle Joe ……………...

………………………………………………………………….Annette & Bill

Chapel Candles- Week of January 6, 2019

In memory of Anna & Michael D’Agostino ……………………...

……………………………………………….….Marie & Nino D’Agostino

An epiphany is an unusually sudden perception of the

essential meaning of something. For us Catholics the

Solemnity of the Epiphany represents the revelation

that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, Our Savior and God's

anointed. Jesus of Nazareth comes with the Holy Spirit

and with power . The whole life of Jesus Christ is

actually an epiphany. To this day there is an eruption

in human history of an unbeatable force of love that

can conquer all evils and we can be part of it because

of the seven Sacraments given to us through the

Church.

There are actually three mysteries that mark the

Epiphany in the Catholic Church. The first is the

adoration of Jesus by the wise men. These men were

most likely Persian religious leaders with a primitive

scientific background. By following the star, these

pagans come to know the Incarnation by studying the

Jewish Scriptures. By following Micah’s prophecy (Mi

5:1), they proceed to Bethlehem. God’s vision to

Abraham said, “In you, all nations will be

blessed.” Salvation was open to the gentiles from the

earliest times. The wise men are the first fruits of the

Gentiles and become part of the Church based on their

belief in Jesus; fulfilling the Scripture, “I see him, but

not now; I behold him, but not nigh: a star shall come

forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of

Israel” (Dt 24:17). The second Epiphany is the baptism

of Jesus in the Jordan by John the Baptist. Here the

heavens open and God the Father gives Jesus His

credentials: "This is my beloved Son. Listen to

Him.” The last of these Epiphanies is the wedding

feast at Cana where water is changed into wine. This

foreshadowed the Holy Eucharist. If God can transform

water into wine and multiply loaves to feed thousands,

what is to stop him from transforming bread into His

Body?

Isaiah (Is 60:6-8) sees the God of the Old Testament is

not just the God of the Israelites. All people He created

are made in His image and likeness. The caravans

from Arabia represent the gentiles. They will bring gold

to emphasize His Royal Godhead, incense to

acknowledge Him as the Priest of the New Covenant

and myrrh to praise and celebrate His sacrifice which

redeemed man. St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, a

Jew himself, says that all who embrace Christ become

co-heirs with the Jews and members of the same Body

(Eph 3:6).

By God's design the wise men, in seeking the truth,

investigate a new phenomena: a moving star. God

generally works signs and wonders for unbelievers, and

rarely for believers. As they leave the meeting with the

Pastor’s Notes corrupt Herod, the star's behavior changes. The star

becomes a fixed point. They are now going to

encounter unchanging Divine Truth. While the Magi

give physical gifts to Jesus, Jesus gives them spiritual

gifts for their souls. As the Magi return, they no longer

retrace their steps by a star, but by God's will directed

through an angel. They, like Mary and Joseph, follow

the message of God's angel and go by another route

free and enlightened by the Truth.

The wise men have been associated with

astrology, a pagan rite which presents an unreal world

where all is fixed. Scott Hahn’s research has an

interesting take on this. The three gifts given to Jesus

were actually tools for astrology. Their visit to Jesus

converted them from their sinful trade and they

present them to Jesus as an abandonment from that

enslavement. Astrology is gravely sinful because it

destroys Christian hope, freedom and personal

responsibility. It weakens our faith by making us

falsely independent of God and reliant on a lie.

When we meet Christ and accept His Gospel,

our lives change and we are driven to communicate

our experience to others. Worshiping the true God is

an authentic act of resistance to all forms of

idolatry. Jesus is the Rock on which to build our future

and a world of greater justice and solidarity. Jesus is

the Prince of peace and the source of forgiveness and

reconciliation.

Fr. Euk

If Jesus truly is who he claims to be, the eternal Son of

God and Savior of the world, then why is he not

recognized by everyone who hears his word and sees his

works? John the Evangelist states that when Jesus came

into the world the world knew him not and his own people

received him not (John 1:10-11). Jesus was born in

obscurity. Only the lowly shepherds recognized him at his

birth. Some wise men also found their way to Bethlehem

to pay homage to the newborn King of Israel. These men

were not Israelites, but foreigners. They likely had read

and discussed the Messianic prophecies and were

anxious to see when this Messianic King would appear.

God led them by means of an extraordinary star across

the desert to the little town of Bethlehem where Jesus

was born.

To know and to encounter Jesus Christ is to know God

personally. In the encounter of the wise men with Jesus

we see the plan of God to give his only Son as King and

Savior, not just for the Jewish people but for all the

nations as well. The Lord Jesus came that both Jew and

Gentile might find true and lasting peace with God. Let

us pray today that Jew and Gentile alike will find the Lord

and Savior on their journey of life. Do you bring the light

of Jesus Christ to those you meet through the witness of

your life and testimony?

Scripture Meditation

OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

Please Pray for Our Sick

March For Life

Washington, D.C. January 18, 2019 Again this year, we are joining

St. Robert Bellarmine’s bus to

go down to the March for Life

in Washington, D.C. on Friday,

January 18, 2019. There is

no charge for the bus. We will

arrange car pools from St. Veronica’s to St. Robert’s

for the morning of Jan 18, or provide directions to the

Church. Let us show our support for the sanctity of all

human life. Please call Hu or Joan Mador at 732-367-

2565 to reserve a seat on the bus.

There will be a special respect life Mass celebrated by

Bishop O’Connell at 7:00 PM on Thursday, January 17

at St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral in Free-

hold. There will also be a Mass of Life at 9:30 AM on

Tuesday, January 22 at the Cathedral in Trenton, fol-

lowed by a Rally for Life at the Statehouse at 11:00

AM. Please make every effort to attend one or both of

these events. Thank you for your support.

Retrouvaille Weekend

Stress in Your Marriage? Do you feel lost, alone or

bored in your marriage? Are you frustrated, hurt or an-

gry with your spouse? Are you constantly fighting? Or,

do you simply shut down? Have you thought about

separation or divorce? Does talking about it only

make it worse?

Retrouvaille is a Lifeline to help couples heal and re-

new their marriages sponsored by the Office of Family

Life, Diocese of Metuchen, NJ.

Retrouvaille consists of a weekend experience for mar-

ried couples (no group discussions) with six follow-up

sessions. The upcoming weekend is February 8-10,

2019. All inquiries are confidential. For further facts,

kindly contact the Family Life Office 732-243-4573 or

Rich at 732-236-0671 or Annette Colasuonno 732-

672-0748.

Chrismas Flower Donations in Memory of Theresa, Antonio & John Pellicano,

Josephine Aquilino, Anna & Joseph

Turczemy, Barbara & Daniel

Grossane, Thomas & Matilda O’Mal-

ley, Richard & Cecile Stevens, Joseph

& Olga LaMonica, Albert & Millie Pet-

tignano, Stella & Stanley Jakubczak, Alice & Frank

Lynch, Sr., Marion & James Cook, Elsie & Ernest Ma-

son, Romba Family, Stockdale Family, Redman Family,

Sarina Centineo, Carmelo & Giuseppina Valenziano,

Sam Fiduccia, Vincenzo & Isabella Centineo, Walter

Rissmyer, Joseph Arnold, Bob & Richard Schanz, Brun-

le Family, Tony Genecki, Leon Genecki, Parke Baker,

Amante Sansano, Sr., Remidios Sansano,

Baptism St. Veronica’s Parish Family wishes to

welcome those who have become

members through the Sacrament of

Baptism.

Domenico James, son of Antonio & Nikki Chiricolo

Alexander Leonardo, son of Natalie & Angelo Traina

Thank you for the gift of life!

"O come let us adore Him"

All day, every day at the Adoration

Chapel Located in rectory building -

outside entrance. "Come and see".

"Adore, in the Blessed Sacrament, my heart, which is

full of mercy. Mankind will not have peace until it

turns with trust to My mercy. "

Jesus to St. Faustina.

All hours available. Late and overnight hours and weekends most needed. See board in narthex for schedule. Ask us to pair you with a partner for a built in substitute.

Contact Debbie drev514@aol.com or leave a message

at 732- 367-7750.

Homeless Ministry Our Parish Rectory is once more opening its doors to

shelter the homeless on Monday nights, starting

December 3rd and will continue until March 25th. We

will need volunteers for meal preparation, chaperones

and drivers. We appreciate the generosity and

continued support of our parishioners. Please see our

Missionaries of the Poor Lay Associates to sign-up and

if you have any questions, please call Vic Lagdameo at

732-239-2149.

Knights of Columbus Applebee’s Pancake Breakfast

The Knights of Columbus are

having an Applebee's pancake

breakfast at the Howell location,

Saturday January 12th from 8 a.m.

-10 a.m.. Tickets are $10 for a

great breakfast while at the same

time raising funds for the Race for Life. This year's

recipient is Chloe a courageous 5 year old that has

Wilms Tumor stage 2

Tickets will be available at the council home @ 401

Bartley road or at the door

Pantry Needs

Canned fruit, instant oatmeal, tea bags, dry milk, hot

cocoa mix, pancake mix, syrup

Adoration Chapel

Air Conditioner Replacement Campaign

Goal- 200,000.00

Donations (Current) 111,460.00

Balance: 88,540.00

As of May 5, 2018, there will be a second collection on

each Sunday that there is no Diocesan collection.

This special second collection will be earmarked for our

needed air conditioning system in the Church. We will

continue this campaign until we reach our goal and we will

keep you advised of our project status. Meanwhile, we thank

all those who have made donations and for your continued

support of our parish.

Christmas Flowers in Memory of (cont.) William Matelski, Sr., Serahna Marquez, Erik Stephan,

Joanna Tsagkli, Fund Marquez, Frankie Saavedra,

Francisco Saavedra, Frank DeBenedetto, Sr.,

Philomena Delaney, Wanda Delaney, Philip Delaney,

Noel Morrison, Maureen Morrison, Tom Morrison,

Carmel Morrison, Matt Morrison, Anthony Cappuccio,

Louise Cappuccio, Italia DeSimone, Barbara

Cappuccio, Grace Hallock, Vincent Hallock, Frank

Vesey, Ruth Vesey

Divine Mercy Prayers– Today Look into My Heart and see there the love

and mercy which I have for humankind, and

especially for sinners. Look and enter into

My Passion. (Diary of St. Faustina)

Please come and join our parish family on

Sunday, January 6th at 1:30 to pray the

Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Please come and join our parish family on Sunday,

January 6th at 1:30 to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS TO SPONSOR YOUTH FREE

THROW CONTEST

The Father Cetkowski Council of the

Knights of Columbus (Howell/

Jackson) is sponsoring the annual

Basketball Free Throw Contest. All

boys and girls ages 9 through 14

are invited to participate. This event

is FREE. The competition will be held on January 12,

2019 at St. Veronica’s School Gym located on Route 9

in Howell. Registration begins at 1:00 p.m. and the

competition will begin at 1:30. Winners of the competi-

tion will move onto the district competition.

All contestants on the local level will be recognized for

their participation in the event. Participants are re-

quired to furnish proof of age (i.e. birth certificate) and

written parental consent. For entry forms or more infor-

mation contact Brian Curran at (908) 415-4720