Happy Memorials of
St. Sebastian and St. Fabian!!
Last week, we discussed Christmas, the Epiphany,
and Jesus' Baptism, and reinforced these events through memorable skits (:
These are some of the takeaways:
- Joseph was an incredibly humble man, exhibited through his obedience to God and his silence in Scripture. How can we imitate Joseph's humility, obedience, and silence?
- Mary teaches us the importance of bringing everything to Jesus. When extraordinary events occur, instead of reacting out of her emotions, Mary ponders them in her heart. Do we take the time to bring events and emotions and lay them at Jesus' feet?
- With the shepherds and wise men, both groups follow the Lord's guidance to Jesus. The first thing they do is look, observing the Holy Family and taking in what they see. We are told by Luke that the shepherds share what the angel told them, then go forth glorifying and praising God for all they heard and saw. Do we look for / recognize the Lord in every moment of our lives, glorifying and praising Him for His goodness and faithfulness?
- Jesus' Baptism is the model for our own, especially in its Trinitarian form. With Christ, we go through the waters of death into new life in Him. The Holy Spirit comes from the Father to dwell within us, and the Father says to each one of us that we are His beloved son/daughter in whom He is well pleased. How can owning the gifts we receive at Baptism influence our identity and approach to life?
This week, we're shifting gears from the Liturgical Calendar and focusing on the place we worship - namely, our church, St. Luke!
Come dressed in layers! We'll most likely be inside all night this Sunday, so come join us in the parish hall.
This Sunday, 1/23, we're looking forward
to seeing Carpe Diem from 4-6pm
and Vita Nova from 6:30-8:30pm!
- Our second Bingo Night is next weekend on Saturday, 1/29 from 7-9pm!! Invite your family and friends and make a night of it!! We need more volunteers to help with serving food, running the prize table, and calling numbers. Rebecca will sign off on earned service hours. Please reach out to Rebecca by replying to this Flocknote or emailing dobnerrj.stlukes@gmail.com to help. *Bingo Night is a Youth Ministry sponsored fundraiser to help offset the costs of our activities and retreats (see below). Bingo Night ticket and pizzas can be purchased online: https://www.osvhub.com/stlukesraleigh/forms/family-bingo-night
- Vita Nova - Spring Retreat is coming up, March 18th-20th!! We're heading to Camp Rockfish, and the total cost is $160. To reserve your spot, permission forms and a $50 deposit are due by February 1st. Permission form and Retreat waiver are on the website: https://stlukesraleigh.org/vita-nova
- Current 8th-12th graders - We are heading to Steubenville Atlanta July 8th-10th!! Fr. Mike Schmitz is the main speaker, so we're in for an incredible weekend. The total cost is normally $400 - through fundraisers like Bingo night, we're able to bring cost down around $300 (or lower if our fundraisers are successful!!). To reserve your spot, permission forms and a $50 deposit are due by February 1st. The permission form is on the website: https://stlukesraleigh.org/vita-nova
- In honor of the National and Diocesan Marches for Life, we are decorating our Faith Formation bulletin board with baby pictures and/or ultrasounds of our students and youth leaders! Please bring your picture this week or turn it in to the Faith Formation mailbox in the copy room anytime in the next two weeks.
- Parents (especially dads!!) - We are looking for youth leaders to actively participate at our youth nights. You don't need to be qualified, you don't need to know what's happening, all you need is to feel called by the Lord! Remember, your youth may not want you there, but they NEED you to witness a real relationship with Jesus to them. Please reach out to Rebecca if you are interested.
- If you have not yet registered, please fill out this form: https://www.osvhub.com/stlukesraleigh/forms/2021-22-faith-formation-registration. For youth actively participating, please remember to pay the $70 activity fee. Youth Ministry scholarships are available - please contact Rebecca for more information!
