HIRDETÉSEK + Rózsafűzért imádkozunk minden vasárnap a Szentmise előtt 9:30-kor. + Szentgyónás van minden vasárnap a Szentmise előtt! + Köszönet a templom díszítőinek és köszönet a Szt. István Iskola oktatói-nak és diákjainak a karácsonyi szere-plésért. + December 31 - a 10 órási Szent-mise után sütemény és kávé lesz. + December 31-én, Hálaadó szent-misével este 7 órakor, és zenés-táncos batyus vacsorával búcsúzunk az Ó évtől. Részletek a szórólapon olvashatók. + Kérjük, hogy akinek címe, vagy telefonszáma megváltozott, jelentse be az irodában. + Vasárnapra szentmiséket kérhetnek szereteik elékére. Kérjük jelentkez-zenek az irodában.

ANNOUNCEMENTS + We will be praying the rosary every Sunday morning at 9:30 before Mass. All are welcome to pray with us. + Confession time is available before mass on Sunday. + Thank you all who came and decorated the church for Christmas. Thank you also the St. Stephen Hungarian School and Bokreta Dance Group for the nice program offered us last Sun-day. + Next Sunday, December 31st, coffee and pas-tries will be served after the 10AM mass. + On December 31st, we invite all to our New Years potluck party. Mass is at 7 p.m. followed by dinner and music at 8 p.m. More information could be found on the fliers. + Please report any changes in address or phone number to the office. + Sunday mass intentions for our loved ones can be requested in the office. + For those parishioners who cannot attend mass regularly, at GiveCentral.org, donations could be offered to our church and to St. Stephen Hungar-ian School, as a one time or periodically, with a

A NÉGY GYERTYA Egyszer volt, hol nem volt, volt egyszer négy gyertya. Olyan nagy volt a csend körülöttük, hogy tisztán lehetett érteni, amit egymással beszélgettek. Az első azt mondta: – ÉN VAGYOK A BÉKE! De az emberek nem képesek életben tartani. Azt hiszem, el fogok aludni. – Néhány pillanat múlva már csak egy vékonyan füstölgő kanóc emlékeztetett a hajdan fényesen tündöklő lángra. A második azt mondta: – ÉN VAGYOK A HIT! Sajnos az emberek fölöslegesnek tartanak. Nincs értelme tovább égnem. – A következő pillanatban egy enyhe fuvallat kioltotta a lángot. Szomorúan így szólt a harmadik gyertya: – ÉN A SZERETET VAGYOK! Nincs már erőm tovább égni! Az emberek nem törődnek velem. Semmibe veszik, hogy milyen nagy szükségük van rám. – Ezzel ki is aludt. Hirtelen belépett egy gyermek. Mikor meglátta a három kialudt gyertyát, felkiáltott: – De hát mi történt? Hiszen nektek égnetek kéne mind-örökké! – Elkeseredésében hirtelen sírva fakadt. Ekkor megszólalt a negyedik gyertya: – ÉN VAGYOK A REMÉNY! A gyermek szeme felragyogott. Megragadta a még égő gyertyát, s lángjával új életre keltette a többit.

MISSION STATEMENT St. Stephen King of Hungary

Church serves the spiritual needs of all Catholics in our neighbor-hood, regardless of ethnicity, and

also welcome all Hungarians who want to pray in their

language and keep their cultural traditions alive!

PARISH COLLECTIONS December 17: $ 1,768.00

Christmas flower: $ 438.00 Christmas offering: $ 970.00

Köszönet a nagylelkű adományokért:

Gödölley Mihály és Irén

Kolonits Olga

Robert és Sandra Marjan

Jurca Család

Isten fizesse meg!

ST. STEPHEN KING OF HUNGARY ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH-

SZT. ISTVÁN KIRÁLY RÓMAI KATOLIKUS TEMPLOM

2015 W. Augusta Blvd. Chicago, IL. 60622 2017 Telephone: (773) 486-1896

Fax: (773) 486-1902

Email: st.stephen@freemail.hu

Web: http://stephenchurch.org

Administrator: Rev. Michael Knotek Parish Council President: Mr. Sándor Vitális

Financial Committee President: Mr. Tivadar Szabó

Organist: Mr. Imre Olajos

DECEMBER 24 - ADVENT 4. VASÁRNAP

Fourth Sunday of Advent

In your prayers, please remember these parishioners or relatives and friends of parishioners who are sick and in need of God’s healing grace: Baksay István, Mátyás Károly, Joseph Toth, Domokos Mária, Jacques Yez, Serfecz József, Neubauer Jószef, Babochay András, Jurasits Mária, Krémer Klára, Szabó Terike, Mákos Anna, Vajda Annus, Schrantz Rózsi, Kolonits Olga, Mocsán Ilike, Dobovanszky Imre.

Válaszos zsoltár: Hadd énekeljem örökké

Urunknak irgalmas jóságát!

Énekek: 2, 123, 139, 140, 13, 306, 9.

Nap/Day Idő/Time Miseszándék/Intention Kéri/Requested By

Dec 24 10:00AM Sedon László Katona Marika és Családja

10:00PM Templomunk híveiért

Dec 25 10:00AM KARÁCSONY - JÉZUS SZÜLETÉSE

Dec 31 10:00AM SZENTCSALÁD ÜNNEPE Templomunk Családjaiért

7:00PM Hálaadás

Dear Parishioners,

Nothing is impossible with God! This is what the angel Gabriel told

Mary about the fact that she was going to bring the Savior into world. Prior

to that she had been dumbfounded. How could she become pregnant with-

out having relations with a man and why would she, of all people, be cho-

sen to bring God into the world? Mary was too humble to even fathom the

notion. It is precisely because of her humility that she was chosen. It is pre-

cisely because of her openness to the will of God that we are saved. If it weren't for

Mary's cooperation with God's will the world would not have been saved by Jesus. In-

stead we might be pagans or worshipping false gods at best.

There are literally only a few hours left until we begin our Christmas celebrations.

When Christmas falls on Monday we sort of get cheated out of the Fourth Week of Ad-

vent. However, the readings for today give us important questions to reflect upon as

we get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We hear the story of King David in the

reading from Second Samuel about his concern for a proper dwelling place for the ark

of the covenant, the special vessel for the Word of God which was revered by the Jew-

ish people as the presence of God in their midst. David realized he lived in a very fine

palace and the ark was contained in a shabby tent. God speaks to Nathan the prophet to

remind David that while it is admirable to be concerned about the dwelling place of the

ark of the covenant it is more important to be concerned about the dwelling place of

God within himself. God reminds David that he has been a loving father to him and

has raised him up for important work and that He has a plan for David and his ances-

tors which will bring them all to a state of happiness and fulfillment far above anything

they could create for themselves.

The same plan that God has for David he has for us. We are not wandering around

lost and bewildered. God leads us through life and has a plan for a future more marvel-

ous than we could ever create for ourselves. In these last few hours before we celebrate

Christmas let us be concerned with finding a proper dwelling place for God within our-

selves. Let us get our hearts and souls ready not just to observe a holiday but to experi-

ence the Holy Day called Christmas on which Jesus will be reborn within each of our

hearts and souls and thereby be born again into the world. Let us have the humility of

Mary and allow God to use us to bring forth his peace into the world in whatever way

He chooses.

I look forward to seeing you in a few hours to celebrate the great feast of Christ's

birth to receive our newborn King together in the Eucharist. Let us make a dwelling

place for Jesus! In God's love, Father Michael Knotek