Slovenska župnija sv. Gregorija Velikega | St. Gregory the Great Slovenian Church 13/55 Številka - Number / Leto - Year 24. 3. 2019 3. Postna nedelja 3rd Sunday of Lent Fr. Drago Gačnik, sdb župnik - pastor Naslov - Address 125 Centennial Pkwy N. Hamilton, ON L8E 1H8 Phone: 905-561-5971 Cell: 905-520-2014 E-mail gregory_sdb@ stgregoryhamilton.ca Web page www.carantha.com Hall rentals Cell: 905-518-6159 E-mail hallrental@ stgregoryhamilton.ca »Jaz sem, ki sem« Bog se razodeva človeku na različne načine. In postni čas nam iz nedelje v nedeljo prinaša besedila, ki o tem spregovorijo. Božja beseda in beseda se srečujeta v svobodnem in spontanem dialogu -pogovoru. Današnje prvo berilo se začne s slavnim tekstom iz osmega stoletja pred Kristusom. V nasprotju z jahvistično tradicijo, ki povezuje Božje ime Jahve z vsem človeštvom, pa naša tradicija povezuje razodetje imena z Mojzesovo osebo in z nastankom Izraela kot ljudstva. V vsem semitskem svetu poznanje imena neke osebe prinese s seboj neke vrste moč nad bitjem, za čigar bistvo in moč se ve. V magičnih religijah je pomenilo osvojiti ime božanstva isto kot imeti možnost gospodovanja nad Božjo močjo v lastno korist s tem, da človek dobi vsaj del te moči v svojo oblast. Zanimivo je, ko opiše način, kako se Bog razodene. V 14. vrstici se Bog ne razodene s samostalnikov ampak z glagolom: »Jaz sem, ki sem«. Torej Bog ni nekaj statičnega, kot so to bili maliki, ampak nekaj dinamičnega. Kot pravijo, Bog je »tisti, ki resnično je«, »tistega, ki je vedno isti«, ki je »večen«, medtem ko so poganski bogovi »nič« (1Kor 10,19). Resnični Bog zavrača razkrivanje svojega nedoumljivega bistva, kakor se je zgodilo Jakobu po boju pri reki Jabok: »Jakob je vprašal: 'Povej mi, prosim, kako ti je ime?' Pa je rekel: 'Čemu sprašuješ po mojem imenu?'« (1 Mz 32, 30). Jahve je tako samo aluzija na srečanje med človekom in Bogom in ne neka stvarnost, ki bi jo mogli posedovati in z njo manevrirati glede na človeške interese in cilje. V resnici vemo, da je ime Jahve napolnjeno je s pomenom, saj kliče ponovno Božji poseg v izraelsko zgodovino v tem kritičnem trenutku. »Mojzesu, ki vpraša: Kako ti je ime? Božji odgovor nam da jasno vedeti, je nemogoče, da bi se Jahveja polastili ali imeli kontrolo nad njim. Bog bo navzoč v Izraelu s svojo rešilno močjo, pa ne zato, ker bi Izrael spoznal njegovo skrito ime in tehniko, s katero bi si ga podvrgel, ampak samo zato, ker je Jahve hotel v svojem usmiljenju razodeti svojo prisotnost v Izraelu«. Apostol Pavel zna brati zgodovino odrešenja v pristnem krščanskem duhu. Bog je preko »krsta« v Rdečem morju rodil novo svobodno ljudstvo, ki je tudi preko »duhovne hrane« mane in »duhovne pijače« vode, hranil svoje ljudstvo, kljub temu, da je to ljudstvo nenehno negodovalo. Za Pavla postane ta svetopisemska stran »tip« izkušnje vsakega vernika, predvsem kristjana: »To se jim je zgodilo, da bi bili za zgled, zapisano pa je bilo v svarilo nam«. Tudi pot kristjanov je kakor puščava, kraj skušnjave. Tudi nam se lahko prikaže na obzorju koristoljubna želja po bolj udobnem in nam ustrezajočem dialogu z božanstvom, s čimer pa se prekine dialog z živim Bogom. Klic sv. Pavla je torej zelo preprost: puščava našega življenja mora biti kraj intimnosti z Bogom. Prav tako, kakor je pel prerok: »Zato, glej, jo privabim, popeljem jo v puščavo in ji spregovorim na srce» (Ozej 2, 16). Zahteva po odgovoru na Božje povabilo in (njegovo) besedo postane radikalna in nujna z Jezusom, z dokončno Očetovo besedo. Luka jo podčrta v današnjem odlomku z dvema sredstvoma, z zgodovinsko pripovedjo in s priliko. V središču zgodovinske pripovedi sta dva dogodka iz »črne kronike«: brutalna represalija rimske policije znotraj templja in tragedija osemnajstih žrtev pod ruševinami stolpa v Siloi. Jezus ne soglaša s tistimi, ki v nesrečah radi vidijo prst Boga sodnika. Ti mrtvi niso bili bolj »grešniki« ne bolj »krivi« kakor drugi. Njihov primer ima namreč pravi pomen za nas oddaljene gledalce: zgodovina je kratka in pogo -sto se nenadno pretrga; ne smemo pustiti, da bi Božji klici in sporočila izzveneli v prazno, saj so lahko dokončni. Sedaj odmeva beseda »spreobrnite se«, mi pa -namesto da bi jo uresničili - jo brezbrižno prezremo. Po tej besedi bo morda tišina in človek bo lahko zapuščen od Boga v svoji puščavi. Omembi nesrečnih dogodkov se pridruži prilika o nerodovitni smo-kvi. Jedro tega kratkega, predvsem pa izvirnega odlomka v Lukovi predelavi, je dialog med gospodarjem vinograda in vinogradnikom, ki potrpežljivo čaka. Med Očetom (gospodar) in vinogradnikom (Jezus) se ponovno vzpostavlja odnos posredovanja za brezbrižno in »suho« človeštvo (smokva). Pri Očetu imamo vedno Srednika, ki hoče učvrstiti vezi dialoga, ki ga človek prezre in prekinja. On noče, da bi bilo njegovo delo »treh let« brez haska in prosi Očeta, naj počaka še eno leto, da bo končno to drevo, ki je človeštvo, zacvetelo in obrodilo sad -odgovor ljubezni in pravičnosti. Toda konec je grozeč: »Če pa ne, jo boš posekal«. (Prim. Oznanjevalec 2004) It's KICKOFF time! The preparation phase of the One Heart, One ONE n. Soul Campaign for HEA^CXJJ the Diocese of oUULU A Campaign for the Diocese of Hamilton Hamilton is moving into the active phase! A campaign kickoff Mass will be held at noon on Monday, March 25, Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, at the Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King in Hamilton. The Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI. The Pilot Wave Parishes will be holding kickoffs for their own efforts in April. Three additional waves over the next two years will allow every Parish in the Diocese to participate. Most of the funds from the three-year campaign will go to Parish projects, with a special emphasis on the Parishes most in need. A number of diocesan ministries will benefit as well. A series of Frequently Asked Questions about the campaign can be found on the campaign website - www.oneheartonesoul.ca 130 | VESTNIK 2019 St. Gregory the Great Slovenian Parish -Občni Zbor - March 11, 2018_ Draft minutes Council members present: Father Drago Gačnik, Tony Horvat, Sonya Podrebarac, Heidy Novak, MaryAnn Demšar, Sidonia Poppa, Eric Škerl, Clark Novak, Steven Horvat, Joe Pust. 55 parishioners in attendance - including council members. Welcome: Parishioners were served coffee and sweets prior to the formal meeting starting at 11:15 am. Heidy welcomed everyone and reminded those present of the contributions made to the success of the parish by former priests and parishioners. A moment of silence was observed in their honour. Father Drago led the opening prayer. Acceptance of the proposed agenda: Proposed by Lucija Truden, seconded by Sidonia Poppa. All in favour. Approval of minutes of April 2, 2017 Občni Zbor: Proposed by Jožica Vegelj, seconded by Marica Majzelj. All in favour. Committee Reports: Catholic Women's League reported by Rosemary Sušteršič Current Members: 90 Spiritual Advisor: Father Drago Gačnik Executive until mid-September: President: Sidonia Poppa Past President: Heidy Novak President-elect: Rosemary Šušteršič Vice President: MaryAnn Demšar Secretary: Pamela Gosgnach Treasurer: Vera Gonza Current Executive: President: Rosemary Šušteršič Past President: Sidonia Poppa Vice President: Milka Ferko Secretary: Pamela Gosgnach Treasurer: MaryAnn Demšar Our Katoliška Ženska Zveza or Catholic Women's League includes women aged 16 years and older. We meet monthly usually on the first Wednesday of the month, excluding July and August. New membership in our League is always welcomed. The CWL is the only voluntary organization that is permitted to lobby Parliament. We are part of the largest organization of Catholic women in Canada with a tradition of service to others. We try to attend regional meetings and diocesan conventions. Two members attended a diocesan convention in the spring and one member attended a fall regional meeting. Our League fulfills the spiritual needs of its members through the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In 2017 emphasis was placed on supporting conscience rights of health care workers, improved palliative care and restricting access to pornographic websites by minors. We are an active CWL. We continue our Chalice sponsorship of Guadaloupe from Guatemala. Gua-daloupe corresponds with us regularly and shows she appreciates our support. We maintain votive candles. At our Lady of Good Counsel Mass in April we welcomed two new members and recognized two ladies for twenty-five years of service. One member received her twenty-five year service pin at a later date. In May four children who received the sacrament of Communion were presented with corsages/boutonnières with Our Lady of Good Counsel medallions. Our league was represented at Corpus Christi processions at our parish and at Slovenski Park. In September two CWL ladies, Mrs. Sarjaš and Mrs. Gonza led a Baraga pilgrimage to Grand Rapids Michigan. A Memorial Mass to pray for and remember our deceased members took place in November. This was followed by a small reception. At funerals we honoured deceased CWL members in special VESTNIK 2019 | 131 ways -- by forming an honour guard, leading prayers/the rosary, and usually we sent flowers as well. Collection of food donations took place in December. Our ill/aging members were visited; cards and poinsettias were delivered to them. Many of our CWL members demonstrate active involvement in many aspects of parish life. Five ladies are part of our parish council. Many members are involved in regular cleaning and church maintenance. Heidy Novak continues to organize Kitchen Secrets cooking sessions. We are well known for our family oriented bazaar which takes place in March. While it is a wonderful fundraiser the key benefit of this event lies in its ability to strengthen our community. Our League demonstrates a strong commitment to fulfil our basic need of belonging and to preserve our Slovenian culture and heritage. In 2017 our CWL was able to make a contribution of $10 000 to St. Gregory the Great as a result of our fundraising efforts. Some funds were also allocated to masses, convention fees, visiting priests, and the Slovenian Summer Day Camp. We are very grateful to our parishioners and CWL members for their outstanding support! Prav lepa hvala vsem! V slogi je moc! Catholic Girl's Club - no report this year Liturqicni Odsek - reported by Sonya Podrebarac The Liturgy Committee enhances and supports community prayer, and worship and encourages the Slovenian Parish to grow in faith. Our current members include Father Drago Gacnik, Olga Glavac, Mary Miklavcic, Frank Novak and Sonya Podrebarac. It has been a successful year for the committee. Christmas celebrations went according to plan with positive feedback. We need help with our Church Community by encouraging children to participate and to be able to continue with the Christmas Pageant before mass. Lent and Easter celebrations were successful and will continue with the spiritual renewal, blessings, Passions, Vigil and mass celebrations. The committee is also involved in spiritual events such as First Communion, Processions, Spiritual Retreats, and in the preparation of the bi-annual mailings. Parish members continue bringing up gifts for the offertory during Slovenian mass. One mass on Sundays are celebrated during special celebrations and festivities is working very well. One mass during the summer months also works well for the limited numbers and puts less stress on visiting priest. This year Father Joseph Bajzek will be joining us for the summer to celebrate Mass. The Slovenian choir participated in special masses throughout the year and the English choir participates in the celebration of mass every Sunday from the 2nd week in September to mid-June. The Slovenian and English choirs participated together on most of the days when one mass was held. STATISTIKA ZA LETO 2017 / YEARLY STATISTICS 2017 Krsti-Baptisms: 10 Prvo sv. obhajilo - First Communion: 4 Sv. birma - Confirmation: 0 Poroke - Marriages: 2 Pogrebi - Funerals: 7 We are thankful to all the volunteers that have participated in the spirituality of our celebrations. More children are starting to show interest in becoming altar servers. Victoria and Jan will be the recipients of the Altar Servers Award. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 29 at the Cathedral at 7:30pm. St. Gregory the Great Slovenian Catholic Church offers many opportunities for our parishioners to become more involved in the beautiful celebration of 132 | VESTNIK 2019 the Mass. This year, we will be hosting Slovenski Dan. Please help us celebrate in any way you can. We would love to see the younger generation become involved. Your encouragement and/or involvement would be appreciated. Father Drago will continue to serve our spiritual needs in Hamilton, London and Kitchener as well as the many Slovenian organizations. His dedication to our community is treasured. His passion and devotion should be an example to us and encourage our families to participate in our Church and in our Slovenian Heritage. Slomškovo Oltarno Društvo - reported by Fr. Drago Gačnik Very active club in the community. Continue with washing and caring of linens, organizing cleaning of the church. Olga Glavac has continued to decorate the church with the flower arrangements. Regularly visiting and providing lunch for the elderly throughout the year. Continuing to participate in monthly masses. Rosemary Pavlic is interested in leading the service provided by Slomškovo Oltarno Društvo and encourage younger generation to join. Kulturno društvo: Slovenska šola - reported by Sandy Ferletic - Head Teacher Approximately 20 students registered and attend regularly. There are three teachers this year: Mateja Mihelčič teaches kindergarten, levels one and two; Lorie Mramor teaches levels three, four and five; and Sandy Ferletic teaches levels six, seven, and eight. Father Drago is teaching singing every Saturday and prepares them for their singing performances at Mother's Day and Miklavž. At the end of the school year in May 2017, five students graduated; Mark Kežman, Marcus Mi-klavčič, Tomaz Mramor and David Nardin. They had a year end party at a trampoline park. Graduation was held at the annual Mother's Day program in May and celebrated our mothers with plays, poems and songs. Held the annual fish fry on Good Friday and currently planning this year's event. Celebrated Miklavž with a luncheon in December 2017. At the conclusion of the first term, had a Christmas renewal, decorated the Christmas tree in the atrium of the church and afterwards, had a party for the entire school with pizza and a movie. Also held several coffee/donut social events after masses in the winter. As teachers, we are constantly adjusting the curriculum to accommodate the children and also try to make the lessons fun. The number of students attending sola has been steadily dropping and this has caused us to lose funding for one teacher through the Hamilton Catholic District School Board. The third teacher is now funded from our own account to provide the best learning environment for our students. We are always hopeful that each new school year will bring new students, but this isn't always the case. Despite remaining optimistic, we cannot increase the numbers if the families of our parish no longer think it is important to keep our Slovenian language and culture alive. There are a great number of children in our parish but it is sad that only a small number actually attend as we have teachers who are happy and willing to teach. If you have children and grandchildren from Kindergarten to Grade 8, please consider signing them up for Slovenian school. We know that children have many activities in their lives, but we can work around that. The will is there on the part of the teachers, but the important question is: Is it there on the part of the families in our parish? We would like to thank our current parents for their cooperation by faithfully bringing their children to Slovenian School every Saturday; for having the VESTNIK 2019 | 133 foresight to have them learn and preserve our Slovenian language, culture and heritage. We would also like to thank the parishioners for their help, support and cooperation at all our events. We really appreciate it and know we could not do it without you. Pevski zbori: No report. Plesni skupini: No report. Summer Day Camp: Heidy Novak reported that 38 children participated in the camp with 16 star leaders. 2018 will mark 18 years the camp has been running. Will need new director/assistant to continue with the camp. St. Joseph's Society: Report prepared by Jerry Ponikvar and read by Clark Novak. 103 paid members however have a total of 133 members. Jerry noted that the Board of Directors met monthly, except in July, with representatives from Active Management (TAG) to discuss and approve matters related to the operations of Villa Slovenia and held a separate meeting to discuss business relating to the Drustvo - there were a number of vacancies and pleased to see that members of the Slovenian community have taken up residency. The Annual Slovenian Society of St. Joseph Banquet was held in March 2017. To celebrate the drustvo's 80th anniversary, the society hosted Vizarji, a Slovenian band who performed at the banquet as well as in the Villa, Sava, Browns Line and Lipa Park. The Board thanks Tony Ferko for arranging and hosting the band for two weeks. The net profits of the banquet were donated to St. Gregory the Great toward the roof repair. The report outlined weekly and annual social events arranged for members including, bingo (thanked Frank Erzar and Slava Gombosa for their assistance with running the bingo) social evenings 134 | VESTNIK 2019 and Annual Christmas Parties, featuring entertainment by Tony Ferko with the sale/draw of poinsettias and Društvo donation netting $400. This was matched by the Board and presented Fr. Drago with $800 for the roof renovation. Only one excursion this year to Breslau Oktoberfest. The Society was actively involved and participated in Slovenski Dan and sponsoring a bus. There was a new format for the Annual Bocce Tournament this year that attracted a number of younger members. This was followed by a pig roast and celebration of victorious teams. The Society expressed their appreciation to our pastor, Fr Drago Gacnik, for his spiritual leadership and Slovenian community commitment. A gift of appreciation was made for his annual summer visit home to Slovenia and at Christmas. The Board also donated funds to St. Gregory to cover the cost of conducting a property survey along the backfield fence line and Honda dealership fence line. Financial assistance and contributions were made to: St. Gregory's Children's Summer Day Camp, Slovenian Canadian Scholarship Foundation and St. Gregory Parish roof renovation. A donation of $100 was given to Parish for flowers for the Procesija sv. Rešnje-ga Telesa in Krvi. Dan Demsar was approved as a new member on the Društvo Board to fill a vacancy. Parish masses were offered for the following deceased members: Ignac Korosec, Elizabeth Gerič and Franc Raduha. Canadian Slovenian Scholarship Foundation: Reported by Sonya Podrebarac for Karl Ferko No formal report has been presented. We have amalgamated the Scholarship with the Fall Banquet and this will continue. Thank you to all the sponsors and volunteers and we encourage continued support from everyone. Gospodarsko poročilo: Reported by Mirko Zorko Mirko provided a report of all regular monthly, quarterly and annual maintenance tasks. Finančno poročilo: Prepared by Theresa Farbotko and read by Heidy Novak. Heidy provided complete details of all income and expenses for both church and hall. Župnijski Pastoralni Svet: Heidy Novak Total income for church-2017 Total expenses for church-2017 Net income 2017 Before Major Building Improvements Major Building Improvements Net Income After Major Building Improvements $232,554.57 $119,904.24 $112,646.303 $11,404.03 $101,242.30 Bank balance 31/12/2017 Building fund 31/12/2017 Loan Paid to the Diocese of Hamilton Balance of loan 31/12/2017 $203,996.16 $109,973.46 $78,294.02 $235,675.62 Total income for hall 2017 Total expenses for hall 2017 Major Building Improvements Net income 2017 Bank balance/SCU $90,952.98 $73,329.64 $7,928.00 $9,695.34 $91,505.56 $14,228.39-S.C.U Balinanje has been successful with attracting young parishioners. SCCN has put together a calendar for 2018 that includes each of the club's events and is available to all. Negotiations are still underway for renting a portion of the church parking lot. Martinovanje and New Year's Eve - under New Business. KRATKA PAVZA-10 minutes Open discussion regarding the reports: No comments. New Business: Future Parish Events and formats. Heidy reported on the change in event style for Martinovanje as there has been low attendance over the years. Will continue with traditional wine tasting but would like to include a potica baking contest and a Soča reunion by decade. New Year's Eve also has had a low attendance so looking at partnering with other clubs and having a theme. Discussed updates needed in the hall to attract renters/increase in events; i.e. painting the hall, stage floor, stage curtains need to be replaced, hall entrance and parking lot. Plan to encompass all work cohesively and in phases. Will ask parishioners for help when needed to make this happen. It was suggested to remove the wooden plaques from the walls. There was discussion about having them covered instead as they are cultural pieces representative of Slovenia. They also need to be cleaned. Motion: Audience members agreed to move forward with updating/refreshing the hall. VESTNIK 2019 | 135 Nomination of New Council Members: Current Parish Council members are staying on. Thank you to the three newest and youngest members, Eric Škerl, Steven Horvat and Clark Novak. No new members. If interested, please contact a member of the Parish Council. Pastor's Address: Father spoke about the importance of volunteers and having as many people as possible participate in the life of the church. He thanked everyone for all they had done and hoped that parishioners would continue to work together for the benefit of St. Gregory's. Meeting Adjournment: Father Drago concluded the meeting with a prayer. Thanks to Fr. Drago for his spiritual leadership and ongoing assistance. Thanks to Nancy Dundek, Jožica Vegelj and Marianne Škerl for their help in food preparation. Refreshments and light snack provided. Minutes submitted by Elka Persin Triglav - London - 60 let V nedeljo, 17. marca 2019, je bilo ^ v dvorani kluba Triglav zares slovesno. Ob 12:30 popoldne smo se v zelo velikem številu zbrali pri daritvi svete maše. Gabriella Nordink je spremljala pesmi na orglah, da smo lažje in lepše zapeli. Po končani sveti maši pa je sledilo slovesno kosilo. Tokrat ga niso pripravile domače gospodinje ampak Wayside Dining Lounge iz Talbotville. Udeležba je bila zelo številka, okrog 110 gostov. Tokrat je bil vstop in kosilo zastonj (no admission charges). Po slovesnem kosilu smo nadaljevali s praznovanjem ob glasbi ansambla Matt Lebar. Pred koncem je Joseph Zadel povedal nekaj besed in se zahvalil članom za vse delo, ki so ga v vseh teh letih vložili v dvorano. Vsi vemo, da je potrebno veliko dobre volje in pridnih rok, da stvari tečejo naprej. Najprej že samo to, da so si dvorano zgradili, potem pa tudi vsa leta vzdrževali, pripravljali dogodke in slovesnosti. Veliko lepega se je skozi ta leta dogajalo. Društvo je gostilo dva Slovenska dneva in veliko drugih praznovanj. Joseph se je zahvalil tudi vseh društvom na Niagarskem polotoku in VSKO skupnosti za vso pomoč in podporo skozi vsa leta. Vsaj nekajkrat na leto je bila v dvorani tudi sveta Maša in zadnja leta tudi procesija sv. Rešnjega Telesa. Marsikomu se je ob spominih orosilo oko. Na koncu so še izžrebali nekaj vstopnic in nekaj srečnežev je odneslo domov lepe nagrade. Se morda sprašujete zakaj tako slovesno praznovanje sredi postnega časa. Klub Triglav kmalu ne bo več domoval v prostorih dvorane. Že lani so sklenili, da dvorano prodajo, ker preprosto ni več dovolj članov ali pa so starejši, da bi vzdrževali parcelo in dvorano. Če bo vse kot je dogovorjeno, bo letos koncem aprila (po zadnjih podatkih 29. aprila) dvorana dobila novega lastnika. Letos je 60 let od neuradne ustanovitve kluba, papirje (Letters Patent) so dobili leto kasneje, 9. marca 1960 in podpisani so: Bah, Jemec, Kobal, Karl Zajc, Vlado Stančič. 2. junija 1964 so dobili prvi svoj prostor na 499 Hamilton Rd., London. Ker so otroci staršev, ki so 50-tih letih prišli v London odrasli, je prvi prostor postal premajhen. Počasi so gledali za kraj, kjer bi lahko imeli piknike. Joe Zadel in Ivan Horvat sta v časopisu našla sedanjo parcelo (50 akrov) in kaj kmalu so jo kupili za $12,500.00. Najprej je bilo tam samo balinišče, kjer pa so se čedalje bolj redno shajali. Leta 1978 pa so se odločili, da si zgradijo svojo dvorano. Prodali so prvi prostor in denar porabili za začetek gradnje. Z gradnjo so nadaljevali v letu 1979 in leta 1980 je bila dvorana dokončana in predana v uporabo. 136 | VESTNIK 2019 VESTNIK 2019 j iS? 22 | VESTNIK 2019 VESTNIK 2019 | 139 3rd Sunday of Lent Response: The Lord is merciful and gracious. First Reading Exodus 3:1-8. 13-15 In a mysterious and wonderful way Moses becomes aware of God's presence and that he has been chosen for a special mission by God. Second Reading 1 Corinth. 10:1-6. 10-12 Under the leadership of Moses, the people of Israel passed from slavery to freedom in the Exodus. Paul sees the passage through the sea of reeds as prefiguring baptism and God's gift of manna in the desert as prefiguring the Eucharist. Gospel Luke 13:1-9 Jesus urges repentance and uses a parable to illustrate the loving mercy of God. ""And the Lord said, '...Yes, I am well aware of th eir sufferings.' Illustration In May 2012 a famous work of art, The Scream, by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, was sold at auction for the record sum of £74 million. Even then, it was not the original work but one of a number of later versions. The picture is of three figures on a bridge against a background of a blood-red sky with frantic streaks of orange, yellow, brown and blue. Beneath the sky are hills and in front of these is a mass of water, in parts swirling and forbidding. But the most striking aspect of the picture is the figure in the foreground with head clasped in hands, eyes staring wildly ahead, face wrought in utter anguish and mouth wide open. The figure, almost corpse-like, is screaming and the scene is so 140 | VESTNIK 2019 powerful that you could imagine you are hearing The Scream itself. The other two figures are a distance away on the bridge, apparently unaware of the one in the foreground who seems totally alone in the experience. Munch wrote that his inspiration for the picture came from an occasion when, while he was out walking with two friends, the sun went down and "the sky suddenly turned to blood and I felt a great scream in nature". These words bring to mind the passage in Romans where Paul says that from the beginning until now the entire creation has been "groaning in one great act of giving birth". But Paul speaks here within the context of Christian hope in eternal salvation through the gift of the Spirit. There is no suggestion of hope in The Scream; there seems to be only despair. Perhaps the origins of the picture go deeper than Munch said and are to be found in the inexplicable sufferings of his life. His mother died when he was five, his older sister when he was twelve; experiences he revisited in a number of his paintings. Another sister was mentally ill from childhood and Munch himself was afflicted by addiction and depression. Gospel Teaching Examples of inexplicable suffering are found in today's Gospel: the Galileans whose blood the Romans had mingled with their sacrifices and the eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them. In Old Testament thought both the cruelty of the Romans and the natural disaster would have been seen as the consequence of sin; and the greater the suffering, then the greater must have been the sin. But this way of thinking presents a false image of God: it leaves no room for God's infinite mercy and compassion; it offers no hope and can lead only to despair. Jesus does not reject the reality of sin, but he does reject this way of thinking. He tells us that sin is to be dealt with by repentance and that means turning totally away from sin and living a new life of faith. The parable of the fig tree illustrates the loving mercy of God who waits for us to change our minds and hearts in repentance. This is the only way in which we can "bear fruit" or do the work that God wants us to do. The fig tree is a sign of hope and the parable can be linked to the first reading where God's presence is manifested to Moses on Mount Horeb in the flame of fire in the middle of the burning bush. Like the fig tree, the bush is a sign of hope - for God's loving care and promise of deliverance from suffering into freedom are revealed. Application In Shakespeare's play Henry VIII, Cardinal Wol-sey, having fallen from the king's favour, bids farewell to his greatness and remembers that it began when he put forth the "tender leaves of hope". The leaves perished in his "high-blown pride" and he reflects that when a man who "hangs on princes' favours" falls, he falls "like Lucifer, never to hope again". His "tender leaves" did not bear hope in God, rather a self-centred hope, and this can lead to despair. The terrifying despair so prominent in The Scream is not found in Munch's later works. Instead, warm and lush colours fill his palette to form land and seascapes, starry skies and children standing before an enchanted forest. Perhaps The Scream reflects Munch's inner self at that time; his later works depict calmness and inner peace. In times of inner turmoil or despair, may the "tender leaves of hope" be allowed to rustle in the gentle breeze of God's eternal love. VESTNIK 2019 | 141 Obvestila - Announcements PEVSKE VAJE_ Pevske vaje za mešani pevski zbor so vsak četrtek. Zbor poje 7. aprila, ko imamo spomladanski banket, skupaj z angleškim zborom. Maša je ob 10:00 a.m. Angleški zbor ima vajo vsako sredo po večerni maši. Novi pevci vedno dobrodošli. DOGODKI V BLIŽNJI PRIHODNOSTI_ ♦ 24. marec: St. Gregory the Great - Mass 10:00 a.m. St. Joseph's Society - Banquet 12:00 p.m. ♦ 31. marec: St. Gregory the Great - Mass 10:00 a.m. AGM - Občni zbor at 11:15 a.m. Followed by light complimentary lunch ♦ 7. april: St. Gregory the Great - Mass 10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon - SPRING BANQUET ♦ 8. april: SAVA - SCCN Meeting - Dinner 7:00 p.m. ♦ 13. april: Slovenski Park - Spring Clean-up 9:00 a.m., AGM 2:00 p.m. ♦ 14. april: PALM SUNDAY - St. Gregory: Mass 9:15 a.m. - Sava: Mass 12:00 p.m. followed by Dinner - Triglav: Mass 4:00 p.m. at St. John the Divine Parish followed by social ♦ 19. april: GOOD FRIDAY - St. Gregory the Great - 3:00 p.m. - Passion - 4:00 p.m. - Fish Fry (Slovenska šola) ♦ 20. april: HOLY SATURDAY Food blessings: - 10:00 a.m. - Triglav - at St. John the Divine - 12:00 p.m. - Sava - Breslau - 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 p.m. - St. Gregory the Great Easter Vigil - 8:00 p.m. ♦ 21. april: EASTER - St. Gregory the Great - Masses: 9:30 a.m. Slovenian, 11:00 a.m. English ♦ 24. april: CWL - Our Lady of Good Counsel Mass at 7:00 p.m. ♦ 27. april: Slovenski Park - Spring Banquet 6:30 p.m. - Ansambel Brajda ♦ 28. april: Lipa Park - Ambassador - Mother's Day Luncheon GIFT BEARERS - DAROVE PRINAŠAJO_ ♦ 24. marec 10:00 a.m.: Peter Novak & Danny Demšar ♦ 31. marec 10:00 a.m.: Ivan in Angela Antolin ♦ 7. april 10:00 a.m.: Toni in Marija Franc ♦ 14. april 9:15 a.m.: Zorka Rev in Sonja Peternel ♦ 21. april: Kolenko Family ♦ 28. april: Jožica Vegelj in Eva Erzetič DAROVI_ Pepca Hapke je darovala $50, Jože in Marija Mag-dič pa $100 Slomškovemu oltarnemu društvu za rože. Za gradbeni sklad je darovala $50 Marija Košir. Janez Lovrenčec je daroval $300 za cerkev in $200 za misijone. Dorothea Ježovnik je darovala $50 za gradbeni sklad v spomin na pokojnega Alojza Sampla. - Hvala vam za vse darove. Our Lady of the Angels Cemetery_ Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, OMI, DD, Bishop of Hamilton, will celebrate the annual Memorial Mass on Saturday, April 13, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Diocesan Newsletter For information about Activities and Events of interest in the Diocese of Hamilton, subscribe to the online Diocesan Newsletter at www.hamiltondiocese.com. 142 | VESTNIK 2019 Lady of the Angels Cemetery, Stoney Creek. During this Mass, Bishop Crosby will bless the recently completed expansion of Our Lady of the Angels Mausoleum. All are invited to attend. For more information, please call (905) 643-0189 or visit www.thecatholiccemeteries.ca. VELIKONOČNA POŠTA_ V atriju si vzemite velikonočno pošto. V pismu je prijavnica za spomladanski banket, kuverti za dar za banket in Veliko noč in velikonočno pismo s sporedom praznovanj. Hvala Pameli Gosgnach, ki mi je uredila angleški del pisma; hvala pa tudi Tereziji Sarjaš in Franku Novaku, ki sta vso pošto zložila v kuverte. MOYA FINANCIAL - AGM_ MOYA FINANCIAL invites members to attend Annual General Meeting on Sunday, April 7 at 3:00 PM at the Church Hall. Registration begins at 2:00 PM. At the meeting, members will receive information regarding the Credit Union's financial position and its operations. FISH FRY - GOOD FRIDAY - April 19TH Obveščamo vas, da bomo v petek, 19. aprila 2019, učiteljice in otroci slovenske šole, na Veliki petek po obredih, v zgornji dvorani nudili pohane ribe s krompirjem. Vljudno Vas prosimo in vas vabimo, da pridete in se pogostite. S tem boste pomagali našim učencem zbirati potrebna finančna sredstva za šolo. The teachers and students of Slovenian School will be selling fish and chips in the upper hall after the Good Friday Service on April 19. Limited tickets available at the door so please get your tickets as soon as possible! We sell out every year so make sure you reserve early!!! You will be helping our school children raise funds for their school. The best way to ensure you get your tickets is by contacting Sandy Ferletic by email at sferlet-ic@gmail.com or by phone at (905) 977-8464. Tickets are $15. We thank you in advance for your generosity and cooperation. We hope to see you soon on Good Friday. Read all about the Diocese of Hamilton! The Catholic Register, Canada's largest Catholic newspaper, will soon include a two-page insert featuring happenings in the Diocese of Hamilton! The insert will appear every other week in The Register, beginning with the March 31st issue. The insert will include news and updates about the One Heart, One Soul Campaign, as well as features and news about the other good works that take place in the Diocese. Copies of the paper are available INSERT WHERE HERE. Please take a copy, read it and pass it on to a friend. Separation and divorce can be a painful and confusing time for those living the experience. Learning how to cope and being supported by those who have lived through it as well is important to ensure future health. The Family Ministry Office offers Levels programs for you if you are in this situation, or refer anyone else you may know that is in need. Check out the website at hamiltondiocese.com, or call the parish office and we can give you their number to call. The program begins this week on Tuesday, so don't wait. Registration at the session Tuesday are welcome. -t» svete maše - mass times: Monday: 8:00 a.m., Tuesday to Friday: 7:00 p.m., Saturday: 5:30 p.m. (Slovenian); Sunday: 9:30 a.m. (Slovenian), 11:00 a.m. (English); From Long weekend in July to the Long weekend of the September Sunday Mass is 111 only at 10:00 a.m. (Slovenian-English) - krsti / baptisms: For an appointment, call one month before. poroke / marriage: For an appointment, call one year before the wedding date. spoved / confessions: First Friday of the month 6 -7:00 p.m. (or by appointment) bolniki - Sporočite, če je kdo bolan ali v bolnišnici, da ga obiščemo. You are welcome to call don bosco for a personal conversation with your priest - please call for an appointment. Tel: 905-561-5971, VESTNIK 2019 | 143 od 24. 3. 2019 do 31. 3. 2019 svete maše - masses 3. Postna nedelja 24. Marec Katarina Švedska, red. Za žive in rajne župljane f Alojz Sampl f John Krenos f Martin Glavač, obl. f Julijana Gabor f Štefan Dundek ff Pokojni iz Villa Slovenia DRUŠTVO SV. JOŽEFA 10:00 a.m. Olga Peternel Družina Mramor Družina Glavač Kathy in Joe Prša Aranka z družino Julija Sagadin z družino 12:00 p.m. Banket v župnijski dvorani Ponedeljek - Monday 25. Marec Gospodovo oznanjenje ff Pokojni iz družine Zorčič Za duhovno prenovo župnije 8:00 a.m. Jožica Vegelj z družino Slomškovo oltarno društvo Torek - Tuesday 26. Marec Larisa, mučenka V dober namen 7:00 p.m. N.N. Sreda - Wednesday 27. Marec Rupert, škof ff Pok. Starši Špiler in brat f Dragica Sobčič 7:00 p.m. _Družina Beko Dragica Rahija Četrtek - Thursday 28. Marec Bojan, knez f Dane Bukovac f Alojz Sampl f Alojz Sampl 7:00 p.m. Jožica Novak z družino Karol in Milka Ferko Družina Gergyek Petek - Friday 29. Marec Bertold, redovnik Križev pot - Stations of the Cross f Janez Krenos ; 6:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Družina Gergyek Sobota Saturday 30. Marec Amadej, knez f Anton Ifko (Toronto) f Olga Godina ff Marica in Ivan Ileršič ff Angela in Ivan Zorko, obl. f Olga Godina f Marija Čulig 5:30 p.m. 4. Postna nedelja 31. Marec Benjamin, mučenec Za žive in rajne župljane f Olga Godina ff Nikola in Angela Bukovac, obl. f Mary Zabukovec OBČNI ZBOR - AGM 10:00 a.m. Marija in Toni Franc Hči Marica in Frank Majzelj Margaret Žagar 11:15 p.m. ŽUPNIJSKA DVORANA 144 | VESTNIK 2019