January 15, 2006
2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Weekend Mass Intentions

Saturday,  January 14
    4:00 PM  Margaret Fairbanks by Alan & Janet Maillott
Sunday,  January  15
   8:00 AM  For the parishioners of St.Paul
   9:30 AM  For Lee Petrin by Normand & Jeannine Fraser
Saturday,  January 21
   4:00 PM  Intention of the Celebrant
Sunday,  January 22
   8:00 AM  Intention of the Celebrant
   9:30 AM  For the parishioners of St.Paul

Parish News and Notes

Parish office hours
    Our parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The Pastoral Associate is in most afternoons until 4:00 PM.  If you need to come in the PM please give us a call to make sure someone is here. Messages can always be left on the answering machine. 

Are you registered?
     Are you new to our parish?   If you are, please pick up a registration form in the vestibule of the church. Registration is very important.  Just drop it in the basket or mail it to our office.  Thanks!  We are always happy to receive new parishioners.  We welcome you and pray you will be happy here with us.

Please use church envelopes 
    Envelope users provide the bedrock of our financial support.  Please consider using them.  New packets of envelopes are mailed every three months. If you would like to receive some but you are not yet on the mailing list, please call Jeannine to give her your name and address. Thank you!

Envelope Request Form ____ I want to support our parish on a regular basis. Please add me to the envelope list. Name ______________________________ Address___________________________ Town ________________,NH Zip ________

First Reconciliation Meeting
    If your child is in grade two, he/she will be making their first Reconciliation this year.  If your child is in Grade 3 or higher and has not yet received this sacrament you are invited to join the other parents for a session on the Sacrament.  This meeting will be held on Thursday, January 26, 2006 at 6:30 pm here in the Church.  There will be only one meeting for this sacrament.  Please mark your calendars for the 26th.  The meeting is for parents. At least one parent from each household should attend. The children need not attend. 

Pastoral Council Meeting:
    The meeting for the Pastoral Council has been rescheduled for Monday, January 23, 2006 at 7:00 PM.  Please inform us if you are unable to attend.  Thank you.

Jesus Quest Retreat
    The Awesome Power of Faith in Jesus:  see what it did for a paralytic; see what it does for you every day!
    Jesus Quest is a retreat for young women seeking to deepen their relationship with Christ.  The retreat will be held Friday, Feb. 17th at 7pm to Sunday Feb. 19th at 1pm at Our Lady of Hope House of Prayer in New Ipswich, NH.  To register, please contact Sr. Lorraine Aucoin,  Sisters of the Presentation of Mary at 647-4083 or srlorrainea@yahoo.com.

Christian Formation News

Grades K – 3     The children entering grades K- 3 this fall will be attending Lectionary Catechesis as they have been in the past.  The program began on the weekend of September 24/25th.  We hope to be able to offer the program at all Masses but we will have to have a sufficient number of teachers and monitors to staff the three Masses.  If we do not have enough volunteers we will have to limit the classes to two Masses.   Grades 4 – 10+     All children in grades 4 – 10 will be attending the new program that is being initiated in the parish this year.  This means that they will attend classes once a month with their parents and the rest of the parish.  This class will be complimented by work at home which will enable the children to deepen their understanding of the theme of the month as well as to process the information on a day to day basis.  .    Since there will be only one class per month, parents will be asked to commit this weekend time as a priority to Christian Formation. The class may be made up by attending the class at St. Peter Parish the following weekend.  The classes will begin in October.  A  schedule for the year  has been mailed out to parents who have children previously enrolled in Religious Formation. Our first class is Sunday, October 16, 2005 from 11am - 1pm. The January and February Classes are scheduled as follows.  January 15, 2006 and February 12, 2006.  Both classes will be held from 11:00 – 1:00 pm.    If you are new to the parish or if you child is just beginning his/her formation, please call the parish office for a registration blank.     Confirmation students will also meet one extra time per month.  The dates for the year 2005 are November 6 and December 4.  The time for class is at 12:30PM immediately following the 11:30 Mass in Auburn.  All students from both parishes will meet together in Auburn for this extra meeting.

Holy Family Academy
    Holy Family Academy, a private school located in Manchester, NH, provides a classical education in the Roman Catholic tradition for students in grades 7-12.  The Academy will hold an OPEN HOUSE for prospective students on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006 at 2:00 PM with a snow date of Feb. 12, 2006 at 2:00 PM.  Come and hear about the Academy’s program of excellence in classical education and solid formation in the Catholic Faith.  Holy Family Academy is currently accepting qualified students in grades 7-12 for the 2—607 academic year.

Question of the Week
2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Theme: (Listening to God’s Call)
Reading I: 1Samuel 3: 3-10 (The Lord Calls to Samuel)
Reading II: 1 Cor. 7:29-31 (Glorifying God)
Gospel:  John 1:35-42 (Staying with Jesus)

Question for Adults: What are the unique signs that have helped me to discern God’s call(s) in my life?
  This is a question that befuddles us all too often.  First of all we rarely believe that God could be calling us to anything with respect to his service.  We have a million excuses why we think we are not worthy or not gifted enough.  Then, we probably do not really want to be called.  We are afraid that if we listen too attentively, God will call us to something we have no desire to do.  And there lies the answer.
    God will not call us to something we have no desire to do.  God gives us the gifts and the affinity toward certain things precisely because he knows that it is impossible to do something we don’t anything about or have any desire to learn. 
    When we take the time to reflect on this question this week, we want to think of those times when we came to an awareness of a particular talent or gift.  Perhaps we came to this awareness through the insight of a friend or family member.  Perhaps we came to this awareness through an experience we were forced into and never realized we were capable of until we survived the ordeal.  There are many ways by which we become aware of our capabilities. 
    Secondly we want to be conscious of those areas of our lives where we feel moved toward others.  This is no doubt a call to service.  What are those areas of our lives where we feel impelled to “give birth” to something.  It may be a very simple call or it may be a more involved call.  It matters not.
    Let us take some serious time this week to look at our thoughts and feelings. What are they saying?

Question for Children?  What kind of person do I think God wants me to be ?
    This is a question that could be a stepping stone to help your children in many directions.  Their daily behavior a home and at school is certainly primary to the question.  It could also be a good starter to begin discussion about their future, at least in broad terms.  Wherever your child is at, do try to help them to move a bit deeper than simply saying the perpetual answer, God wants me to be good.  This answer must be challenged to reach a bit more concrete examples.

Community News

News from the CYA(Catholic Young Adults)
    Are you between the ages of 20-39 and want to get more involved in your Church? Come join us on Tuesday, Jan. 17th, from 6:30-8:00pm. here at St. Paul’s.  For more information email Christy at christye@cyanh.org.
     This month the CYA Group is looking for food staples such as: Tuna, Soup, and Ready to heat meals in a can such as Ravioli, Dinty Moore etc.. Thank you for your kindness and generosity during the month of Nov.   
  The CYA Core Group