Keeping Christ in Christmas - Bro. Victor D'Souza

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. However, in today’s world Christmas is commercialized and the day has been secularized. The question we ask is: Are we partly to blame for this commercialization and secularization? Haven’t we have supported it in some form or another? We have taken our children to the mall and have taken pictures with Santa. We have put gifts in the stocking and told our Children they were gifts from Santa. We have made Santa Claus more popular than Jesus. We have encouraged songs about Snow man, Santa Claus, Reindeer and what have you….We have inadvertently helped, those that don’t want Christ, to remove Him out of Christmas. But it’s never too late.

 If millions of Christians put their heart and mind to it, they can surely bring back Christ into Christmas.

But what does keeping Christ in Christmas mean? The number one way to keep Jesus Christ in your Christmas celebrations is to have him present in your daily life and make Him the centre of your life. Keeping Christ in Christmas is more about the way you live your life than the things you say, such as "Merry Christmas" versus "Happy Holidays."

Let us do things differently this year. There are simple ways to keep Christ the central focus of your life this Christmas season. Give God a special gift that is just from you. Let this gift be something personal that no one else needs to know about, and let it involve a sacrifice.

Visit a sick relative, friend or an acquaintance that is homebound. Read the Bible, commit to pray with family and friends this advent season. Pray for Peace. Set up a Nativity scene in your home. It is a good reminder why we celebrate Christmas.

Send Christmas cards that have Bible verses and artwork that remind the receiver about the arrival of Jesus and not Santa Claus. Write Christmas and not X-mas. It would be good if Christian Canadians bought religious postage stamps, although the tradition of sending Christmas card through mail is slowly dying. It supports a worthy initiative from Canada Post, one of the few official shows of Christianity when slowly but surely everything Christian is slowly being removed, and helps keeps Christ in Christmas. Listen to Christian music and carols sung by Christian artist. Shop at stores that keep Christ in Christmas. Look for gifts that support Christian charity.

 Volunteer to help the homeless. You can also plan a project of goodwill to a needy family. Find someone with a genuine need, involve your whole family and see how happy you can make someone this Christmas. And most importantly, we can lift our minds and hearts to Jesus in prayer. Here is a prayer you could say from your heart.

“The Christmas prayer” by Robert Louis Stevenson.:

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy Children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Written and compiled by Victor D’Souza with some references taken from www.christianity.com and www.beliefnet.net

Donation to Dr. Simone Silent Children's Mission Charity

St. Francis Xavier Council 12067 donated $1,200 from the proceeds of their 12th Annual Golfing Tournament to the Silent Children’s Mission charity. The council has been supporting this charity for over 7 years during which time they have donated over $6,000.

This information has been posted on the Ontario State website >>click here

On Tuesday, November 19^th the council held it first Fraternal Activity Night (FAN) in honour of our late CGK Mathew Rodrigues, for the current fraternal year 2013-14. The evening was preceded by a short general meeting to pass two important motions, one for making a donation of $2,000 to the St. Francis Xavier Church and the second $1,000 to the Typhoon Haiyan Fund, to support the devastation in the Philippines. Both motions were passed unanimously by the brothers.

The Fraternal Activity Night was attended by 100 brothers, 4 candidates who were interviewed recently, Chaplain Msgr.Edgardo Pan, District Deputy Joseph Zielinski, Maureen Rodrigues, spouse of late CGK Mathew Rodrigues and Frankie Burg-Feret, Executive Director, Silent Children’s Mission.

The Chair and MC for the evening was Bro. William Fernandes and he was ably supported by a team of hard working knights, who assisted all evening and prior to the event-thank you to all the knights who helped make this FAN night a big success. As well thank you brother knights for making the time to spend the evening with a fraternal activity, as without your presence and support the evening would not have been a successful one. The catering for the evening was undertaken by Konkan Delite which is owned by Bro. Loy D’Souza who is a member of our council.

Our next FAN night is scheduled for Friday, January 24^th @ 7 p.m. at the Parish Hall and the Chair for this event is PGK Valens Almeida. This FAN evening will be different in that we will give the brother knights who have their own businesses the opportunity to speak in brief and to showcase their business coupled with games. More to come from the Chair so stay tuned.

Fraternally,

Edwin D'Cruz
Grand Knight and the Executive Team
St. Francis Xavier Council 12067

COUNCIL ACTIVITIES - DECEMBER AND JANUARY

Dear Worthy Brothers,

This is an email to remind of the various council activities for the months of December, 2013 and January, 2014. In this manner, you can plan your dairy accordingly, and decide which events you are able to attend and/or support and pencil it in to your diaries.

Parish Feast-St. Francis Xavier on December 3 Mass and procession at 7 p.m.

Executive and General Meeting on December 10, 2013 @ 7.30 p.m. Please not that this will be last meeting of the council for the current year.

Family Carol Night on Friday, December 13 after the 7 p.m. Mass

First Degree Exemplification on Sunday, December 22 @ 5 p.m.

Executive Meeting on January 14, 2014 @ 7.30 p.m. in the Parish Hall

General Meeting on January 21, 2014 @ 7.30 p.m. in the Parish Hall

Camel Heights Seniors’ Bingo evening on Wednesday 30 January, 2104 @ 7 p.m.

Roses for Life-weekend of January 25/26

Fraternally,

Edwin D'Cruz
Grand Knight and the Executive Team
St. Francis Xavier Council 12067

NOTICE OF MOTION-Philippines Typhoon Relief

Dear Worthy Brothers,

Further to my email communication sent to you earlier this evening, this is to formally inform you that at the executive meeting held on Tuesday, November 12, it was decided that the council should donate a sum of $1,000 towards the Typhoon Haiyan Fund to support the disaster in the Philippines.

The State Deputy has also informed us today that donations made through the Supreme website will be eligible to be matched. Thus our proposed $1,000 will be doubled by passing the donation via Supreme and/or ShareLife.

Please note that the State Deputy’s letter will be uploaded on the council’s web site:http://kofc12067.blogspot.ca/

Notice is hereby given to you that a formal motion will be made on Tuesday, November 19 to donate $1,000 to the Typhoon Haiyan Fund via the Supreme website. The motion, as is the practice, will need to be seconded by a knight and subsequently voted upon and approved or declined by the members of the council.

Fraternally,

Edwin D'Cruz
Grand Knight and the Executive Team
St. Francis Xavier Council 12067

State Deputy’s letter >>click here

Philippines Typhoon Relief

We are all aware of Typhoon Haiyan wreaking havoc in the Philippines and Kevin Daudlin, State Deputy has asked that his letter be circulated to all knights to inform you of Supreme and State actions which have been taken and how you can assist, or donate generously to the affected people in the Philippines.

Please note that the State Deputy’s letter will be uploaded on the Council’s website: http://kofc12067.blogspot.ca/

The council is also making arrangements to donate to the Typhoon Haiyan Fund and in this regards I will be sending out a notice of motion via an email due to the urgent nature of the donation to be made.

Fraternally,

Edwin D'Cruz
Grand Knight and the Executive Team


St. Francis Xavier Council 12067

State Deputy’s letter >>click here

FAMILY CAROL NIGHT

Contact : Bro. Agnelo Mascarenhas E: agbern@hotmail.com T: 905 564 0979

THANK YOU - COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

Dear Worthy Brothers,

We today concluded our first membership drive for the new fraternal year in a very satisfactory manner.

The Brother Knights supported the membership drive by staying after mass and canvassing for new candidates. In addition, the weekend drive was well attended by knights along with their families who attended various masses. Thank you brothers!

We had a Knight speaking after each mass from a prepared script and on behalf of the Membership Director and Fraternal Benefits Advisor Brother Alan Pires, please accept our grateful thanks for volunteering to do so and doing a great job of it.

Thank you also to the IPGK and the PGK’s who provided their full support with their presence and canvassed for candidates along with the brother knights. Thank you PGK’s!

Our thanks also to Joanita Miranda for her assistance in coordinating the membership drive event.

Last but not least, thank you to our Pastor Msgr. Edgardo Pan, Associate Pastors Fr. Susairaj Savarimuthu and Fr. Joshua Roldan, for their valued support at all the masses and for pitching for the knights.

Fraternally,

Edwin D'Cruz
Grand Knight and the Executive Team
St. Francis Xavier Council 12067