Grace Notes
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THIS WEEK’S READINGS
Isaiah 40:21-31, Psalm 147:1-12, 21c, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39
THIS WEEK'S WORSHIP SCHEDULE
(all services at Grace Church unless otherwise specified)
Sunday, February 4
9 AM The Children’s Service
10 AM The Holy Eucharist and Sunday School, bulletin
Wednesday
9 AM The Holy Eucharist with Healing
ABOUT THE EPIPHANY SEASON . . . A season of four to nine weeks, from the Feast of the Epiphany (Jan. 6) through the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The length of the season varies according to the date of Easter. The gospel stories of this season describe various events that manifest the divinity of Jesus. The coming of the Magi is celebrated on the Epiphany. The Baptism of our Lord is observed on the Sunday after Epiphany. The gospels for the other Sundays of the Epiphany season describe the wedding at Cana, the calling of the disciples, and various miracles and teachings of Jesus. The Last Sunday after the Epiphany is always devoted to the Transfiguration. Jesus' identity as the Son of God is dramatically revealed in the Transfiguration gospel, as well as the gospel of the baptism of Christ. We are called to respond to Christ in faith through the showings of his divinity recorded in the gospels of the Epiphany season.
- courtesy of “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians”
SUNDAY SCHOOL . . . is held at 10 AM each Sunday for grade school age children (kindergarten to 5th grade). After their lesson and activity, the children will join the congregation for communion.
OUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR . . . . the sick and those in need, especially The Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop, The Rev. James Warnke, priest, Gina DeMarsico, Stephanie Luciani, Christian Davis, Shawn Davis, Felix Wroten, Julie Pryor, Suzanne Morris, Lauren Rosenthal, Nancy Mohr, Roseanne Levine, Jenafer Medina, Charlotte Wilson, Rich Landi, John Whitlock and Gaylord Hitchcock, priest.
For the those celebrating birthdays especially Paul Sobeck (2/4), Paige Gardner (2/5) and Laurie Wietzke (2/5) and for those celebrating anniversaries.
For those who have died especially Cecelia Casey (2/4), Walter Johnson (2/4), Charles Jung (2/7) and Bette A. Michener (2/7).
PRAYER LIST REQUESTS . . . To add any names to the parish prayer list, please send an email to kmaccourt@gmail.com with the name of the person to be prayed for, your name and a brief description of the person’s health or other situation (note if long-term or chronic). Names are listed for four weeks and then rotate off, but they can be added again as needed. If you have questions, please speak with the wardens or Father Anthony.
UPCOMING CALENDAR EVENTS . . .
February 7
9 AM The Holy Eucharist with Healing
February 11
10 AM The Holy Eucharist and Sunday School
February 14 - ASH WEDNESDAY
9 AM The Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes
7 PM The Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes
February 18
9 AM The Children's Service
10 AM The Holy Eucharist and Sunday School
February 21
9 AM The Holy Eucharist with Healing
February 25
9 AM The Children's Service
10 AM The Holy Eucharist and Sunday School
February 28
9 AM The Holy Eucharist with Healing
CONTACT INFORMATION . . .
The Rev. Father Anthony Puca, Jr.
Rector
gecrector@gmail.com
201-664-0407
Kathryn MacCourt
Grace and Holy Trinity parish administrator, organist and choirmaster
kmaccourt@gmail.com
201-417-1653
The Reverend Deacon Len Roberts
leonard_roberts@rocketmail.com
973-901-8822
Grace Church Wardens
Akinola Okunlola - aokunlola@gmail.com, 201-926-3677
Larry Sunden - larry@sunden.com, 201-960-1433
ANNOUNCEMENTS . . .
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED . . . We are in need of volunteers for the Helping Hand Food Pantry on Monday nights and Saturday mornings. Responsibilities include filling grocery bags from pre-printed lists for pantry clients. Students age twelve and up may volunteer and receive community service credit for the time they work. There are stairs involved, but accommodation can be made for those who can't manage them.
Can you spare a few hours a month (or a quarter) to help feed our neighbors? Please contact Patty Bradley at 201-315-5401 or at arlin.bradley@me.com.
While there are always needs for a variety of food items, the following are always needed:
Cake and Brownie Mix
Boxed Potatoes
Canned Fruit
Apple Sauce
Ketchup, Mustard, & Mayonnaise
Bagged White Rice
Pancake Mix, Syrup
Flour, Sugar, & Oil
Coffee
Shelf Stable Milk
Canned Meats
Pasta
Meat Sauce
Chunky Soup
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Cookies & Crackers
Shampoo, Conditioner & Toothpaste
Pump or Bar Hand Soap
Paper Towels, Facial Tissues, Toilet Paper
Diapers size 5, 6 & 7
Cleaning Products & Laundry Detergent
Supermarket Gift Cards
Please ensure all food donations are within their expiration dates.
NEW SCHEDULE FOR FATHER ANTHONY . . . As we consider our finances for 2024, it will be necessary to reduce my hours as we move forward. Please see the schedule below. I typically work in the morning to early afternoon but sometimes it is necessary that I work evening hours as well. I will adjust my hours based on need. I typically do not respond to non-emergency calls or texts on days off or on work days after 5 pm. In the event of an emergency, you can contact me at any time of the day on my cell phone at 267-980-3480. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.
Peace,
Father Anthony
Sundays: 6 hours.
Mondays: Off
Tuesdays: Off
Wednesday: 5 hours
Thursdays: 4 hours
Fridays: 5 hours
Saturdays: Off
SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE DINNER . . .
Dear Parishioners,
It gives me great pleasure to extended to you the invitation to join us on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, for our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner. This fun filled event will be held in the small parish hall from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Our chefs promise to serve you mouthwatering pancakes along with a choice of bacon or sausage. So please, bring you entire family and friends!
To make our dinner even more festive, an array of Mardi Gras decorations will grace the walls and tables. And the opportunity to wear a Mardi Gras mask and beads will make it possible for you to transcend into the magical spirit of the Mardi Gras. There will also be a door prize or two.
There is no cost for our Pancake Dinner, but donations to help cover the cost of the items purchased to prepare for the dinner would be greatly appreciated.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you might have. I can be reached by phone (973-809-8272) or by email: ingren58@gmail.com
Best regards,
Ingrid Davis
WALK-IN-DINNER NEEDS VOLUNTEERS . . . As part of our continuing parish outreach, there is an opportunity for us all to take part in the Walk-in-Dinner, which is a program of Family Promise of Bergen County. Houses of worship in Bergen County share in the responsibility for preparing the meal on different days and months. Grace’s participation involves preparing a dinner on the first Thursday of odd-numbered months.
There are several ways to participate in the Walk-in-Dinner, not only by preparing a meal (usually chili or meat sauce) but also by purchasing food or non-food items. If you pledge to a certain item, you can prepare it at home and deliver it to Grace Church on the assigned day by noon to be packed there for delivery. There are other food items in the meal to be donated, such as a salad, canned vegetables, roll with butter, desserts and bottles of water. Drivers are also needed to transport items to Hackensack, as well as occasional kitchen crew and other helpers.
COFFEE HOUR . . . will follow the service. If you are able to help with this ministry please contact
Grace Church: Ingrid Davis - ingren58@gmail.com or 973-809-8272
PLEDGING . . . We also now have the capability of making a donation online thanks to a newly negotiated deal by the diocese with Vanco! Grace Church Click on the link: WebPay Link or use the Give button on our Home Page.
Please be sure to visit and like our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/gracewestwood.org/
You can help Grace attract new members by simply sharing our posts on your own page. Please help us grow and share a post.
Pastoral Emergencies
In the event of a pastoral emergency, please contact Fr. Anthony Puca at 1-267-980-3480
FROM THE BISHOP . . . How we get strong in the faith. "The faith life is like anything else," says Bishop Hughes: "We have to build that muscle, we've got to get stronger at it, we have to practice, we have to learn how to get better at something, we've got to make the decision to nurture it."
INFORMATION FROM THE DIOCESE OF NEWARK . . . To subscribe and receive The VOICE Online by email please go to https://dioceseofnewark.org/subscribe
At the very top of the page, you’ll see a box to type in your email address. Click on the “Sign me up” button and you will be taken to a page where you can subscribe to receive The VOICE Online as well as other e-newsletters.
RESOURCES FROM THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH…..For news and official statements from the national church, a few key websites are listed below.
The most up-to-date news in the Episcopal Church http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/
News and official statements from the Episcopal Church concerning political and public policy issues http://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org
Grace Episcopal Church
9 Harrington Avenue, Five Corners
Westwood, NJ 07675
201 664-0407
www.gracewestwood.org
“Called to re-member and share God’s love and grace”
Contacts
The Rev. Father Anthony Puca, Jr., Rector 201-664-0407 (gecrector@gmail.com)
Mrs. Kathryn MacCourt, Parish Administrator, Organist & Choirmaster 201-417-1653 (kmaccourt@gmail.com)
Mr. Akinola Okunlola, Warden 201-926-3577 (aokunlola@gmail.com)
Mr. Larry Sunden, Warden 201-960-1433 (larry@sunden.com)