Advent is a time of waiting and expectation; a season of quiet anticipation and preparation. We are waiting for our Lord to come into the world as the baby Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. We are also preparing for His return, His second coming as the shepherd-king, to restore harmony and right relationship to all creation. Advent is a season yearning for God to come and set the world right with perfect justice, truth and peace. It is a season of hope.

Advent is a time to emphasize preparation through prayer. While Lent emphasizes a spirit of repentance through prayer and fasting, Advent’s prayers are prayers of humble devotion and commitment, prayers for deliverance, prayers of gladness and joyful expectation, prayers that await the light of Christ coming into the world.

We do not shrink from those Advent scripture readings that reveal a strong prophetic tone of accountability and judgment. Christ’s disciples expect the Lord to hold them accountable for what has been entrusted to them just as a spouse, parent, teacher or supervisor holds us accountable. And just as the steward was found faithful in small matters by the master, we too are confident that we will be found faithful and will enter the joy of the master. We have absolute trust in the Lord’s countenance.

Assuredly, during Advent we anticipate the Lord’s coming with hope. It is that hope, however faint at times, that keeps us from despair and the darkness of sin and its destructiveness. It is a hope that urges us to be kind, loving and compassionate toward one another. It is a hope that encourages our faith in a merciful God who continues to pour His grace upon us.

We don’t know when Christ will come again to bring human history to its completion. But we celebrate with gladness the great promise of Advent and we rekindle that positive, joyful spirit within us because we know, as Zechariah prophesied, that the light of Christ will shine on all who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, and He will guide our feet into the way of peace.

Heavenly Father,

You give us this blessed season of Advent as a gift of time to
prepare for the coming of the Christ Child.

But all too often we turn this gift into a source of frenzy, stress and anxiety;
a time when we’re apt to prepare for a Christmas celebration looking perfect on the outside,
but spiritually exhausting and without true meaning.

Restore in us that inherent quest for quiet expectation and hope.
Show us the way to a more peaceful, prayerful disposition that
makes us more open to a conversion of heart.

And give us the courage to let go of things that are
ultimately unimportant to the true meaning of Christmas.

Help us be good stewards of this Advent season,
so that on the Feast of the Nativity,
we will be ready with our own sacred space for the arrival of
your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we now pray.

Amen.

Source the International Catholic Stewardship Council, Catholic Stewardship, December 2016, e-Bulletin

Summer is a wonderful time to kick back, relax, and get way from the hustle of everyday life. Taking time off from jobs and other commitments in summer is a given for most of us, but let’s not take time off from growing in our faith.  Here are five ways to nurture your faith in the summer.

• Attend Mass on Sundays. If you’re traveling, check out a local church. We have many beautiful Catholic churches throughout the world, and our Mass is universal. Use the website http://www.Masstimes.org to help find a church.

• Take some time to disconnect all your electronic devices and reconnect with God, family, friends, and neighbors.  When you gather for picnics, reunions, or cookouts, don’t be afraid to talk about your faith if the opportunity presents itself.  My sister and I have wonderful discussions about the things happening in our parishes.  We also share ideas. We reflect on our faith and how good God has been to our family. Many parishes have summer festivals or picnics.  This could be used as an opening to evolve into talking about faith matters.

• Read a good Christian book. Our parish library has many great books to check out and read. There are books written by Pope Francis and Mathew Kelly just to name a couple. You can also find good articles, reflections, and stories online at CatholicExchange.com.

•  Talk to God.  Be quiet and listen to God.  Read some Scriptures and reflect. Walk our Prayer Garden and pray the rosary.  The trail is peaceful and a great way to reflect on God’s creation. You could also pray the rosary when traveling in your vehicle to and from your vacation destination.
  
  
• Take a pilgrimage and visit a shrine or grotto. You don’t have to go far. These places offer respite and peace for our souls, and will strengthen and encourage us in our faith.  The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help is close by in Champion.  Walk the beautiful grounds, go through the Holy Door of Mercy, attend Mass, or light a votive candle.  Rudolph Grotto Gardens is a beautiful grotto on the grounds of St. Philip’s Parish in central Wisconsin in the village of Rudolph.  It was built in 1933 and includes five acres of trees, flowers, and paths. There are rock formations and shrines that provide a spiritual setting. Visit the St. Jude Chapel, grotto museum, and gift shop. Walk through the Wonder Cave which has 26 shrines. I visited the grotto many years ago with my parents. Now my sister and I are planning a trip to the grotto with our own families.

I hope these ideas give you suggestions on how you and your family can stay connected to God and enhance your faith journey. Enjoy what’s left of this summer.

Father,

It is Your Commandment that we should honor our fathers;

Hear the prayers we offer You for them.

Grant them many years on earth and keep them in health of mind and body.

Bless their word and all they do.

Give them back a hundred-fold whatever they have done for us.

Inspire them with Your love and help them to fulfill Your holy law.

One day, may we be their comfort and support, so that having enjoyed their affection on earth,

we may have the joy of being with them forever in Your home in Heaven.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen

 

Source:  www.CatholicExchange.com

I would like to welcome everyone to our first outdoor Summer Ministry Fair Village.  All committees, councils, and ministries will have representation at the event.  The purpose of the Summer Ministry Fair Village is to create greater awareness of all of the many activities at our parish. All those attending will have the opportunity to talk to committee, council, and ministry members, as well as find out more about our mission, vision, and the tenants of the annual renewal of our parish.

The Summer Ministry Fair Village will be open after all Masses the weekend of June 4 and 5.  Masses are Saturday 4:15 p.m. and Sunday 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.  Enjoy assorted cookies and bars after Saturday’s Mass and Sunday’s 8:30 a.m. Mass.  Our Sunday 10:30 a.m. Mass is outdoors, and a free picnic lunch will be available afterwards hosted by the Knights of Columbus and Women’s Guild.  We’re also having an all-cash raffle, and there’s a silent auction for a hot air balloon ride for two people and for four people.

Committees, councils, and ministries are raffling off door prizes. Attendees can get tickets for these door prizes by visiting each booth.  The raffle and door prize winners will be selected and announced on Sunday, June 5, at 12:30 p.m.

Make plans to attend.  Come and have fun with your family and enjoy hospitality with parishioners. Discover the many ways you can be valued and enriched at our parish.  We welcome all to join us including parishioners, neighbors, and visitors.   It takes a village to make a parish community.  I hope to see you all there.

Linda Barrette
Co-Chair Stewardship Committee

We recently celebrated Pentecost which is the coming of the Holy Spirit. The church celebrates Pentecost 50 days after the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is manifested, given and communicated as a Divine Person of the Church, which is the fulfillment of the Paschal Mystery of Christ.

The Holy Spirit is the source of Christian unity, love, energy and the life of our faith. The Spirit continues to be the teacher of the good news of the Church.  Our faith is given and continually nurtured by the Holy Spirt.  Jesus was returned to his father at Ascension, and the Holy Spirit’s work was put into action. The Spirit works on clarity, understanding, and revelation for our Church. Symbols of the Holy Spirit include:

Water:  The source of the Holy Spirit during the sacrament of Baptism and a sign of new life in Christ.

Oil:  During the sacrament of Confirmation, the Bishop anoints with oil that conveys the Spirit’s manifestation.

Fire:  A sign of the transforming of energy of the Holy Spirit.

Cloud and Light:  Represents the transfiguration and Baptism of Jesus. Seal: Illustrates the indelible effect of the anointing with the Spirit. This is why Confirmation is not repeated.  The seal is forever and not broken.

Laying on of Hands:  A sign of Jesus’ healing and reconciling.

Dove:  Confers the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is often depicted as a dove.

There are 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Wisdom

Understanding

Counsel

Fortitude

Knowledge

Piety

Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe)

How are you using the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit as a gift.  We are sinners, but we are forgiven through reconciliation, and the Holy Spirit restores our life with God. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are:

Charity (Love)

Peace

Joy

Patience

Kindness

Gentleness

Long-suffering

Self-control

Faithfulness

Goodness

Modesty

Chastity

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

 

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.
Amen.

~Attributed to St. Augustine

All-loving God, we give you thanks and praise for mothers young and old.  We pray for young mothers who give life and count toes and tend to every need.  May they be blessed with patience and tenderness to care for their families and themselves with great joy.  We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us.  May they continue to guide us in strong and gentle ways.  We remember mothers who are separated from their children because of war, poverty, or conflict.  May they feel the loving embrace of our God who wipes every tear away.  We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and shape us with motherly care and compassion.  We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love.  Amen.

Source: CatholicExchange.com

 

Holidays are full of tradition and symbols. Easter especially has many traditions and symbols that have much more significance than at first glance.

The white Easter lily represents joy, hope, and life. The white blossoms represent the purity of Jesus and His resurrection. The tradition holds that the white lilies were found in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ’s agony. Today, white lilies are found in millions of homes and churches. What a beautiful remembrance of God’s infinite love and triumph over death!

The butterfly is one of the most significant symbols of the Easter season. Its whole life cycle is meant to symbolize the life of Jesus Christ. The first stage, as the caterpillar, represents Jesus’s life on Earth. The second stage begins with the cocoon which symbolizes the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. The third and final stage is the butterfly which represents His rising from death in a glorified body and in peace.

The passion flower symbolizes Christ’s Passion and Cross including the scourging, crowning with thorns, three nails, and five wounds. The physical structure of this plant symbolizes the last days of Jesus, especially his crucifixion. The pointed tips of the leaves represent the Holy Lance. The tendrils represent the whips used in whipping Christ. The ten petals and sepals represent the ten faithful apostles. St. Peter and Judas were left out. St. Peter is said to be left out because of his denial and Judas for his betrayal of Jesus. The flower’s filaments, which can number more than a hundred and vary from flower to flower, represent the crown of thorns. The chalice-shaped ovary with its receptacle represents the Holy Grail or a hammer. The three stigmata represent the three nails and the five anthers below represent the five wounds. The blue and white colors of many species represent Heaven and purity.

So the next time you see any of these, it might bring to mind Our Lord and Savior and what He did for us.

The Church’s Christmas Season continues with the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, which is celebrated on January 1 – the Octave of Christmas. This Feast is a celebration of Mary’s motherhood of Jesus. The honoring of Mary can be traced back to the Council of Ephesus in 431. During the 13th Century, the Feast of Circumcision of Christ came to replace the Feast honoring Mary. Then in later years, it was changed back to honoring Mary. It was in 1974 that Pope Paul VI removed the Feast of Circumcision of Christ from the Liturgical calendar and replaced it with the Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, celebrated on the first of the New Year. We honor Mary as the “Queen of Peace.” New Year’s Day is designated as World Day of Peace acknowledging the role Mary has in the hearts of the world.

The season continues with the Epiphany which is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel and Savior of the World. The word Epiphany means “showing forth.” The Church recognizes the Epiphany as the time when the Three Wise Men, the Magi, traveled a distance following the Star of David to find the infant Jesus lying in a manger. The Three Wise Men gave him homage with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gold represented that Jesus was worthy of the highest honor. Frankincense is a sweet smelling incense which represented holiness. Myrrh was the symbol of preserving and saving: Jesus came to save all of us.

We then end the Christmas season with The Baptism of our Lord. Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove with a voice proclaiming that Jesus was His Beloved Son. Jesus’s Baptism was part of an acceptance and inauguration of His mission as God’s suffering servant. Jesus allowed Himself to be among sinners. He would be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. The Baptism of Jesus opened the doors of heaven, which were closed when Adam and Eve had sinned. The waters became sanctified by the Spirit, and the prelude of new creation. What do we see when we witness someone being baptized?

Written by Linda B., parishioner

The Church’s Christmas Season begins with Christmas Eve Mass on December 24 and ends in January with the Baptism of Our Lord. The Christmas Season proclaims and celebrates Jesus’s birth and childhood.

Jesus was born in a humble stable into a poor family in the city of Bethlehem. He laid in a manger with Mary and Joseph looking down on Him with great and glorious joy. The Virgin brought into the world the God Eternal. Angels and shepherds were the first witnesses to this glorious event. The birth of Christ is called the Incarnation which means “in the flesh.”

We then celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s. The Feast celebrates the ultimate family unit Jesus, the divine Son of God, his mother, the Virgin Mary, and Joseph, Jesus’ foster father. Mary and Joseph went through three major events during Jesus’s early years: the birth in Bethlehem, the flight into Egypt, and finding Him in a Temple. What do you think our parents would have done in these situations?

The Feast is not just about the Holy Family. It’s about our families too. The purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as a model for all Christian families around the world. Our family will become sanctified when we live the life of the Church within our homes. The best way to do that is to make Christ the center of our lives by reading Scripture regularly, praying daily, attending Mass at least on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation, doing actions like the Holy Family, and going to Reconciliation as a family unit. What are some of the actions that our family can start doing? What ways can we improve?

Written by Linda B., Parishioner