The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.Isaiah 9:2
Advent and Christmas are very special times for Christians. These liturigical seasons are also extraordinary times for being inviting, deepening our faith and evanagelizing— the three priorities identified in the long range planning process for our parish. The Great Light of Jesus is our guide in our journey always.
Preparing the Way
Sunday, November 27, 2016 marks the first Sunday of Advent, and the first Sunday of the new liturgical year. Advent is the time when we prepare for the coming of Christ.
Be Inviting
In the pews, in the gathering space and in the hands of ushers you will find bookmarks. Not any ordinary bookmark, but bookmarks that highlight Mass times at Saint Patrick Catholic Church and how to get connected and stay connected with the parish on the web and on social media. Take a bookmark for your family. Then take one to give to a friend.
Along with the bookmark, offer your friends an open invitation to Mass, anytime and especially during the season of Advent. If they have been away from the Church for any reason, we want to make this Advent a time of return. If you have friends or family who have drifted away from their faith or know of someone seeking a faith community, invite them home to the heart of God’s mercy at Saint Patrick Catholic Church, to experience first hand our community of faith, hope and love.
Consider inviting friends to the following parish events.
St. Nicholas Day Celebration
St. Patrick School Parents Club (SPPA) will sponsor a St. Nicholas Day Celebration after Mass in the Church Hall on December 4, 2016. Supplies will be available for children to make Christmas crafts and gifts.
Parish Advent Reconciliation ServiceSaint Patrick Catholic Church is offering a parish-wide Reconciliation Service at 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, December 7, 2016. The communal service is an opportunity to join our sisters and brother in asking for forgiveness and healing during these important time of the year.
All are invited to join with our faith community to reflect on our lives through Scripture readings and songs followed by an examination of conscience ending with confessing our top fault or two. Four priest will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance.
As we begin the new liturgical year in the Church we invite all to begin anew with souls nourished from gift of the divine mercy and forgiveness God has for everyone.
Feast of the Immaculate ConceptionThe Feast of the Immaculate Conception, is a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses will be held at 8:45 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. on December 8, 2016.
Knights of Columbus Christmas PartyAll parish families are invited to the Knights of Columbus Tacoma Council 809 annual Christmas Party on Tuesday, December 13, 2016, 6:00 – 9:00 P.M. in the Church Hall.
Saint Patrick Catholic School PageantAll are welcome at the annual Saint Patrick Catholic School Pageant on December 15, 2016 at 6:00 P.M. A reception will immediately follow the pageant in the Church Hall.
Deepening Our Faith
As a parish, we invite you to daily prayer and reflection. To help our faith community with the goal of fostering a deeper personal and communal prayer life, we have a gift for each family.
At all Masses, during the first weekend of Advent— November 26 – 27, families will receive a reflection booklet for Advent and Christmas with the hope that families will read the daily reflections and spend greater time in prayer, taking time each day to focus on the coming of Christ.
Advent Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas will be a way for the parish to pray together.
The reflections will also be used during a centering moment before Mass, drawn from the wellspring of inspiration found in this little book, written by popular and well respected spiritual writer Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI. He leads readers through the seasons of Advent and Christmas with provocative insights and daily reflections on the Incarnation in the booklet.
He notes, “Advent is a time to get in touch with our longings and deepest desires. It is a time to give new birth to the soul as we wait in hope and prepare to celebrate the reality of Christ’s presence among us— here and everywhere, now and for all time.
All who seek escape from the commercial distractions of the holiday season will find a welcome spiritual retreat in the pages of Daybreaks. These daily reflections open the door to the wonder and beauty of Advent and Christmas and lead to the true peace that only Christ can give.”
Read a sampling of Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas.
Evangelize
… there are familiar ways by which evangelization happens: by the way we live God’s love in our daily life; by the love, example, and support people give each other;… in the care we show to those most in need; and in the ways we go about our work, share with our neighbors, and treat the stranger.
In daily life, family members evangelize each other; men and women, their future spouses; and workers, their fellow employees, by the simple lives of faith they lead. excerpt from Go and Make Disciples
During the Advent season let’s love others in life changing ways! Along with prayer, alms are also a part of Advent season. Just as the Magi labored through a long journey to worship and gave precious gifts to the Christ Child, so we can do the same during the Advent season.
Good deeds and generosity have always been an important part of preparation for Christmas. Advent is a great time to practice spiritual and corporal acts of mercy.
Pope Francis encourges little gestures of love— the place where holiness lies. He said that holiness lies in the little gestures of tenderness and compassion. The little signs of love are proof of Jesus’ presence in our lives andn bring proof of Jesus’ presence to the lives of other.
Will you bring a little gesture of love to our parish faith community and beyond our parish doors?
The following are a few suggestions for causes you might be able to get passionate about and get others involved.
Outerwear CollectionThe Social Justice group sponsors an annual collection starting in December and continuing through February of new and gently used outerwear. Items needed are coats, blankets, hats and mittens in all sizes—children and adult, plus eveything in between. The Social Justice group is also collecting baby items such as formula, diapers, wipes and car seats.
Sock CollectionThe PrimeTimers collect new socks filled with toiletries for the homeless. Containers for donated socks and toiletries are in the Gathering Space at Saint Patrick Catholic Church and at the Parish Center, Sunday, November 27, 2016 through Sunday, December 18, 2016.
The Giving TreeThe Ushers & Greeters of Saint Patrick Catholic Church, in our partnership with Catholic Community Services (CCS) present our First Annual Giving Tree.
Catholic Community Services has provided us with the name, age and gender of 36 children who need our help this holiday season. Each of the 36 children has a brightly colored-tag on the tree in the Gathering Space. Parishioners are invited to take a tag off the tree, purchase a suitable gift for the child named on the tag and then to return the wrapped gift with the child’s name tag to any usher by Sunday, December 18, 2016. All gifts will be taken to CCS in time to be delivered by Christmas.
Senior First Friday Gathering – Mass | Anointing | Fellowship
Join the seniors on December 2, 2016 for Mass which will include anointings followed by a luncheon and fellowship immediately following in the Church Hall.
This ministry for seniors is in need of transportation support. Several people who attend Senior Ministry sponsored First Friday Mass and luncheon need a ride to the church. Mass starts at 11 A.M. and is followed by lunch and a program which ends at 1:30 PM. Can you provide a ride either to or from or both?
The Mass and luncheon leaders are looking for volunteers to help with table setting, serving lunch and after lunch clean up for the Senior Ministry’s first Friday gatherings. This is a great opportunity to server our parish elders who have served the parish faith community for so many years, especially during the season of Advent.
