…”Brothers and sisters: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” On this Gaudete Sunday, Saint Paul in our second reading lays out a great ‘recipe’ for our days and living. Rejoice…Pray… Give thanks! This is the will of God. Imagine if each day we woke up we rejoiced for a new day. We quickly turned to God in prayer. And we ended each day with a few minutes of thanksgiving to God for the blessings of the day. It seems to be a perfect recipe for more joyful living in Christ.
…The Advent Season is quickly passing. Hopefully, you are using these days to reflect deeply on the blessings of God in your life. Thank you for all you do for our parish community so we can continue to bring help – and hope – and comfort to people throughout our community.
…Today’s bulletin contains a complete schedule for next weekend. Many will ask, do I have to come to Mass twice (once for Sunday and once for Christmas). If we are so aware of the blessings of God, can there be anything better to do than make it a priority to come to the Table of the Lord and give thanks? God wants to give you and your loved ones the perfect gift of peace. Please join us in prayer. You will notice that the schedule for next weekend is very different. We’ve added Masses to Saturday, December 23 at 4:30, 6, and 7:30 pm. Masses in the morning of December 24 are at 7:30 and 9. This will give us time to reset the Church for Christmas.
….Rejoice…..God bless you for your wonderful goodness and support for our Advent Tree Giving Program. As I write this, I just got some texts from the ‘elves’ working in the ‘shop’ to prepare over 1200 gifts for the 105 families we have adopted this Christmas. Shari Whisler puts it best, “we ask for coats and our members go above and beyond including hats and gloves as well. We ask for pajamas and we also get slippers and a bathrobe. We asked for some needed clothing items and our members tuck in an unexpected toy.” So very, very, very thoughtful!! In every circumstance – we give thanks!!!! I thank God for you and ask God to bless you for your goodness.
…One more example of your goodness….Last week I asked for some XXL and XXXL men’s coats for guys on the streets. Praise God….sixteen of them came in this past week. Thank you so much! You are so good.
…Another example of your goodness….last week I received word that our parish met and exceeded our 2017 Catholic Charities Goal by pledging $111,695 to help support the great work that Catholic Charities does to bring the comfort and care of Christ to those in need across our region.
…And another example of SA goodness. One of our senior men came in the other day holding a teddy bear. Not something I would have expected. Long story short, he came up with a great idea. He has some high quality bears that he buys each year in support of St. Jude. His big idea….that we should give these to any of ‘our kids’ when they are sick and need our prayers. What a blessing!
…This past week we received permission from Bishop Perez to move forward on raising funds and develop a set of plans for our Church renovation project. Watch for more details in the coming weeks. Please keep this very important project in your prayers. May God bless our efforts as we work together to repair and renew our Church.
…Last week’s Advent Tea was simply amazing….a blessing beyond words. In our second year, we had 250 women of every age and generation come together to share a cup of tea, a great lunch and some meaningful prayer and reflection on things that matter most – faith, family and the abiding presence of God. Rejoice always!
…Coming in your mail is your 2018 parish calendar. It comes as a gift from our Community Partners. It’s filled with great reflections and dates for important parish events (like next year’s Advent Tea). Please join me in thanking our community partners for this great gift to our community.
…Mark your calendars for Tuesday, January 23, 2018. This past week our parish staff met with Larry Murtaugh from the Diocesan Facilities team and Sheriff Miller to review all that we do to keep our church and campus safe and secure. We really have a good plan in place. There’s always room for more reminders and education. Our ushers asked for a refresher course on Church Safety and all are welcome to join them and Sheriff Miller. Come and learn how we can best take care of each other when we gather at Saint Ambrose.
…Stop by the bookrack by the chapel. We’ve loaded it with some good resources for your spiritual reading and reflection in the new year.
…God bless you for all you do in the name of the Lord. We are so blessed. This coming week, 120+ families will be receiving food for Christmas….thanks to you. Thank you for your support for our parish. Your support each week, and especially at Christmas, helps to keep our parish strong and allows us to do great work for the Lord. Thank you!
…May these days be filled with God’s peace. Prayers for you and your loved ones. Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks!
