“…How Can You Turn To The Lord…”

…”I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.”   As we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, our second reading from the Book of Revelations, can really be summed up in one word – Everything!  Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end, the first and last, the one who always is, was and will be.  He is our Lord, Savior and King.  He is our Good Shepherd and the Divine Physician. He is everything we need now and forever.   How can you turn to the Lord, to Christ the King, to find everything you need from the Lord?

…This weekend brings to a close the liturgical year.  Next week will be the First Sunday of Advent when we begin to tell the story of our salvation again.   This weekend we will be celebrating the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick – those advancing in years or struggling with health.  It’s a powerful reminder of the tender mercy of God – and God’s deep desire to be with us at every moment in our life journey.   Christ the King cares so greatly about each of us.    Jesus is the divine physician, the healing balm and the soothing remedy each of us need.  Allow yourself to experience the outpouring of God’s grace and mercy in your time of need.

…We are saying thank you and farewell to Father Adam Zajac this weekend.  He will soon begin his new ministry as Pastor of Saint Mark Parish in Cleveland.  Father Adam has been serving our community since June of 2017.  We will miss Father Adam’s well-thought homilies, sharp sense of wit, and the depth of his spirituality.  I know that many of our members appreciated his Monthly Mystic presentations.  Please keep Father Adam in your prayers along with the community at Saint Mark’s.  Father Adam will bring a steady and calm presence to their community.  God bless Father Adam.

…With Father Adam’s departure, we are back to two priests serving our community.  It’s a good moment to remind all of us to pray for Andrew Lucci who is from our parish and studying at Borromeo Seminary.  We also pray for our member, Matt Harley, who is finishing up his formation for the diaconate. May God call forth many more from our community to serve the needs of the Church.

…The Feast of Christ the King is a powerful reminder that we are called to work for a different Kingdom – a different worldview – the Kingdom of God.  These past weeks have been a powerful reminder of your goodness and our collective efforts to bring about God’s kingdom of justice and peace, mercy and compassion for all.  Thanks to your goodness, thousands received food and meals this past week for Thanksgiving.  Because of your goodness, thousands of people will receive coats this coming Tuesday in our ALPHA Village community outreach.  God bless….all who volunteered, donated, carved turkeys, cut pies, set tables, and worked so hard to create a blessed feast for our sisters and brothers.  God bless you over and again.  Special thanks to the planning team for their great efforts.

…Special thanks for our Catholic Works of Mercy team for their great efforts on our behalf to care for those in need.  Last week 113 families received food for the holidays thanks to their efforts and your support.  They are working to line up our Advent Giving Trees to help us take care of sisters and brothers this Christmas.   You can find the Giving Trees at the entries of the Church.  Thank you for your care and support.

…This week’s bulletin includes a letter from Bishop Perez on the Abuse Crisis in the Church.  Also included is a summary of our parish efforts to make sure that every child of God finds a welcome and safe place in our community.   This information can also be found on our parish website (www.StAmbrose.us/virtus).    Let’s together pray for healing for all who have been hurt by the Church and let’s renew our commitment to work together to create a safe and healthy place for God’s family.

…A highlight of this past week was the joy of watching the students of Saint Ambrose School share a ‘first Thanksgiving’ with children who are new to our country.  It was a blessing to pass on the culture and tradition – and mostly – the reason for our Thanksgiving.

…Please invite your family and friends to join us next Sunday for Breakfast with St. Ambrose, St. Nicholas and their friends.  It’s a great breakfast (thanks to the K of C), along with great crafts and activities, a winter wonderland AND a special opportunity to take pictures with Santa Claus.    All are welcome to join us from 8:00 am until 12:00 noon in Hilkert Hall.  Tickets are $6.50 per person. Children under two are FREE.  It’s really well done….and a special time for kids and grandkids.  Please join us.

…Spread the Word about our Advent/Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 8 at 7:00 pm.  All of our music ministry groups will come together to fill our hearts with the hopeful songs and sounds of the season.  It promises to be a GREAT night.  Invite all your friends to come!

…The FEST is working with 95.5 The FISH to bring ‘for King and Country’ to the Wolstein Center on Thursday, December 6.  Complete information can be found at:  www.theFEST.us.

…As you can see, the Church renovation is coming along.  Hopefully, by the time you read this, the new ‘dormers’ will have replaced all the skylights.  They should be working on insulating and replacing the roof this week, along with the walls for the sacristy, family room, and music area taking shape.  We are hopeful that the ‘steel’ will arrive this week as well. Slow and steady!!!

…Watch your mail for the next edition of the Angelus…our parish newsletter.   It’s filled with great information about the season of Advent and wonderful ways for all of us to grow spiritually and come together as the family of God.

…As we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, may we all renew our commitment to build up God’s kingdom and create a parish that is caring, welcoming and committed to the work of the Lord.  Have a great week.