…”Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Our second reading on this Gaudete Sunday is from Paul to the Philippians. It speaks both of the joy that should fill our hearts – for so near is the Lord our God. It also reminds us of the reason for our hope and joy in that you and I can approach the Lord in our every need. In our prayer and petition, God wants to be our hope – our joy – our peace. Rejoice in the Lord! How can we use this week to rejoice in the goodness and graciousness of God in our lives??
…It’s hard to believe that the middle of December and the third Sunday of Advent are upon us. Time is flying by. How can we use these Advent days to make sure our hearts are prepared for the Lord our God. “Son of God, love divine, come into our lives.”
…Speaking of time flying by….this week you should receive your 2019 Parish Calendar in the mail. It comes as a gift from our community partners who are so supportive of our parish community and the good work we do together for the Lord. This past week Sam LoFaso, one of our members and community partners, dropped off another check. For every house he sells for one of our members (moving in or out) we receive 10 percent of the commission. This is an amazing blessing for our parish. Last week we received a check for $650 from Unity Catholic Federal Credit Union. For every car loan initiated by our members, we receive $50. Praise be God. Enjoy your parish calendar…”thank you” to our community partners. It’s filled with important dates and beautiful images and quotes to help us reflect more deeply on the blessings of God in our lives.
…Last week we identified some items still needed for the Church after it’s repaired and renovated. Thanks to our members who responded. Another of our members read the story about the bequest we received from the estate of a deceased member. They decided to include Saint Ambrose in their will. Praise be God.
…Kathy Plavecski and Bob Downs, from our Parish Finance Council and Endowment Committee, are both available to answer any of your tax questions concerning an end of the year gift to our parish and best ways to support our parish with IRA contributions, etc. Please let me know if you would like one of them to connect with you. We appreciate all you do for our parish community.
…Our Catholic Works of Mercy Team is working hard to take the outpouring of your goodness and support for our Advent Giving Trees and create a wonderful Christmas for 135 families in our community. God bless you for all your goodness. It’s humbling to see gift after gift dropped off at the Church for those in need. God bless you for all your goodness.
…Trish Shaw shared a summary of the Fill the Crib efforts back in October. Over 300 baby items were donated to support programs that take care of moms and young kids. We stand for LIFE and these items will help babies get the nutrition and care they need in the early months of their lives. Thank you.
…This Sunday is our monthly community meal. About 360 people will have a healthy and tasty meal thanks to your goodness. It’s a beautiful way to extend the care and compassion of Christ to our brothers and sisters. Many of those who join us are seniors on very fixed incomes. This is such a great blessing for them.
…Bring your kids and grandkids on Sunday night to the Living Nativity at 5:45 pm. It’s a special way to bring to life the reason for the season – the birth of our Lord and Savior. Invite your neighbors and friends to join us for live animals….beautiful music….great treats afterward in Hilkert Hall.
…This week we began the 12 days of Christmas. In a wonderful outpouring of care and support, 86 of our members will receive a thoughtful something dropped off to their home between now and Christmas. These small gifts represent care….love….support….a clear reminder that they are not alone – they are loved by God and our community. Please keep those receiving and delivering in your prayers.
….Our Christmas Concert last Saturday was phenomenal. We are so blessed at Saint Ambrose with so many members who give, share, help, sing, and spread the joy and love of the Lord. Praise God.
…Who’s an Angel in your life from our parish community? Who’s someone who is an unsung hero of our community? Take two minutes to share their story online at: www.StAmbrose.us/unsunghero. It’s a beautiful way to express your thanks and to inspire all of us to live, love and serve in the ways of the Lord.
…Check out the renderings of the new Littlest Angels Preschool slated to open in Fall of 2019. Go to: www.StAmbrose.us/vision2020. As you can see, the land is being cleared across the street from SA. We are NOT building this building but will rent space for our preschool. It will also have a full-size Sport Court so we can host CYO games, etc. Very hopeful…..very exciting….very blessed.
…As you can see we made some great progress on the Church this week. Check out all the details and pictures at: www.StAmbrose.us/vision2020. Thank you for your support for our parish and our building fund. Together…for the glory of God.
…Rejoice in the Lord always…Rejoice. I rejoice each day as I thank God for you.
