Issue: #16122014December 16, 2014
ST. IGNATIUS WEBPAGE

 You can view or read last Sunday's Homily by clicking on link below: 


TRUTH SERUM

This week's Truth Serum:
Advent Week # 3
"No Justice, No Christmas? - Why Michael Brown's and Eric Garner's Deaths make Advent Matter"  

POOR BOX COLLECTION

Each weekend 
St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. This week we are collecting for the Board of Child Care, a residential program that helps immigrant children who are waiting to be reunited with family members in the U.S.
T
o learn more



MASS MUSIC

Attached is the listing for the music selections
at next Sunday's
10:30 Mass.


WORLD WATCH

Weekly updates on Christian persecution around the globe. Keep a prayerful watch on what is happening with your brothers and sisters!

ST. IGNATIUS CALENDAR
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THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT (GAUDETE SUNDAY) WAS A DAY OF GREAT JOY AND CELEBRATION

 

 

"Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing! In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."

     (I Thessalonians 5:16-18)

 

This past Sunday we celebrated the "half-way mark" of the Advent Season with a joyful liturgy attended by many parishioners, friends, and guests.  Before the Mass began, our organist, Timothy Murphy who has been with us for 32 years, played a Chorale Prelude of Come Now, Saviour of the Heathens by J.S. Bach. The choir immediately took up a Matins Responsory by Palestrina setting the tone for our grand celebration. As the censor, cross bearer, acolytes, lectors, Deacon Paul Weber and I processed into the church proper, the congregation raised their voices singing the lovely traditional Advent hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. During the incensing of the altar, the choir sang an introit, Rejoice Always in the Lord, composed by our own choir director, Paul Teie who has been with us for almost 34 years.

 

After the opening prayer, the community listened attentively to the rich scripture readings from:  Isaiah 61, I Thessalonians, and John 1. The choir responded to the first reading with Franz Schubert's Kyrie from his Mass in G major. The homily and intercessions carried the spirit and focus of the readings.

 

During the preparation of the gifts (offertory), the choir, accompanied by strings (violins, cello, viola, and bass) and the organ, sang the Sanctus and Benedictus from Schubert's Mass in G major. During Communion and Post Communion the choir and strings continued to render first the Credo and then the Agnus Dei by Schubert to the joy of the parishioners. Before the final blessing, the congregation gave a standing ovation to all the musicians and our benefactors (Earl and Darielle Linehan) for the special music at the Gaudete Sunday Mass. 

 

The closing hymn for the recessional was the familiar Advent hymn, Lift Up Your Heads, O Mighty Gates. Tim Murphy completed the joyous liturgy with an organ Postlude of once again J.S. Bach's Come Now, Saviour of the Heathens.

 

As a parish community, we are greatly blessed to participate in such a joyful celebration as the past Sunday's gathering. It is consoling for us to be able to come together and experience the presence of the Lord in our midst through prayers, music, readings, homily, intercessions, offerings, exchange of peace, reception of the Eucharist, and fellowship afterwards in the narthex and Ignatian Hall. Surely, Sunday's liturgical celebration has helped us to respond to the Baptist's cry: "Prepare the way of the Lord" and to do it in the spirit of Paul's exhortation above: "Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing! In all circumstances give thanks."

 

Respectfully in Christ,

 


A Christmas Video for You!
A Special Version of Hallelujah With a Christmas Twist
A Special Version of Hallelujah With a Christmas Twist
Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum!

Special Focus On This Week's Poor Box Collection
The Board of Child Care of the United Methodist Church

by Madeline Lacovara

The present crisis at our Border is of epic proportions. While other news has pushed the children streaming north from Central America from our all news stations, those who work with refugees and immigrants are stunned by the painful stories told by the children and sometimes by a family member. Here are two of those stories.

Fr. Sean Carroll who runs the Kino Border Iniative asked to minister to the hundreds of children entering around the Nogales where he serves. His contact at the Detention Center said it was not possible as " the flow was unsustainable". What this meant was as soon as they arrived, they were detained and returned by bus with no legal process at all. The "unsustainable flow" refers to many children and teens fleeing the gang violence endemic in their home states where there is no consistent rule of law.

The second story supports Fr. Sean's sense of why people seek asylum here. A grandmother walked with her two granddaughters, aged thirteen and fifteen, from Nicaragua to the California border. When asked why she had come so far, she explained that the girls had been left in her care by parents "working North", and she had been told by the gang leader in her town that they would soon be required to serve the "needs" of the gang members.  She was desperate to protect them and so she came to what she hoped would be a safe place.

The Board of Child Care of the Methodist Church knows these children and serves them when they truly have no where else to go. This week's POOR BOX collection goes to help their work in providing short care residential housing for children as they wait to be reunited with family members in the United States. To learn more about this week's collection for the Board of Child Care, please  click here.

Young Families Ministry & Young Adults Ministry Updates

Sunday's Young Families Ministry Kick-off Report

Sunday was the kick-off of the new Young Families Ministry before the holidays begin. Even with short notice, the first meeting really took off as couples are coming together looking for ways to connect, commune, and celebrate marriage and family. We're looking for other young couples who want to get together and share their stories, hopes and questions with the desire to grow more spiritually and to become  better married couples, as well as more skilled parents. For more information email Francesca Muhlbaier or Anne Mattia.


Young Adult Advent Meeting Report
Throughout Advent, a group of nearly 30 young adults met in parishioners' homes on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to reflect on the week's readings and discuss how themes of the season related to their everyday lives. The experience will culminate with a potluck celebration in Ignatian Hall after the 6 PM Mass on December 21. What a wonderful and spiritual time as we move through Advent towards Christmas. If you missed it, don't fret, another series of young adult small faith-sharing groups will meet during Lent. Watch the bulletin and e-zine for more details.

Pastoral Council Appointments

Trudy Bartel
Bob Moore

At the recent pastoral council meeting Father Watters appointed Trudy Bartel as the council member representing the finance committee,  and Bob Moore was appointed to take the seat of Sherri Currie who resigned due to increased work related responsibilities. We extend a warm welcome to our two newest council members. 

Upcoming Events
Embracing God's Gifts
- Tuesday, December 16 
You are invited to join members of our gay and lesbian community in Ignatian Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16. This group is open to anyone interested in fostering support, maintaining communications, and encouraging social activities among diverse members of our parish. They will continue reading Fortunate Families, covering Chapters 3 & 4.  You do not have to have read the book or done the assignment...you are welcome! Since this will be our "Christmas" meeting, we will make it festive and have a time of refreshments! For more information, contact Gordon Creamer at [email protected]. To learn more about the Embracing God's Gifts Ministry click here.


Christmas and New Year's Mass Schedule



 
CHRISTMAS EVE - DECEMBER 24 
Family Mass - 4:00 PM
Evening Mass - 6:00 PM
Christmas Music - 8:30 PM
Solemn Christmas Mass - 9:00 PM
(This Mass will be followed by our parish's traditional Christmas Eve Grand Reception in Ignatian Hall from 10:30 to 11:30 PM)
 
CHRISTMAS DAY - DECEMBER 25 
Mass in Chapel - 8:00 AM
Christmas Mass in Main Church 10:30 AM
(There will be a reception in Ignatian Hall following the 10:30 Mass)
 
NEW YEAR'S EVE - DECEMBER 31 
Interfaith Service - 8:30 PM
(special music prior to Interfaith Service - 8:00 PM )
Jewish - Muslim - Christian
ALL ARE WELCOME!

NEW YEAR'S DAY- JANUARY 1 
MARY, MOTHER OF GOD 
Mass will be celebrated on New Year's Day at 10:30 AM in the Church.
 
New Year's Eve Interfaith Service  
     - Wednesday, December 31
Our inspiring Interfaith Prayer Service on New Year's Eve will be the 22nd yearly gathering of the various faiths - Jewish, Christian and Muslim - to offer thanksgiving for blessings during the past year and to pray for continued blessings in 2015. This is truly an inspirational way to end the year and begin the new year in the proper spirit. The musical program will begin at 8:00 PM on Wednesday, December 31, and the prayer service will begin at 8:30 PM and conclude at 9:45 PM, well in advance of other New Year's Eve activities. For the first time, Archbishop William Lori will be the presider and main speaker. As in the past, the Governor, the Mayor and the City Council President are expected to participate. A reception in the parish hall will follow. No tickets are required and the event is free.
 
Morning of Ignatian Reflection  
     - Saturday, January 10

On Saturday, January 10, there will be a Morning of Ignatian Reflection starting at 8:45 AM in Ignatian Hall. This is an excellent opportunity to take a few hours out of the hustle and bustle of life and to quiet our hearts and center ourselves on what is really important. A great year to start the New Year!

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas
Here's Two Ideas for Stocking-stuffers!

Give the gift of The Saint Ignatius Choir singing Anthems and Carols of the Christmas Season. Christ Is Born Today! is a sixteen track CD with many of your favorite sacred hymns that will bring the beautiful worship of our own St. Ignatius singers into your home! CD's are only $5.00 and can be purchased from any usher, or in Ignatian Hall after the 9:00 and 10:30 Masses.

We will have available this next Sunday, Nabali Tree Olive Oil, Maftoul (Palestinian Couscous), Tapenade, and other products available in Ignatian Hall after the 9:00 and 10:30 Masses. These items come to us via the organization Women in Black, which is a world-wide network of women committed to peace with justice who are actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence. These products are produced by Palestinian women in Israel, and sales help them make income for themselves and their families.
In the Media

 

 

Let's Decide What The Best Christmas Hymn Is Once And For All


 
During the Christmas season, churches everywhere fill with the sound of voices singing a host of carols, jingles and hymns.


People love to rank and rate their favorite hymns, which is why we're putting the debate to rest with our Christmas hymns face-off.

These nine hymns are highly cited and likely to be found in most church hymnals -- but the category of "Best Christmas Hymn Of All Time" just isn't big enough for all of them. Don't let the styles and artists reflected below influence your decision (but if you choose O Holy Night for Patti Smith we don't blame you.)

 


Vox Media:
The X in Xmas literally means Christ. Here's the history behind it

The Jesuit Post:
A Frat Boy's Confession: An Open Letter to the Fraternity Men of America

America Magazine:

National Catholic Reporter:
Archbishop Justin Welby: 'There is a possibility that we will not hold together'
Global Sisters Report:
Attitude Shift: Six Years Through the Apostolic Visitation
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