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December 18, 2020Advent Adoration with Individual Confessions
Monday, December 21st
from 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Children’s Christmas Pageant
Thursday, December 24th
3:15pm in the Churchyard
A Very Beke Christmas
Sunday, December 27th
5:00pm in the Churchyard
“God has entrusted his last, deepest, and most beautiful word to the world, in the Word made flesh. This Word says: I love you world, man, and woman. I am here. I am with you. I am your life. I am your time. I weep your tears. I am your joy. Do not be afraid. When you do not know how to go any further, I am with you. I am in your anguish because I suffered it myself. I am in your need and your death, because today I began to live and to die with you. I am your life. I promise you: for you, too, life is waiting. For you, too, the gates will open.”
-- Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J.
The faith family of Saint Michael Church is always delighted to have visitors join us in worship. If you live in the area and do not have a church home, we would love if you would consider coming back to see us in the New Year. Our doors and hearts will always be open to receiving you.
The Good News of Christmas is that God is always with us even in the midst of a not so perfect world. In a perfect world there would be no Covid-19, and everyone would get the perfect seat for the 4:00pm Mass on Christmas Eve, but that simply isn’t the reality. So, in your plans to celebrate the Incarnation of our Lord, think about what would be the most joyful spiritual experience for your family. In addition to the 4:00 pm Mass on Christmas Eve, which everyone wants to attend, there will be 3 other Masses that you might consider. There will be an addition Vigil Mass at 6pm. I realize Mass on Christmas eve usually works better for younger families. But a growing trend, which I am happy to see, is that parishioners and guests to our faith community are returning to the old tradition of participating in Mass on Christmas Day. Masses on Christmas Day are at 8:00 am and 10:00 am. These Masses probably will not be as well attended as the vigil Masses and during a pandemic that’s a good thing. My hope would be not to turn anyone away because there’s no room in the Inn. If the ushers need to redirect you to the gym, please show them some Christmas kindness. Crowds can cause a certain amount of stress but if you bring the joy of Christmas with you, all will be well, and we’ll have a beautiful celebration of the Lord’s birth.
At my Christmas Masses, I always like to have a boy and girl, carry the Christ child up in procession so we can lay him in the manger. If you have a child or grandchild who would like to help me, please give the Parish Office a call. Finally, I want to offer a big, big thank you to all of you who helped in any way to make our Advent and Christmas liturgies prayerful. I also want to thank all of you who are so generous to our faith community and to me personally. I am always humbled by parishioners’ goodness. Your year-end contributions and your wonderful generosity to the parish offertory can go a long, long way in getting our budget back on track during this pandemic.
I offer a prayer that the love and peace of Jesus will be yours this Christmas. You and your loved ones will be remembered in our Christmas Masses.
Taking the Gospel Home: Prayerfully read Luke 1:26 – 38. Even in this difficult year during a pandemic, in one way or another all of us “have found favor with God”? What does that favor look like in your life? How have you experienced the Holy Spirit in your life?
