Jesus said to his disciples: "Be watchful! Be alert!" - Mark 13:33
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A Letter from Father John
The joys that come with our wait
Dear Friends,
IN THE INTEREST of meeting a shortened holiday dead line, my letter will be more scattered than usual. Advent signals three things:
FIRST: Every Advent we look for a pithy word or phrase to be our parish Advent theme. This year it is "Waiting in Silence. Waiting in Hope." The words are from a contemporary hymn by Carey Landry. The song's lyrics reflect why we wait with joy through the four weeks before Christmas.
Waiting in silence, waiting in hope;
we are your people, we long for you, Lord.
God ever with us, Emmanuel,
Come, Lord Jesus, Maranatha!
Waiting in silence, waiting in hope;
we are your people, we trust in your love.
O Sun of Justice, true Prince of Peace,
Come with your justice, Lord, Maranatha!
Waiting in silence, waiting in hope;
we are your people, Lord, we seek your truth.
Wisdom Incarnate, teach us your way;
Show us the path of life, Maranatha!
Waiting in silence, waiting in hope;
we are your people, we long for new life.
O Key of David, open our hearts.
Give us new vision, Lord, Maranatha!
Waiting in silence, waiting in hope;
we are your people, our hearts thirst for you.
Flower of Jesse, bloom in our midst.
Make us your garden, Lord, Maranatha!
(In case your Aramaic is rusty Maranatha means: "Come, O Lord." It was a prayer which was also used as a greeting by the very earliest Christian communities in Palestine during the time of the apostles.
SECOND: This week we begin to use the new translation of the Mass. It's going to be awkward for a while as we stumble and stammer together. Just use the pew cards or missalette and be patient with others, me, and yourselves. We will get through this with minimal casualties and limited collateral damage.
This Sunday, too, at the 10:30 Mass, we will briefly introduce the new RCIA folks who are preparing to be baptized this coming Spring. Please make them feel welcome to St. Matthias.
THIRD: Christkindl Market is next weekend! The long, long, range weather forecast (as of now) is for beautiful, mild days and crisp clear nights. This Christmas event is a wonderful celebration of who we are as St. Matthias Parish to the Lincoln Square community and, even, the whole city. Please be a part of the celebration by both volunteering and participating. The choirs and music, the vendors and crafts, the food and drink, the kid's activities and Santa set a lovely atmosphere as we wait in silence; wait in hope this Advent for that singular event: Christ's birth among us.
God Bless,
Fr. John
Announcements & Upcoming Events
Advent Marks the Advent of the New Missal
NOVEMBER 27
We will begin using the prayers and songs from the New Roman Missal in two weeks. Please be aware that many of the prayers and responses of the celebrant and congregation have been changed. Cards are available in the pews indicating the new responses for the congregation.
Christkindl Market
All under an expanded heated tent!
December 2-4 - Lincoln and Leland Avenue
Friday: Noon to 10 pm
Saturday: 9 am to 10 pm
Sunday: 10 am to 7 pm
Kids: Free
Adults: $5.00 donation (3 day pass: $10.00)
- St. Nicholas
- Live Music
- Kids' Activities
- Caroling
- Festive arts and Craft Vendors
- German Food and Drink
Click here to download and view flyer
Lincoln Square Christkindl Market promises plenty of delicious food, crafts, music, kids' activities, and much more. Stop by the large heated tented to celebrate the season, Lincoln Square style. Over 30 marketplace vendors offer an eclectic mix of holiday gifts and crafts for sale, including hand-painted ornaments, handmade holiday cards, and other unique items.
At the Kids' Korner, children can decorate cookies and wreaths, create special ornaments, and visit with St. Nick when he stops by the fest each day.
Night Before ChristKindl Mix & Mingle Event
DECEMBER 1, 7-10 PM:
Join us for the 2nd annual, "Night Before ChristKindl," an evening of holiday cheer under a heated tent at Leland and Lincoln! With your $25 donation to the St. Matthias Scholarship fund , you will receive appetizers, courtesy of Chef Matin Wallner, and access to the open bar.
Christkindl Update: Please Volunteer and Invite
We still need volunteers for Christkindl. Please call the school or rectory if you have not signed up for a shift or two. We are also asking all parishioners and school parents to invite at least four people to this year's Christkindl Market. The proceeds of the event support the school and parish.
Christmas Trees on Sale Now in School Lot!
NOVEMBER 26 - DECEMBER 21
Get your trees and wreaths from St. Matthias. Proceeds benefit the school.
A Time of Great Thanks
THIS past week all of us gathered with friends and family and gave thanks for our many blessings and at St. Matthias we gave thanks to the wonderful men, women, and children who have supported all of our parish community activities, including the St. Matthias chapter of Boys Scouts, who ran a successful food drive for the poor; the St. Matthias and Queen of Angels students, who participated in the annual Shoe Drive Parade led by Ronald McDonald and donated more than 600 pairs of shoes to those in need; Paul and Kelly Dickerson, who hosted a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner for the men from Peg Wills' Outreach Program; and the core of spirited volunteers working on the Christkindl Market and the Christmas Tree Lot.
St. Matthias also gave thanks to all of the sponsors of the 2011 Lincoln Square Christkindl Market. Title Sponsors: Weiss Memorial Hospital, Major Sponsors: Flood Brothers, Goose Island Brewery, Huttenbar, Bridgeview Bank, Community Sponsors: Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce, the 47th Ward, Book Cellar, Julius Meinl, Pickle's Playroom, Marbles, Timeless Toys, Potbelly's, Old Town School of Folk Music, Rockwell's, McDonald's, The Perfect Cup, Lincoln Square Athletic Club, Ricochets, Tiny Lounge, Bloom, and Ruff Haus. Please remember to support our sponsors and their establishments this holiday season.
Pick up Your Envelopes - Or Sign Up for Electronic Giving
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Please pick up your yearly giving envelopes at the back of church or sign up for electronic giving through Give Central at givecentral. com. Please note, if you have already signed up for electronic giving, you do not need to pick up envelopes.
Take Five for Faith
Invest just five minutes a day, and your faith will deepen and grow - a day at a time.
Look up the daily passages from the New American Bible online at www.usccb.org/nab/bible.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2011
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
The time is now
In an Advent pastoral letter to his diocese, the 15th-century bishop of Milan and later saint Charles Borromeo wrote: “Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit . . . . This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets.” Note the saint is using the present tense: “Now is”; “this is.” Advent has a way of reaching into the past and making Christ’s coming a living reality in the present. It also, however, looks ahead. In a time of preparing to celebrate Christ’s first Advent we ready ourselves for his second—as Borromeo said in his letter: “The church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts.”
TODAY'S READINGS: Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37 (2)
“Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.”
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Home sweet home
The town of Capernaum served as "home base" for much of Jesus' Galilean ministry. He taught in the synagogue there, and it is the scene of many of his healings, including that of Saint Peter's mother-in-law. In fact it likely was the hometown of Peter and of Andrew, the first disciples Jesus called. We all need to feel "at home" somewhere. Planting roots helps us feel connected and to flourish and make a contribution to the world. Do you feel "at home" where you live, connected to your community? If not, what can you do to begin putting down roots? Jesus knew he needed a home base in order to fulfill his mission. How about you?
Today's Readings: Daniel Isaiah 2:1-5; Matthew 8:5-11 (175)
“When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him.”
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Get wise
In these times of war, political conflict, and growing poverty, it’s hard to imagine a state of affairs in which wisdom and justice reign and everything works together for the good. Yet that’s exactly the possibility God has promised and offered from the prophets to Jesus. The more the world knows the ways of God—and the more it follows them—the closer we will get to that place where all have what they need and act justly toward one another.
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TODAY'S READINGS: Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 10:21-24 (176)
“There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord.”
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30
FEAST OF ANDREW, APOSTLE
Pass it on
On the feast of Andrew the apostle we might consider how significant it is that the church is “apostolic” as well as one, holy, and catholic. While the leadership of the church in 2,000-plus years has had its share of rascals, it has always been of the highest importance that the followers of Christ trace their spiritual ancestry to those original 12 because it was to them that Jesus entrusted his mission and message. If people alive today trace back their faith to its origins, they will come to Saint Andrew and to the thousands who have faithfully passed on to us what they have received.
TODAY'S READINGS: Romans 10:9-18; Matthew 4:18-22 (684)
“Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.”
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Just believe
Scripture makes a point of linking justice and faith. Isaiah spoke of the messiah to come for whom “justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.” Keeping faith and acting justly are two sides of the same coin because fidelity to God’s commandments and laws—which, as Jesus said, boils down to loving God and others with one’s whole self—will create a world of justice. It starts with your commitment to love.
TODAY'S READINGS: Isaiah 26:1-6; Matthew 7:21, 24-27 (178)
“Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith.”
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Patience, people
Advent is a season of waiting. Children eagerly await Christmas, and while the jingle and jangle of this time may have many adults secretly waiting for Christmas to pass, the liturgical season of Advent has a different purpose: Waiting on the Lord is a spiritual practice with many hidden benefits. It involves the cultivation of quiet patience and of realizing that our trials and struggles may not pass in a day, but that with patience, prayer, and perseverance they will indeed pass. With its darkening days and falling temperatures, this part of the year offers the right ambiance for reflecting on the passage of time and seasons past. Allow yourself some quiet time, some down time if you like. Let the season work its quiet magic on you.
TODAY'S READINGS: Isaiah 29:17-24; Matthew 9:27-31 (179)
“Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.”
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3
FEAST OF FRANCIS XAVIER, PRIEST
Go west, young missionaries
If Saint Francis Xavier—considered the greatest Christian missionary after Saint Paul—were alive today, what would his mission territory be? If he were to follow the pope’s advice, he’d head to the West—that is, to the industrialized nations of Europe and North America. In a statement about the need for a new evangelization, Pope Benedict XVI said that in the West “many of the baptized lead totally un-Christian lives and more and more persons maintain some links to the faith but have little or poor knowledge of it.” The goal of missionaries in the new evangelization is not to proselytize but rather to help Catholics and Christians “discover the richness they already possess.” Become a missionary in the new evangelization: Invite a friend to sign up to receive Take Five for Faith!
TODAY'S READINGS: Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26; Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8 (180)
“Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues.”
©2011 by TrueQuest Communications, L.L.C. PHONE: 800-942-2811; E-MAIL: mail@takefiveforfaith.com; WEBSITE: www.takefiveforfaith.com. Licensed for noncommercial use. All rights reserved. Scripture quotes come from the New American Bible.
