“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.”
+ Philippians 4:4-5 (Entrance Antiphon, 3rd Sunday of Advent)
Dear Parishioners,
Surely the Entrance Antiphon for this weekend’s Mass doesn’t apply to 2020. To rejoice?! The repetition of this command to rejoice is spoken to us exactly when there are challenges, hardships and difficulties. This reminder to rejoice is to help shake us out of relying on the world, possessions or ourselves for peace, joy, security. If the Lord is our foundation we confidently rejoice in any circumstance knowing that the Lord doesn’t abandon us and He sustains us and will see us through.
Let us continue to pray for one another and to rejoice!
Abundant Advent blessings,
Fr. Hottovy
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Handy Links:
- Eucharistic Adoration Sign-Up
- Parish Website
- Parish Facebook Page
- Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House Schedule
Attachments:
:: NEW & UPDATED PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS ::
Gaudete!
The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday. We celebrate nearing the end of Advent and the beginning of Christmas. Gaudete (rejoice) is taken from the entrance antiphon of the Mass:
Rejoice in the Lord always;
Again I say, rejoice.
Indeed, the Lord is near.
Philippians 4:4-5
Advent Confession Times
Additional Confession times: Sat, Dec 19th, Confessions will be heard from 9am-Noon (and 3-4 & 4:45-5:15)and before daily Masses December 21, 22, 23, and 24 (6am-6:20am and 7:45am-8:05am).
Christmas Mass Times
Thu, Dec 24th: 3pm and 5pm
Midnight Mass (at 12-midnight)
Thu, Dec 25th: 8, 10, and Noon
You will notice that there are two Christmas Eve Masses. Bishop Conley has given special permission for Christmas Vigil Masses to be celebrated earlier so that Masses are less crowded—allowing for social distancing and ensuring everyone has a chance to attend.
Holy Land Rosaries
Rosaries of Olive Wood which were handmade by Christians in the Holy Land are available for purchase in the Parish Office (a minimum donation of $10 is requested). All proceeds go directly to the support of Christians in the Holy Land. These make wonderful gifts for
sacraments, Christmas, and all occasions!
Still Seeking Advent Ideas?
Visit our diocesan website www.lincolndiocese.org and follow the Advent Resources link.
Formed.org programming for the Third Week of Advent
- Search: "Advent" in Formed.org to see current programming.
- In addition to programs listed in last week's bulletin, the following have been added:
- Brother Francis special Sunday premier. Show your children “Jesus is Coming: The Blessings of Advent and Christmas.” This program will be accessible for free exclusively on Sundays of Advent.
- Mary of Nazareth
Mary of Nazareth is an epic motion picture on the life of Mary, Mother of Christ, from her childhood through the Resurrection of Jesus.
- Check Formed.org for special feast day programming, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. Narrated by Jim Caviezel. Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message traces the history of this transformative event from the 16th century to the present.
- Note: Sign-ups and Sign-ins may have changed. If you are using Formed for the first time, you will click on Sign-Up and select Sign up as a parishioner, search for our parish, and follow the steps to gain access to Formed.org. (J4V3RY)
Seminarian of the Week
Peter Foley is the son of Mike and Susan Foley of St. Peter Parish in Lincoln. He is studying College 3 at St. Gregory the Great Seminary. Remember to pray for Peter and for his formation.
Eucharistic Adoration Update
Many thanks to all of those who have signed up for a Holy Hour. All days are nearly filled and so we can have Exposition every day! That said, the two hours which need to be covered are Thursdays from Noon-1 and 3-4. See the parish e-mail for the sign-up link.
The Knights of Columbus, Fitzgerald Council 833 will again sponsor the Candy Cane Project at the all the weekend Masses of the 19th and 20th.
Miniature Candy Canes will be given out after each of these Masses for a free-will donation. All proceeds will, again, go to the Giving Tree project with any unused moneys to the school for use at their discretion. We expect to have volunteers at each of the church doors.As most of the parishioners are aware, this is a difficult time for all of our parish families. We call upon those that have, help those who have little.
Community Announcement
Operation Lifesaver Nebraska wants to spread the word in the city of Lincoln: On January 1, 2021, BNSF Railway will begin operating trains on the tracks that run along Hwy 2 between Lincoln and Nebraska City. The tracks have been out of use for 17 years; it is important that we are aware of this change.
Year of St. Joseph
From Catholic News Agency
“Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph Tuesday in honor of the 150th anniversary of the saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church. The year begins Dec. 8, 2020, and concludes on Dec. 8, 2021, according to a decree authorized by the pope. The
decree said that Francis had established a Year of St. Joseph so that ‘every member of the faithful, following his example, may strengthen their life of faith daily in the complete fulfillment of God’s will.’ [The Pope has] granted special indulgences to mark the year.”
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Look for upcoming parish activities that will help us to learn more about humble St. Joseph and how we can imitate him.
Dispel the darkness by having your candles blessed! The burning of blessed candles discourages disease and demonic presences. If you would like your candles to be blessed, please bring them to the rectory during office hours (9-4, Mon-Fri).
Welcome by Baptism
Naomi Lynne Pfeiffer, daughter of Brian and Emily,
and August Edgar Delahunty, son of Christopher and Lauren.
Congratulations!
Please PrayFor the repose of the soul of longtime parishioner Mary Treick.
The Thrift Shop will be closed December 25th & 26th and January 1st & 2nd. Welcome to our new volunteer coordinator: Renee Cunningham. Last weekend’s income was $2408.
Consider whether you are able to donate items from the Wishlist of the School & Parish. See last week’s insert for details.
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The school needs recycled paper: any 8 1/2 x 11 paper that is blank on one side and free of wrinkles and staples.
:: REPEAT PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS (for your convenience) ::
Advent Giving Wreath We are encouraged to stop by the Advent Wreath(s) to choose gifts that we are able to give to such charities as Lincoln Right to Life and Catholic Social Services. Please turn them in unwrapped.
Missalettes
New Missalettes—which begin on November 29th—are available in the vestibule. Please keep the missalette that you take, and use it each week.
Online Giving: Online giving is a safe way to give to the parish without using envelopes. We encourage this practice! If you need help beginning, please call the parish office.
The link for online giving is in the upper-right hand corner of our parish website.
An Altar Society Prayer Line has been established to lift up our prayers to God as a community. Leva Orationes Deo is Latin for lift up prayers to God. Requests can be made by e-mailing levaorationesdeo@yahoo.com or calling the first caller for the phone prayer line: Mary Pat McBride at 402-314-1296. All intentions will be sent by e-mail to the Altar Society e-mail list. If you want to participate in the phone prayer line, please contact Mary Pat.
Home for sale: 4244 Witherbee is a 3 bed 1/5 bath being sold for $137,500. Call Bobby Bevins at 402-314-3254
:: NEW DIOCESE-wide ANNOUNCEMENTS ::
:: REPEAT DIOCESE-wide ANNOUNCEMENTS ::
Mass of Hope and Healing: Our Lady of Guadalupe Ministry at St. Michael Catholic Church in Lincoln is hosting its first annual Mass on Sat., Dec. 12, at 8:15 A.M. for anyone seeking hope and healing for the holidays. If you struggle—or care for someone who struggles—with drug/alcohol abuse or mental health issues, join us for Mass and a healing service immediately following. St. Michael Catholic Church, in the gym: 9101 S. 82nd St., Lincoln. Contact Chris Jacobsen with questions: Chris-Jacobsen@cdolinc.net
“Am I not here, I who am your mother?” (Our Lady of Guadalupe)
The annual Mass of the Holy Innocents will be celebrated on Monday, December 28th. All are invited to attend this Memorial Mass, especially those families who have suffered the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death or abortion. Reading of names will begin at 6:30 p.m. with Mass at 7:00 p.m. This year, the Mass will take place at Cathedral of the Risen Christ Church due to the pandemic and social distancing measures. The Cathedral is located at 3500 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln. If you would like your child's name to be remembered & placed on the banner, please call the Office of Family Life at 473-0620 before 5:00 p.m. on Fri. Dec. 18th. If you placed your child's name previously, it will remain on the list.
MASS with Prayers for HEALING. December 13, 2020. Cathedral of the Risen Christ, 35th & Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE. Please join together to pray for healing for yourself, your family, friends, for our Church and our Nation.
Calvary Cemetery has a new Burial Space Hold Policy. If you believe you placed space(s) on hold prior to the new policy which was started in 2019, please contact the cemetery at 402-476-8787 to complete the proper paperwork or to purchase the space(s). If you do not contact the office and complete the new form or purchase the space(s) by December 15th, 2020, your hold will be removed from the record so the space(s) can be released back into inventory for other individuals or families to purchase. Call 402-476-8787 for questions or more information. Thank You!