FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

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1 ST. MARY MAGDALEN Page 1 BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN ALL THINGS CONSIDERED A COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING SERVICE This Sunday we are hosting a Community Thanksgiving Service in our church at 6:30 pm, sponsored by the Brighton Ministerial Association. It will include pastors and people, musicians and singers of several different churches in the Brighton Area. This forty-five minute service will include a collection for Gleaners and will be followed by a small reception in the Community Room. Please join us!! OUR COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING We will celebrate Thanksgiving with a Liturgy at 9 am on Thanksgiving morning. Canned and boxed goods for Gleaners will be collected during the Liturgy (along with cash donations!) ABOUT FUNERALS In November Catholics pray for all those who died. This is the third in a series of reflections on the purpose of funerals, their meaning and the ways we as Catholics deal with the loss of a loved one. It is unclear when we actually began celebrating Christian funeral rituals, but I am confident we began having some sort of funeral Liturgy before the end of the first century. It stands to reason, since the death of the first martyrs would lead Christians to develop some sort of faith -filled ritual to deal with the loss of these loved ones. By the early Middle Ages the Church began modeling funerals on the rituals that were used to commemorate the death and resurrection of the Lord. Well before the end of the first millennium, the funeral Liturgy, called the Requiem Mass, was celebrated soon after the death. It required special music, vestments and candelabra. A Requiem Mass (coming from the Latin: requiescat in pace -- rest in peace) focused primarily on the loss of our loved one; the vestments were black, the pall covering the casket was black and six unbleached beeswax candles (dark brown) flanked the casket. Today the funeral is either referred to as the Mass of the Resurrection or the Mass of Christian Burial; the vestments and pall are white or light gray and only the Pascal Candle (the symbol of the Risen Lord) stands at the head of the casket. Typically three prayer services mark the journey of our loved one to the Lord, symbolizing the three-day journey of the Lord Jesus through death to resurrection. The three services are: the Wake or Vigil Service the evening before the funeral, the Funeral Liturgy and the burial service. In ancient times, the Vigil or Wake Service lasted hours into the evening and the night before the funeral. The community would read the scriptures, sing the Psalms and pray. Then as the sun was rising on the third day after the death, the body was brought to church for the funeral Liturgy. In the Middle Ages when people could no longer read, we switched to an easier prayer form: the Rosary. The full Rosary is composed of 150 Hail Marys, one for each of the 150 Psalms. Because the Rosary was such a simple prayer form that could be led by anyone, it was often prayed several times during the Wake or Vigil. Now the Rites of Christian Burial expect us to have a simple Wake Service with scripture, prayer and the psalms as a part of the vigil the evening before the funeral Liturgy. Fr. Dave Howell THIS WEEK S LITURGIES November 25, Monday Dn 1:1-6, 8-20/Lk 21:1-4 9:00 am +Victor Jarosz November 26, Tuesday Dn 2:31-45/Lk 21:5-11 9:00 am Communion Service November 27, Wednesday Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28/Lk 21: :00 pm +Gail Rutkowski +Mass of Anointing November 28, Thursday-Thanksgiving Day Rv 5:1-10/Lk 19: :00 am St. Mary Magdalen Parish November 29, Friday Dn 7:2-14/Lk 21: :00 am + Joyce Gosbeth November 30, Saturday Rom 10:9-18/Mt 4:18-22 December 1, Sunday-First Sunday of Advent Is 2:1-5/Rom 13:11-14/Mt 24: :30 pm +Robert Ziel 9 am +John Kelso 11 am St. Mary Magdalen Parish FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Isaiah 2:1-5 The prophet Isaiah dreamed of a day when Jerusalem (sometimes called Zion) would be the center of the world, and all people would come there to receive God s wisdom. In today s reading, Isaiah presents a vision of peace and prosperity for the whole world. Romans 13:11-14 Behind everything Paul wrote was his strong belief that the hour of Christ s return in glory was near at hand. In this passage, Paul uses the image of darkness and light to describe how Christians ought to live as they await that coming. Matthew 24:37-44 During Advent, the liturgy s theological emphasis moves from the end of the world to the imminent birth of the Messiah. Anticipating the end of the world is as deep in our theology as looking for the infant in swaddling clothes, even though it is not as consoling. Vigilance for the second coming should be part of us at all times, though today s reading from Matthew warns us to keep awake! Reflect: If you knew Jesus second coming was going to occur next week, what would you change about your life today?

2 JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE Page 2 NOVEMBER 24, 2013 THE WEEK AHEAD STEWARDSHIP REPORT Week of 11/17/13 Approximately 1,945 people participated Env/Cash $17,207 EFT $13,978 Securing Our Future $ 3,980 TOTAL $35,165 Thank you for your gifts. Please pray for all the sick who have been commended to our prayer that they will respond to God s healing will, especially: Lisa Duranso, George Schultz, Abbie, Elizabeth Wisniewski, Jonah Schulte, Tom Nelson, Abby Fountaine, Julie (Anderer) Lloyd, Candi Gokey, Deneatha Smith, Mel Schmidt, Mark Siegrist, Kay Bocio, Steve Reichardt, Denise, Ellen Wojcik, Pete Pasienza, Hogan McCuan, Peggy Schmidt, Karen Zapalski, Shirley, Lynda Lawrence, Vicki Gilbert, Casey Clabby, Bert Loomis, Dick Price, Tom Sulkowski, Eleanor, M. Sullivan, Linda Kehn, Maurice Sullivan, Cullen Walker, Kathy Code, Amanda Guidos, Ed Fisher, Jan Baldinger, Shirley Milatz, Jerome Wszola, Bob Newell, Tom Geni, Sharon Mayer, Haley Larson, Jennifer Mosely, Skip & Sharon Dixon, Lynn Long, Diane Burr, Justina M. Pellerito, Mark Horzelski, Jeff Fontaine, John Conahan, Nancy Sharpy, Stacie Sherman, Dennis Gautherat, Fred Hoekstra, Sabrina Watt, MaryAnna, Michael Albanelli MINISTERS OF PRAYER Sun., Nov.24 Dennis Wagener, Kay Ferris Mon., Nov. 25 Madelyn Gostomski, Peter Kelly, Shirley Brake Tues., Nov. 26 Rachel Tuzinsky, Mary Ellen Magon, Tracy Helms Wed., Nov. 27 Lillian & Richard Rumpz, Joe Lubig Thurs., Nov. 28 Margie Evans, Tom & Rita DeRaud, Anna Demonaco Friday, Nov. 29 Marilyn & Dan VanTiem, Mary Ann Hargrave Sat., Nov. 30 Kathy Stegmaier, Mary McKaig Monday, Nov. 25 9:00 am Pre-School 6:00 pm Magdalen s Kitchen - CR 6:30 pm RCIA Rite of Accept. Retreat-E/Lib. 7:00 pm Properties-Conference Room Tuesday, Nov. 26 9:00 am Pre-School 9:30 am Rosary-Guadalupe Shrine Wednesday, Nov. 27 No Pre-School No MOMS 12:30 pm Knitters-Library 7:00 pm Mass of Anointing-Chapel 7:00 pm Time & Talent-East Church Office will close at 4:30 pm Thursday, Nov. 28 Thanksgiving Day Building Closed for Holiday 9:00 am Thanksgiving Day Mass Friday, Nov. 29 No Pre-School Building Closed for Holiday Festival of Lights Parade in Howell after Dark Saturday, Nov. 30 Boy Scout Wreath Sale after 4:30 Mass Advent Giving Tree all Weekend Sunday, Dec. 1 First Sunday of Advent 9:00 am Family Program-Gym 9, 11, 5:30 Rel. Formation-West Wing 10:10 am New Member Meeting-East 10:15 am Ichthus - North 11 :00 am RCIA Rite of Acceptance & Dismis. 12:30-3 pm K of C 1st Degree-Chapel/Library 12:45 pm Baptisms 7:00 pm Youth Group-Gym/Youth Room Wednesday, Nov. 27, at 7:00 pm, we will celebrate a Mass of Anointing. All who suffer from chronic illnesses or are about to undergo surgery are especially invited to participate. Please remember in your prayers: Beth Smith and Family in the death of her father, Al Mattingly; also remember Michelle Crowther and Family in the death of her husband, Dean. "If the Catholic Church is truly to be a 'church for the poor' in the United States, it must elevate the issue of poverty to the very top of its political agenda.

3 ST. MARY MAGDALEN Page 3 BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN Religious Formation News from Mary at mmahar@parishmail.com and Karen at sect2@saintmarymagdalen.org Youth News from Margaret at yminister1@gmail.com and Stasia at tkcsmom@att.net Thanksgiving break starts today thru 11/28. Classes resume Sunday, Dec. 1. Wednesday/ Thurs families are invited to stay for the Advent Wreath lighting at the beginning of classes presented by our 8 th grade youth! Children s Nativity has started! We will not meet this week due to Thanksgiving, but you are welcome to join us next Wednesday from 6-6:30! Sign up is in the gathering area. Every Christmas Eve at the 6:15pm Liturgy our younger children reenact the Gospel story of the Nativity before the Liturgy. We need an angel choir, shepherds, kings, and more. Penance Activity Nights: 2nd grade parents are reminded to attend class on Dec. 4/5 with your child at their Wednesday 4:30 or 6:30 class time, or their Thursday 5:30 class time next week. Family Program and Catholic School families are asked to attend one of the sessions. We need you! We are in need of subs to help share our faith with the youth in our programs! Thank you to all who have come forward so far. or call Karen or me if you are interested finding out more information! Class calendars are available in the gathering area or online at Check out our website for your child s syllabus located on there, as well as the direct link to Sadlier our publisher for the materials we use in class. This will help you at home if you have to miss a class for any reason. I am grateful for all of our families and the dedication and support you give our St. MM parish community. The amount of food we collected at our Children s Thanksgiving Liturgies for the food boxes and Gleaners was amazing, the youth were awesome in the liturgical ministries, and we have so many who volunteer here for many different activities. I have another request for you we are in need of VG receipts, and your old newspapers to be brought to the recycle bins out back, gas and food cards and change in the Alms box. If your youth needs community service let them do chores to earn enough to donate a card or coins for the alms box! As we enter into Advent the needs of those around us becomes more apparent. Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving! Many of you know this is my favorite holiday! Nothing is expected of you except good food and drink. The day is spent being thankful for people, sharing memories, playing games and eating home cooked food! May your day be blessed with the loving arms of God as he surrounds your gatherings with love, laughter and memory making moments. Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours!! This Thanksgiving season we have so much to be grateful for. With everything that has been going on with us personally, we have been so blessed with the generosity of the St. Mary Magdalen community! There are no words to properly say thank you in appreciation for your support, food and prayers. Tommy is still immobile as the pain to walk is unbearable and with complications of a blood clot, we are extra careful with movement. Winter Weekend Getaway (WWG) We will travel up north to the Cadillac area and stay at Edgette s Lodge for the weekend; we will laugh, have fun, ski and learn about Dog Man again. Mark your calendars now for January The cost for the weekend is $100. It includes lodging and all meals. Reserve your spot with a nonrefundable $50 deposit due this weekend. Check out to see where we are staying. We are selling pizza magnets for $20 for a free pizza from Guido s when you order an XL. The code on the magnet is good for an entire year! There are locations both in Hartland and Brighton. Contact Margaret Callaghan at yminister1@gmail.com to purchase one. The money the teens earn from this fundraiser will be used to help with the weeklong service trip in the summer, the Winter Weekend Getaway, Cedar Point and other scheduled events. EDGE Our next meeting will be our only meeting in December. It is an EDGE tradition to celebrate the season of Christmas with our White Elephant Gift exchange poem. It is fun and can be vicious! We ask that you bring a gender neutral gift worth no more than $10 and that it be something you yourself would want to receive. Bring it wrapped. Also, we are collecting hats, scarf s, gloves and or mittens for the needy. For every item you bring to give, you will receive a raffle ticket and possibly win a prize! Come ready to help, have fun and laugh!

4 JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE Page 4 NOVEMBER 24, 2013 Adult Education and Formation Faith and Service - From Sr. Joyce Prayer Intentions for the Year of Faith: For those in Prison Howell Festival of Lights Parade Friday, November 29 6:30 pm Come see St. Mary Magdalen s 20th Anniversary Float in it s Glory! Thank you to the organizers and the many hands who made this happen. Advent by Candlelight: Make a Joyful Noise Saturday December 7 7 pm in the Community Room Hostesses are asked to set up their tables during the day and to bring a dessert. Reservations required. M.O.M.S. This dedicated group of women meet in the North Room, next to the Nursery throughout the school year. Meetings with Prayer, Food, Fun, and Friendship occur every Wednesday morning from 9:30 am noon. Moms of all ages and stages are welcome to come anytime. See the M.O.M.S brochures in the Gathering area racks for more information. Please contact Erin Wolfe at devonwolfe@comcast.net or Holly Oakes at hoakes73@gmail.com with any questions A PRAYER FOR THIS SPECIAL YEAR Good and gracious God, we pray that every person in our diocese will come to know and love our Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way. May we mature as true disciples of Christ Jesus and may each of us become actively engaged in the life and mission of the Church, joyfully using his or her gifts for the building up of your kingdom. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. As you renew the face of the earth, re-create in the divine image all who are your own. Instruct the hearts of all the faithful by your heavenly light and make us truly wise. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Children s Nativity Rehearsal began Wed., Nov. 6 and will be on Wednesdays, Dec. 4, 11 & 18 from 6-6:30 pm (between Rel. Ed. classes), and also on Thurs. Dec. 19 from 5:00-7:00 pm. Children grades K-8 are welcome. The Nativity will have an angel choir along with traditional roles. It will be the prelude to the 6:15 pm Christmas Eve Mass. The children s Nativity is a great opportunity to focus on the Christ in Christmas! Please sign-up in the gathering area or contact Erin Wolfe for more information. LIVINGSTON YAM The College Years and Beyond Young Adult Ministry (18-35) unlocked The Keys to Daily Prayer - Finale with Fr. James Mangan Monday, December 2, 7pm Old St. Patrick, Ann Arbor Child care provided. i.d. 916 Disciple Night with Robert Muise "Fight the Good Fight--The Battle for Religious Freedom." Thursday, December 5 - Domino Farms, Ann Arbor Mass & Dinner/Concert Saturday, December 21 - St. Augustine, Howell For additional information Contact livingstonyam@gmail.com or visit us on facebook! Next Blood Drive is Monday, December 9th, from 12-5:45 pm in the Gym. Give the gift of Life, donate a pint of blood! Did you know that St. Joseph Parish in Howell has a Catholic Book Store? Good place to start your Christmas shopping! Right to Life Christmas Cards will be on sale after all Masses in the gathering area during the weekends of November 30/December 1 and December 7/8. Proceeds benefit Livingston County Right to Life.

5 ST. MARY MAGDALEN Page 5 BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN THANKSGIVING DAY Thursday, Nov. 28th We will celebrate the Liturgy on Thanksgiving Day at 9 a.m. Please bring food for the poor to Mass with you. (there will also be a basket for monetary donations). Since we have been blessed in so many ways we ll have the opportunity to thank God in a special way. In the gathering area there is a place where you may write down what you are most thankful for. These will be put together into a prayer that will be prayed after Communion on Thanksgiving morning. Ichthus Friendship Stories Music If you desire a deeper relationship with God and others then consider visiting Ichthus. We meet each Sunday morning at 10:15 am in the North Room. The nursery is staffed from 10-11am. Nov 24 - Emma Kehn is a high school student, active is sports and in the St MM youth group. She will be sharing about the recent dioceses youth conference. A BOOK AND WALL OF REMEMBERING Throughout the month of November we continue to lift up in prayer to God those who have died. Our Book of Remembering is placed at the Shrine of Remembering in the worship space so that you might list the names of deceased family & friends. Throughout the month we will display a Wall of Remembering. If you would like a picture of your loved one displayed please bring it to Sr. Maryetta in the parish office. CHRISTMAS COOKIE WALK: Together with St. Paul s, we will be offering an opportunity for all to purchase homemade Christmas cookies on the weekend of December You can participate by donating a batch of cookies to be sold. Cookies will be handpicked by the buyer and weighed. Cost will be determined by weight. Sign-up sheets for donations and on site help are in the gathering area. PARISH COOKBOOK We have our cookbook for sale! They will make great stocking stuffers or Christmas gifts. We will be selling them after all Masses. We will also need help selling them, so if you are able to volunteer for a Mass or more, please call Kathy Clark at will be in the Gathering Area starting Nov. 23 and will remain there until December 16. This year we have Eight Charities, including St. Anne s, Detroit; Brown Evangelical Ministries; Livingston County Catholic Charities; LACASA; W. J. Maxey Boys Training School; Magdalen s Kitchen and parish; Pregnancy Help Line; and the Cornerstone School affiliated with St. Agnes Parish in Flint/Clio Michigan. The Cornerstone School is a program for adults with mental and physical handicaps. If you would like to help those who are less fortunate, please take a tag from the Tree and place your donation back under the tree no later than December 16. We cannot guarantee that the charities will receive the gifts before Christmas if left after that date. is a great way to involve the entire family in a very worthwhile project. The gift tags for Cornerstone list clothing size, when known, and other gift suggestions. So you can choose what to get the individual. Please make sure the tag is taped and secured to your donation, so we know which charity it goes to. Only gifts for Cornerstone School should be wrapped. Please leave all other gifts unwrapped. Gift cards for all the charities should be unwrapped. If you have any questions, please contact Dianne Sweeter at or dsweeter@yahoo.com or

6 JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE Page 6 NOVEMBER 24, GREAT DATES-COMING SOON!! Have you heard about our 8 Great Dates? We have successfully offered these date nights for married couples (and a few engaged!) for the last 3 years, with much positive feedback! We re again planning to offer 8 Great Dates. On Friday evenings, 6:30 9 pm. It includes catered dinners at tables for 2, candlelight, a little music along with an entertaining evening video presentation, and is designed to build up your marriage relationship. There are 8 evenings planned, January 10 through March 7. Please sign up in the Gathering Area or give Sandi Phillips a call at or in the office at ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE Mon. 11/25 9:30-11 am Open Walk-gym pm Pre-School - gym 4:15-6 pm St. Pat s B Ball-gym 7:00 pm EDGE-YR/gym 8:30-10 pm Men s B Ball-gym Tues. 11/26 9:30-11 am Open Walk-gym Pre-School-gym 4:15-6 pm St. Pat s B Ball-gym Wed. 11/27 9:30-11 am Open Walk-gym Building Closes at 4:30 pm Thurs. 11/28 Building Closed Fri. 11/29 Building Closed Sat. 11/30 8:30-9:30 am Co-ed Boot Camp Sun. 12/1 7:00 pm Youth Group-gym/YR PASTORAL STAFF ADDRESSES PARISH WEBSITE Pastor: Fr. David Howell: pastor1@saintmarymagdalen.org Permanent Deacons: H. David Scharf: deacon1@saintmarymagdalen.org James Chevalier: deacon2@saintmarymagdalen.org Gary Prise: deacon3@saintmarymagdalen.org Devon Wolfe: deacon4@saintmarymagdalen.org Pastoral Ministers: Sr. Maryetta Churches: pastmin2@saintmarymagdalen.org Sr. Joyce Hoile: pastmin1@saintmarymagdalen.org Director of Faith Formation of Youth: Mary Mahar: mmahar@parishmail.com Director of RCIA & Liturgist: Diane Kubus: rcia@saintmarymagdalen.org liturgist@saintmarymagdalen.org Youth Ministry: Margaret Callaghan: youth1@saintmarymagdalen.org Director of Music: Steven H. Schulte: steve@colleengleason.com Director of Pre-School: Kathie Anderer: preschool1@saintmarymagdalen.org SUPPORT STAFF ADDRESSES Adm. Asst. Faith Formation of Youth : Karen MacDonald: sect2@saintmarymagdalen.org Secretaries: Debbie Dehanke: sect3@saintmarymagdalen.org Josie Doucette: sect1@saintmarymagdalen.org Sandi Phillips: sect4@saintmarymagdalen.org Bookkeeper: Dave Wisniewski: bookeeper@saintmarymagdalen.org Custodian: Dan Tuthill: maint1@saintmarymagdalen.org