Parish Staff. New Parishioners If you are new to our parish and would like more information please contact the Parish Office.

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1 Nativity of Mary Church and School E 36th Terrace Independence, MO Parish: (816) School: (816) Web: My attitude must be Christ s. - Philippians 2:5 Parish Staff Rev. Robert Stone, Pastor Mrs. Mary Parrish, Principal Melissa Clancy, Business Manager New Parishioners If you are new to our parish and would like more information please contact the Parish Office. Pastoral Care Sacraments for the Sick and Homebound and Pastoral visits to the Homebound and Hospitals. Fr. Bob Stone Mass Schedule Monday: 8:30 a.m. Communion Service Weekday: 8:30 a.m. Tuesday - Friday Saturday: 4:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Holy Day: 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Confessions Saturday: 3:00 p.m. or by Appointment Emergency Assistance Contact St. Mary s Food Pantry and Clothes Closet Youth Ministry Debbie Page, Parish Office School School, Early Childhood and Extended Care Carmen Wolfgeher, school office Sacrament Preparation Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation, Adult Initiation (RCIA), and Matrimony Contact the parish office for information Music Ministry Maria Milazzo, parish office Parish Ministry Council Sue Reiser - Chair Diocesan Victim s Advocate Kathleen Chastain or chastain@diocesekcsj.org Ombudsman Jenifer Valenti, or JeniferValenti@att.net

2 DECEMBER 18, THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT MASS INTENTIONS Sat., Dec Vigil of the 4th Sunday of Advent 4:00PM + Frank Baker & Margaret Heckman Sunday, December 18 -The 4th Sunday of Advent 8:00AM + Thelma Bruehl & Marie Pott 10:30AM + Helen Vitt, Josephine Huffman & Harriette Edwards Monday, December 19 8:30AM COMMUNION SERVICE Tuesday, December 20 8:30AM + Margaret Byrd Wednesday, December 21 - St. Peter Canisius 8:30AM + Wanda Faye Stark Thursday, December 22 8:300AM + Kenneth F. Johnson Friday, December 23 - St. John of Kanty 8:30AM + Larie Timko Sat., Dec Christmas Eve 3:00PM + Mary & Al Flowers & Lucille Payne + Barney Breunig & Jackie Crabtree Midnight + Jay Totta Sunday, Dec Christmas 10:00AM + Gary Enyart & Mayta Family PLEASE PRAY FOR: Angela Arnone Bernadette Greufe John Routledge Vern/Margaret Ault Mike Guthrie Dan Rottinghaus Rex Bartley Phillip Heavelow Mike Rooney Helen Burkhart Matthew Johnson Barbara Sarro Jimmy Butler Cynthia/Dennis Jones Sylvia Simone Pam Casper Paula Kienberger Bernice/Norm Steffen Steve Christensen Clarence Kinney Janet Swanson John Clarke Lucas Locascio George Timko, Jr. Kelly Cook George Lambros Annette Torbert Melissa Costello Betty Mascal Margaret Trigg Catherine Danna Juan/Mary Perez Daniel Wheeler Florence Dawson Carlos/Eva Pinon Ayden Wright Willie DeJesus Gary Reese READINGS FOR THE WEEK DECEMBER, 19-25, 2016 Monday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25 Tuesday: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-4ab, 5-6; Lk 1:26-38 Wednesday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45 Thursday: 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Lk 1:46-56 Friday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-34; Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-10, 14; Lk 1:57-66 Saturday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Lk 1:67-79 Sunday: Vigil: Is 62:1-5; Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27 29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Mt 1:1-25 [18-25] Night: Is 9:1-6; Ps 96:1-3, 11-13; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14 Dawn: Is 62:11-12; Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12; Ti 3:4-7; Lk 2:15-20 Day: Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:1-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 [1-5, 9-14] TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION By now, the first Christmas carols are heard in the home, but usually not yet in church. What is a "carol" anyway? Originally, a carol was any kind of communal song sung at a festival such as a harvest. By the thirteenth century or so, carols were associated with household celebrations. "Carol" comes from the Old French carula, meaning a circular dance. Carols weren't for church, since the language of liturgy was Latin and the carols were in the common language. Their characteristic sound comes from medieval chord patterns, and they often have strong refrains for everyone to sing. Even in the churches of the Reformation, carols didn't make it into church services until the 1870s or so, since there was a preference for psalms. Anglicans resisted popular carols; most of our beloved carols came via the Methodists, an offshoot of the Church of England. The Catholic Church generally didn't admit carols to liturgy either, but we didn't make laws against them. We are told that the beloved carol "Silent Night" comes from Catholic Austria and a harried parish music director. Joseph Mohr, the priest of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, had written the words in 1816, but offered them to his music director, Franz Gruber, when the church's organ broke. Mohr asked him to write a melody that could be played on guitar as a prelude to Mass. Gruber finished the tune just hours before midnight Mass in The people were shocked to hear a guitar in church, but were charmed by the sweet lullaby. The church was swept away by a flood in the 1990s and the village later relocated, but the townspeople have set up the "Silent Night Memorial Chapel" at the site. Today the carol is in print in some three hundred languages. How wonderful that the pipe organ broke on that night! --Rev. James Field, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co.

3 DECEMBER 18, PARISH NEWS Did You Know Nativity Caring Angels will provide transportation, meals, and shopping for any parish member that is in need during an illness or recovery from a hospital stay. Contact the parish office for more information. Please pray for the repose of the souls of Vic Jodts, husband of Carol, and O. J. Miller, father of Debra Craig. We offer our prayers and sympathy to Carol and Debra and all the Jodts and Miller families. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. DIOCESAN ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL UPDATE Total number of Diocesan pledges 4,937 Diocesan Total $1,417, (79% of 2017 diocesan goal of $1,800,000) Total number of Nativity pledges 43 (9% of our parishioners) Total pledged by Nativity parishioners $13,796 (86% of 2017 Nativity goal of $16,000) Thank you to those who have made a pledge. NATIVITY OF MARY CONTRIBUTION REPORT DECEMBER 3 & 4, 2016 Envelopes $ 12, Plate $ Worship Space $ 2, Pisces Fund $ Utility Fund $ EFT $ - Credit Card $ - Online Giving $ Poor Box $ Total $ 16, Tuition & Registration Fees $ 20, Thank you for supporting our Parish Community and Catholic Education! The Knights of Columbus of your Council 6794 would like to thank the parishioners and staff of Nativity of Mary for your support and participation in the Kansas City Chiefs fundraising events held in your Parish Hall. Through your generosity we were able to donate $ towards the Franciscan Mission Warehouse Shipments, and our Ladies Auxiliary was able to collect $ towards the Nativity of Mary Ministry Center basement repair. Without you it would not have been possible. THANK YOU! Ministers Needed We need 4 Ushers/Greeters, 7 Eucharistic Ministers, 2 Lectors and 2 Servers for each of the Christmas masses. There are sign up sheets on the kiosk in the back of church. If you would like to volunteer please put your name on the list. CHRISTMAS CHILDREN It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas. --Charles Dickens Christmas Flowers If you would like to donate towards the purchase of Christmas flowers in memory of a loved one or if you would just like to donate, there are envelopes in the pews. You can drop the envelope in the collection basket or give it to an usher. If you have questions please call the Ministry Center. Your donations are greatly appreciated.

4 CALENDAR 2016 Sunday 18 8:00AM Mass 10:30AM Mass 1PM-Youth Group Monday 19 Communion Serv. Tuesday 20 9AM - Quilters Wednesday 21 Thursday 22 Friday 23 Closed Saturday 24 3:00PM Christmas Eve Mass 12:00AM Midnight Mass 25 10:00AM Mass Merry Christmas 26 Communion Serv. 9AM - Quilters :00PM Confession 4:00PM Mass 31 Closed Closing at Noon Closing at Noon Closing at Noon Closing at Noon 8:00AM Mass 10:30AM Mass 1 2 Communion Serv. Closed 9AM - Quilters 3 4 7PM - Altar Society Meeting 5 Epiphany 9AM-Noon Eucharistic Adoration 6 7 CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR S MASS SCHEDULE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24TH CHRISTMAS EVE - 3:00 P.M. MASS 12:00 A.M. MIDNIGHT MASS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25TH CHRISTMAS DAY - 10:00 A.M. MASS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31ST NEW YEAR S EVE - 4:00 P.M. SUNDAY, JANUARY 1ST SOLEMNITY OF MARY 8:00 A.M. & 10:30 A.M. MASS

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6 DECEMBER 18, THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about." So begins Matthew's narration of of Mary and Joseph's first adventure as husband and wife. The early Christians who were his audience must have been eager to hear the story of Jesus' early years, and wondered if what they had heard about Mary was true. It must have been Mary who handed this story down to the apostles, which subsequently found itself in the scriptural canon. One would imagine that this was a rather private matter between Mary and Joseph, but so important that it needed to be shared later. It's a tender and lovely story of a young couple in love and faced with a dilemma. JOSEPH WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN Today's Gospel is one of only a few stories that mention Joseph. It is clear from these Gospel accounts that Joseph was a man of good character and also a loving man, not willing to harm Mary, even though it appeared that she had betrayed him in the most hurtful way. He could have denounced her publicly and she would have been stoned to death. But he did not want that to happen to her. Did he and Mary have a conversation about the Annunciation events, and could that conversation have made him more open to the dream in which the angel appeared to him? IN A DREAM Do we believe that our dreams hold meaning for our lives? Many psychologists say so, and yet we often dismiss what we have dreamed because our dreams may seem so far-fetched and implausible. If we paid attention to our dreams, and God revealed something important to us, would we believe it? If something scary or evil occurred in a dream, would we just shake it off, or would we say a prayer to God to protect us from evil and know that God would never will bad things for us? The Jews then, as today, looked for the Messiah to come. When the angel told Joseph that this child was conceived through the Holy Spirit, he readily believed that Mary would bear a son who would save people from their sins. They named him Jesus, which in Hebrew is "Yeshua." It means "God saves." Joseph was willing to believe that the prophecy from Isaiah, "the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, / and they shall name him Emmanuel, / which means 'God is with us' " would be fulfilled in his own life (Matthew 1:23). When he awoke, he did not shake off the dream, but acted on it in a way that would change his life, and would change the world. In this season of waiting for the Messiah, we can dream of that time of the Reign of God to come, and we can believe that it will be fulfilled. Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Company In today s Gospel we hear of the coming of Emmanuel, which means God is with us. We celebrate three Advents: the birth of Christ, his Second Coming, and his presence in the world today. Our daily lives are attended by God s presence. Indeed, God is with us. The Good News of Christ s Incarnation is that we are the sign, sacrament, of Christ s presence in the world. People are supposed to see us, see how we love one another, see how we treat the stranger among us, give comfort to the poor and afflicted, share the Good News with joy. They see how good stewards are the light of Christ. And there can be no possible response except to say: God is here! GETTING EVEN The only ones you should try to get even with are those who have helped you. --Anonymous The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph is committed to combating sexual abuse in the Church. If you are a victim of sexual abuse, or if you observe or suspect sexual abuse: 1. Call the Missouri Child Abuse Hotline at (if the victim is currently under the age of 18), and 2. Contact your local law enforcement agency or call 911, and 3. After reporting to these civil and law enforcement authorities, report suspected sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult to the Diocesan Ombudsman, Jenifer Valenti, at or JeniferValenti@att.net, if the abuse involves a priest, deacon, employee or volunteer of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. The Diocese has a sincere commitment to providing care and healing resources to victims of sexual abuse and their families. Please contact Victim Advocate, Kathleen Chastain, at or chastain@diocesekcsj.org for more information.

7 DECEMBER 18, THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT St. Mary s Food Pantry St. Mary s Food Pantry is always in need of donations for our clients. However, they are overstocked with canned vegetables to last for years, so they are asking for help in collecting the following food items for their pantry... See list below. Creamed Soups Tuna Oatmeal Packages Instant Mashed Potatoes Canned Meats Canned Fruits Mac & Cheese Jelly Tune Helper Boxes of Oatmeal Ramen Noodles Pasta Sides Pork and Beans Canned Chicken Pasta Sauce Manual Can Opener There is a barrel in the back of church where you can drop off your food items. If you have cash donations you can mail them directly to St. Mary s or give them to an usher and we will be sure to get them to St. Mary s for you. Also, if you are interested in volunteering some time to help out at St. Mary s Outreach please call We can always use an extra pair of hands. Please continue collecting the UPC labels off of Best Choice Products. You can drop them off in the Hospitality room in back of church, mail them to St. Mary s or take them by St. Mary s Outreach Wednesday or Thursday between 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Gluten-free hosts are available. Talk to Fr. Bob before Mass. We have 2 wheelchairs and hearing assist devices available for your use during mass. Please contact an usher. Devotional candles are kept in the kiosk. If you would like to light one just ask an usher for assistance. There is a slot and envelopes available in the kiosk to place your $5 donation. If you have a suggestion, concern, or comment you would like the Parish Ministry Council to address there are cards on the kiosk you to fill out and drop in the slot. Are you 70 and ½ or older? Do you want to save federal and state income taxes? Giving directly from your IRA to a qualified charity like your parish, school, Annual Catholic Appeal, diocesan or parish ministry can be a tax-wise strategy. Please consult your legal or tax adviser or Greg Vranicar at or vranicar@diocesekcsj.org at the Office of Stewardship and Development. Gifts of this type satisfy your required minimum distribution (rmd) and will help you avoid paying income tax on whatever amount you transfer directly to charity. REMINDER There is a recycling bin and disabled American Veterans bin behind the school. Your donations directly help the school and our Boy Scout troop. Thank you. Please continue to collect Box Tops for Education labels for the school. You can turn them in to the school office, the Ministry Center, or leave them in the hospitality room at church. Last Days of Advent St. Pope John Paul II, Dec. 18, 2002 Pope John Paul II in his address on Dec. 18, 2002 said, "The liturgy of Advent helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event, which occurred some 2,000 years ago in a little village of Judea. Instead, it is necessary to understand that the whole of our life must be an advent, a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ. To predispose our mind to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, one day will come to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize him as present in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously."

8 CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS Nativity of Mary Church # E. 36th Terrace South Independence, MO TELEPHONE CONTACT PERSON Mary Jo Nafus SOFTWARE MSPublisher 2007 Adobe Acrobat X Windows XP Pro PRINTER Konica Minolta C452 Color TRANSMISSION TIME Tuesday 12:00 SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION December 18, 2016 NUMBER OF PAGES SENT 1 through 8 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS