December 16, Rev. Vincent L. Parsons Pastor. Sr. Vera Meis, C.S.J. Pastoral Minister

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1 December 16, 2018 Rev. Vincent L. Parsons Pastor Sr. Vera Meis, C.S.J. Pastoral Minister Mass Schedule: (October - May) Saturday: 4:00 pm Sunday: 8:00 & 10:30 am (June - September) Saturday 6:00 pm Sunday: 8:00 & 10:00 am Monday, Tues, Wed, Friday 7 am Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays one hour prior to evening Mass or by appointment ( ) Sacrament of Baptism Please call the Parish Office Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise. Luke 3: Third Avenue, Scottsbluff, Nebraska (308) Mailing address: PO Box 349, Scottsbluff, NE Fax: Website: Parish Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9am - Noon & 1pm - 4pm

2 Page 2 Year B December 16, 2018 Saint Agnes Catholic Church Today s Readings Zephaniah 3:14-18a Psalm: Isaiah 12:6 Philippians 4: 4-7 Luke 3:10-18 I found this advent prayer for peace and thought it beautiful and insightful. May God s peaceful heart touch you: An Advent Prayer for Peace Lord, in a season when every heart should be happy and light, many of us are struggling with the heaviness of life burdens that steal the joy right out of our stockings. Tragedy arrives as innocent victims suffer, and an inner voice whispers, Be afraid! We need your peace, Jesus. We confess that our hearts are too often filled with wonder of a different kind: wondering when the bills will be paid, when the terror will stop, when rest will come. Will it ever? Is the message still true? In a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up that good news again. This Advent, make it real in our hearts. Never have we needed Your joy and peace more than now. Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Immanuel, the Word made flesh. We not only need Your peace and joy; Lord, we crave it. You ve promised rest for the weary, victory for the battle-scarred, peace for the anxious, and acceptance for the broken hearted not just at Advent, but every day of every year. Your name is still called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace. We know that peace on earth can only come when hearts find peace with You. You are still our Joy. You are still our Peace. You are no longer a babe in the manger. You are Lord of lords and King of kings. And we still celebrate You as Lord this Christmas and always. ~Edited from Rebecca Barlow Jordan's A Prayer for Peace & Joy at Christmas Parish Administration (308) / (308) (Fax) office@st-agnes-church.com Pastor Rev. Vincent L. Parsons (ext. 2) pastor@st-agnes-church.com Pastoral Minister Sr. Vera Meis (ext. 4) srvera@st-agnes-church.com Director of Religious Education Mrs. Terri Calvert (ext.5) dre@st-agnes-church.com Church Office Manager Theresa Trevino (ext. 3) office@st-agnes-church.com School Head Teacher Mrs. Julie Brown ( ) office@stagnesonline.org School Office Manager Teresa Johnson ( ) office@stagnesonline.org December Schedule Individual Reconciliation Saturday, December 22-3pm Sunday, December 23-6pm Holiday Mass Schedule Christmas Eve 4pm, 8pm* & 10pm Christmas Day 9am New Year s Eve 4pm New Year s Day 9am *choir sings 30 minutes prior to Mass This Week s Readings Monday: Gn 49:2, 8-10; Ps 72:1-4ab, 7-8, 17; Mt 1:1-17 Tuesday: Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19; Mt 1:18-25 Wednesday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25 Thursday: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-6; Lk 1:26-38 Friday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45 Saturday: 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Lk 1:46-56 Sunday: Mi 5:1-4a; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45

3 Page 3 Help Needed We are needing more people willing to serve as ushers, eucharistic ministers, lectors, sacristans, greeters & alter servers to enhance our liturgical celebration. Become an active member of our parish by considering one of these ministries. Training is available for anyone interested to ensure that ministers are following the correct procedures. If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming involved in any one of these ministries, please contact the following Ministry Chairpersons in the list below or contact Kathleen Roehl at ministries@st-agnes-church.com or at Thank you! Ministry Chairpersons Altar Servers Terri Calvert Extraordinary Ministers Scott & Shelley Corr Lectors Jacque Neu Sacristan Coordinator Jean Ahrens Ushers Mel Elledge Dennis Parks Greeters Tammie Winters Important Dates To Remember In 2018 Dec. 23 Individual 6pm Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Masses: 4pm, 8pm & 10pm Dec. 25 Christmas Day 9am Rest In Peace Jack Overman, Brother of Don Overman. Please save "Best Choice" bar codes! The Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) of the Grand Island Diocese is collecting bar codes from "Best Choice" products. The DCCW turns the codes in for cash, using it to help with their on going project for clean water wells in Haiti. "Best Choice" products have recently been stocked in several grocery stores. Please clip codes, put in an envelope marked "Best Choice," and drop in the Sunday collection basket. Dec 22 4pm Dec 23 8am Finance Corner Sunday Collections & ATW Giving December 9, 2018 Actual $ Budget $ Surplus (Deficit) $ Haiti/Uganda $ December Totals Actual $ ATW $ Budget $ Surplus (Deficit) $ There is no second collection next weekend 10:30am Server Schedule Jacob Mark Clancee Ott Katie Forsstrom Matthew Hafner Kayley Smith Tori Bogus Lector Schedule Dec 22 & 29 4pm Jean Ahrens Dec 23 & 30 8am Margaret Rood 10:30am Mark Loose This Week s Schedule Monday, December 17, 2018 Daily Mass (7:00am) Intention: JoEllen Benevidez by Eileen Young Communal Rosary (4:45 pm) Liturgy of the Hours (5:10pm) Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Daily Mass (7:00am) Intention: Rev. Lawrence Coulter Tuesday Discussion Group (8-9 am) Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Daily Mass (8:15am) Intention: Pro-Pro-Polo (For the People) Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) Contemplative Prayer Group (6:00pm) Thursday, December 20, 2018 Daily Mass (10:00am) at Scb Care & Rehab Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) Friday, December 21, 2018 Daily Mass (7:00am) Intention: Jerry & Don Young by Eileen Young Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) Saturday, December 22, 2018 Weekend Mass (4:00pm) Intention: JoEllen Benevidez by Hank & Marilyn Rahmig Sunday, December 23, 2018 Weekend Mass (8:00am) Intention: David & Jerry Young by Eileen Young Weekend Mass (10:30am) Intention: For the Parish Mass Intentions Special Requests Requesting a Mass to be said for a loved one is a special way to honor either someone still living, or one who has gone ahead of us to the next stage of life in Christ. This Christmas, wouldn t a Mass card make a great stocking stuffer? What better way to honor someone dear to you? The suggested donation for a Mass is $10. For more information, contact the parish office ( ).

4 Page 4 December 16, 2018 Jesus is our heart s desire. There is nothing that can compare in his love for us and all he asks in return is our love for him. If that is true, then why does he often get second billing on Sundays? Or on Holy Days of Obligation? Or why do we fail to have him enter into our hearts through the Sacraments and the Scriptures? Jesus, the Son of God, was born to us a child and grew to manhood to suffer on the cross for our sins. Shouldn t we give him praise, honor, and glory for what he has done for us? Maybe it is that word desire that causes us to have a lackadaisical attitude in our relationship with Jesus. Maybe we should be saying, Jesus is our heart s need? Once upon a time, there were two boys, John and Paul, from different families. The boys were anxiously awaiting Christmas when they would be able to open their gifts. While neither boy knew, the parents for each boy had bought him a new pair of shoes. On unwrapping the box filled with the shoes, John said. Oh good, you got me the shoes I wanted. And then barely glancing at them, he continued to tear the wrapping paper off the next gift. Paul, when he had unwrapped the box with the shoes, he looked at them with amazement. New shoes just for him? He knew very well his parents had little money and he secretly had been putting cardboard in his shoes to cover the holes in the soles. Paul turned to his parents and with tears in his eyes thanked them. These boys showed the difference between desire and need. The difference between the two words is that need describe those essentials for physical existence and spiritual wellbeing. We need Jesus for our spiritual wellbeing. Desires describe the things that bring comfort to ourselves, but we could survive without them. So is Jesus a desire or a need for you? A part of humanity is the longing for something that seems out of our reach. If we are fortunate someday to obtain that longing, then we understand gratitude. When we place the value of desire on the same level as need, we are headed down the path towards ingratitude. If we got through life feeding our desires, we are well on our way to destruction because we then never understand need. Most of us live with relatively few needs and many desires. If we impulsively want something, we buy it. If our longing lasts about twenty minutes until we get to the store, then the sincerity of thanks for what we received loses its value. One of the most significant longings is to recognize the presence of God in one s life. How could we ever be able to survive without Jesus intimately involved in our daily lives? Some people have prayed for years to the Lord to fill a void in their hearts that seems unfillable except by the love of God. Others have gone to their death instead of refuting their love for the Lord. When one takes on the burden of death or extended prayer to satisfy a longing, praying for a desire, seem rather insignificant. If we continually satisfy all our desires, then will we ever understand the meaning of longing for God? If we always have enough to eat, then what do we pray for? For more to eat? If we have never walked through a winter season with a hole in the bottom of our shoes, what we can pray for? A wider selection of shoe s to pick from? If we have never found ourselves wishing for someone to talk to, what then do we pray for? There those around us who go daily go hungry, don t have sufficient clothing or suffer from loneliness. These people experience a physical longing. Their prayers to God have a passionate intensity and their need goes to the heart of Jesus, who hears the cry of the poor. Do we pray with the same intensity? It seems that as we accumulate more things that can be removed form the bucket list of fulfilled desires, the need to include God in our lives becomes a more if I have time event. Remember Christmas time is of giving and receiving. This Christmas, give the gift of prayer. Pray continuously. Pray for peace in the world. Pray for the needs of your neighbors. Pray for the longing found the deepest recesses of your heart. From this gift of prayer, you will receive the great gift ever given, the birth of Jesus. Give your heart to Jesus, so that at his birth, he satisfy your every need. XÅÅtÇâxÄ? ZÉw á ã à{ âáa Advent Lunch and Learn Series The season of Advent begins on Sunday, December 1 st. Advent is a time of expectation and preparation, as we await Christ s coming at Christmas and prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ. As a way to prepare ourselves this year, our parish will be offering a Lunch and Learn series that will run on the three Wednesdays in Advent. The series that will be studied is: Presence - The Mystery of the Eucharist Each Wednesday, we will explore what is it that is so special about the Eucharist? Although the Eucharist appears to be simple bread and wine, it is actually the source and summit of the Christian life. Presence: The Mystery of the Eucharist explores the truth and beauty of Christ s real presence in the Eucharist, from its origins in Sacred Scripture, to its profound role in the life of the Church and her members. It is the crescendo of the entire story of salvation. So, bring your lunch and join us on the following Wednesdays in December: 5 th, 12 th, and 19 th. We will meet at Noon in the Garden Room of the Church. Come as often as your schedule allows!

5 Page 5 Premiere 2018 Great Expectations What a wonderful evening filled with fun, fellowship, faith and fundraising! The Premiere Planning Committee would like to thank everyone for their support. This night was truly magical! For it is in giving that we receive. ~St. Francis of Assisi Pictures by Jessica Mikoloyck of SunnyFreckles Photography

6 Page 6 dre@st-agnes-church.com R_ligious E^u][tion Progr[m Religious Education Office Celebrating Sunday for Catholic Families Gospel: Luke 3:10-18 On the Way to Mass: What kind of light brings you the most joy? How do you share that with others? On the Way Home From Mass: Why is the candle this Sunday pink while the others are purple? Living the Word: As a family member lights the third candle of your Advent wreath, rejoice in the warmth and joy of family. Encourage family members to share something that brought them joy today. Invite them to pause each day this week to think of something for which they are grateful and to thank God for it. Enjoy a family hug. Celebrating Sunday for Catholic Families Find Us On December Schedules Grade School Formation Sessions Grades Pre-K - 5th meet from 9:15-10:15 a.m. in the school building. November 25th - No Formation Session December: 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th - No Formation sessions Middle School Formation Sessions Grades 6th-8th meet Wednesday evenings from 7-8:15 p.m. in the school building. December: 5th, 12th - Kc Hall Gift Wrapping, 19th, 26th - No formation sessions High School (CYM) Formation Sessions CYM Youth (10th-11th) gather in catechist s homes & CYM Youth (9th) meet in the Office Basement from 7-8:15 p.m. December: 5th, 12th - Kc Hall Gift Wrapping, 19th, 26th - No formation sessions Meet the 2019 Confirmation Candidates My name is Jesse Claire McCaslin. I am a junior at Scottsbluff High School. My parents are Brad and Brandi McCaslin and I have an older brother Sam. I m enrolled in the Healthcare Career Academy at SHS, a member of the Drill team, and on the Tennis team. Outside of school I am a tumbling coach at the Carpenter Center. My goal for Confirmation is to become closer to Christ and to become a strong witness of my faith. I will share my time and talents with the St. Agnes Parish by continuing to serve as an altar server, sacristan, and volunteer. Facebook Twitter: stagnes-church Instagram: st.agnescatholicchurch Parish Website myparish App In the App Store on you phone or tablet 11th Grade CYM Youth CYM & Confirmation Formation Sessions Dec. 19th - Confirmation formation sessions in the Garden Room Dec. 5th - Advent Reconciliation in the Church. 26th - No Formation Session Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) January 19-21, 2019 St. Patrick, Sidney, NE Register at: gidiocese.org Registration Deadline: January 10, 2019

7 Page 7 December 16, 2018 Thoughtful Moments: St. Dominic of Silos St. Dominic was a Benedictine monk, born around 1000AD in Navarre, Spain. He was exiled because of a conflict with the local ruler. Recognized for his leadership abilities, St. Dominic was made abbot of St. Sebastian s monastery at Silos. He s also known for having freed hundreds of prisoners from the Moors. St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominicans, was named after him by his mother, Joan of Aza, after praying to St. Dominic for a son. The Wait We spend Advent waiting for something wonderful to happen. While impatient to get to that something wonderful, we can forget that the wait can be wonderful, too. Help children take it one week at a time. Wait, hope, prepare, and rejoice at the miracle of Christ's birth. A Catholic difference Catholics are never alone in our efforts. We are members of the Church, the body of Christ, and together we make a difference. Faith doesn t require understanding Throughout history, God has given people mysterious messages that defy reason but require faith. When Gabriel told Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God (Luke 1:26-38), she couldn t help but wonder how that could happen. The angel s explanation hardly clarified things. Instead of asking more, she simply said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38. Children are used to trusting adults and know that faith doesn t require understanding. In the same way, we don t have to understand what God wants from us to know that it is for the best. Very little in the angel s message was logical but Mary didn t pretend to get it. She said, Yes, because she had complete faith in God. Parent Talk: The Twelve Days of Christmas Growing up, my Christmases were a blur of waiting for the day and being let down when it ended. I braced myself for my children to experience the same when our pastor explained that the Catholic Church celebrates Christmas for twelve whole days. Christmas, he explained, is just the beginning. So we lit our Advent wreath and decorated slowly. We played Advent music songs that spoke of our hope that God would be faithful to his promises. Christmas Day began with joyful carols at Mass and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist the best Gift of all. The next twelve days were spent visiting family and friends, enjoying our favorite Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, and eating cookies. Someone asked why our daughter said, Merry Christmas on New Year s Day. I explained that for Catholics, Jesus birth was such a joyous occasion, the Church set aside twelve days to celebrate Partners in Faith - December 2018 Advent Family Calendar Sunday, December 16th EXPECT! Expecting the best gift of all Monday, December 17th Advent is a season of expectation. What are you expecting the holidays to be filled with this year? Tuesday, December 18th Sometimes the holidays feel hectic and rushed rather than filled with peace. Ask each family member to think of one quiet activity everyone could do together. Wednesday, December 19th Write down the activities your family discussed yesterday and put them in a container. Draw one out to do on the days there is time between now and Epiphany! Thursday, December 20th Make a Christmas card for a friend, neighbor or family member., Think of the things that make you glad this person is part of your life and tell them in your card! Friday, December 21st Invite a friend to share dinner tonight and ask them to bring their favorite game to share for a fun evening together! Saturday, December 22nd Make a batch of your favorite Christmas cookies or treats. Enjoy with family and share with friends or neighbors. All Saints Press 2018

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9 School Newsletter Connecting Students and Families through Faith December 16, 2018 Bell Ringers Monday, December 17th Las Posada - 8:15 in the gym Tuesday, December 18th Las Posada - 8:15 in the gym Wednesday, December 19th 8:15 Thursday, December 20th Las Posada - 8:15 in the gym Friday, December 21st Kindergarten Na church 10:00 Caroling Follows Las Posada closing celebra on - 1:00 in the gym Christmas Par es - 2:30 St. Agnes Student Council members took part in the Salvation Army bell ringing campaign the weekends of Dec. 8 and Dec. 15 th. Students and sponsors rang the bells in 1 hour shifts, raising money to assist community members in the valley needing assistance with food, utilities and other necessities. ***St. Agnes School is on Christmas Break Dec 22 - January 7*** St. Agnes Catholic School 205 E 23rd, Scottsbluff, NE Ph:

10 What s Happening at St. Agnes School... St. Agnes Pre-K-5 th grade students presented the program A Christmas Story on Thursday, December 6 th in the school gym. Pre-K 1 st grade students shared fun secular Christmas songs like Frosty, Rudolph & Jingle Bells. 2 nd -5 th grade followed with a narrated telling of the Christmas story that included a number of traditional Christmas carols. The program closed with all students encircling the gym to sing Silent Night and Joy to the World. Refreshments were provided by the Home & School Association. What a great way to start the Advent Singspirations St. Agnes Singspirations spread some Christmas cheer when they headed out on their annual caroling adventure. Students visited and sang for the residents at Dome Rock Manor, The Residency and the Nebraska Veterans Home. The students always enjoy sharing Christmas cheer with those not able to get out to enjoy the season. St. Nicholas St. Nicholas paid a visit to St. Agnes School on December 6 th. Individual classrooms read about the history and story of St. Nicholas. During this time, students left their shoe in the hallway. Upon returning, they found it filled with a candy cane and chocolate coin. Oh the excitement!! Hot Lunch Menu for December 17th - December 21st, 2018 Monday, Dec 17 Tuesday, Dec 18 Wednesday, Dec 19 Thursday, Dec 20 Friday, Dec 21 Pancakes Scrambled Eggs w/ Spinach & red pepper Potato triangle Orange Wedges Hot Dog on a Bun Baked Beans Green Beans Peaches Cheese Pizza Fresh Green Salad Steamed Broccoli Applesauce Hamburger on a Bun French Fries Corn Pears Chili Cinnamon Roll Wheat Crackers Fruit Helpers: Tim & Katrina Gonzales Helpers: Laura Garcia Aurora Linz Helpers: Chris & Maryann Saucedo Helpers: Aurora Linz Chrissa Gould Helpers: Aurora Linz Chrissa Gould

11 Classroom News... Pre-K Classroom By Elise Gurrola Happy Holidays! As we close out the first part of our school year and welcome the 2 nd semester, I stop and look at all the progress my little Pre-K class has made thus far. They have learned so much since the beginning weeks. We are well on our way for much more learning. We are almost done learning all the upper-case letters and will move on to lowercase letters when we return from Christmas break. Speaking of Christmas, I decided not to invite an Elf in our classroom this year. Instead, I have invited an Advent Angel to our classroom. This angel brings us different people, animals, and props to put inside our barn/stable. The angel also brings us an ornament to color. We discuss what was brought and why. I want the students to learn why we celebrate Christmas because it is much more than presents and toys. It is about our Savior being born! If your child brings home paper ornaments this is the reason why. Along with this new Christmas tradition, we had our annual Polar Express Day. On Friday December 14 th, we came to school in our pajamas, ate cookies and watched the movie. Our Pre-K students were so excited for this day! It is always fun to come to school in our pj s! Fifth Grade Class By Liz Salazar Where has the time gone? It isn t possible that we are almost to the halfway mark of this school year! We are having such a great time in 5 th grade. We have had lots of fun experiences in the last month. We are especially grateful for all the support with our Hot Dog Feed we raised enough money to buy gifts for nine children. The hot feed was fun to put together, but the best part was the shopping. We appreciate all the help from the teachers, students, Knights of Columbus, and families that make this event such a success! In science, we are finishing up our unit on the rock cycle. Early on in our unit, we were lucky to have Mrs. Kathy Mark (grandmother of Jacob Mark) come visit our class and share her knowledge of rocks. We learned so much that day! We have also tried to see how rocks change over time by doing some experiments. We did one that we simulated the process of formation of sedimentary rocks. In reading, we are trying to finish up our novels before going on Christmas break. We hope to begin new books in the new year! We are wishing each family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!