QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK December 16 3rd Sunday of Advent 9 The Joy of Kindness

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1 QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK December 16 3rd Sunday of Advent 9 The Joy of Kindness Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. (Philippians 4: 4-5) Zephaniah 3: 14-18a - Promise of a savior Philippians 4:4-7 - Joy and Peace Luke 3: John calls the people to justice For Reflection: Adults: What might John the Baptist challenge you to do differently in your life? Kids: share with others this week? Do you have extras that you can We are all called to holiness. Pope Francis reminds us, "This holiness to which the Lord calls you will grow through small gestures." ADVENT RECONCILIATION MONDAY This Monday, December 17, 2018, our Diocese will celebrate Advent Reconciliation Monday. On this special day, all the parishes of our diocese will offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, in preparation for the great Feast of the Lord s Nativity. St. Francis Xavier Parish will have the Sacrament of Reconciliation from 4PM to 8 PM this Monday, December 17 th. RITE OF ACCEPTANCE AND WELCOME This weekend we celebrate the Rite of Acceptance and Welcome for this year=s candidates in the RCIA Process who are preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. The parish claims these candidates by signing them with the sign of the Cross and presenting them with the Holy Bible, the foundation of the faith in which they wish to grow. Preparing for full initiation through Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are Melissa Ator and Kari Lukovics. Preparing to be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church is Florian Semani. With great joy we welcome them and promise them our prayers and the example of our own lives, in faith. MONTHLY PRAYER GROUP All are invited to join us for some time with God and each other. Our monthly Prayer Group meets this Tuesday, December 18 at 3pm in the rectory. Come and experience a moment of God's grace and reflect on the Holy Scriptures, letting our father speak to your heart. TO THOSE PASSING BY... Here comes a Golden Oldie. Several years ago, as part of our Advent waiting for Christmas, a parishioner spoke at an evening service about her personal waiting for the birth of a child. She and her husband had already been blessed with two little girls when this third pregnancy ran into trouble. The young mother was told that she had to spend the next months in bed, seriously in bed. As the weeks went by and life became more and more difficult, she began to pray regularly: hour by hour, then minute by minute. In effect, as she waited for the birth of her child, she breathed prayer, she became prayer, consciously attached to the God of all life. Surely the Advents now gone by have had deeper meaning for all of us who listened to her words on that December night and, later, rejoiced with her and her husband in the family s three daughters. Remember the heart of our Advent This lovely season is not a rush toward Christmas, but a time all its own: a time of patient waiting that calls us to stillness, to meditation, to entrusting our unknown future whatever it may be to the God who holds us tenderly in our joys, in our fears and in our sorrows. Blessings to you on this Advent day as you go on your way. A CHRISTMAS TREE BLESSING Loving God, we praise you for Jesus Christ, your Son: He is Emmanuel, God-with-us, the Prince of Peace, who fills us with the wonder of your love. May your blessing come upon us as we light up this tree. May the light and cheer it gives be a sign of the joy that fills our hearts. Fill our home with hospitality, joy, gentleness and thanksgiving and guide our steps in the way of peace. May all who delight in this tree come to the knowledge and joy of salvation. May we welcome Jesus into our hearts and our home this Christmas and always. We ask this through Jesus our Lord. AMEN

2 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24 th 5pm: Family Mass Christmas Carols at 11:15pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25 th Mass will be at 9:30am & 12:15pm New Year s Eve, Monday, December 31 st Mass at 5pm. New Year s Day Tuesday, January 1 st Mass at 12:15pm Rectory Office Will Be Closed Dec Dec. 26 and Dec Jan. 2 No Confession on Saturday, December 22nd. CHRISTMAS OFFERINGS You are all very generous to the parish at this time of year and we are truly grateful. The extra Christmas gifts you give help us balance our accounts throughout the year. The flower offerings help us make our church beautiful for the holidays. In this way we honor God and provide our community with a lovely place to praise God in this special season. These envelopes also allow you to remember in a special way your dearly departed during the holiday season. The collection envelope for Catholic Charities is sent to the diocese to provide for the needs of many, many neighbors and friends in Brooklyn and Queens who call upon Catholic Charities throughout the year for all kinds of physical, emotional, financial, legal and social help. You can be certain that your gifts to Catholic Charities are used exclusively for the poor and needy. Please return the special Catholic Charities envelope from your box of envelopes or if you do not receive envelopes, we ask you to use a plain envelope and mark it for Catholic Charities. Bishop DiMarzio urges all our parishioners here at St. Francis Xavier to please join again in sharing God s love with the children and families of our diocese who are in need by giving generously to this years's Catholic Charities Christmas collection. OUR PARISH SUPPORT We rely on the generosity of your contributions to support our church and its mission. Always remember...god calls all of us to practice the good stewardship of our time, talent and resources, in gratitude to Him for all He has given us. SUNDAY COLLECTION Includes Parish Pay * Sunday, December 9, 2018 $5,051.00* MASS INTENTIONS "People shouldn't be forgotten, they matter" Jesus was aware of this when He offered us the Mass and His Body and Blood so we would remember Him. We know that the memorial of the Mass is a real participation in the ongoing life of our glorified Lord. We also believe that our deceased share that same life with Him. Unlike any other way, the Mass enables us not only to remember our deceased but also, through Christ, to share in their spiritual presence. The offering is $15 per Mass Intention, which is a way of providing for the needs of the church and a tangible way of offering the gift of remembrance.. Other ways to remember your loved ones are also available. WINTER COAT COLLECTION Every year, our city's homeless men and women need winter coats. We will be collecting coats in the church vestibule through December 30th. If you have a GENTLY USED coat, please consider donating it. If you are unable to do so, a simple way to keep our neighbors warm is to grab your phone, text COAT to $20.00 buys someone a new coat! Please note: We are accepting coats only. OPEN HOUSE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING The Parish Planning Council would like to invite all parishioners to come to our next meeting on Tuesday, January 15th at 7:30pm in the rectory. If you've ever been curious about what we do, or have been interested in joining, now is your chance to find out more. Save the date, and we look forward to seeing you there. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome! PARISH PRAYER VESSEL Our Prayer Vessel is located in front of the Tabernacle. You are invited to place your private prayer petitions on a prayer slip. Each Sunday, these intentions will be prayed for during the Prayers of the Faithful. Prayer is putting oneself into the hands of God, at his disposition, and listening to his voice in the depth of our hearts.

3 WEEKLY SCHEDULE Monday, December 17 4:00pm: Confessions 6:00pm: Tuesday, December 18 3:00pm: Prayer Group 6:00pm: Wednesday, December 19 6:30pm: St. Vincent de Paul 6:30pm: Cub Scouts 7:30pm: Choir 7:30pm: Boy Scouts Thursday, December 20 4:30pm: 7:30pm: RCIA Friday, December 21 7:00pm: Religious Ed.- Grades 7 & Up Saturday, December 22 Office closed 9:00am: Super Soccer Stars 10:00am: Religious Ed. - Grades K -6 1:00pm: 5:30pm: Women's A. A. Sunday, December 23 Office closed Children' Liturgy of the Word 10:00am: Sunday Morning G. A. 1:00pm: 6:30pm: Al-Anon MASS INTENTIONS Saturday, December 15 5:00 Madeleine Hippert Sunday, December 16 9:30 James and Helen Speicher 12:15 Joseph Testa Monday, December 17 9:00 Peggy Birge Tuesday, December 18 9:00 Deceased members of the Tedeschi Family Wednesday, December 19 9:00 Pasqualina Stankus Thursday, December 20 9:00 Adele and JohnBiolsi Friday, December 21 NO MASS - COMMUNION SERVICE AT 9:00 AM Saturday, December 22 9:00 Teddy O'Driscoll 5:00 Sister Kathleen Sullivan Sunday, December 23 9:30 The DeThill Family 12:15 Catherine, Fay Michael and Anthoy Masullo THE TABERNACLE CANDLE is lighted this week for the special intentions of Frankie Campisi by Al and Lena Campisi. IN OUR PRAYERS May God strengthen and give peace to all of our sick parishioners, relatives and friends, especially for: Robert Schlegel, Daniel Joseph and Matt Speicher. May the hope and the Resurrection dawn on our deceased relatives and friends. We lift them up to our heavenly Father who heals all ills and gives new life. AUTOMATED GIVING WE SHARE! HAVE YOU SIGNED UP YET? It benefits you and our parish! Enrollment is friendly and trouble-free. Managing your account through We Share is easy. USE YOUR CREDIT CARD TO MAKE YOUR WEEKLY CONTRIBUTION Simply visit the WE SHARE WEBSITE at or call for more information. ARE YOU EXPECTING A BABY? Francis Xavier Parish offers Elizabeth Ministry for mothers-to-be, whether they are pregnant or expecting a child through adoption. The purpose of Elizabeth Ministry is to reach out to women in special times of motherhood. Our ministry offers expectant mothers a spiritual support system by providing each with an anonymous prayer partner. This helps the mother-to-be relax knowing that a parish member is praying for her and her family. To find out how to sign up, please look for Elizabeth Ministry pamphlets in the racks in the church vestibule.

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11 ADVENT WREATH LIGHTING SIGN UP Each Sunday during Advent our wreath is blessed and a candle is lit. Individuals and families are invited to participate in lighting the Advent wreath at one of the Masses over the four Advent weekends. ADVENT GIVING TREE TO THOSE PASSING BY... MASS INTENTIONS "People shouldn't be forgotten, they matter Jesus was aware of this when He offered us the Mass and His Body and Blood so we would remember Him. We know that the memorial of the Mass is a real participation in the ongoing life of our glorified Lord. We also believe that our deceased share that same life with Him. Unlike any other way, the Mass enables us not only to remember our deceased but also, through Christ, to share in their spiritual presence. The offering is $15 per Mass Intention,

12 which is a way of providing for the needs of the church and a tangible way of offering the gift of remembrance.. Other ways to remember your loved ones are also available. OUR PARISH SUPPORT We rely on the generosity of your contributions to support our church and its mission. Always remember...god calls all of us to practice the good stewardship of our time, talent and resources, in gratitude to Him for all He has given us. SUNDAY COLLECTION Includes Parish Pay * Sunday, November 18, 2018 $.00 * MONTHLY PRAYER GROUP

13 AUTOMATED GIVING WE SHARE! HAVE YOU SIGNED UP YET? It benefits you and our parish! Enrollment is friendly and trouble-free. Managing your account through We Share is easy. USE YOUR CREDIT CARD TO MAKE YOUR WEEKLY CONTRIBUTION Simply visit the WE SHARE WEBSITE at or call for more information. 5:30pm: Women's A. A. Sunday, 9:05am Rosary Children' Liturgy of the Word Rosarians at Mass/Meeting 10:00am: Sunday Morning G. A. 1:00pm: 6:30pm: Al-Anon SCOUTING AT ST. FRANCIS Our scouts meet in the Lyceum on Wednesdays. If you are interested in having your son join, stop by on Wednesday. Cub Scouts at 6:30pm. Boy Scouts at 7:30pm. WEEKLY SCHEDULE Monday, November 26 6:00pm: Tuesday, November 6:00pm: Wednesday, 6:30pm: St. Vincent de Paul 6:30pm: Cub Scouts 7:30pm: Boy Scouts Thursday, 4:30pm: 7:30pm: RCIA Friday, 9:00am: All Souls Mass 7:00pm: Religious Ed. - Grades 7 & Up Saturday, 9:00am: Super Soccer Stars 9:15am: A. A. 10:00am: Religious Ed. - Grades K-6 11:30am: Girl Scouts 1:00pm: 4:30pm: Confessions 5:00pm: Annual Memorial Mass MASS INTENTIONS Saturday, November 24 5:00 Lorraine Lozito Meyes Sunday, November 25 9:30 Rev. John J. Ansbro 12:15 The DeThill Monday, November 9:00 Tuesday, November 9:00 Wednesday, November 9:00 Thursday, November 9:00 Friday, November NO MASS - COMMUNION SERVICE AT 9:00 AM Saturday, November 9:00 5:00 Sunday, November 9:30 12:15 THE HOSTS AND WINE are donated this week in memory of. IN OUR PRAYERS May God strengthen and give peace to all of our sick

14 parishioners, relatives and friends, especially for: Robert Schlegel, Daniel Joseph and Matt Speicher. May the hope and the Resurrection dawn on our deceased relatives and friends. We lift them up to our heavenly Father who heals all ills and gives new life.

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