Nativity of Mary Church and School 10017 E 36th Terrace Independence, MO 64052 Parish: (816) 353-2184 School: (816) 353-0284 Web: www.nativityofmary.org 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 816-353-2184 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 - 816-252-8649 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 816.392.0011 or chastain@diocesekcsj.org Ombudsman Jenifer Valenti, 816-812-2500 or JeniferValenti@att.net
DECEMBER 4, 2016 - THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT MASS INTENTIONS READINGS FOR THE WEEK NOV. DEC. 5-11, 2016 Sat., Dec. 3 - Vigil of the 2nd Sunday of Advent 4:00PM + Larie Timko Sunday, December 4 -The 2nd Sunday of Advent 8:00AM + Mary & Emil Yancik 10:30AM + Mary Jo Villar & Clarence Huffman Monday, December 5 8:30AM COMMUNION SERVICE Tuesday, December 6 - St. Nicholas 8:30AM + Oscar Byrd Wednesday, December 7 - St. Ambrose 8:30AM + Dr. Mildred Faye Jefferson Thurs., Dec. 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception 8:300AM + Larie Timko 6:30PM Nativity of Mary Parish & School Friday, December 9 - St. Juan Diego 8:30AM + Matthew Johnson Sat., Dec. 10 - Vigil of the 3rd Sunday of Advent 4:00PM + Larie Timko Sunday, Dec. 11 - The 3rd Sunday of Advent 8:00AM + Elvera Hensley, Alice & James Turner 10:30AM + Larie Timko & Don Dekat PLEASE PRAY FOR: Vern/Margaret Ault Bernadette Greufe 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 Lucas Locascio Janet Swanson John Clarke George Lambros George Timko, Jr. Kelly Cook Betty Mascal Annette Torbert Melissa Costello Juan/Mary Perez Margaret Trigg Florence Dawson Carlos/Eva Pinon Daniel Wheeler Willie DeJesus Gary Reese Ayden Wright Monday: Is 35:1-10; Ps 85:9ab, 10-14; Lk 5:17-26 Tuesday: Is 40:1-11; Ps 96:1-3, 10ac, 11-13; Mt 18:12-14 Wednesday: Is 40:25-31; Ps 103:1-4, 8, 10; Mt 11:28-30 Thursday: Gn 3:9-15, 20; Ps 98:1-4; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Lk 1:26-38 Friday: Is 48:17-19; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Mt 11:16-19 Saturday: Sir 48:1-4, 9-11; Ps 80:2ac, 3b, 15-16, 18-19; Mt 17:9a, 10-13 Sunday: Is 35:1-6a, 10; Ps 146:6-10; Jas 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11 Advent Penance Services at Other Parishes St. Mark s Sunday, December 4th at 3:00 p.m. St. Mary s/st. Cyril s (at St. Cyril s) Wednesday, December 16th at 6:30 p.m. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Did St. Francis of Assisi invent the Christmas crib? Not exactly, but his devotion to the Incarnation and his love for the poverty of the Christ Child certainly popularized this beloved custom. Long before Francis, it was a custom at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome to enshrine a rich image of Mary, gilded and bejewelled, embracing the child Jesus. This church was founded as a kind of home for the feast of Christmas in the fourth century. In 1223, Francis was ready to celebrate this feast in a new way. In the tiny city of Greccio, he asked friends to prepare a place where they could experience the poverty and suffering embraced by Christ in his birth. It was a living scene: an ox from the barn, an ass from the stable, and peasants standing in for shepherds and kings. The night of the celebration was beautiful, the weather was warm, and people came in crowds, bearing candles and singing hymns that echoed through the forest. Francis himself chanted the Gospel and preached. The custom spread quickly, and by the sixteenth century cribs were seasonal features not only in church, but in the home. On December 17, the liturgy begins to unfold the Lord's birth before us, and it's the right time to follow this beautiful tradition. In Germany, each night throughout Advent children prepare a bedding for the manger. At bedtime prayer, a child places a single straw in the manger for each act of devotion or virtue performed during the day. If the children are good, then the Christ child will have plenty of soft bedding when he is placed in the manger on Christmas. --Rev. James Field, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co.
DECEMBER 4, 2016 - PARISH NEWS Did You Know The Ministry Center and School will be closed Thursday, December 8th, for the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Once again we have the Giving Tree to help Seton Center make Christmas a little brighter for those less fortunate. Gifts will be picked up December 5th. Pick out a gift tag(s) from the Giving Tree. Purchase the gift(s). Place the UNWRAPPED gift(s) under the Giving Tree by the weekend of December 4th & 5th. Hang the gift tag(s) on the Tree. When purchasing children s gifts please think about things that will help build motor skills and social skills and help them to be creative (no batteries). One on one handheld games are discouraged. Also, things that can be done together as a family are good choices. NATIVITY OF MARY CONTRIBUTION REPORT NOVEMBER 12 & 13, 2016 Envelopes $ 5,786.00 Plate $ 466.00 Worship Space $ 1,164.00 Pisces Fund $ 125.00 Utility Fund $ - EFT $ 2,823.33 Credit Card $ 501.50 Online Giving $ 885.92 Poor Box $ - Total $ 11,751.75 Tuition & Registration Fees $ 20,356.68 Thank you for supporting our Parish Community and Catholic Education! 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. Calendars for Nursing Homes We are collecting 2017 calendars to be delivered to nursing home residents in mid- December. If you would like to donate a 2017 calendar, note pads or stickers, please drop them in the receptacle in the hospitality kitchen in the back of church. We will pick them up weekly. All sizes in every description are appreciated. Thank you in advance for your generosity. Support our Diocesan Seminarians and Receive a Packet of Conception Abbey and Seminary s Printery House Christmas Cards from the Serra Club this weekend following each Mass. A display showing our 33 Seminarians photo/information page will be hosted by the Serra Club of Southeast Kansas City. Please take a moment to select one, or more, of the seminarian photo pages to take home and to pray for them regularly. This display will also offer an opportunity to offer you an opportunity donate to the fund that for our seminarians at Christmas time.. For each $20 donation you will receive a packet of Conception Printery House Christmas Cards. Please support our men preparing for priesthood by visiting this display.. For additional information on the Church vocation mission of the Serra Club contact Homer Radford 816-560-2992
CALENDAR 2016 Sunday 4 8:00AM Mass 10:30AM Mass 1PM-Youth Group Monday 5 Communion Serv. Tuesday 6 9AM - Quilters SCRIP Orders Due by Noon 6:30PM-Ministry Council Mtg. Wednesday 7 6:00PM - School Christmas Program Thursday 8 6:30PM Mass Feast of the Immaculate Conception Ministry Center Closed Friday 9 Saturday 10 4:00PM Mass Advent Penance Service and First Reconciliation 1:00 p.m. 8:00AM Mass 10:30AM Mass 3:00PM - First Reconciliation 11 12 Communion Serv. Noon - 2:00 p.m. 9AM - Quilters 13 14 1:30PM - School Penance Service 5:30PM - Finance Council Mtg. 15 16 3:00PM Confession 4:00PM Mass 17 7PM - Theology On Tap 8:00AM Mass 10:30AM Mass 18 1PM-Youth Group 19 Communion Serv. 9AM - Quilters 20 21 22 Ministry Center Closed 23 24 3:00PM Christmas Eve Mass 12:00AM Midnight Mass KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS ATLANTA FALCONS Come to the Nativity of Mary Parish Hall and watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Falcons in Atlanta. The game will be broadcast live on Sunday, December 4th, at *noon. The doors will open at 11:30 am The Knights of Columbus and Ladies Auxiliary of Council 6794 will be serving tacos and fixin's, water, lemonade and assorted sodas. If you would like something else to drink you may bring your own beverage. We will be accepting Free Will Donations for this event. Proceeds will go to support Nativity of Mary Ministry Center Basement Repair. Bring your friends and the entire family and spend the afternoon cheering on your Kansas City Chiefs! This game is subject to flexible scheduling. If it gets changed to a 3 pm game we will still be showing it and the doors will open 30 minutes prior to the game. 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 1.800.392.3738 (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 816.812.2500 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 816.392.0011 or chastain@diocesekcsj.org for more information.
DECEMBER 4, 2016 - SCHOOL Pre-K - 8th CHRISTMAS PROGRAM WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7th 6:00 pm NATIVITY OF MARY CHURCH EVERYONE WELCOME! What is FIRST Lego League Robotics? Tomorrow s innovators practice imaginative thinking and teamwork. Guided by two or more adult coaches, FIRST LEGO League teams research a real-world problem such as food safety, recycling, energy, etc., and are challenged to develop a solution. They also must design, build, and program a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS, then compete on a table-top playing field. It all adds up to tons of fun while students learn to apply science, technology, engineering, and math concepts (STEM), plus a big dose of imagination to solve a problem. Along their journey, students develop critical thinking, team building skills, basic STEM applications, and even presentation skills, as they must present their solutions with a dash of creativity to judges. They also practice the Program s Core Values, which emphasize discovery, teamwork and good sportsmanship. Did you know that Nativity has a Lego Robotics team? Yes, actually we have two teams. Our teams are composed of 4th-8th grade students. These teams have been hard at work since September. Competitions take place in December with the goal of moving onto the finals in January at Union Station. Dear Lord s Shut-Ins Each year the Middle School students prepare 165 containers for the needy residents of inner-city nursing homes. This is the only Christmas gift these residents receive. Please help fill the containers. We need the following travel size items: Lotion Conditioner Shampoo Powder Soap Sugar free gum Deodorant Toothpaste Wrapped hard candy 5-stick pack of gum Cheese/peanut butter crackers Chocolate peppermint patties Bite-size chocolate candy Pocket size Kleenex Toothbrush This year we will need stocking hats (adult one size fits all) to make the containers. Also cash would be greatly appreciated in order to purchase some of these items and craft supplies. We will accept donations now through December 9th.
DECEMBER 4, 2016 - THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Don't we all, when asked what we want for Christmas, at some time or another answer, "World peace?" As we look at our world, we still see the ongoing refugee crisis and the problem of desperate people immigrating to our country illegally. We see the ongoing war and the horror of bombing and starvation in the Middle East, and the attacks of terrorists in formerly "safe" Western countries, including our own. Don't we wish it would all stop? We can take some comfort in today's readings, for in them is the promise of God's justice and care for the poor and the downtrodden. There is the promise of justice meted out to those who do evil, and the future vision of the Peaceable Kingdom, where all are safe and cared for. WITH ONE ACCORD We are confronted today by the problem of division: our divided world, our divided country, our divided Church. Anger and hostility pit brothers and sisters against one another, each sure that their ideas are right and the others are doomed to hell. Not since the Civil War have we seen our country so divided, nor since World War II have we seen such problems and strife over refugees in Europe and in our own country. Christians are divided and view each other with suspicion and hostility. Yet this is not the way of God. John the Baptist is quite hard on the Pharisees and Sadducees who showed up at his baptism. "Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?... Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 3:7, 10). He announces the coming of Christ, that "He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12). This is quite an explicit warning. WITH A LITTLE CHILD TO GUIDE THEM The words of peace and salvation are here in this time of Advent. Jews and Gentiles alike will glorify God for the mercy that God has shown. Those who are oppressed shall find hope and love. "For [God] shall rescue the poor when he cries out, / and the afflicted when he has no one to help... / [God] shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; / the lives of the poor [God] shall save" (Psalm 72:12-13). The poor have hope in God, while the wicked who oppress them should fear God's judgment. "[God] shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, / and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked." And, "[God] shall judge the poor with justice, / and decide aright for the land's afflicted" (Isaiah 11:4). Yes, this Advent season we await the coming of a little child who will be the savior of the world. "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another...that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 15:5-6). Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Company The Serra Club of Southeast Kansas City, Missouri invites you to a presentation at its meeting December 13th, 2016 at Coronation of Our Lady Parish, Grandview, Missouri Fr. Paul Turner will speak on "The Word Made Fresh: Listening to the Readings at Mass during Advent" This presentation will explain why we hear the readings we hear at mass on both the Sundays and weekdays of Advent. With a better understanding of the structure of the lectionary, Catholics can go even more deeply into the mystery of the Word of God. The meeting will be preceded by recitation of the Rosary at 6 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. The presentation is at 7 p.m. Meal cost is $11. RSVP to Roger Tilling 816 524 8572 or rjtilling1@aol.com by December 10th for the meal and/or the presentation.