Immaculate Conception Catholic Church 522 Main Street • P.O. Box 399 • Marydel, Maryland 21649-0399

Phone: 410-482-7687 • Fax: 410-482-7253 www.iccmarydel.org

Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Fridays 9:30-Noon, Closed Wednesdays.

Because of the limited size of our staff, hours are subject to change. It’s best to call first.

December 3, 2017 – First Week of Advent

Eucharist of the Lord’s Day

Sunday: 8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. (in Spanish)

Weekday Eucharist Thursday 7:00 p.m. (in Spanish)

Holydays of Obligation As announced in the bulletin

Reconciliation After the Sunday morning Masses,

Thursday evening 6:30pm And by appointment at any reasonable time

Pastoral Care and Liturgy Very Rev. James S. Lentini, V.F., Pastor Rev. Idongesit A. Etim, Parochial Vicar Rev. John T. Solomon, Parochial Vicar

Deacon James M. Tormey, Sr. Deacon Sherman Mitchell, III

Christian Formation Mrs. Alicia Poppiti, D.R.E. Hispanic Ministry Mrs. Arline Dosman

If you or someone you know is in need of financial assistance, please call

St Vincent DePaul (302) 670-6702

The Sacraments

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process in which adults and children of catechetical age join the Catholic Church. Please contact Deacon Sherman Mitchell III, our R.C.I.A. Coordinator, for details at 302-492-0753.

Parents wishing to present their children for Infant Baptism must participate in an orientation session. Please call the parish office at 410-482-8939 for details.

Please contact Alicia Poppiti at 410-482-8939 about the preparation of young people for Confirmation, or about children’s first reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

Couples planning Matrimony meet with the Pastor or one of the Deacons at least one year in advance of the wedding date they are considering. Please call the parish office to arrange for this meeting.

Pastoral Care of the Sick: The Anointing of the Sick is appropriate for anyone faced with hospitalization or a serious challenge to health. When a hospital admission is planned, please arrange to receive the Anointing here beforehand, if at all possible. Our lay ministers to the sick bring Holy Communion to those unable to come to Mass for any length of time. Please call the parish office to arrange for these services.

Your Pastor, Deacons and parish staff members are always happy to speak in confidence with anyone who senses a call to ordained ministry or religious life.

Dear Parishioners,

In Please Mr. Postman, a 1961 hit by The Marvelettes,

we the singer laments, “I've been standin' here waitin'

Mister Postman, so patiently / For just a card, or just a

letter sayin' he's returnin' home to me.” And now, this

weekend, quicker than you can say doo-wop doo-wop,

the season of waiting for Christ’s birth -- and his second

coming -- is here. Yes, the Season of Advent has arrived;

this is a very special season that prepares us spiritually,

eschatologically and logistically for Christ. It is a time

that we are called to wait, just like the singer of Please

Mr. Postman: “so patiently.”

Spiritually, Advent focuses us on God coming into

world in the flesh (incarnate) at Christmas in the person

of Jesus Christ.

Eschatologically (meaning looking towards the end-

times), it prepares us for the Second Coming of Christ,

when he will come not as a Savior, but as its judge.

Logistically, Advent revs up the engine of the new

Church year during which we worship and celebrate our

Lord; thus, the first Sunday of Advent is like our New

Year’s Day.

Come again? But what is Advent specifically? Let’s

start with some basic background: The word Advent is

from the Latin adventus for "coming" and is the name of

the four week period of preparation leading up to the

birth of the Lord on Christmas. Advent begins on the

Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew (November 30)

and continues four Sundays until the start of the first

Mass of Christmas celebrated in the evening on

December 24th. And as this season starts, our time of

waiting unfolds.

The Waiting. The late Tom Petty, in his 1979 hit, The

Waiting, crooned that “The waiting is the hardest part /

every day you see one more card / you take it on faith,

you take it to the heart / but the waiting is the hardest

part.” Not to be, dare I say, Petty, but for us, in our

world today, waiting does seem to be the hardest part –

we don’t like to wait for things. We use ATMs rather

than waiting at a teller’s window, we use high-speed

internet, we use FedEx, we use everything and anything

that makes life move faster, etc. And yet, the Church

tells us that waiting is good and valuable. Thus, we have

Advent: a time of spiritual preparation to ready ourselves

for the Birth of our Lord. The Catechism (CCC 524)

states: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of

Advent each year, she makes present this ancient

expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long

preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful

renew their ardent desire for his second coming.”

You Better Watch Out! The Season of Advent, which

is marked as distinct by the use of the color purple, is, by

tradition, both penitential and preparatory. It blends

together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, and a

joyful spirit of preparation for the birth of Christ on

December 25th. The penitential aspect, highlighted

during the first two weeks of Advent, calls us to reflect

on our relationship with God as we look toward

judgment at the Second Coming of Christ. This part of

the season might invoke in us a little taste of “you better

watch out, you better not cry, you better be good, I’m

telling you why” – and the one coming back to town

isn’t Santa, it’s the Lord, as our judge. This type of

reflection is part and parcel of how we get ready for

Christ. Advent gives you time for doing that!

Of Preparation and Clappers. Like the Boy Scouts

who are always called to be prepared, as Catholics, in

Advent, we are likewise called to be spiritually ready for

Jesus Christ. That preparatory aspect kicks in very

directly in the final weeks of the season. The readings

and prayers at Mass and in the Church’s Liturgy of the

Hours focus our eyes on the impending birth of our Lord

Jesus Christ. It is during this time that we are called to

identify how we can get our hearts and homes ready to

welcome the Lord, as God becomes man on that

Christmas night. Thus, if your idea of getting ready for

Christmas is nothing more than dusting off an old plastic

Christmas tree and buying Aunt Estelle a Chiapet, a

Clapper, a Flowbee or a Buttoneer for a gift (for those

who don’t remember, these are some classic bad TV-

advertised gift items), then you may want to pause to

reflect on the meaning of Christ’s coming into this world

to bring salvation to us. And FYI – it is unlikely that the

Chiapet, Clapper, Flowbee or Buttoneer will give Aunt

Estelle much Christmas joy.

We Need a Little Advent! At the end of October, I

started to notice some “all-Christmas stations” popping

up on my car radio. I thought to myself: For goodness

sakes. Charlie Brown’s Great Pumpkin hasn’t even made

an appearance and these radio stations are celebrating

Christmas. During this time of year, I am sure you hear

the tune “We need a little Christmas / right this very

minute.” But looking at this rush into Christmas, I would

say that it might be more appropriate to sing “we need a

little Advent / right this very minute.” We need to be

able to pause and to reflect. We do, we do, we really do.

Spiritually, this allows us to keep things in proper

perspective. And when done right, and used well,

Advent will serve to make your Christmas, and your

family’s Christmas, all the more fulfilling.

And so, I commend you, this Advent Season, do what

Catholics have done for centuries and centuries: Prepare

ye the way of the Lord. Examine your conscience, and

your faith life, and prepare yourself to be ready for the

coming of the Lord. Use the Season of Advent well;

don’t celebrate Christmas before Christmas – but rather

prayerfully use the sacred time of Advent anticipate the

Birth of Christ into our world! So, let us, in faith, use the

wonderful gift of Advent to draw closer to the Lord as

he draws closer to us.

Yours in Christ, Fr. James Lentini, Pastor

MASS INTENTIONS:

Sunday, Dec. 3 8:30: Anna & Louis Adam 11:00: Melvin Steward Misa en Español 1pm For the People Thu Dec. 7 7pm For the People

Sunday, Dec. 10 8:30: Andrea Nagyiski 11:00: Lois Cheshaek Misa en Español 1pm For the People

New Mass book is now open.

To request a Mass, please contact the Office.

COLLECTION TOTALS:

Regular Offertory: $ 2878.80 Supplementary: $ 438.06 Second Collection Today: Religious Retirement Fund

Your continued support of the work of your Church is much needed, and appreciated

Immaculate Conception Feast Day is a

HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

Our MASS TIMES at ICC:

Thursday, Dec 7th

5:30pm English / 7pm Spanish

Friday, Dec 8th

9am English

STEWARDSHIP OF TIME & TALENT

COUNTERS - NEW 2018 SCHEDULE Please let Alicia know dates you are not available for 2018.

Any counters available to count during the holidays please call the

office.

Collection Counters

Dec 3 Vicky Strauss & Karen Cabaud

Dec 10 Vicky Strauss & Karen Cabaud

Dec 17 Margie Short & Laura Voshell

Church Cleaning Crew

Diciembre 9, 2017 Grupo # 1 Rectoría-Oficina

Celia Berduo, Lidia Fernández, Adrián Matías,

Agurinda Santizo, Maricela Santizo, Patricia López

Diciembre 9, 2017 Grupo # 12

Hortencia Bamaca, Luz Morales, Lilian Díaz Bamaca

Rosemery Bamaca, Froilán Berduo, Sheila Berduo

Diciembre 15, 2017 Grupo #13

Natalia Domingo, Victoriano Pérez, Américo García,

María García, Julio Hernández, Hayde Fuentes

Altar Servers

December 10

8:30am Mass – Mike Dixon & Avery Locke

11:00am Mass – Savannah Strauss & Sherlin Santizo

Spanish Misa 1pm – Yareli & Jose Ortiz

Lectors

December 10

8:30am Mass – Gerry Godfrey

11:00am Mass – Laura Schlaupitz

Spanish Misa 1pm – Pavel Rivera, Javier Carreto

Eucharistic Ministers

December 10

8:30am Mass – Deacon Tormey, Sarah Bell, Paul

McQuaide

11:00am Mass – Deacon Mitchell, Paul Lardizzone

Joan Stewart

Spanish Misa 1pm – Alberto Morales, Carlos Miguel,

Flora Pérez, Miguel López, Antonio Pérez

Knights of Columbus Next meeting - Tues, Dec 14th

in the Knights Hall Rosary 6:30 - Meeting @ 7pm

All members are encouraged to attend.

Membership is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practicing

Catholics. For more info, contact Grand Knight, Bruce Kelley (302) 502-6040 or kelley29@comcast.net Follow us on Facebook @ Knights of Columbus Council 12509

SCHEDULED EVENTS

JOIN THE

KNIGHTS TODAY

Breakfast in the

Hall 9AM

Sun, Dec 3 - 9am Knights of Columbus Breakfast

Sun, Dec 3 - 9:40am SRE Classes

Sun, Dec 3 – 2pm RICA

Wed, Nov 29- Dec. 7th

– 7-8:30pm Novena Church

Mon, Dec 4 – 6pm St Vincent DePaul

Mon, Dec 4 & Wed Dec 6- 7pm ESL

Tues, Dec 5 – 7pm Juan XXIII

Fri, Dec 8 – 6:30pm Feast Day Celebration

Sat, Dec 9 – 1pm Happy Helpers

JOIN US - FEAST DAY

CELEBRATION: Friday,

December 8th

, at 6:30pm.

Covered dish dinner &

dancing … and some extra

fun surprises. Bring your family, covered

dish to share & your festive heart!

Our Annual Giving Wreath is now at the back of the church. The tags pinned to the wreath each request a Christmas gift for one of the needy in our community. Please consider taking a tag, purchasing the requested gift, and making someone else's Christmas a little bit brighter this year. Gifts should be returned wrapped with the tag attached on or before December 17th. Gifts can be brought to the Donut Window in the Hall. THANKS so much for your ongoing generosity!

MASS TIME CHANGE FOR DECEMBER 24th: 8:30am English / 11:00am- Spanish No 1pm Mass. Christmas Eve Masses begin at 5pm / 7pm / Midnight

ADVENT PENANCE SERVICE: Mon, Dec 18th at 7pm at Holy Cross. This is for our Deanery (Holy Cross, ICC, St. Polycarp, St. John, Milford, and St. Dennis) with an opportunity to choose from many priests.

FROM THE DRE’S DESK

School of Religious Education

September 24, 2017-May 6, 2018 9:40am-10:50am

EXTRA PREP session: Today at 2pm, December

2nd in the hall. Any child that has missed a Prep

session on a Tuesday, and needs to make up.

1st Reconciliation Prep: Tuesday, December 5,

6:30-7:30pm in the hall.

Confirmation Prep for teens: Sunday, December

10, 2:30-4:30pm in the hall.

Marriage & Family Life Corner

Marriage Moment –

Each day, try to notice one act of helpfulness or kindness that your beloved does. Don't take each other for granted.

Parenting Pointer –

During this Advent, each day watch your child and note one kind, joyful, or positive act.

Saint Thomas More Academy

133 Thomas More Drive, Magnolia, DE 19962 Saint Thomas More Academy is a Catholic College

Preparatory School

located in Kent County. Saint Thomas More is Faith Focused, Teacher Connected,

Arts Inspired, College Centered and Honor Guided.

Searching for just the right High School? Get MORE @ Saint Thomas More Academy We are accepting applications now for the

2018-2019 school year. Come and see what amazing opportunities your child can

experience in and outside of the classroom at STMA. The

class of 2017 was offered $7,033,373 million dollars in

Scholarship and Grants.

Please stop by to learn how your child can Get MORE

@STMA!

If you are interested in spending a day at STMA or learning more about STMA, we encourage you to visit

us in person or through our website www.saintmore.org to learn why we were voted

2017 Best Private School in Kent County.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

First Sunday of Advent Theme: Active waiting Question for Children: What special things do you do to get ready for a visitor at your house? What things can you do like that to get ready for Jesus? Question for Youth: What is one thing that you can do this week to help you remember that Jesus is coming? Question for Adults: When you’re getting ready to receive a guest, what are some things you do? How do you apply this to receiving Christ?

1er domingo de Adviento Tema: La espera activa Pregunta para los niños: Cuando te enteras que alguien va a venir a visitarte, ¿cómo te preparas para recibirle? ¿Qué puedes hacer para prepararte para recibir a Jesús? Pregunta para los jóvenes: Menciona algo que vas a hacer esta semana que te puede ayudar a recordar que Jesús viene. Pregunta para los adultos: ¿Qué cosas hace cuando se prepara para recibir a una visita? ¿Que va a hacer para prepararse para recibir a Cristo?

Retrouvaille…a lifeline for Marriages Retrouvaille can help and offers hope for a better relationship. Retrouvvaille is a peer ministry of volunteer couples that can help you

to learn the tools of healthy communication build intimacy and heal, just as they have done in their own marriages. The next program begins on the weekend of February 16 at the family Life Center in Malvern, PA. Additional weekends will be held in April and August. For more information, or to register for one our weekends, visit our web site at: www.HelpOurMarriage.com or call 1-800-470-2230. All inquiries are kept strictly confidential.

Are you being called to the Priesthood? Come socialize, talk, and hang-out

with priests, and men like yourself,

who think the Lord may be calling

them to be a priest. Find out about

the amazing life of the Priesthood.

CAS – North will meet on December 6, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption in Hockessin, Delaware for a formal Christmas Mass and dinner. For more information, contact Father Chris Coffiey at FrCoffiey@sjbde.org or call 302-999-0211.

CAS – South will meet at 6:30 p.m. at Saint John the Apostle Church, 506 Seabury Drive, Milford, DE on December 18, 2017. Contact Father John Solomon at fatherjohnsolomon@gmail.com or 302-674-5787.

Columna del párroco padre James Lentini 3 de Diciembre, 2017.

Queridos feligreses,

En “Please Mr. Postman,( Por favor Sr. Cartero) un éxito

de 1961 de The Marvelettes, donde la cantante se lamenta: "He estado esperando aquí, esperando al Sr. Cartero, con tanta paciencia / solo por una carta, o simplemente por una carta que diga que estás regresando a casa por mí. "Y ahora, este fin de semana, más rápido que un relámpago, el tiempo de espera por el nacimiento de Cristo, y su segunda venida, está aquí. Sí, ha llegado el tiempo de Adviento; este es un tiempo muy especial que nos prepara espiritualmente, escatológicamente y logísticamente para Cristo. Es un momento en el que estamos llamados a esperar, al igual que el cantante de Por favor Sr. Cartero: "con tanta paciencia".

• Espiritualmente, El Adviento nos enfoca en Dios

viniendo al mundo en la carne (encarnado) en Navidad en la persona de Jesucristo.

• Escatológicamente (lo que significa mirar hacia el fin

de los tiempos), nos prepara para la Segunda Venida de Cristo, cuando vendrá no como un Salvador, sino como su juez.

• Logísticamente, El Adviento incita el motor del

nuevo año de la Iglesia durante el cual adoramos y celebramos a nuestro Señor; por lo tanto, el primer domingo de Adviento es como nuestro día de Año Nuevo.

¿La Venida de nuevo? Pero, ¿qué es Adviento

específicamente? Comencemos con algunos antecedentes básicos: La palabra Adviento proviene del latín adventus "venida" y es el nombre de un período de preparación de cuatro semanas que conduce al nacimiento del Señor en la Navidad. El Adviento comienza el domingo más cercano a la fiesta de San Andrés (30 de noviembre) y continúa cuatro domingos hasta el comienzo de la primera Misa de Navidad que se celebra en la nochebuena del 24 de diciembre. Y a medida que comienza este tiempo, nuestro tiempo de espera se acrecienta.

La Espera. El fallecido Tom Petty, en su éxito de 1979,

The Waiting, La Espera dice que “La espera es la parte más

difícil / todos los días ves una carta más / lo tomas en fe, la llevas al corazón / pero la espera es la parte más difícil.” “No para retar, me atrevo a decir, Petty, pero para nosotros, en nuestro mundo de hoy, la espera parece ser la parte más difícil: no nos gusta esperar por las cosas. Usamos cajeros automáticos en lugar de esperar en la ventanilla de un cajero, usamos internet de alta velocidad, usamos FedEx, usamos todo y cualquier cosa que hace que la vida se mueva más rápido, etc. Sin embargo, la Iglesia nos dice que esperar es bueno y valioso. Por lo tanto, tenemos el Adviento: un tiempo de preparación espiritual para prepararnos para el Nacimiento de nuestro Señor. El Catecismo (CIC 524) declara: " Al celebrar anualmente la liturgia de Adviento, la Iglesia actualiza esta espera del Mesías: participando en la larga preparación de la primera venida del Salvador, los fieles renuevan el ardiente deseo de su segunda Venida".

¡Velen y Estén Vigilantes! El Tiempo de Adviento, que se

distingue, por tradición, por el uso del color morado, es tanto penitencial como preparatoria. Combina un espíritu penitencial, muy similar a la Cuaresma, y un espíritu de alegría de preparación para el nacimiento de Cristo el 25 de diciembre. El aspecto penitencial, resaltado durante las dos primeras semanas de Adviento, nos llaman a reflexionar sobre nuestra relación con Dios cuando miramos hacia el juicio en la Segunda Venida de Cristo. Esta parte del tiempo litúrgico podría invocar en nosotros un poco de " Velen y estén Vigilantes, es mejor que no llores, será mejor que estés bien, te digo por qué" - y el que regresa a la ciudad no es Santa, es el Señor, como nuestro juez. Este tipo de reflexión es parte de cómo nos preparamos para Cristo. ¡Adviento te da tiempo para hacer eso!

De Preparación y Chapaletas. Al igual que los Boy

Scouts que están llamados a estar siempre listos, como católicos, en Adviento, también estamos llamados a estar espiritualmente listos a estar preparados para Jesucristo. Ese aspecto de preparación entra en escena de manera muy directa en las últimas semanas del adviento. Las lecturas y oraciones en la Misa y en la Liturgia de las Horas de la Iglesia centran nuestra atención en el inminente nacimiento de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Es durante este tiempo que estamos llamados a identificar la manera de cómo podemos preparar nuestros corazones y hogares para recibir al Señor, ya que Dios se hace hombre en esa noche de Navidad. Por lo tanto, si tu idea de prepararse para la Navidad no es más que desempolvar un viejo árbol de Navidad de plástico y comprarle a la tía Juana una pulserita, o una maceta de nochebuena como regalo (para aquellos que no recuerdan, estos son algunos artículos de regalo clásicos mal publicitados por TV), entonces quizás quiera detenerse a reflexionar sobre el significado de la venida de Cristo a este mundo para traernos la salvación. Y para su información, es poco probable que la pulserita o la maceta de nochebuena le den a la tía Juana mucha alegría navideña.

¡Necesitamos un Poquito Adviento! A fines de

octubre, comencé a notar apareciendo en la radio de mi auto algunas "estaciones totalmente navideñas". Pensé: por el amor de Dios. La calabaza de Charlie Brown ni siquiera ha aparecido y estas estaciones de radio están celebrando la Navidad. Durante esta época del año, estoy seguro de que escuchas la canción "Necesitamos un poco de Navidad / en este preciso momento". Pero al ver esta prisa por Navidad, diría que podría ser más apropiado cantar "necesitamos un poco Adviento / en este preciso momento. "Necesitamos hacer una pausa y reflexionar. Necesitamos, necesitamos, realmente lo necesitamos. Espiritualmente, esto nos permite poner y mantener las cosas en una perspectiva adecuada. Y cuando se hace bien y se usa bien, el Adviento servirá para que tu Navidad y la Navidad de tu familia sean más gratificantes.

Y así, los invito, en este tiempo de Adviento, a que hagan lo que los católicos han hecho durante siglos y siglos: Preparar el camino del Señor. Examina tu conciencia y tu vida de fe, y prepárate para estar preparado para la venida del Señor. Use bien el tiempo de Adviento; no celebres la Navidad antes de la Navidad, sino que utilices este Santo tiempo de Adviento en oración para anticipar el nacimiento de Cristo en nuestro mundo. Así que, en fe, usemos el maravilloso regalo del Adviento para acercarnos más al Señor a medida que se Él se acerca a nosotros.

Tuyo en Cristo, P. James Lentini, Párroco