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THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT DEC. 20, 2020
The Possibility of the Impossible – Fr. Bosco Padamattummal –
T he day and hour about which we do not know comes to us in a thousand different ways. It comes to us as an unexpected gift, an unwanted loss, an unimagined future, a dream come
true. Regardless, we have no way of knowing when, how, or if it will come. And we have no way of knowing what it will bring. Despite our best efforts to plan and prepare for the future, we live in the midst of uncertainty and unknowing. There are days and hours that take us completely by surprise, in good ways and in not so good ways.
The one who seems to fit this picture best of all is Mary. In today’s Gospel (Luke 1:26-38), Mary – an unmarried teenage girl – is told she will give birth to a child. She is just a simple Jewish maiden from the small town of Nazareth in an unimportant country named Palestine. Here the angel appears to her and says, “Blessed are you among women, for God has chosen you to bring forth the Messiah, the long-awaited Christ, God Himself.” And yet the “good people” in all the towns, and all the wondrous ladies most probably would be disappointed because a simple, illiterate maiden, perhaps seventeen years old,
from the smallest of villages, is the one to whom God sends Gabriel, to tell her, to ask her, if she would be the mother of the Messiah, the Son of God.
I am sure that you too have a story about the day and hour about which you did not and could not know. Something that happened the day and hour that took you by surprise and caught you off guard that you never expected, wanted, or could have imagined.
The day and hour of uncertainty and not knowing are what Advent is all about. Advent
isn’t just a season in the church year. It describes our
life. The seasons of the Church
continued on p. 2
p. 2 • December 20, 2020 The Fourth Sunday of Advent St. Mary Catholic Church, Manchester, MI
FR. BOSCO’S ARTICLE FROM PAGE 1, continued: The Possibility of the Impossible
St. Mary’s Parish Weekly Calendar ◆ Dec. 19-27, 2020 Mass Intention [requested by], & parish activities
SAT. DEC. 19 Advent Weekday 3:00-4:30pm Confessions (extended time)
5:00pm VIGIL MASS for the Fourth Sunday of Advent: Jerry Warner [Dan & Carol Selecki]
SUN. DEC. 20 Fourth Sunday of Advent 8-8:15 and 10-10:15am Confession
8:30am MASS: For the people 10:30am MASS: Eddie Walz
[Kathleen & Jack Gould]
MON. DEC. 21 Advent Weekday (opt. mem. St. Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church )
12:10pm MASS: Eddie Walz [Jim & Ella Landini]
11:00am-8:00pm Blood Drive / PC TUES. DEC. 22 Advent Weekday
8:30am MASS: Ed and Dorothy Kirk [Judy Walz]
WED. DEC. 23 Advent Weekday (opt. mem. St. John of Kanty, Priest) 8:30am MASS: Leocadia Wallison
[Jim & Ella Landini 7:00-8:00pm Confession]
THUR. DEC. 24 Advent Weekday 5:00pm CHRISTMAS VIGIL MASS:
David Heslip [Betty Cummings] CHRISTMAS MIDNIGHT MASS:
Wilma Lentz [Janet & Bill Shurtliff]
FRI. DEC. 25 Solemnity: The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
10:00am CHRISTMAS DAY MASS: Dick Krzyzaniak [The Krzyzaniak
Family]
SAT. DEC. 26 Feast: St. Stephen, The First Martyr
Confession time is canceled today 5:00pm VIGIL MASS for the Feast of the
Holy Family Gerald Damian [Claudia Damian]
SUN. DEC. 27 Feast: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
8-8:15 and 10-10:15am Confession 8:30am MASS: For the people 10:30am MASS: Joseph and Helen
Germek [Kathy & Martin Brogley]
Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a Lk 1:5-25 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Rom 16:25-27 Lk 1:26-38 Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a Lk 1:39-45 1 Sm 1:24-28 Lk 1:46-56 Mal 3:1-4, 23-24 Lk 1:57-66 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Lk 1:67-79
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 • Mt 10:17-22
Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 (or Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3) Col 3:12-21 (or Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19 Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22, 39-40
year are a lens through which we see and reflect on our lives. Advent, whether in the Church or in life, always begins with the day and hour about which we do not know. Nobody knows when, where, or how that day and hour will come. It is unforeseeable and unpredictable. It comes, Jesus says, like a thief in the night. Mary knew and believed that the Messiah will come to save them, but she did not know that she would be chosen to be the Mother of God
That’s often how it feels when life is uncertain, the future is unpredictable, and we are powerless to control what comes next, Look at the world today with the pandemic. We often don’t know what to say, and sometimes we don’t know what to pray. Explanations neither satisfy nor make sense. If there is a theme it is uncertainty, not knowing, a feeling of chaos and powerlessness it is now, in our lifetime.
But all this is not about the end of the world; it is about living in the midst of uncertainty and unknowing, living with the unpredictability of the future, living in the midst of chaos finding peace in Mary’s son our Lord Jesus Christ. So this year, the last moment preparations for Christmas are not so much about what is happening in our head but what is happening in our heart, that deep place where the mystery of God and our own life meet.
The CHALLENGE OF ADVENT of this year about which you do not know, is to cultivate what the poet John Keats called “negative capability.” Negative capability is the ability to sustain uncertainty, to live with not knowing, to stand in the mystery, to keep the questions and possibilities open, to embrace ambiguity, to not be too quick to resolve or shut down doubt – and to do all this without running away and trying to escape, without grasping for facts and reason, without blaming others and justifying ourselves.
Mary asked a genuine question to the angel in her doubt: “How can this be since I have no relations with a man?” The Angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son God.” Mary did not run away from this great call; she said “yes” to God for the rest of the uncertain future. She trusted God completely. The uncertain future did not diminish her life; instead it intensified life and values. She immediately went to serve her relative Elizabeth who in her old age had conceived a son, John the Baptist.
Dear brothers and sisters, the Gospel reading on this last Sunday of Advent is filled with meaning and a message in our time of uncertainty. It deepens the meaning and purpose of the Incarnation. It opens us to the possibility of the impossible. We heard from the Gospel that nothing is impossible for God.
And we don’t want to miss a moment of joy in the coming of Jesus, our savior. It is not true that the human family is doomed to destruction and loss – rather, the truth is: “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
VIGIL: Is 62:1-5 Acts 13:16-17, 22-25 Mt 1:1-25 or 1:18-25
MIDNIGHT: Is 9:1-6 Ti 2:11-14 Lk 2:1-14
DAY: Is 52:7-10 Heb 1:1-6 Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14
AN INVITATION FROM BISHOP BOYEA: “Join me in reading through the Holy Bible over the course of the next 12 months, starting this Advent. It’s not too late to begin! Each day, I will text you a chapter of Sacred Scripture. We will then read it and meditate upon it. Over the weeks, I’ll also text you invitations to events; share video reflections with you; and let you know about other Year of the Bible updates. To sign up, all you have to do is text the letters BYOB (that stands for Bishop’s Year of the Bible) to 84576. Or, if you would rather receive the daily scripture reading via e-mail, please visit at www.dioceseoflansing.org to sign up.”
But all this is not about the end of
the world; it is about living in the
midst of uncertainty and
unknowing, living with the
unpredictability of the future, living in the midst of chaos
finding peace in Mary’s son our
Lord Jesus Christ.
St. Mary Catholic Church, Manchester, MI The Fourth Sunday of Advent December 20, 2020 • p. 3
NEED HELP? An “AA” group meets Fridays at 7:00pm at
Emanuel Church, 324 W Main St. (next door to St Mary’s)
NEED HELP? ALTERNATIVES TO ABORTION: Call (800) 57WOMAN (800-579-6626) –
OR – Text for Help: “HELPLINE” to 313131
Need Help? PROJECT RACHEL (post-abortion reconciliation
and healing) Call the confidential phone line: 517-993-0291, or email
NEED HELP? “COURAGE” is a Catholic spiritual support group for those struggling
with same sex attraction. “ENCOURAGE” is a separate support group for families &
friends. For info in the Diocese of Lansing, call 517-342-2596 or email [email protected]
0 St. Mary Roman Catholic Church
Stewardship WEEKLY COLLECTION:
Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 Sunday Env (44) ............... $ 4,751.02 Welcome & Loose .................. 50.60 E-Giving (12) ....................... 704.17 Immac Conception (4) ........ 125.00 Christmas (1) ......................... 25.00 E-giving Chr decor (1) ........... 25.00 Combined toward budget: $ 5,680.79 Budget goal: ...................... 5,300.00 Amt ABOVE goal: .......... + $ 380.79
OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS: Bldg & Maint (10) ............... $380.00 E-giving Bldg & Maint (1) ..... 50.00 Evangelization Fund ............ 125.00 Poor Box .............................. 37.50
Votive candles ................... 55.00
Dec. 20… ... Natalie Bargardi Dec. 21… ... Mikayla Ball Dec. 25… ... Brandon Woods Dec. 26 … .. Stan Gilbert …Gerald Shaw
!Birthday Blessings
1) In loving memory of +Jim Shafer (Patricia Shafer, his wife)
2) In loving memory of +Eddie, +Brian. and +Bradley Walz
(Their loving wife and mother, Judy Walz)
The SANCTUARY LAMPS are burning this week for the following intentions: PLEASE PRAY THIS WEEK…
• DeLucia
family • Mary Ann
(aunt of Kathy Cornell)
• Maggie & Bill Adlhoch
• Jerry Kripas • Tom Kladzyk • Tom Burch • Marty Hall • Larry
Klemczak and family
• Paula Saft • Paul
Swenson • Mitch Zink • Joyce Stein • Bob Smythe • Leon Ball • Connie
Stancato • Rita
Messman • Rita Moore
& family • Patrick
Muldoon
Please Pray for…
…and for the repose of the soul of Theresa Klemczak
Christmas is almost here! A note about the Masses for Christmas: We
are blessed with the choice of three Masses for Christmas: Christmas Eve at 5pm, Midnight, and Christmas morning at 10am. Fr. Bosco asks that we be “encouraged… that the regular people who attend Mass may attend different Masses to give more opportunity for the people who come just for Christmas at the Christmas Eve Mass, so that they can sit in social distance.”
Also, please note there will be no confession time on the Saturday afternoon after Christmas.
TROUBLING TIMES ? TRY THIS… Ralph Martin has four videos on YouTube
that are guaranteed to help. Based on his book The Fulfillment of All Desire, you can discover how to allow God to literally fulfill your desire for happiness and peace of mind. Yes! You can learn the biggest secret ever revealed, the secret that brings you to forever happiness: God will do it for us because we can’t do it ourselves.
By the end of Advent, four episodes will be available on your computer or smartphone at YouTube. Type in “Renewal Ministries,” then scroll and select the “Fulfillment of All Desire Advent Mission Night 1” to begin. You can also buy the book at the Renewal Ministries website for a 20% discount and free shipping. It is life changing knowledge — just think about the title!
Vestibule Resources
Please take a moment after Mass or whenever you stop by the church to look at the many things available in the vestibule. Most recently these materials were placed there::
“Planning Your Gift to the Church” is a packet put together by the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Lansing with helpful information about how to leave a final gift to the parish. Copies of the Parish Council Minutes from their December meeting are available for you to pick up. Sign-up sheets for Altar Flowers.
End-of-Year Giving The IRS deadline is approaching for
receiving the 2020 tax advantages of your contributions to St. Mary Church. Please consider if you might benefit with your taxes by making an end-of-the-year donation to the parish.
Of course, your donation is tax deductible. We will be sending out contribution letters in January to support your tax records. Please make sure any donations for the tax year 2020 are postmarked or delivered to the parish office by December 31.
May God bless your generosity.
Important Updates CONFESSION BEFORE CHRISTMAS…
Area Penance Services have been canceled, so Fr. Bosco allowed extra time for confession before Christmas. There is one final opportunity: Wed., Dec. 23 7-8:00pm.
ADORATION First Friday in January is January 1, when we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, a holy day of obligation. So our regular First Friday Adoration will not take place due to the holy day Mass schedule. However, as in recent years., there will be an Adoration Holy Hour on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31 from 4:00-5:00pm.
THANKS Please remember to say “thanks” to your fellow parishioners who do so much to support the parish throughout the year…parish office volunteers, council members, cleaning crews, staff, etc. Kudos!
Nearby Catholic News Many Catholic organizations who serve our
brothers and sisters in Christ are asking for our financial support at the end-of-the year tax time. Last week we shared the appeal from Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County.
Now please consider St. Louis Center (SLC). They have faced many unanticipated costs due to the pandemic in caring for their residents. This has led to a $600,000 shortfall. However, a generous supporter has offered to match up to $100,000 in donations, (meaning that your gift will be DOUBLED in December)! And another donor has given $300,000 in additional support. They just need our help to raise the rest so they can continue to provide the same great level of care for residents For more info or to help, visit stlouiscenter.org or phone 734-475-8430.
