What you need to know from this weekend’s bulletin:
Overwhelmed by the Gospel?
December 17, 2023
The Gospel kerygma, according to St John Paul II, is “the initial ardent proclamation by which a person is one day overwhelmed and brought to the decision to entrust himself to Jesus Christ by faith”. Most Catholics do not relate to this. They do not see themselves as having been overwhelmed by the gospel. We need to find ways to ardently proclaim the gospel.
God is an amazing God, and He created an amazing world. We are the piece of that creation that He truly loves. He wants to be in a relationship with us. Evil came into the world through the envy of the devil. Satan is envious of us. He is not taking on God directly. He could never win doing that. He is only a creature. Yet we are the object of God’s love, so he goes after us. He was able to deceive us and cause us to stop trusting God. He still does this. He tells us God does not want what is best for us. He causes us to believe we are better off just grabbing what we want, even when God tells us not to. He still tells us the same lies today. He says we cannot trust God’s word, or that we cannot trust Church teaching. Ultimately, he tells us that we cannot trust God.
So, what is the impact of all this? Isaiah 61, which is our first reading, gives us a few pictures of what this looks like. I am going to focus on one, that of the image of slavery. The bible says everyone who sins is a slave to sin. That the powers of evil own us and use us and abuse us at will. They are more powerful than us and there is nothing we can do to escape. Death is that way. Many of us have watched a loved one die and there is a sense of utter helplessness. We want to stop it, but there is just nothing anyone can do. It is just stronger than us.
Sin is the same way. We try and do the right thing. We often fail. Yet we know we should be better. We want to be better. We just are not able to make it happen. We are fighting a losing battle, and it is causing us all sorts of problems that we just cannot fix. Why did Jesus come? It’s a simple question. Many people struggle to answer it. We need to understand that He came to fight. He came to save us from the tyrant who is oppressing us.
John the Baptist tells us in today’s gospel that we need to make straight the way of the Lord, that the Messiah is coming. We need to respond. There are two groups of people here. There are those that are asking questions and analyzing what is happening. Then there are those who jump in with both feet. Quite literally they are in the Jordan River confessing their sins and being baptized.
There are always two groups. Those that are overwhelmed by the gospel and surrender themselves to Jesus. Then there are those who decide not to fully embrace it. They may not reject it, but they do not really accept it either. Which group are you going to be in this Christmas?
Healing Lines
Christmas is expected to be the happiest time of the year. But for those who are abused, hurt, hungry, or lonely, the time can be more hurting… Let us reach out to those who find themselves in a hurtful situation at this time of the year. Let us give love and hope…
Mass Schedule for this Weekend
Saturday, December 16 at 5pm: Fr. Jose Bustalino with Dec. Randy Gritter Preaching
Sunday, December 17 at 9am: Fr. Edmund Vargas with Dec. Randy Gritter Preaching
Sunday, December 17 at 11am: Fr. Edmund Vargas with Dec. Randy Gritter Preaching
Sunday, December 17 at 5pm: Fr. Kevin Chukwurah with Dec. Randy Gritter Preaching
Announcements:
Please see this weekend’s bulletins for all announcements:
Download St. Michael bulletin
Download Diocesan bulletin (Condensed)
Download Diocesan bulletin (Full Length)
St. Michael Event Schedule
December – Regular Events
Sundays | Coffee Sundays | Narthex | After 9:00am & 11:00am Masses
Tuesdays | Rosary Group | Day Chapel | 6:30-7:00pm
Tuesdays | RCIA | St. Nicholas Room| 7:00-9:00pm
Thursdays | Coffee Thursdays | Narthex | After 9:00am Mass
Thursdays | Knitting Ministry | Library | 10:00-11:30am
December 2023 Special Events:
December 17 | Children’s Liturgy Cancelled
December 18 | Hamper Day
December 18 | Advent Parish Mission | Sanctuary | 7:00-9:00pm
December 19 | Mass for Advent Parish Mission | Sanctuary | 6:00pm
December 19 | Advent Parish Mission | Sanctuary | 7:00-9:00pm
December 19 | Rosary Group Cancelled
December 20 | Advent Parish Mission | Sanctuary | 7:00-9:00pm
December 21 | Advent Parish Reconciliation Night| Sanctuary | 7:00-9:00pm
December 24 | Children’s Liturgy Cancelled
December 24 | Coffee Sunday Cancelled
December 24 | Regular Masses: 9am, 11am | Christmas Eve Masses: 4pm, 7pm, 10pm | Sanctuary
December 25 | Christmas Day Masses | 9am, 11am | Sanctuary
December 31 | Children’s Liturgy Cancelled
December 31 | Coffee Sunday Cancelled
December 31 | New Year’s Eve Masses | 9am, 11am, 5pm | Sanctuary
January 2024 Special Events:
January 1 | New Year’s Day Masses | 9am, 11am | Sanctuary
January 8 | Bible Study “Lectio Eucharist” First Session | St. Nicholas Room | 7:00-9:00pm
January 9 | CWL General Meeting | St. Michael’s Room | 5:30-9:00pm
January 15 | Bible Study “Lectio Eucharist” | St. Nicholas Room | 7:00-9:00pm
January 17 | TMIY First Session | Theater & Narthex | 6:00-7:00am
January 17 | Women’s Ministry “Wild Goose” First Session | St. Nicholas Room & Theater | 10:00am-12:00pm | Zoom 7:00-9:00pm
January 18 | First Reconciliation Session 4 | 6:00-7:30pm
January 19 | Confirmation Session 2 | 7:00-8:30pm
January 22 | Bible Study “Lectio Eucharist” | St. Nicholas Room | 7:00-9:00pm
January 23 | Grief Share First Session | Rooms 143 & 144 | 7:00-9:00pm
January 23 | PPC Meeting | St. Michael’s Room 136 | 7:00-9:00pm
January 23 | SSVP Monthly Meeting | St. Gabriel Room 145 | 7:00-9:00pm
January 24 | Women’s Ministry “Wild Goose”| St. Nicholas Room & Theater | 10:00am-12:00pm | Zoom 7:00-9:00pm
January 26 | Access 52 Youth Rally “Impact Night” | Sanctuary | 7:00-9:00pm
January 27 | Baptism Preparation | St. Nicholas Room | 9:00am-12:00pm
January 29 | Bible Study “Lectio Eucharist” | St. Nicholas Room | 7:00-9:00pm
January 31 | Women’s Ministry “Wild Goose”| St. Nicholas Room & Theater | 10:00am-12:00pm | Zoom 7:00-9:00pm
Christmas and New Year’s Schedule
Saturday, December 23
Regular Mass: 5:00 pm
Christmas Eve: Sunday, December 24
Regular Mass: 9:00 am, 11:00 am
Christmas Eve Mass: 4:00 pm, 7:00 pm (live streamed), 10:00 pm
Christmas Day: Monday, December 25
Mass: 9:00 am, 11:00 am (live streamed)
Boxing Day: Tuesday, December 26
Daily Mass: 6:00 pm
Wed. Dec. 27 | Thurs. Dec. 28 | Fri. Dec. 29
Daily Mass: 9:00 am
Saturday, December 30
Regular Mass: 5:00 pm
New Years Eve: Sunday, December 31
Regular Mass: 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 5:00 pm
New Years Day: Monday, January 1
Mass: 9:00 am, 11:00 am (live streamed)
Parish Office: The office will be open regular hours from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. on December 27-29. We will be closed on December 25 and 26.
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Third Sunday of Advent, 17/12/2023, 581.02 KB