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A Word From Our Associate…Hope
One of the greatest gifts that the spiritual life brings us is the virtue of hope, and this is a major theme of advent! There is, of course, a way of hoping, which is strictly human, having nothing to do with the Holy Spirit at all. So for example, one could hope to receive a new computer for Christmas, or hope the Vikings win the Superbowl, and so forth. Some of these kinds of hopes maybe good in themselves, as it is wonderful for a father and mother to hope their children are safe traveling home for the holiday. Other hopes are evil and self-centered: e.g., an employee hoping his associate fails, so that he/she can climb the corporate ladder, in their absence.
The theological virtue of hope is not human; it is divine! It has God as it's true end. This means God has specific things in mind, which we are to hope for. God calls us to hope for eternal life. God calls us to hope that our family and friends would also be resurrected. God calls us to hope for the fulfillment of all His promises: e.g., to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, to receive every grace necessary to fulfilling God's will, to receive the fulfillment of any promise He has made to us personally (e.g., God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations).
What are you hoping for this advent season? Has God promised you anything personally? You can always ask for certain gifts, but we must realize that God's will is most important. What is your greatest hope? The great Christian hope is that Jesus comes again!
Fr. Michael
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Circle of Women…
The Circle of Women will hold a Christmas Brunch on Thursday, December 14. We invite you to join us and bring a brunch item to share with the group. After the brunch, our own Debra Sulentic-Zeien will present "The Candy Cane Story" She will bring the candy cane to life through her storytelling and by involving us in creating and baking canes. This will be a hands-on presentation you will surely enjoy!
Circle of Women invites women of all ages to join us in the in the lower level of the parish center Thursday mornings from 9:10--11:25 a.m. We hope you will join us and bring a friend.
Childcare is available during the Circle of Women meetings. There are still openings available. We ask that you register your child by calling our Children's Program Coordinator, Kari Gill @763-785-6947.
Faith Formation…
SEEKERS: ADULT THEOLOGICAL BOOK CLUB
HEAR YE! HEAR YE! CANCELLATION! The SEEKERS book club meeting for December is CANCELLED! At our January meeting, Cletus Wessels, the author of our selected book, will join us for our discussion session. He will not present a lecture, so you do need to read the book: The Holy Web by Cletus Wessels, O.P. Explore your faith and join us on Thursday, January 11, 7-8:30 p.m. in the Parish Center (812 1st Ave). Questions? Call Mary Ann Zervas at 651-633-1540. You may call Dorothy Kunze 651-633-1205 for info on obtaining the books.
PARENTS OF "HOME STUDY" CHILDREN GRADES 1-6 may pick up their materials in Room 7 of the school 4:30--7:30 p.m. Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Be sure to get one student workbook and one Home Study Guide for each student! Questions? Call Mary Garcia at the parish office (651) 633-1540.
Music Notes…
During Advent we will be learning a new hymn, Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates, from the red Worship Hymnal #363. The text is based on Psalm 24 and the tune is about 200 years old, and sounds very much like something Handel (composer of Messiah) would have written, though the composer is unknown. We hope to use this hymn again next fall when we process through the new "gates" at the back of church, as we inaugurate and bless our new parish center.
The choir anthem this morning is "Comfort, Comfort", setting by John Ferguson of St. Olaf College. The text is from Isaiah 40:1-5, originating in a German hymnal of the 17th century. The tune originated from a Renaissance French folk song.
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