Church Decorating and Caroling Wednesday, December 20, 6pm @SSPP Church All are invited to help decorate SSPP for Christmas or join the SSPP Choir for Christmas Caroling Please meet in the SSPP Church basement. The Glacier Lake FNE Troop will be serving hot cocoa following these events. The SSPP choir and musicians will present Lessons and Carols a service of music and readings Friday December 15 from 7-8 PM in Ss. Peter and Paul church. A free will offering will be taken to benefit the sacred music program. Refreshments will follow in the Holy Family Cenacle. The Second Sunday of Advent always includes the Gospel account with John the Baptist. The prophets in the Old Testament served an indispensable service on behalf of God: they were His messengers who brought comforting words to the suffering, but stern words for the rebellious. John the Baptist is the last, and the greatest, of the prophets. What would Advent be without him? He is the one who announces the arrival of the Messiah. Although, strictly speaking, John announces the public ministry of the (now) thirty-years-old Jesus, the Church has always seen the words of the Baptist as also applying to us and to our preparation for the Lord’s birth. The Baptist’s call for repentance certainly applies to us, as it applied to the contemporaries of Jesus. It is good that the Church observes the different seasons of the liturgical year so that we might use these opportunities to be renewed in faith. The Advent season - if we take our cue from John the Baptist - is a most proper time to reform our lives, to repent from sin, and to seek the Lord’s forgiveness. Each of us was cleansed of sin at the time of our Baptism. For sins committed after Baptism we have recourse to the Sacrament of Penance. The Sacrament of Penance (also referred to as Confession or Reconciliation) is a beautiful expression of God’s love for us. He does not want us to remain in our sins. He desires our salvation and not our condemnation. Has it been a long time since you went to Confession? Maybe even many years? Don’t allow fear or any other thing keep you from experiencing the forgiving Grace of the Lord in the Sacrament of Penance. Now is the time to be reconciled to the Lord through this beautiful sacrament of mercy. You will find the schedule of confessions in this bulletin and in the parish Advent Calendar all our parishioners received several weeks ago. Note especially the City-wide Advent Confessions scheduled from Noon until 6pm, next Sunday, December 17, at SS Peter & Paul. At least 3 priests will be continually available for confession the entire 6 hours.
May God bless you! Fr. Schaller Church Decorating and Caroling Wednesday, December 20, 6pm @SSPP Church All are invited to join the SSPP Choir for Christmas Caroling or helping to decorate the Church for Christmas. The Glacier Lake FNE Troop will be serving hot cocoa. Food Basket Item Collection - 56th Annual! We are collecting non-perishable food items for area families that could use a little help this holiday season. Collection boxes will be located at the church entrances Dec. 3– Dec. 10 We are also accepting monetary donations at the parish office for perishable items. If you know someone who could use a little help this Christmas, please contact the parish at 715-423-1351 or office@ssppwisrapids.org The Immaculate Conception Friday, December 8th MASS SCHEDULE Friday, 8:00am @ SVdP Friday, 2:45pm @ SVdP Friday, 5:30pm @ SSPP This is a Holy Day of Obligation Today, the First Sunday of Advent, inaugurates the new Church year. The Church, in her liturgy, expresses what we believe. So, it makes good sense that we begin with preparations for the coming of the Lord. The problem with observing this season of Advent is that the rest of the culture is celebrating Christmas already! There are even Christian churches that begin decorating their churches for Christmas and singing Christmas hymns by the beginning of December. I suppose some of this is understandable - we just can’t wait for Christmas! We want to start celebrating now. But the Church wisely observes Advent with a spirit of watchfulness and anticipation. In our church you will notice it by the presence of subdued decorations and the Advent wreath (the four candles marking the four weeks of Advent). The music will be the familiar Advent hymns, which help us prepare for Christ’s coming. I strongly encourage you to observe the Advent season in your own homes. Don’t put up the Christmas decorations yet! Or, perhaps you may mark the passage of Advent by putting up the Christmas decorations gradually - one every day until your home is completely decorated by Christmas Eve. Put a small Advent wreath in your home where it can be seen by the whole family (on the dining room table, perhaps). You can mark the progress of Advent in your home as you light an additional candle each Sunday of the season. And, most importantly, you can use this Advent season to deepen your spiritual life by more fruitful participation in the Liturgy of the Church. (Please check the Advent Calendar included with my Advent Pastoral Letter for the complete Mass and Penance schedule.) Advent is a season of grace, and an opportunity to grow in your faith. Make good use of it! May God bless you! Fr. Schaller One of the hallmarks of the teaching of Jesus is the mercy of God. One only needs to recall the parable of the Prodigal Son to confirm that the Father is a loving and merciful God. And yet, He is a just God. Though always ready to forgive the repentant, God still expects us to be accountable. The parable in today’s Gospel (the parable of the Talents) indicates that a response from us is expected and is necessary. Though God is merciful, He is not indulgent. Like any good Father, He expects something from His children. And our response to Him should not be based on fear (like the lazy servant in the parable), but familial love - like that of a devoted child towards his loving father.
The First Sunday of Advent, and the beginning of a new Liturgical Year, is just two weeks away. These past several years have been a time of upheaval, disruption, unrest, and fearfulness. The temporal order - things of this world - will always be a challenge. It is both a spiritual and psychological relief to start the new Church year. I expect we will continue to experience the difficulties of this world. But it is a great consolation to draw our attention to Our Lord’s first coming, and the preparation we annually make to celebrate the birth of Him Who makes all things new. Have you made your pledge to the Diocesan Annual Appeal? If you did not receive or have misplaced your Appeal materials and pledge card, extras are available from the parish office or in the Gather Space (SVdP) or Holy Family Cenacle (SSPP). Thank you for your generous support, and pray for the success of the DAA! May God bless you! Fr. Schaller The Miracle and Message of Fatima Monday, Nov. 20 @ 6pm An opportunity to learn about the Fatima Message for our times and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Barb Ernster, national coordinator for the World Apostolate of Fatima/Our Lady’s Blue Army,will be giving a presentation on the message of Fatima In the SS Peter and Paul Church basement Light food and beverage will be provided. St. Nicholas Day Market Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 Starting at 1pm at SS Peter and Paul Fun for Everyone! Vendor Event, BINGO, Kids’ Activities, Chili/Soup Dinner, Dance. All funds raised benefit SSPP Bring a pair of gently use shoes, or socks to donate and get entered into our raffle basket drawing! Any questions contact Melissa Wogerman |