We are so grateful to Fr. Michael Denk for his wonderful mission on prayer last week! It was so inspiring to hear about not just the need for prayer, but also to be led through different ways of prayer. Every one of us can pray deeply and can hear God speak! That is how God created us and He – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – has so much to share with us. Stay tuned to how we will continue the mission of the Mission in the parish in the coming weeks. A BIG thank you to Patrick Osysko, Mark Ternes, Bill Brickman, and all who helped to make the Mission possible. I know that we will be reaping the spiritual fruits of those evenings for some time.
You may notice that the decorations in the church are a little different for Advent this year. To intentionally enter into the expectant waiting of this season of preparation, the Nativity Cave (Thank you Knights of Columbus!) sits empty waiting for Mary and Joseph to occupy it after being turned away from all of Bethlehem’s lodging places, the shepherds to come in from the fields, and the kings to travel from afar. In the empty cave awaiting such a marvelous event, what do you see? Does something in your life speak to this scene? The angels and wreaths will also come out in due time as we now sit with the simplicity of the sanctuary and the preparatory purple on the walls and in the Advent wreath. (Thank you, Nancy Bischof and all the members of Art and Environment for all your hard work to help prepare us!)
Next weekend, some members of our Parish Council will be in the gathering area after Mass for our first Feedback Weekend. These weekends will be offered a few times a year to hear some of your feedback and questions about the parish. Please be sure to keep your comments and questions charitable, timely, and constructive. If a certain question or clarification is pertinent to the larger community, we may offer a response or clarification in a future bulletin, but not all questions will be responded to publicly. Please note: We are aware of the sound system and are soon closing in on the project which we will share with you. In other news, know too that our Parish Council is beginning to read the book “Forming Intentional Disciples” by Sherry Weddell. It is an eye-opening resource to help think more deeply how we intentionally follow Jesus here at Holy Family.
See you Monday for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; Masses at 8:30 A.M., 4:30 P.M., and 7:00 P.M.
