Candle Name: Prophet’s Candle

1. Get an Advent wreath and light it at home each night while praying the Collect from Mass that day.
2. Find a time each day (perhaps the early morning or the evening after supper) to sit quietly, without distractions, and open your mind and heart to the living and active Word of God. Start with one of the four Gospels (Mathew, Mark, Luke or John) and read for a few minutes each day, a maximum of 10 mins. And be faithful to this practice every day. 
3. Come to Mass on weekdays as often as possible during Advent. Weekday Mass has a quiet, meditative quality that steals into our hearts and minds, and Advent is deeply enriched by Mass each day. 
4. Encourage your family and friends to think of things other than packages, boxes or bags. Make a local donation in someone’s name to Project Rachel or Anchor of Hope or to our own Parish, especially the Restoration Fund. Write a letter to someone you love to tell them so. Volunteer to serve someone in need. 
5. Go to Confession so that your Christmas Communion will truly be holy.

I am always encouraging people to not to surrender to secular ideas of how to celebrate the holiday season, but to participate in the Church’s culture of preparation.
We should not arrive at Christmas Day having worn ourselves out so that we have no energy or spirit left for the Christmas Season. It can be in our hearts with joy beyond all telling if we prepare with a worthy Advent.

Fr. Justin

 

Links, Recommendations & Random Thoughts I want to thank all those who devoutly participated in the Forty Hour Devotions earlier this week. Fr. Price and I were edified by all the adorers and those who took time to be with our Eucharistic Lord. A special thank you to Cathy Massey and Teresa Chard, our Eucharistic coordinators for organizing much of it, to our sacristan Kathy Althoff, the boys who served at benediction, and to Fr. Jan Kusyk and Fr. Price who generously stepped up last minute to preach. Hopefully we can get Fr. Eric Nicolai for Lent. Advent Music: There are thousands of Christmas music offerings available, but Advent music? Not so much. But if you’re looking for glorious music to help keep Advent as Advent, download or stream from your preferred platform Advent at Ephesus by the wonderful Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles – a young, monastic order of traditional Sisters living in rural Missouri whose beautiful singing has surprisingly topped the music charts over the past few years. Also, just out last week is a new Advent album called Rorate Coeli: Marian Sounds of Advent by the Monks of Clear Creek. These will help lead you through the sacred season in preparation for Christmas. Advent App: Do you have an iPhone or an Android? If so, I encourage you to visit the App Store and download the Advent Magnificat Companion 2022 app. It’s only $3.99 and it’s a perfect day-to-day way to live Advent to the full this season. It has the daily Mass and scripture readings, a bunch of prayers, an original meditation on each day’s Gospel, and a variety of blessings and short essays.  Junior Liturgy will start at SHM this Sunday @ 9am over in O'Neill Parish Hall.  Thanks to Cheryl Freeman & Colleen MacAlister for running it, and for Cathy Mouck walking the ladies through the Screening Program. Now we just need more young ones. This may be a good incentive to get your lapsed friends or family with kids back to Holy Mass. The children will be in good hands with Cheryl & Colleen. And it may be a good option for the SHJ kids too if it works with their schedule. Thanks again for taking the lead in this Ministry.   2022 Polar Plunge: To raise funds as part of a joint KofC fundraiser between our Council 7301 and St. Mary's in Campbellford, our very own altar server Jimmy Woof will take the Polar Plunge on Crowe Lake-Booster Park on Sun, Dec Dec 4th @ 1pm. Please sponsor Jimmy taking the plunge. At the back of the church, there will be a box in which you can put your pledge. If you're ever asked for some names of excellent psychologists, psychotherapists or counsellors for family/friends who live around the GTA, just let me know as I know of some highly recommended (Catholic) professionals whom I'd be happy to recommmend. On Thurs, Dec 1st there is an event taking place in the downtown of Marmora called ‘Frolic on Forsyth’ along with the singing of Carols from 5:30-6:15pm. No need to be a professiona, but if you like to sing, come and join other Christians from the area to make for a bigger sound and to bring an ecumenical dimension to the event. Carol sheets will be provided for this community celebration. Sign up for the Advent Moral Minute series, by the great Fr. Thomas Petri, O.P. who will communicate the genius and beauty of our Catholic Moral teaching in one minute segments. Does morality still matter? This Advent take literally just one minute a day to reflect with him on our rich Catholic tradition of living well.   Alma Redemptoris Mater is one of the four Marian antiphons traditionally said or sung after night prayer, immediately before going to sleep. It is said from the beginning of Advent through February 1st.  The Church prizes devotion to Our Lady so highly, and deems it so necessary, that she requires all her priests and religious to sing a hymn to her as the last thing they do every single day. It is a beautiful prayer of intercession to the Mother of God, focusing on the happy privilege of the Blessed Virgin being chosen to be the mother of God, and how she gave birth to the Redeemer. Because of this privilege, she has become our hope – “star of the sea." Photocopies can be found at the entrances of the church if you want to pick one up this weekend.  Loving Mother of the Redeemer,gate of heaven, star of the sea,assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,yet remained a virgin after as before.You who received Gabriel's joyful greeting,have pity on us poor sinners The Rorate Mass is an ancient Advent tradition of offering a Votive Mass in honour of Our Lady by candlelight. The Mass is so timed that we greet the rising sun as the Mass comes to the conclusion. On Sat, Dec 10th @ 6:15am at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, we will be having a Rorate Caeli Mass (Ordinary Form, English). If you've never been, the Rorate Caeli Mass is a traditional Advent devotion wherein the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Advent is offered just before dawn. The Rorate Mass is lit only by candlelight - we have hundreds of candles purchased. It should be pretty cool. Because it is a votive Mass in Our Lady's honour, white vestments are worn instead of Advent purple. In the dimly lit setting, priests and faithful prepare to honour the Light of the world, who is soon to be born, and offer praise to God for the gift of Our Lady. As the Mass proceeds and sunrise approaches, the Church becomes progressively brighter, illumined by the sun as our Faith is illumined by Christ. Tapers will be provided. 1st Saturday of Advent Sat, Dec 3 @ 6:30am Holy Name of Mary, Marysville Celebrant: Fr. Francis Zambon 2nd Saturday of Advent Sat, Dec 10 @ 6:30am Sacred Heart of Jesus, Marmora Celebrant: Fr. Justin Pulikunnel 3rd Saturday of Advent Sat, Dec 17 @ 6:30am St. Peter in Chains, Trenton Celebrant: Fr. Michel Quenneville Parents take note! Astounding findings. Basically, in-person activities so much better for young adults, while electronically-mediated activities so much worse for young adults.

Tuesday Novena Start Date: The great Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (which is also the patronal feast day of our Archdiocese) is Wed, Dec 8th so for those who would like to begin a novena, they should start this Tuesday (29th).  If you're able, I encourage and invite you to celebrate the annual Archdiocesan Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Thurs, Dec 3 @ 10:30am at St. Mary's Cathedral. A collection will be accepted at the entrance of the cathedral where a monetary gift, food, or toiletry item may be donated to St. Mary’s Drop-In Centre, which serves many vulnerable people each day.  For the past three years, we have not been able to celebrate this Solemnity without restrictions. It is indeed a welcomed opportunity for us as an Archdiocese to express our gratitude to our Heavenly Father and to ask for the grace to live out the paschal mystery as the Body of Christ. Let us ask Our Lady for her faithful intercession for the Archdiocese. The Sunday Missals for the new year of grace, which begins Nov 27th on the First Sunday of Advent, will be in all the pews this weekend.  It would be terrific if all parishioners would help offset the costs by throwing in an extra $5 into their next offertory. In addition, extra missals will be available for purchase in the narthex if you'd like your own for personal use ($5). Foundations is celebrating 25 years in Madoc with an appreciation free catered dinner on Tuesday, Dec 6th at the Kiwanis Centre. Everyone is invited and it's a great way to celebrate all the good work Foundations does for youth in Madoc. Fr. Price and I plan on being there. There's going to be a great youth event called ABLAZE, place at Saint Michael’s parish on Saturday, December 10, from 10 AM to 4 PM. I strongly encouraged you to bring your kids to this - especially those who will be confirmed next year or those who have already been confirmed and are now in high school. Lunch is available at the event. ** Your new offertory envelopes may now be picked up at the entrances of the churches.** The envelopes will be sorted in numerical order and beside them there will be a printed parishioners list in alphabetical order. Just look up your name and find your corresponding envelope number. Questions? Call Pauline at 613.472.2220.  The Queen of Peace Franciscan fraternity meets on the first Saturday of the month. Our next meeting is Saturday December 3rd. Join us for morning prayer, food, fellowship and faith enrichment in the steps of St Francis of Assisi at 10am, 76 Durham Street Madoc, at Foundations Youth Centre. Any questions call or text 613.242.1125. This morning at This Man Is You, Dr. John Bergsma led us into the question, “Why Jesus Christ?” We heard from Gandhi, Muhammad & even Einstein, who all had incredible thoughts on Jesus Christ and we discussed what sets Christianity apart from other world religions and ways of life which will lead to a recognition and act of faith that Jesus Christ is the ultimate prophet and so much more … that he is God!

The Anointing of the Sick If you or another sick Catholic you know desires to receive the Sacrament of the Sick, feel free to call the office (613 472.2220) to arrange with Fr. Justin. Remember that this Sacrament is meant to be administered to “those who are in danger of death due to illness or old age.” (CCC 1514). This means that the Sacrament does not need to be delayed until the person is about to take the last breath because its first effect is to consecrate the person to God in suffering, so that the person may more efficaciously offer his or her weakness, pains and eventual death to God in union with Christ’s redemption. But it also means that it is not meant to be administered to those who are not in danger of death due to sickness or senescence. It’s not meant for those who are sick or injured but in no way in danger of death, like those getting their tonsils out, or having arthroscopic surgery, or just feeling under the weather, or anyone over a certain age. Not everyone in a hospital or nursing home needs anointing, because not all are in danger of death.  Neither is it intended for those who have a cold or a flu, who are feeling off emotionally, or who are experiencing an external threat to life such as war, natural disaster, crashing planes, sinking ships, or even the death penalty. It’s meant, exclusively, to be given to those who are in danger of dying because of the internal conditions of life-threatening malady or old age. It is proper to be given to those going in for open heart surgery, but not for arthroscopic surgery or a root canal. Another important clarification is that while miracles of physical healing have occasionally been associated with reception of the Sacrament, the purpose of the Sacrament is as a remedy to the primary illness every human being suffers from: sin and its effects, as the spiritual antidote to the bodily remnants of sin that remain in each human being. Christ didn’t establish the Sacrament so as to deprive those facing death from having to die but so that they can die in union with him without being overcome in their weakened state by the bodily vulnerabilities and temptations that sinning can make us susceptible to.

Sacred Heart of Mary CWL invites all parishioners to help us support those less fortunate than ourselves. If you are able, you are encouraged to donate to our collection for Grace Inn Shelter. Grace Inn, located at 315 Church St, Belleville, offers hospitality to the homeless, based on the belief of God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son and the work of the Holy Spirit. Their Mission statement: “Housing homeless adults in a safe, dignified and hospitable environment, by meeting essential needs, providing compassionate mentors, and advocating for a future with hope.”

Wish list of items are for both men & women Travel size shampoos, conditioners, deodorant, razors, toothbrushes & toothpaste (no mouth wash please) Socks, toques, mitts, thermal gloves winter or summer underwear, tee-shirts, hot paws  for hands or feet (hot pouches)  prepackaged snacks Larger items: twin size sheets. Donations may be placed in a designated box at the entrance of Sacred Heart of Mary Church. The final day for donations will be Sunday Dec. 18th. Thank you for your continued generosity!

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” C.S. Lewis St Isaac's Cathedral, St Petersburg, Russia.

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