St. Gabriel the Archangel - St Gabriel Parish

ST. GABRIEL PARISH
Wherever I'm at, whether it be Crosslake, Minnesota, or
Bielstein, Germany - or in today's case, Fuchu, Japan - I always
start my week off with attending Mass. This was quite an
unusual experience: not only the weather (70) and the mode of
travel (train), but this is a country where Catholicism is a
distinct minority. The churches are far apart, and the one I
attended (Holy Family, Fuchu) is a rather small building in a
nondescript neighborhood. But the one thing that is the same is
that we are one church, a world church. In his homily reflecting
on Christ the King Sunday, the priest (from Italy) pointed out
that as a King, Christ does not assert power in a dominant sense,
but instead His rule is based on loving and serving others. So
this week I would like to focus on the Stewardship of Service.
From the Green Bay Diocese website:
STEWARDSHIP OF SERVICE
We believe that every person is a unique child of God. Each
one of us has been created with wonderful gifts to be used to
bring us joy and to serve each other. The Epistle of St. Peter
reminds us: “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve
another as good stewards of God’s varied graces.” (1Peter 4:10)
The call to a life of commitment and service comes to us
through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. The
Spirit empowers us to be Jesus in the world in our lifetime. If
you recall, Jesus came not to be served but to serve and as his
disciples, we want to imitate his life and his love.
To be a steward of service means that we gratefully name and
nurture our gifts. We then offer them to our Church and to the
world. With this in mind, we are called to reflect upon our
personal calendars and consider how we can best use our time
and our gifts.
Our Church offers unique opportunities to serve within our
parishes as well as promoting opportunities locally, nationally
and globally. We believe that through our service, our Church is
able to bring the love of Jesus to the world and to continue his
work on earth.
St. Gabriel has many opportunities to volunteer, on all levels. If
you would like more information on Stewardship or how you
can share your service, please contact me, Tom Knott, at 850-
8110 or der8110@aol.com)
Attention Parents, Due to the overwhelming response
TCCES had to our early enrollment last year, TCCES
is excited to offer an early enrollment incentive for
students entering kindergarten, 6th and 9th grades for the
2012-13 school year. Early enrollment will take place
between Nov. 21 and Dec. 21, 2011. This offer is being
extended to both existing TCCES students and new
students. Early enrollment allows you these benefits:
A deduction in your tuition of:
$100-Kindergarten $150- 6th Grade $200-9th Grade
Application of your $50 non-refundable registration fee
toward your tuition bill (typically this fee does not apply
towards your tuition). Call Jennifer Miller today at 722-
7796 or visit www.tcces.org for more information!
NEENAH
Yell to the Youth News &
Events for St. Gabriel Youth Ministry
The feast of Christ the King this past Sunday marks the
final week in our Liturgical Year (the calendar the Catholic
Church uses to time our different seasons). It means that
we celebrate our Catholic New Year today with the first
Sunday of Advent. When we think of our New Year in the
secular calendar, we may think of resolutions and changes
we’d like to make. Our faith life is no different. Listen to
the readings for these four weeks. We are called to prepare
the way of the Lord during Advent, to ready our hearts for
the coming of the long-awaited Savior!
At St. Gabriel Parish, we’d like to help you and your
family make this time of preparation even more meaningful
this year. Keep watching the weekly bulletin and website
for information on some ways to enrich your Christmas
experience. For example, you’ll read about the St. Gabriel
Advent Service Project, which collects baby care items for
Mother and Unborn Baby. Join us for the Advent Family
Activity on Monday, Nov. 28, or Wednesday, Nov. 30.
There are Holy Days and celebrations like the
Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 and Our Lady of
Guadalupe on Dec. 12. Don’t forget Fr. Larry’s Installation
Mass and the St. Nick Social on Sunday, Dec. 4, or the
communal Penance services on Monday & Wednesday,
Dec. 12 and 14. We even have Advent evening prayer
every Sunday at 6:00 pm.
You’ll find out about Operation Santa Claus, and the
Giving Tree. Looking for another way to serve that doesn’t
cost anything? Check with the parish office (722-4914) on
any help you can offer, perhaps by shoveling a parishioner’s
sidewalk or helping prepare for the Christmas Liturgies.
Grab a friend and ring bells for Salvation Army (734-3324
or www.safoxcities.org).
Some of you already know what a blessing it is to rise
above the hectic pace of these coming weeks. Our souls
yearn for the message that God has for each one of us
during this beautiful season. Be open to how God is
directing you to celebrate Jesus’ birth. You may be
pleasantly surprised at the sacred moment that gets your
attention. Maybe you’ll find it in an old carol heard with
new ears, or receiving an unexpected card or gift, or the
way you see your breath on a crisp December night, or the
delicate beauty of a snowflake that’s as unique as you are.
God wants to have a word with you.
Come, Lord Jesus!
For any event, information or suggestions, contact Steve at
spable@tcces.k12.wi.us or 725-0660.
FREE ministry to traveling Catholics. For nationwide
Mass times and locations visit www.masstimes.org
Scrip Tip!
Taco Bell gift cards in $10 denominations and Buffalo
Wild Wings gift cards in $25 denominations are now
available for orders only. Pick up an order form at the Scrip
table after Mass and buy or order Scrip today!
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