WELCOME Whether you’re a registered parishioner or first-time visitor,

we hope you feel welcome. There are many ways to get involved. If you have any questions, please let one of our staff

members know or call the parish office at 253-630-0701

MISSION STATEMENT The Catholic Community of St. John the Baptist: Where stewardship is a way of life and the diversity of our gifts is used to answer Christ’s call to proclaim and live the Gospel.

Gather in God’s Name, Grow in God’s Time, Go in God’s Spirit

December 19, 2021

Fourth Sunday of Advent

THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

CONTACT INFORMATION Church/Office: Phone: 253-630-0701 25810 156th Ave SE, Covington, WA 98042 Instagram: @sjtbcovington Email: office@sjtbcc.org Website: https://sjtbcc.org/ (pages are updated weekly) Regular Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9 am - 4 pm Saturday, 10 am - 3 pm Word & Communion: Mon & Tues. 9 am Mass: Wed. 9 am, Thurs. 6:30 pm, Friday, 9 am Sat. 5:30 pm, Sun. 9 am,11:30 am and 5:30 pm Confession: Saturday at 4 pm Vigil mass live streamed Saturdays at 5:30 pm on Facebook. Recordings posted to website by 8 am Sunday

PARISH STAFF

Fr. Bill McKee Pastor ext 105 billm@sjtbcc.org

Administrative Assistant

Connie Tietz, ext 101 conniet@sjtbcc.org

Bookkeeper

Nancy Moore, ext 102 nancym@sjtbcc.org

Facility Steward

David Aldous, ext 114 davida@sjtbcc.org

Music Coordinator

Luis Diaz de Leon, ext 108 luisd@sjtbcc.org

Pastoral Asst. for Administration Kathy Wickward, ext 103 kathyw@sjtbcc.org

Pastoral Asst. for Faith Formation, RCIA

& Sacramental Prep

Joan Williamson, ext 109 joanw@sjtbcc.org

Pastoral Asst. for PreSchool/Elementary

Faith Formation

Therese McHenry, ext 123 theresem@sjtbcc.org

Pastoral Asst. for Liturgy & Pastoral Care

Laurie Moloney, ext 111 lauriem@sjtbcc.org

Pastoral Asst. for Social Outreach and Advocacy

Andrea Mendoza, ext 115 andream@sjtbcc.org

Pastoral Asst. for Stewardship & Evangelization

Anne Frederick, ext. 125 annef@sjtbcc.org

Pastoral Asst. for Youth Ministry 5-12 Chelsea Wilde, ext 110 chelseaw@sjtbcc.org

Love

Administrator’s Corner

Please pray for those who are sick : Jack Cully, Danny Thuringer, Kathy Dalseg, Frank & Mary Hammock, Connie Tietz, Grace Wickward, and Gina Howell Please pray for those who have died : Magdalena Escalona (mother of Peter Escalona) and Rex McKee (father of Fr. Bill McKee)

Simbang Gabi, which literally means “Night Mass”, is a nine-day novena of Masses practiced in the Philippines since the 17th century. This novena begins on December 16.

Our parish will be hosting two evenings. Thursday, December 16 at 6:30 PM and Saturday, December 18 at 5:30 PM. Part of the celebration often includes a procession of parols or star-shaped lanterns, which are also hung outside the windows of every home in the Philippines. The parol is meant to serve as a guiding light and sign for the Holy Family to enter into this home. It also represents the star of Bethlehem guiding the Magi to the Christ. Nearby parishes hosting Simbang Gabi Evening Masses: 12/18 St. John the Baptist, Covington 5:30 PM

12/19 St. Anthony, Renton 5:00 PM

12/20 St. Edward, South Seattle 6:00 PM

12/21 St. Bernadette, South Seattle 7:00 PM

12/22 St. Therese, Federal Way 5:00 PM

Saturday, December 18th, 2021 at 10 am in the Sanctuary

Individual confession, penance, and absolution will

follow the service.

Back in the day, the Church prescribed fasting and abstinence both for Lent and for the season of Advent. The Nativity fast was thought to prepare the soul for the coming of Jesus, along with the practice of confession and absolution. A priest friend of mine is participating in this Nativity fast and has encouraged his parishioners to do likewise. As English is not his first language, he sent me a copy of his Christmas message to his parish leadership to proofread (one of the many duties of administration), and I was struck by the image of fasting he paints with the following phrase: “Let your empty belly become the womb which holds Jesus close to your heart.” The mystics call this “the purgative way,” to empty ourselves of all worldly satisfaction to make room for Christ. Imagine, Mary held the Lord of Lords for nine months literally inches away from her own beating heart! This priest’s image of an empty stomach becoming a womb for Christ allows all of us - with barren wombs, with no wombs, with wombs who cannot yet bear children – all to bear Christ within, close to our hearts. Advent, perhaps incorrectly dubbed “The Christmas Season” in the secular world, can be an empty time for those of us experiencing loss and whose hearts ache with emptiness. It can be tempting to fill that space with temporary satisfactions. Let us instead fill them with the love of Jesus, and give birth to Christ in our midst. Submitted by: Kathy Wickward

Stewardship Envelopes $7,270.50

Stewardship, loose 2,305.93

Holy Days 346.00

Vigil Lights 39.50

St. Vincent de Paul 120.00

Mission Sunday 4.00

Missal Sales 45.00

Christmas Flowers 230.00

Giving Tree 25.00

Stipends/Intentions 1,080.00

Eucharist Bread Donation 14.00

Preschool Registration 35.00

Total $11,514.93

Stewardship

In his opening homily for the Synodal Process, Pope Francis stated, “The Gospels frequently show us Jesus ‘on a journey’; he walks alongside people and listens to the questions and concerns lurking in their hearts. He shows us that God

is not found in neat and orderly places, distant from reality, but walks ever at our side. He meets us where we are, on the often-rocky roads of life. Today, as we begin this synodal process, let us begin by asking ourselves – all of us, Pope, bishops, priests, religious and laity – whether we, the Christian community, embody this ‘style’ of God, who travels the paths of history and shares in the life of humanity. Are we prepared for the adventure of this journey? Or are we fearful of the unknown, preferring to take refuge in the usual excuses: ‘It’s useless’ or ‘We’ve always done it this way’? Celebrating a Synod means walking on the same road, walking together.” What a wonderful reflection for us to consider as we prepare to celebrate Christmas! As members of St. John the Baptist, how are we prepared to encounter Christ with one another during this holiday season? How do we share the blessings of Christ with our families and loved ones? How will each of us plan to engage in our upcoming parish listening sessions? Let’s pray for one another during this Holy Season of peace and joy that we will encourage, encounter, and accompany one another on the continuing journey of faith we are called to travel.

Let’s now begin to prepare to welcome God in this synodal process. You can do so by adding the following prayer before meals, with loved ones, and other times we gather in faith:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise. Submitted by Anne Frederick

Learn about your spe-cial talents and how to

share them with others!

New classes begin in January 2022

Strengths classes are four weeks in length. You can choose an in person day or an evening class via Zoom. For more information, con-

tact Anne Frederick at

253-630-0701 x 125 or

email at annef@sjtbcc.org

Thank you to all who have submitted a pledge card. Your contributions allow us to keep the lights on, fund staff

salaries, provide communication technology, music licenses, insurance, building and grounds maintenance, and so much more! Please take a moment commit to our mission of parish stewardship by filling out a pledge card at: https://sjtbcc.org/stewardship-of-treasure/pledge/

Our Stewardship goal: $1,300,000

As of December 9, 2021

Pledge amount (67.4%) $875,585

No. of pledges (36.9%) 434

No. of families 1,176

Avg. weekly pledge $38.80

Welcome Gathering

Have you joined St. John the Baptist this past year? We would love to welcome you and to get to know you! Father Bill is hosting a Zoom gathering on Sunday,

January 16 from 1:00 - 2:30 pm. Please join us! Contact Anne Frederick at the office (253) 630-0701 or email at annef@sjtbcc.org for more information and to RSVP.

Advent Reflection from the Archdiocese

2022 Calendars are here!

Pick up your copy in the narthex. Don’t forget to grab a copy of the Advent blue book while you’re there.

We are giving a huge THANKS to everyone in our St. John the Baptist Community, Hilltop Red Apple, Pack 506, and many, many more who contributed their time and/or re-sources to wrap around 510 families for Thanksgiving this year! With everyone’s help, we were able to provide meals to families through Catholic Community Services (Emergency Assistance, Katherine’s House, and Rita’s House), Children’s Home Society, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Kent School District (Covington, East Hill, Kent, Meadow Ridge, and Millennium); Kent Youth and Family Services, and our own St. Vincent de Paul. It truly could not have been done without everyone’s support! Here is a note of gratitude we received from the families at East Hill Elementary who benefitted from 20 meals

Fourth week of Advent: Be Still and Listen

The Virgin Mary exemplifies two essential aspects of the life of faith: the active and the contemplative. The Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Advent finds the newly pregnant Mary in full active mode, traveling “in haste” to the hill country to visit her relative Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist.

At the sound of Mary’s greeting, the infant in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy, and Elizabeth cries, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Mary believed because she heard, and she heard because she listened. She made time to listen for the voice of God in silent, contemplative prayer, and she listened for him in the events of her life, “reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).

Amid the bustle and excitement of these final days before Christmas, make time this week to sit in silence and listen for what God is saying to you.

Heads up! The Craft and Hobby Retreat on January 14 & 15 will feature a new format. We will meet from 9-5 each day and plan to collect hygiene articles to go into ditty bags for the Seattle Seafarer’s Center. Please contact Nancy Moore in the office for more information and to register.

This Week At Our Church

Monday, Dec. 20 Yoga 8 am Tuesday, Dec. 21 Word & Communion 9 am Stewardship & Evangelization 6:30 pm Wednesday, Dec. 22 Mass 9 am Children’s Christmas Rehearsal 4:00 pm Hispanic Adult Faith Formation, 6:45 pm Youth Group 7:00 pm Faith Formation Commission 7:00 pm Grief Ministry 7:00 pm Thursday, Dec. 23 OFFICE CLOSED Yoga, 8 am Mass 6:30 pm Friday, Dec. 24 OFFICE CLOSED Children’s mass 4:00 pm Christmas Mass 7:00 pm Christmas Mass 10:00 pm Saturday, Dec. 25 Mass 10:00 am Sunday, Dec. 26 Mass, 9 am,11:30 am and 5:30 pm

News From Our Neighbors

Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation St. Barbara Parish in Black Diamond, WA is seeking a Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation. The primary purpose of this position is to develop, implement, and direct Faith Formation Programs for children, youth, and adults, including Sacramental Preparation Programs, in collaboration with appropriate groups or individuals in the parish and/or region. The position offered is full time (32+ hours/week) with benefits in accord with Archdiocesan guidelines. Includes evening and some weekend work. Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter by email to paa@stbarbarachurch.org Position is open until filled.

Reconciliation service Dec. 18 – 10:00 am Simbang Gabi Dec. 18 – 5:30 pm Christmas Masses

Dec. 24 - 4:00 pm (Children’s Mass) Dec. 24 - 7:00 pm Dec. 24 - 10:00 pm Dec. 25 – 10:00 am

Holy Family Masses

No vigil Mass on Saturday, Christmas day Sunday Dec. 26 – 9:00 am 11:30 am 5:30 pm (Life Teen)

Mary, Mother of God Masses

Dec. 31 – 5:30 pm Jan. 1 – 10:00 am

Rachel’s Corner

Hope and Healing After Abortion

“I plead with you--never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” Pope John Paul II

Have a lack of hope and discouragement become part of who you are? Ever since the day of your loss due to abortion, have you wondered how you can keep facing each day? What would it be like to live free of that burden of shame? Call for a compassionate, confidential conversation, and find out how it has worked for others, and how it can be true for you as well. English: (206) 920-6413 Español: (206)-450-7814 Email projectrachel@ccsww.org Visit us at www.ccsww.org/projectrachel

or www.facebook.com/projectrachelww.

Project Rachel is a program of Catholic Community Services.

You are loved with an everlasting Love!