www.saintmichaelparish.org

MASS TIMES: (Check page 2 for changes)

Downtown: 1055 Boundary St. SE

Monday - Thursday: Noon Friday & Saturday: 9am Saturday Vigil: 5pm, Sunday: 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30am, 5pm

Westside Chapel: 1835 Overhulse Rd. NW

Thursday (1st & 3rd): 6:30am Sunday: 8:30am, 10:30am 2nd Sunday: 1:30pm (Vietnamese)

RECONCILIATION TIMES: Thursday: 11am Saturday: 9:45am, 3pm

PASTOR: Fr. Jim Lee PAROCHIAL VICAR: Fr. Cody Ross DEACONS: Rob Rensel Ronnie San Nicolas John BergfordGreg Snyder - Seminarian

Saint Michael ParishOlympia, WA

PARISH OFFICE (360) 754-4667 1208 11th Ave. SE, Olympia 98501

CALVARY CEMETERY ext. 138 3850 Cleveland Ave., Tumwater 98501

ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL (360) 754-5131

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY Mon, Wed, Fri 1-3pm (360) 352-7554

CLOTHING BANK Tues & Sat 9-11am, Thur. 6:30-8pm

PREGNANCY AID (360) 956-7413 M, T, Th, Fri 2-4pm, Wed. 9am-Noon

ST. MIKE’S TIKES (360) 586-1585

OUR MISSION IS TO PLACE GOD FIRST IN ALL THINGS, TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, AND TO GROW IN HOLINESS THROUGH PRAYER, SACRAMENTS, AND SERVICE.

HIGHLIGHTS

Pastor’s Notebook...................................................................................................................1

Children's Content on FORMED...................................................................................3

Advent Morning of Reflection.......................................................................................4

Anointing of the Sick............................................................................................................4

Family Holy Hour.....................................................................................................................6

Fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe..............................................................................6

Christmas Potluck...................................................................................................................7

Shoulder to Shoulder Ministry......................................................................................8

Mercy Reigns: Retreat Reflections............................................................................9

December 4, 2016 Second Sunday of Advent

Repent, prepare the way of the Lord.Matthew 3:1-12

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DECEMBER 4, 2016 - SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

The first week of Advent has already passed. Maybe you, like me are wondering, “How did that happen so fast?” So much happens every day. For many of us, our lives are filled to the brim with family, work, school, activities, meetings, other activities, volunteering, etc. until we find ourselves exhausted at the end of the day.

Advent is a special season of the Church year to help us slow down in the midst of the whirl of activities that our culture expects of us in these days before Christmas. I offer a few reflections from Patricia Sanchez and Rafael Alonso that I hope you find helpful for your Advent Journey.

“Advent speaks to the heart of who we are, pilgrims on the way, companions on the journey, fellow explorers, always making our

way toward God, yet also a people in waiting and hope, knowing that our journey will end only when God intends that it will. Until then, we join together in passionate anticipation of what God has in store."

“The word advent is derived from the Latin ad (to) and venire (come) and adventus (arrival). In order to celebrate both aspects, the first two weeks of Advent focus on Christ’s final appearance among humankind, while the last two Sundays draw attention to Jesus’ first appearance in the flesh. In remembering one appearance, we prepare worthily for the other yet to come."

“As the first season in the liturgical year, Advent engages believers in a process of growth and is intended to be a transformational experience." As Fr. Henri Nouwen wrote in Eternal Seasons, ‘The liturgical year, beginning with Advent, engages believers to hear and acquiesce to an entirely different rhythm than the world. It is a journey from chronos, the chronological world of clocks and calendars, to kairos, time viewed as opportunity or encounter. Kairos is the fullness of time, that time made sacred and full by Jesus Christ; it is a time for welcoming in the Christ and allowing him to come to birth in us and in our world."

“Therefore, while some may be caught up with shopping, parties, gifts and decorations, Advent believers appreci-ate, enjoy and then see beyond the secular accouterments of the season and find joy and hope in the Christ who is being revealed among us each day. Jesus Christ is Son of God, Lord of All, Hope of the Hopeless, Joy of the Sorrowing, Healer of Hearts, Lover of Sinners and Forgiver of All. This is the God, the Christ whom we are to bring forth to the world, as Mary did.”

This Advent season also brings changes on our parish staff. Laura Patron, who has been our parish receptionist, will be taking over as Administrative Assistant for Faith Formation when Mary-Jo Kelley retires at the end of the month. Erica Peterson, the music teacher at St. Michael School, is the new Life Teen Band director. She brings her extensive background in worship and music to our dedicated group of musicians and singers. We are grateful to them all for their ministry. Also, keep in your prayers some other staffing changes that we are presently working on.

Lastly, if you miss my homily this Sunday concerning the integration of our Parish Vision 2026 and our Building Committee recommendations, please take time to check out our parish website or app for a copy of my remarks.

Blessings on your Advent journey,

PASTOR’S NOTEBOOK

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Bill & Janis GranvilleSharon DovellGene Putscher Pat O’Neill Giorgio BresdaJessica & Justin Spurrier The Patten FamilyPatricia Benedict Janet Schwarz Doug HolcombJackson SteeleJoey Lynn BenckMarthaDebbie PierceyRick Kunkle LaFond Family Adderley Family Arlene Cooper Theresa Nye Cindy Lambert Maryann MorrisOde JohnsenJeanette NielsonRick SlenesLeon GrahamRachel HoAveryDon Alder Hilary Borngesser The O’Sullivan Family Michael Petrino Nancy CosgroveStanBarbara Jean Smith Janette Akehurst Chi & Lan Nguyen’s Family Olivia CaseyArt G.Shane SampsonChristin BergeronJoy Foy

Ken Spiels ZanetaPatty LeiningerKarla BlandAvery ShawverTami GrantRobert KellyTeresa Labouff family Billy HyltonTonya HyltonShirley Hylton Theresa Hylton Natalia ShtirbuMarianna JarrettGeri Wiskirken Constance PatnudeJanice Putnam Rosanne BurnsThe Riley Family Susan Josephine Malinao Mary Anderson Jim & Sue Anderson Dan Damian Sr. Martin Barkis Cara & Brian Barkis Nancy Leone Carmen McHugh James Anderson Brandon and LandyMarva Lamb Bruce Sherman Bruce & Betty DavidsonBob HainesBruce TaylorNemi WrightEileen HoodJilsonPrescott FamilyGeorge KollDave PulaskiJohn McKillipRobert BrownLarry Ross

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

12/05 MONDAY

9am - Les Janz U

12/06 TUESDAY

12Noon - Linda Hazen

12/07 WEDNESDAY

12Noon - Living & Deceased Members of the Altar Society

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12/08 THURSDAY

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

9am - Roslyn White U

12Noon Dominador Villanueva Sr. U

5:30pm Vince & Jane,The Eusterman Family

12/09 FRIDAY

9:00am - Patrick Gulden U

12/10 SATURDAY

9:00am - Dennis Williams U

5:00pm - Pura Jorge U

12/11 SUNDAY Third Sunday of Advent

7:30am - Vila Narozonick U

8:30am - Art Mulka U Westside

9:30am - Medard Hoa Le U

10:30am - Gregory Roger Miller U Westside

11:30am - Jeannine Allen U

5:00pm - People of St. Michael Parish

MASS SCHEDULE & INTENTIONS

To submit prayer requests, call the Parish Office at (360) 754-4667 or submit your request via our website under the Contact menu.

If you or someone you know is homebound and wishes to receive Holy Communion, please call: Benedetta Reece at (360) 292-7143 or Dcn. Terry Barber at Sacred Heart Parish at (360) 491-0890.

*We offer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick as well as the blessing of religious articles at the 9am Mass on the first Saturday of every month.

INCENSE SCHEDULEIncense will be used on Thursday, December 8 at the 5:30pm Mass in celebration of the Immacculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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CHILDREN'S CONTENT NOW AVAILABLE! Your children will love the new content for them on FORMED: programs, ebooks, movies, and talks that will entertain, engage, and inspire them with the beauty and wonder of their faith. Kristoph and the First Christmas Tree

Based on an ancient legend, Kristoph and the First Christmas Tree is a video production drawn from the family-friendly story written by children’s author Claudia Cangilla McAdam and illustrated by Dave Hill.

It’s Christmas Eve in the year 722, and the young orphan Kristoph is accompanying the missionary priest Boniface through the German countryside on their way to the first Christmas the boy will celebrate outside the orphanage. They are hurrying to reach the next village by nightfall when they come upon a group of men worshiping a sacred oak tree and preparing to sacrifice the son of the village chieftain.

What happens next recalls the legend of how evergreen trees became part of the celebration of Christmas. This story beautifully retells an incident from the life of St. Boniface, the martyr who became the patron saint of Germany.

give

Because of your faithful stewardship, every parishioner can experience hundreds of hours of viewing, reading, and listening to the best Catholic content. Enrich your life and bless your family—sign up and begin using FORMED today!

GO TO: WWW.FORMED.ORG ENTER OUR PARISH CODE: V6GRWQ

IT'S NOT TOO LATE to prayerfully consider your planned,

proportionate and joyful financial commitment to SMP this year. Re-turn your pledge card or submit it

online at our website!

STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE

Pastoral Year 2016-2017Donations Received as of November 27, 2016

Sunday Stewardship $31,934

Online Giving $19,369

Sunday Loose Donations $1,567

Holy Days $7

Youth (Little House) $ 9 8

Total Offertory Collection Received $52,975

Year to Date Received $1,255,303

Total Donations Needed $1,229,096

Ahead of Goal $26,207

STEWARDSHIP

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HOMEBOUND AND WISHING TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION?Do you know someone who is tempo-rarily or permanently homebound? Are you yourself homebound and unable to attend Mass? Please call Bene Reece at (360) 292-7143 to receive Holy Communion.

If you are interested in receiving the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, please call the office at (360-754-4667) to schedule a visit from a priest.

If it is not an emergency, please call the office in advance. If it is an emer-gency and it is after office hours, please leave a message with your name and number on our emergency line and you will be called as soon as possible.

Contact: Bene Reece (360) 292-7143 breece@saintmichaelparish.org

ANOINTING OF THE SICKIn the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and some-times even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to con-quer sin and death by his dying and rising. The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.

When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit's gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.

Please call the parish office at (360) 754-4667 for more information.

ADVENT MORNING OF REFLECTIONThe Art of Discipleship

Saturday, Dec. 10, 10am to 12noon

Downtown Church

Take a morning away from the hustle and bustle to feed your soul this Advent. Sr. Gertrude Feick O.S.B. has been invited to present a morning of reflection.

Sr. Gertrude Feick, OSB, a Benedictine Sister of Mt. Angel, Oregon, serves as Executive Director of the Benedictine Institute at Saint Martin's University, Lacey. She holds a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Rome, Italy.

All are welcome. Bring a spouse or a friend!

Contact: Michelle Clinton (360) 292-7111 mclinton @saintmichaelparish.org

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ST. VINCENT DE PAUL COLLECTIONSaturday, December 10 & Sunday, December 11 at all Masses

Without you the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Olympia could not happen. Your dona-tions help people to stay in their homes and maintain their medical prescriptions. There will be a collection for St. Vincent's after all Masses next week. Donations can also be delivered directly to St. Vincent's during office hours 1:00-3:00pm, on Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Thank you for your generous and prayerful support.

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HAPPENINGS

SMP ADVENT CONCERTFriday, December 16 at 7pm at the Downtown Church

Join us for an evening of Advent music!

The Parishioners in our Music Ministries have been hard at work preparing an array of musical selections. All are welcome to attend and we guarantee that you'll walk away filled with the joy and warmth of the Advent Season.

SIMBANG GABISunday, December 18 at the 11:30am Mass

Saint Michael Parish will host a Simbang Gabi to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as she prayerfully awaits the birth of Christ. Like Mary, we wish to prepare a spiritual place for Jesus.

Sacred Heart Choir will sing the music in Tagalog.

Contact: Leovy Cabrera • (360) 357-6876

NEW TO THE PARISH?Sunday, December 18 after the 9:30am Mass

Join us for our monthly Orientation!

Join your hosts, Mike and Sharon Rushing, by the baptismal font immediately following Mass. You’ll be treated to a tour of our facilities and a meet & greet with Fr. Jim. Staff will also be available to answer any questions you might have. Welcome to our parish family - we can’t wait to meet you!

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAININGTuesday, December 13 at 1:30pm in Parish Center Room 7

To sign up for the class, Protecting God's Children, please visit www.virtusonline.org. For further assistance, please call the parish office.

Contact: Annelise O'Neill • (360) 292-7141 • aoneill@saintmichaelparish.org

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SMALL GROUPS — WEEK 5 — CONNECTThis week Fr. Jim asks us if we, like John the Baptist, have ever wondered if Jesus is "the One". Do we sometimes wonder if we can really trust Jesus, really give ourselves to Him? He encourages us to not be afraid to become vulner-able to Jesus and others. Reach out to share and connect. We encounter Christ more fully when we share that experi-ence with others!

If you were unable to join the 300+ parishioners preparing for Advent in small groups, you can follow along by using the reflection sheets and Fr. Jim/Fr. Cody's videos post-ed on the website at saintmichaelparish.org/learn/small groups. Click on “Resources”.

Contact: Michaela Moreau • smp.smallgroups@gmail.com

CHRISTMAS EVE REENACTMENTTell the good news!

Help share the Gospel at 5PM Christmas Eve Mass in a Gospel reenactment. This is a yearly SMP tradition that is open to children ages Kindergarten through 5th grade.

Rehearsals: Dec. 12, 13, 19 6:30-8pm

Dress Rehearsal: Dec. 20, 6:30-8:30pm

Contact: Leanne Bergford • (360) 292-7112 lbergford@saintmichaelparish.org

FIESTA DE LA VIRGEN DE GUADALUPELa Parroquia de St. Michael extiende una cordial invitación a toda la comunidad a la celebración de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Madre de las Américas, que está programada el lunes día 12 de diciembre en la parroquia localizada en 1208 11th Ave. SE, en Olympia. Las Mañanitas y el Rezo del Santo Rosario empiezan a las 6:00 de la mañana y la Santa Misa Solemne a las 7 a.m. con el P. Justin McCreedy y el Diácono Arturo Ramírez. Vengan a compartir en esta pre-ciosa fiesta de la Virgen donde nos acompañaran mariachis y cantantes con piñatas para los niños. Se les invita a una recepción al final de la Misa patrocinada por la comunidad Hispana. Para mayor información, llamen a Elizabeth Lyons a la Parroquia St. Michael (360) 754.4667 o a Jane Villanueva, (360) 489.0895.

FAMILY HOLY HOURCome and pray as a family during Advent as we prepare for Jesus' coming at Christmas. The monthly family holy hour will be held on Sunday, December 11, 2016 from 2:15pm- 3:15pm at the Downtown Saint Joseph Chapel. The family holy hour includes Eucharistic adoration, benediction, and the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Contact: Deacon Ronnie San Nicolas • (360) 250-6626

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CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S BIBLESA new shipment of St. Mary’s Press Catholic Children’s Bibles and custom zippered Bible covers are now avail-able at the parish office!

This is a full text Bible in a translation accessible to children. It features 125, 2 page, illustrated stories from both the Old and New Testaments that outline the whole of salvation history. Unique color coded navigational aids give children, even non-readers, the opportunity to locate passages by chapter and verse. Pick up a copy for your children or grandchildren today! Suggested donation: Bible $20, Cover $5

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CLOTHING BANKWinter is just around the corner! St. Vincent DePaul Clothing Bank is seeking donations of new or gently used warm winter clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, and coats. Also, new socks and under-wear are always especially appreciated. Kitchen items and cookware are also in short supply. Donation Receipts are available inside the donation shed located in the upper parking lot, ground floor level of the Rectory building. Thank you for your continuous generosity!

Contact: St. Vincent de Paul Office (360) 352-7554

THURSTON COUNTY COOKIE & SOCKS DRIVESaint Michael Parish is collecting cookies and white gym socks for incar-cerated inmates in Thurston County Jails. Donations will be accepted at the parish office from Dec.11 – Dec. 15.

Contact: Bene Reece (360) 292-7143 breece@saintmichaelparish.org

ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL 5TH GRADE CHRISTMAS WREATH SALESUPDATE: This weekend, December 3 & 4, is the last weekend to purchase Christmas door wreaths.

These hand-made, noble fir wreaths are constructed of the freshest evergreens in the Northwest!! For the 27th year, the wreaths were made locally by Nisqually Farm.

Thank you to everyone who has already ordered or purchased a wreath. We are so grateful for your continued support.

All proceeds/donations go towards the 5th grade class trip to attend the Shakespearean Festival in Ashland, OR in June 2017.

www.saintmichaelparish.org

SHOULDER TO SHOULDERHow many times have we heard Fr. Jim marvel at the generosity of St. Michael parishioners? We are blessed to be a family of families who truly care about one another.

That spirit of generosity is clearly demonstrated in the Shoulder to Shoulder ministry which was crafted by Fr. Jim at the height of the recent recession. He used the rebate from the Annual Catholic Appeal to create a special fund to help parishioners who were struggling financially. Parishioners have continued to donate to the fund, allowing the Shoulder ministry to continue.

Here’s how it works: Parishioners who find themselves in a financial crisis complete a confidential application that is screened by a committee of parishioners who, in turn, make a funding recommendation to Fr. Jim. If approved, the parish issues a check directly to the service provider, not the applicant.

Shoulder to Shoulder dollars paid to replace a leaking roof that had resulted in mold which, in turn, seriously jeopardized the health of a parishioner and her disabled child. Another time Shoulder funds were used to repair a van that was used as the only source of income for a parish family. Contributions have been used to pay unanticipated medical and utility bills. In some cases after an unexpected job loss, Shoulder dollars have paid the rent to keep families from homelessness.

Applications are available on the church website or at the Good News stand. Parishioners who submit an application know that their information will be anonymous and held in strict confidence.

Are you facing a financial emergency with nowhere else to turn? If so, consider filing a Shoulder to Shoulder application. Through their generosity, your church family is here for you.

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CHRISTMAS GIVING AT SMPGift Tag Selection Weekends: Dec. 3/4 & Dec. 10/11

Gift Collection Due Dates: Dec. 17/18

Saint Michael Parish is participating in the Christmas Giving program again this year!

Our support for the children of the Tumwater School District started at the Southside in 1995 and moved to the Westside in 2003. Since then, the people attending the 8:30am and 10:30am Masses have provided gifts for about 120 children from low income families each year.

Downtown the Christmas Giving gift tags support St. Mike's Tikes, Drexel House residents, and Catholic Community Services clients.

This year the gift tags will be available for pickup the week-ends of November 26/27 and on December 3/4. Each tag will list the recipient's gender and age and a "wish list" of one to three gifts. Please choose a tag and purchase one or more of

the gifts on the wish list. Return the unwrapped gift(s), with the original gift tag securely attached, to the same SMP campus that you picked up the tag. Since the Downtown and Westside campuses support different organizations, it is very important that the gifts are returned to the same place that the gift tag came from. All gifts must be brought to the Christmas Giving display or to the Westside chapel by Sunday, December 11, so that they can be gathered and distributed in time for Christmas.

Many thanks to those of you who have participated in past years. We look forward to your continued generosity this year.

UPDATE: There is a bigger need than ever this year. Over 200 gift requests were submitted. Please prayerfully consider being a part of this beautiful Christmas tradition at SMP.

Contact: Bene Reece • (360) 292-7143 • breece@saintmichaelparish.org

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Two weekends ago over 125 youth from our high school and middle school programs went on retreat. It is always a blessing to spend this time with them and watch Jesus comes alive in their lives. These weekends are a wonderful mixture of fun, fellowship, engaging talks and prayer. This year for the high school teens we decided to end the retreat with a commitment to Christ. This was an invitation to the teens to stand up and make a public commitment to follow Jesus. Publicly professing your faith and desire to be in relationship with Jesus is not an easy thing for many teens to do, so we expected a hand full of teens to respond to the invitation. As we invited the teens to stand up, the unexpected happened; all but two stood and prayed a prayer of commit-ment and love to our Lord. It was beautiful things to witness. Teens standing up for Christ! Teens making public their longing to know God! Thank you Jesus! After we finished the prayer, we invited the teens to come up and give witness to how they encountered Christ over the course of the weekend. One after another they began to come up and share their story and this went on for over an hour and a half. As I listened to them share of God's love, I was reminded that this is the reason Life Teen and Edge exist in our parish, to lead teens closer to Christ. This is always our hope and prayer. As we now reflect on the many blessings given to us during this weekend retreat, we want to thank God for His unfailing love and continual pursuit of all of us. We want to thank Him for his faithfulness and the gift we have in Jesus. Thank

you God for Your merciful love! -Chris Peterson

I realized how powerful prayers really are when I prayed in our ado-ration. I had a great time and I think everyone should go on a retreat. It has deepend my faith in God.

-Mariah

The best part about this week-end was adoration. It was just so tranquil and holy. I've learned so much, but I'll just say one thing: God will love me no matter what.

-Marianna

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Mercy reigns: retreat reflections

Rachel Yabut, Steward for EDGE and Middle School Ministry (360) 292-7137 ryabut@saintmichaelparish.org

Chris Peterson, Steward for Faith Formation and Life Teen (360) 292-7106 cpeterson@saintmichaelparish.org

YOUTH MINISTRY

LIFE NIGHT

TONIGHT:The Greatest Story Ever Told - Salvation History

NEXT WEEK:

Life of Grace

EDGE NIGHT

TONIGHT:Can I Get An Amen?

NEXT WEEK:The Pursuit of Happiness