Advent III – Gaudete


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With a shrine to our Lady of Guadeloupe in the foreground, you can see the altar decorated with rose-colored trimmings for Gaudete Sunday.

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St. Nicholas visited the children after Mass last Sunday, in commemoration of the day’s feast.
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Daily Sermons
December 7 – Bp. Dolan – All for God
December 8 – Bp. Dolan – God Gets a Gift
December 9 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Imitation of Mary Keeps Us Holy
December 10 – Fr. Lehtoranta – The Humble House of Loretto
December 11 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Haily Mary in the Bible
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zelusdomustuae
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Rejoice with us today as we break out the old rose vest-ments for joy at coming Christmas. Our redemption is at hand. Speaking of hands we could use one for the altar at this so busy time, since we are down one sacristan. Ironing, decorating, even just a little cleaning could all be such a help. Give to Him Who gives to us all.

How is your Advent coming? This year’s is about as long as possible, so long for Jesus through Mary to come and save you. Although Advent is a time of penance, there are so many beautiful feasts you wouldn’t think so. Many of you came for the Holy Day, some at considerable sacrifice. It was another fine, sunny day for Mary Immaculate. The early workers’ Mass was popular. The High Mass was beautifully sung and served by our young people, and the day ended with Vespers (barely! Sore throats), Rosary and Benediction, making a lovely Holy Hour Vigil for the last Mass. (The city was not surpliced in white for the feast.)

Fr. McKenna departed for Spokane in time for yesterday’s feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the northern missions, and Fr. McGuire returns from Milwaukee today. Fr. Lehtoranta had a terrible time with flights for last Sunday’s visit to Louisiana, and only made it back on Monday afternoon. It was quite the weekend with illness and travel and Darlene’s emergency. Still, everything was functioning very well for Tuesday’s Holy Day.

I wish I could say the same for Brendan’s traps. The wily raccoons have outsmarted him again. The score is Raccoons II, 18 I. Different parishioners have given helpful hints of a variety of foods such as would draw a raccoon, but the trap remains empty, and the church is filling up with our cute but destructive guests. 18 (soon to turn 19 on the 18th) says he found their entranceway this summer, but it was never closed off. Winter Games at St. Gertrude the Great.

God bless you for a most unwintry Advent. Plug the holes of your soul, and seek out some sunny silence to prepare a place of honor for the Infant King. Remember three days worth of fasting this week for the Advent Ember Days and one final Rorate Mass for Saturday.
Come Lord Jesus!

-Bishop Dolan