Faith Formation Family News December 3, 2013

CONTENTS: * “The Little Ones” Cartoon *

1. Faith Formation This Coming Sunday, December 8 2. How You Can Get One of Our New Parish Photo Directories 3. Faith Formation Calendar for the Next Few Weeks

A Change to the Sunday Evening FAITH FORMATION CALENDAR Please note!

4. Prayers for Advent

Blessing of an Advent Wreath

A Child’s Prayer While Lighting the Advent Candle

A Prayer About Shopping During Advent 5. Articles for Parents from At Home with Our Faith

O Come Let Us Get Ready

6. Here’s Your Chance to Help Out in Our Parish St. Gabriel’s Christmas Tree Lot – Opens this Saturday

St. Gabriel’s Golden Age Christmas Party – Saturday, Dec. 7 Service Project Opportunity!

Providing Meals for the Visiting N.E.T. Retreat Team

7. Rediscover:Faith Is there really any true right or wrong? How can I know?

8. News from The Catholic Spirit Including Movie Reviews for FROZEN and BLACK NATIVITY

9. Waiting Is an Art: A One-Minute Meditation 10. Three from Pope Francis

Papal Prayer Intentions for December

The 5 Finger Prayer of Pope Francis

Pope Francis on “Joy of the Gospel”

11. Videos with a Message Grateful For It All

Exquisite Church Ceilings

This Sick Little Boy Gets the Most Heartwarming Tribute

The Innovation of Loneliness

Fifth Grade Football Team Stands Up for Bullied Waterboy Watch with your kids!

Son of God (Coming in February)

20 Things We Should Really Say More Often

The Second Week of Advent

And at the end of this email . . . . 12. Why Can’t We Be Friends?

1. FAITH FORMATION THIS COMING SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8.

SUNDAY MORNING PRESCHOOL During the 10:30am Mass at the St. John’s Campus, for 3 & 4 year-olds and kindergartners.

SUNDAY EVENING FAITH FORMATION 6:00 to 7:30pm at the St. John’s Campus for Grades 1 – 9.

First Reconciliation is tonight for our 2nd graders and all others who have prepared for this.

No 2YC tonight – due to this weekend’s retreat.

2. HOW YOU CAN GET ONE OF OUR NEW PARISH PHOTO DIRECTORIES

DID YOU HAVE YOUR PHOTO TAKEN OR SUBMIT A PHOTO FOR THE DIRECTORY?

Then you can pick up their directory after Masses this weekend (one per household)

or come to the Parish Office during the week.

IF YOU DID NOT SUBMIT A PHOTO OR HAVE ONE TAKEN:

You can still pick up a directory. We ask if you can first submit a photo to be

included in our 2014 update. You can e-mail a digital copy to

receptionistchurch@stgabrielhopkins.org, or drop if off at the parish office to have

it scanned.

WHY WE WANT A COMPLETE PHOTO DIRECTORY

If you’re like me, you have a hard time remembering names, and the Parish Photo

Directory will be a huge help to me in that regard.

3. FAITH FORMATION CALENDAR FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS:

All at the St. John’s campus:

December 8 Sessions resume (Also, First Confession for Grade 2 and other preparing at 6pm in Church.)

15 Final Session before Christmas Break 22 NO FAITH FORMATION (Christmas Break) 29 NO FAITH FORMATION (Christmas Break) January 5 Sessions resume - still at St. John’s campus

A CHANGE TO THE SUNDAY EVENING FAITH FORMATION CALENDAR

Faith Formation will NOT move to the St. Joseph’s Campus this winter. Over the last two years, we have had our Fall semester of sessions at the St. John’s campus, and the Winter-Spring Semester at the St. Joseph’s campus. The reasons for this were:

o To be equally fair to families who have their roots in each of the parishes. o To keep a “children’s program presence” at both campuses. o To take advantage of the building resources of both our campuses.

This year, I have decided for practical reasons that we will continue the remainder of this school year at the St. John’s campus, and NOT make the mid-year switch to the St. Joseph’s campus. The circumstances that is at the basis of this decision are:

o The fact that St. John’s school is vacant this year makes it so much easier to set up classroom space, and not have to negotiate space needs with the day school teachers.

o The fact that the Faith Formation Department has lost its paid secretarial help has put a bit more stress on me to arrange for volunteer assistance in that area (which has been going quite well, by the way – but still Louise was a major player in helping with the mid-year move).

I have not made this decision lightly. It is simply to take the best advantage of the

current situation – the plan is to go back to the standard sharing of campuses next year. And depending on how the rental of school campuses plays out, we might well be starting our Fall Semester at the St. Joseph’s campus next year.

I appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this decision. Please contact me

with any questions or suggestions. THANK YOU.

The Calendar for the entire year is here: http://storage.cloversites.com/stgabrielthearchangelcatholicchurch/documents/2013-

2014%20Faith%20Formation%20Calendar%209.12.pdf .

4. PRAYERS FOR ADVENT

Blessing of an Advent Wreath

Lord God, your Church joyfully awaits the coming of its Savior,

who enlightens our hearts and dispels the darkness of ignorance and sin. Pour forth your blessings upon us as we light the candles of this wreath; may their light reflect the splendor of Christ, who is Lord, for ever and ever.

Amen.

[Book of Blessings]

A Child’s Prayer While Lighting the Advent Candle

O God, as light comes from this candle,

may he blessing of Jesus Christ come to us warming our hearts and brightening our way. May Christ our Savior bring life into the darkness of this world, and to us, as we wait for his coming.

Amen.

[Blessings and Prayers for Home and Family]

A Prayer about Shopping during Advent

Dear God,

as I look through my gift shopping list, I hold up to you each person listed on it. Slowly, one by one, I ask that the fire of your abundant love burn within each of them. I pray that the gift I find for each person will bring joy into that life. But, help me to keep a balance this season, Lord. Let me keep my buying in perspective, not to spend more than I need to or can afford. Let me not give in to the pressures of this world and not equate love with money spent. Let me always remember the many, many people who have so much less in material things. Help me to buy wisely, so that my choices will not burden

those in other countries who are so deeply affected by this country's economy. And finally, loving God, help me to find time in the frantic moments of each day to become centered on you. Walking through a store, riding on the bus, hurrying down a street: let each of these times be moments when I can remember your incredible love for me and rejoice in it.

Amen.

5. AN ARTICLE FOR PARENTS from

O COME LET US GET READY

Dealing with: Resisting the expanding cult of “Commercial Christmas” so we can

experience Advent.

Use Advent traditions at home to prepare the family for the spiritual

meaning of Christmas.

Jamie and Carol and their four children, ages 9 to 15, try to avoid looking at any

Christmas decorations before Advent begins. It’s a playful practice with a deeper

meaning.

“We love to shop, and our favorite store hangs up their Christmas decorations in

September,” Carol says. “We actually turn our heads, hold up our hands to shield our

eyes, and say, ‘Don’t look! It’s not even Advent yet.’ ”

The yearly ritual leads to giggling, but Carol says it has also provided the opportunity to

talk about faith more frequently. “It’s instilled in the kids that the secular celebration of

Christmas is really different from what we recognize with the four weeks of Advent.”

Advent is a season of preparation, of getting our minds and souls to a place of

readiness to be able to fully enter into our celebration of Emmanuel, God with us.

How do we prepare children and teens for Christmas? To better answer this question,

let’s look at what our children need as we prepare them for any event of significance:

time to talk and process, a familiar ritual, and a sense that those they love are with

them as the event approaches.

Brigid and Bob, parents of four, are preparing their

children for the death of a family friend who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

They have given their kids the basic facts about the illness, and the couple has been

careful to allow time for more discussion.

“We have asked them, ‘What will you need to do so that you have peace in your heart

when our friend dies?’ ” Brigid explains.

She has found that this question has led her children to take some actions they might

not otherwise have thought of—to make a card, call the friend, or visit.

That simple question can help children prepare for any upcoming event, whether tragic

or joyful. What will you need to do so that you have peace in your heart when Jesus

comes on Christmas? Listen to your child’s answer, and see where it leads.

Professional athletes and kids in soccer leagues understand

the importance of ritual before a game. The repetition and familiarity of putting on the

uniform, warming up, huddling for the team meeting, and reciting the team chant give

comfort in the face of the uncertainty of what the game will bring.

If rituals before a sports event are meaningful to us, consider how much more

important they must be for a faith event. The coming of Jesus is life-changing and

transformative. Settling down with a ritual in the weeks leading to Christmas can help

us to truly welcome the disruption that being a follower of Christ can cause.

Lighting the candles of the Advent wreath and reading a special prayer will help remind

the whole family that something important is on its way.

Children’s first understanding of God usually springs from the

relationship they have with their parents. Adults who have a view of God as harsh and

judgmental often come from homes where one or both parents took this role.

Conversely, parents can teach, through their own actions, the concept of Christ as a

loving healer, as a forgiver, as one who leads people to act with justice.

Preparing children for Christmas is an opportunity for parents to be more intentional

about how they spend time with their kids.

To Maria, mother of two teens, that means letting go of worries about the past and

future so as to be truly present to her children. “We need to pull our heads from the

useless regret and anxiety of a past we can’t change,” she says. “We need to dislodge

our obsession with the future by being present to what God is either asking of us or

giving to us now.”

By Annemarie Scobey, from the pages of At Home with Our Faith, Claretian Publications’ print newsletter for parents on nurturing spirituality in the home. Winner of the Best in Class award in 2013 from the Associated Church Press, as well as a First Place General Excellence award from the Catholic Press Association for the past four years running.

6. HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO HELP

OUT IN OUR PARISH

ST. GABRIEL’S CHRISTMAS TREE

LOT

Join the Knights of Columbus at St. Joseph campus every

Saturday and Sunday from November 30 through December

15, for our annual Christmas Tree Lot. Our trees come from

Wolcyn Tree Farms in northern Minnesota, an award winner for

Christmas trees at this year's Minnesota State Fair. All proceeds

support our parish Knights of Columbus council. Pre-orders are

available. Bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the food

shelf and receive $5.00 off! Contact Geoff Stankevitz at

geoff.stankevitz@gmail.com or (612) 490-7445) for more

information.

Advantages of being a customer:

o Get a good quality Christmas tree.

o Help our local Knights of Columbus organization.

Advantages of volunteering:

o St. Joseph’s School is available as a warming house.

o They’ll have a fire-pit and campfire going.

o Great fellowship, Christmas treats & warm beverages.

o All in all - a fun event to work! Click here to sign up online. TEENS & ADULTS welcome:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Akl4Y42-

qWdBdGN6YXhrUmJkZmdkMy1sYTVrV3RreVE&usp=sharing

GOLDEN AGE CHRISTMAS PARTYMost of you aren’t golden agers (just wait – you’ll catch up to me soon enough!), but maybe you’d like to volunteer to help at this event! St. Gabriel’s Church invites all senior citizens to the Golden Age Christmas Party on Saturday, December 7 from 11:00am to 2:00pm in the social hall at St. Joseph’s campus. Please call Myra at (952) 938-1293 to volunteer by this Friday.

Providing Meals for the Visiting N.E.T. Retreat Team: (Friday or Saturday Nights)

The “Traveling” NET Team that is leading our 2nd Year Confirmation Retreat this Saturday will be staying overnight at our two St. Gabriel’s Rectories (the women at the St. Joseph campus rectory and the men at the St. John’s campus rectory) on Friday and Saturday nights (Dec. 6 & 7). We need to provide meals for them (10 young adults). Can you help with one of these times?

Friday, December 6 – Dinner (at 8:30pm). Saturday, December 7 – Dinner (at 6:30pm).

7. REDISCOVER: FAITH

Want to learn more about your faith?

Check out http://rediscover-faith.org/ for their large collection of answers to

questions of importance to all of us.

Here’s a sample of a 2 & ½ minute video answer to the question:

Is there really any true right or wrong? How can I know? http://rediscover.archspm.org/belonging/topic.php?id=6870

8. NEWS FROM

The November 27 edition:

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=cf828054-3722-4aa3-

ad15-59ab83f4f053&c=80b5cc70-35a9-11e3-bb5c-d4ae52843aae&ch=8254af60-35a9-11e3-bb78-d4ae52843aae

9. WAITING IS AN ART: A One-Minute

Meditation

I've started to realize that waiting is an art, that waiting achieves things. Waiting can be very, very powerful. Time is a valuable thing. If you can wait two years, you can sometimes achieve something that you could not achieve today, however hard you worked, however much money you threw up in the air, however many times you banged your head against the wall. . .

--The Courage to Change by Dennis Wholey The people who are most successful at living and loving are those who can learn to

wait successfully. Not many people enjoy waiting or learning patience. Yet, waiting can be a powerful tool that will help us accomplish much good. We cannot always have what we want when we want it. For different reasons, what we want to do, have, be, or accomplish is not available to us now. But there are things we could not do or have today, no matter what, that we can have in the future. Today, we would make ourselves crazy trying to accomplish what will come naturally and with ease later. We can trust that all is on schedule. Waiting time is not wasted time. Something is being worked out - in us, in someone else, in the Universe. We don't have to put our life on hold while we wait. We can direct our attention elsewhere; we can practice acceptance and gratitude in the interim; we can trust that we do have a life to live while we are waiting - then we go about living it. Deal with your frustration and impatience, but learn how to wait. The old saying, "You can't always get what you want" isn't entirely true. Often, in life, we can get what we want - especially the desires of our heart - if we can learn to wait. Today, I am willing to learn the art of patience. If I am feeling powerless because I am waiting for something to happen and I am not in control of timing, I will focus on the power available to me by learning to wait.

You are reading an adaptation from the Hazelden book:

The Language of Letting Go By Melody Beattie

10. THREE FROM POPE FRANCIS

Papal Prayer Intentions for December Pope Francis’ General Prayer Intention: That children who are victims of abandonment or violence may find the love and protection they need.

Pope Francis’ Mission Prayer Intention: That Christians, enlightened by the Word incarnate, may prepare humanity for the Savior’s coming.

Praying with Your Five Fingers by Pope Francis

There’s a new prayer method

circulating attributed to

Pope Francis while he was still Archbishop of

Argentina.

It’s a simple yet wonderful

prayer method

not only great for teaching

kids how to pray, but it’s

great for adults too as a

reminder to “cover our bases” with intercessory prayer for those around us.

This method uses the fingers of the hand as a memory aid to pray for our family and

friends, our teachers and doctors, for government authorities, for those who are

suffering, and LASTLY for ourselves.

Praying with Your Five Fingers by Pope Francis

1. The thumb is the closest finger to you. So start praying for those who are closest to you. They are the persons easiest to remember. To pray for our dear ones is a “sweet obligation.”

2. The next finger is the index. Pray for those who teach you, instruct you and heal you. They need the support and wisdom to show

direction to others. Always keep them in your prayers.

3. The following finger is the tallest. It reminds us of our leaders, the governors and those who have authority. They need God’s guidance.

4. The fourth finger is the ring finger. Even that it may surprise you, it is our weakest finger. It should remind us to pray for the weakest, the sick or those plagued by problems. They need your prayers.

5. And finally we have our smallest finger, the smallest of all. Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. When you are done praying for the other four groups, you will be able to see your own needs but in the proper perspective, and also you will be able to pray for your own needs in a better way.

Pope Francis on the “Joy of the Gospel": Pope Francis lays out his vision for an evangelical Catholic Church on November 26 in his new encyclical, “JOY OF THE GOSPEL." Pope Francis' voice is unmistakable in the 50,000-word document's relatively relaxed style: .e.g.: —he writes that an "evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral!" —and its emphasis on some of his signature themes, including the dangers of economic globalization and "spiritual worldliness.""

To hear the key points of "Evangellii Gaudium," listen to this 2:30 minute newscast from Catholic News Service: VIDEO .

11. VIDEOS WITH A MESSAGE

GRATEFUL: A Love Song to the World Musicians Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod brought together dozens of people from around the world to create this beautiful, heart-opening melody. Inspired by the 21-Day Gratitude Challenge, the song is a celebration of our spirit and all that is a blessing in life. For the 21 Days, over 11,000 participants from 118 countries learned that “gratefulness” is a habit cultivated consciously and a muscle built over time. As a famous Roman,

Cicero, once said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” This soul-stirring music video, created within a week by a team of volunteers, shines the light on all the small things that make up the beautiful fabric of our lives. Watch/listen to this 4:58

Grateful For It All. minute video at:

Shooting The Vaults Of Heaven Not a video – just breath-taking panoramic photos. Craning your neck up to admire the ornate roofs of churches and cathedrals can be back-breaking work. But one photographer has made the experience a whole lot easier by creating panoramic shots that showcase the rich religious architecture across the world. Richard Silver, from Brooklyn, New York, travels around the world taking stunning photos since he gave up his job as a stockbroker and pursued the hobby full-time. He has become an expert creating the awe-inspiring photos which features houses of worship including place such as New York, Mexico City, Budapest, Krakow, Cape Town and Goa. 'Being fascinated with the amount of work taken to decorate the ceilings of a church I came up with the notion to try and capture the ceiling photographically. To create them Mr. Silver ensures that he finds the right spot to capture the building in all its glory for the 180 degree shot. It takes between six and 10 photographs to complete the masterpiece, which he expertly blends together in his studio using Photoshop. A program called Lightroom allows him to bring out the vivid colours and detail of the stained glass windows. You can view some of his

Exquisite Church Ceilings. work at You can visit Mr. Silver's website at www.richardsilverphoto.com

This Sick Little Boy Gets the Most Heartwarming Tribute Antonio is a sick little boy. But, for one night, he was a movie star! See what his family and friends did to make him feel like the hero he really is! Watch this 2:06 minute video here: Stand Up Antonio and Take a Bow.

The Innovation of Loneliness This is an interesting take on what social media is dong to us. Feel free to disagree but it did cause me to pause and think, especially since I have been wondering how it has become so important to be available 24/7.

The Innovation of Loneliness. Watch

Fifth-Grade Football Team Stands Up For Bullied Waterboy Earlier this month 6-year-old Danny Keefe, waterboy for the Bridgewater Badgers D5 Peewee football team, was bullied at school about wearing a suit to class, and teased about his speech impediment. When his teammates heard about the bullying, they rallied around Danny and created 'Danny Appreciation Day'. Instead of ambushing the bully,

they rallied for the victim. On November 20th, the entire 'Band of Brothers' dressed up in suit and tie in support of Danny. Danny called it, 'the best day ever'. Check out the 1:52 minute

. newscast here: Band of Brothers

Planning Ahead – Son of God Opens February 28, 2014 In the great commission we are all asked to share the Gospel... "Go into the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." As you may know, Mark and Roma responded to that call by making "The Bible" series and now have a brand new feature film to share with the world called Son of God. The movie is coming to theaters February 28,

Son of God. 2014. Watch the official trailer of Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington DC,

"Son of God writes is an engaging and compelling presentation of the story of Jesus, the Son of God among us. It is a joy to watch this film bring alive the pages of the gospel and help us see what those who lived at the time of Jesus experienced." The Official Website is www.SonofGodMovie.com

20 Things We Should Really Say More Often

Kid President shares 20 things we should really be saying more in our

lives. Not only would we feel better, but we'd make others feel better, too.

Try some of these out yourself.

Here is his : 20 Things We Should Say More Often. 3:22 minute video

THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

(A “between Sundays” reflection from THE FIVE LOAVES.)

The Second Week of Advent

O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of the most beloved songs of the Advent season. Originally a monastic chant, the verses are taken from Isaiah, describing the qualities of the Messiah to come. We know them now as the "O Antiphons" and sing them particularly in the final week of Advent.

As we hear John the Baptist in this week's scriptures challenge us to "Prepare the Way of the Lord; make straight his paths," we are grateful to Betsey Beckman and Tom Booth for sharing their creativity as we pray: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." NOTE. This video presents a method of prayer not familiar to most of us: Dancing as Prayer.

It’s probably not for everyone, but I can see how shedding one’s inhibitions enough to “pray

with your whole body” once in a while could be a very spiritual experience.

You can watch the 8:58 minute video here and see for yourself: http://www.thefiveloaves.com/

[The video changes each week, in preparation for the upcoming Sunday’s readings. In order to

see this particular video AFTER this Sunday, click the Playlist tab to view videos from previous

weeks.]

And at the end of this email . . . .

12. WHY CAN’T WE BE FRIENDS?