Reflections from your Pastor

3rd Sunday of Advent Reflection

December 19, 2023

The 3rd Sunday of Advent, the joyful one with the pink candle on the Advent wreath, is meant to be a relief from concentrating on the intense preparatory period of Advent. It offers us a taste of the joy that is coming in only a few days.

The gospel of the day, according to the Advent reflection booklet we are using, is again about the Baptist, but this  time from the gospel according to John (Jn1:6-8,19-28).  Verses 6-8 read: "Then came one named John, sent as an envoy from God, who came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through his testimony everyone might believe. He himself wasn't the Light; he only came to testify about the Light -- the true Light that illumines all humankind."

And John in verse 27 tells us something more about relationship to the Light, "…the One who is to come after me -- the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy even to untie." The mystery of our faith and our existence: a God who loves so much that Christ, though in the image of God, didn't cling to equality with God but instead became completely empty and became enfleshed in  our humankind, being born poor and oppressed, humbled. (Phil 2.6-7,8a).

If the True Light illumines all humankind (think of this as the spark of Divinity within all creation) then might it be true that we too are another who comes 'as a witness to testify about the Light…" We are here to testify. We also are asked to be humble in our human condition, loving as Jesus taught.

Each of us is called to testify using the gifts from the Spark. Each of us is a unique Spark and gifted uniquely and infinitely. Our lives are a journey of gift discovery, and what a journey of discovery it is!  What hope we can have believing that our God, a God of Love, has filled us with gifts!

As humans, we need help along the way  -- some guidance, some encouragement, someone reflecting back to us what we are doing -- to discover our gifts and to testify. Who better to do this then Mary, mother of Jesus our Christ.

Let us pray together  for help to testify to Love:

"God of love,

You have conceived your love in me.

Within me grows your grace, your glory,

Your compassion for the world;

Within me stirs your tender beauty.

Mary, come and help me.

Help me trust this miracle.

Let this be my prayer always:

"May it be for me according to your word."

Mary, come and be my midwife.

Give me courage.

Through the labor, through the pain,

Hold my hand.

God, help me deliver your love

Into the world."

Blessings throughout this last week of Advent,

Pastor Jane

Biblical passages translation: The Inclusive Bible

Prayer from: Unfolding Light, December19, 2023. Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Image used with permission from Beyond White Lake.

News at Mary of Magdala

Merci, gracias, grazie, obrigada, danke, arigato!

The HOSPITALITY MINISTRY thanks all of the wonderful volunteers who stepped up to help with the reception after the beautiful Mass celebration for Joanne Gallagher!

Those who came to set up tables & 150 chairs, those who generously contributed food, those who manned the buffet & served our guests, those who helped with clean up afterwards……you blessed us all with your contributions of time, talent, & love.

Certainly dear Joanne looked down upon us with love & gratitude. What a loving welcoming community that you showed us to be! Merci, gracias, grazie, obrigada, danke, arigato!

Remember your loved ones with a poinsettia donation

You are invited to remember family and friends this Christmas with a suggested donation of $25 for poinsettias that we will display right before Christmas. Your name and intentions (“In memory of …” “In celebration of …”, etc.) will be listed in St Paul’s, Trinity, and Mary of Magdala's Christmas bulletins.

If you would like a poinsettia to take home or to a shut-in, they will be available on a first-come, first-served basis after the Christmas services of all three congregations are over. If you would like to remember or celebrate someone with poinsettias, please let the St. Paul's office know (office@stpauls-fc.org) or sign up on the sheet near St. Paul's bulletin board. Thank you!

The Season of Advent and Christmas – 2023

Our theme: ‘God's Gift of Hope--and Ours’

Advent Sunday Masses -

12:30 pm

Fourth Sunday                  Dec 24

Christmas Services -

On Christmas Eve

3:00 pm and 5:00 pm  

Trinity’s worship services

7:00 pm  

St. Paul’s worship service

Christmas Day Mass

10:30 am - Mary of Magdala

No 12:30 Mass

Share and Inspire

Reflecting on the week’s readings in our Advent Booklet – Waiting in Joyful Hope. Join Mother Rosean and Reverend Jane via Zoom

Tuesdays – Dec 19 at 7:30 pm

   With Reverend Jane

   Zoom Link HERE

   Meeting ID: 848 5409 9634

   Passcode: Advent

Thursdays – Dec 21 at 10:00 am

   With Mother Rosean

   Zoom Link; HERE

   Meeting ID: 870 8960 1942

   Passcode: Advent

Simple Supper and Prayer

All three churches are participating in this ‘Taize’ like prayer and song.

Wednesdays - December 20

Soup suppers                               5:45 pm

Holden Evening Prayer              6:30 pm

Giving opportunities during the Season of Advent

Mary of Magdala Social Justice Project

• The Social Justice committee will be collecting grocery gift cards to King Soopers in $25 denominations for our pastors to respond to emergency and individual requests for help with gas or groceries. Just drop them in the offertory basket!

301 Faith Partners

• Reverse Advent calendar: Food donations go to our Lil Pantry on Stuart street. Non-perishables, low or non-liquid canned or packaged food items are preferred. Click here for information and food suggestions. Donation box in Fellowship Hall

Praying for peace, health and well-being through challenging times.

+Tess Peters, friend of Mary Lou Devlin, member

+Cache and Courtney, family of Jean

+David Devlin, member

+Joanne Kresl, friend of Suzanne King, member

+Kolten Weitzel, grandson of Kerrie Anderson, member

+Sabrina and her two children, currently homeless

+Grandneice of Father Michael Nicosia

+Linda Browell, member

+Sandra Carter, friend of Mary Vogel

+Kris Jenkins, wife of Father Scott Jenkins

+Jen Banks, friend of Mary of Magdala

+Francisco Cruz Antonio, friend of Rev. Jane

+Yvonne Keefe, member

+Jo Anne, friend of Sandra Life, member

+Grace Robinson, member

+Jerry Padilla, father of member Lisa Jones

+Janessa and Hayden, sister and niece of Jen Banks

+Rachel, daughter of Mary Lou Devlin, member.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A blessed and peaceful repose of souls for those who've passed and comfort for the friends and families.

+Jim Carroll, husband of member Dori Carroll

+Joanne Gallagher, member

+Daniel, cousin of Pedro Engel

+Juanita Newbre, aunt of MaryLou Devlin, member

+Jeanette Marian Banks (Brown) mother of Jen Banks

+Flavian Reising Jr., Father of Steve Reising, member

+Marge Gruber, friend of Michael Six, member

+Betty Jones, mother-in-law of Lisa Jones, member

+Jean Preslan, friend of Mother Rosean and Yvonne Wootten, member

+Josy Moos, Godmother of Tom Moos

+Fr. Fred Ball, OFR, ECC priest

+Bob Colhour, father of member Mark Colhour.

+Candy Palmer, friend of Mary Lou Devlin, member

+Johnny Berlyn Thomas, friend and benefactor out of his own poverty, of Pastor Jane

+Fr Don Willet, from John XXIII

+Linn Zink, friend of MoM, Social Justice advocate

+Bishop McGrath - RC diocese of San Jose, Friend of Suzanne King

+James Ryan cousin of Mary Lyons, member

+ Rosemary - Fr Michael's mother

+ Mother Sheila Dierks, ECC priest in Boulder

Please send prayer requests to marymagdalafc@gmail.com. Prayers will be listed for one month unless requested for longer. Prayers for the repose of souls will be listed for six months unless requested for a longer time.

Celebrating with the 3rd Sunday of Advent

Celebrate with Fr. Michael Nicosia presiding on December 17th. The video of the homily and readings is available here.

Joanne Gallagher's Celebration of Life

You can watch a recording of Joanne Gallagher's celebration, held on December 16th, here.

Social Justice Reflection

Tom Moos, Social Justice Ministry

Recently, Netflix produced an 8-episode TV series entitled “Life on our Planet” which dramatically traces the history of life on earth. The series describes 5 mass extinctions. Extinction happens naturally. About 10% of species are lost every million years while new ones evolve. But, in a mass extinction, at least 75% of species are lost in a relatively short 2 million years or less.

The first mass extinction happened about 444 million years ago and was caused by intense glaciation along with climate change due to tectonic uplifts. 86% of species died, mostly marine life. The 3rd mass extinction, 250 million years ago, was the most devastating, killing 96% of all species. Widespread volcanic activity raised carbon dioxide and sulfur levels, acidified the oceans and changed land chemistry. An asteroid hitting the earth caused the fifth mass extinction, 65 million years ago. It spelled the end for dinosaurs and produced rapid cooling, killing 76% of species.

The last episode of the series raises a sobering question: are we entering a 6th mass extinction, one caused by humans?

The narrator, Morgan Freeman, states:

“It's not just that simply feeding ourselves takes up more than half of all habitable land and it's not just that the carbon dioxide we are releasing is heating our planet faster than at any time in the last 500 million years. Nor is it just that we are warming and acidifying the oceans, destroying their natural balance and killing off vast swathes of marine life. Nor is it just that we are causing extreme weather events, fire and drought that are returning the Earth to its barren beginnings. We are doing all of this, all at the same time … [and] we are doing it at meteoric speed. … In the last 50 years alone, wildlife populations have fallen by an average of 70%."



And yet, there remains a glimmer of hope which brings us back to our Advent theme, hope. We are the first species in the four-billion-year story of life to understand what is happening to our world. We are also the first species to understand what is needed to fix it. Now, if we would just do it!

Learn more at: https://www.netflix.com/title/80213846 and https://ourworldindata.org/mass-extinctions

Mass Schedule

Weekly Mass Wednesday, Dec 13 at

11:00 am

• Weekly mass in the Fireside Room
• No Zoom available



Sunday Dec 17 at 12:30 pm

• F. Michael Nicosia is presiding. In-person and with Zoom.

Weekly Mass Wednesday, Dec 20 at

11:00 am

• Weekly mass in the Fireside Room
• No Zoom available

Sunday Dec 24 at 12:30 pm

• Rev. Jane Reina is presiding. In-person and with Zoom.

No weekly Mass on Dec 27th or Jan 3rd. No Peace Prayer on Dec. 27th or Jan 3rd.

Did you miss an article or announcement?

Past e-bulletins posted here

• To read the ECC Council of Bishops' statement on the War in Gaza and Israel, click here.
• Ongoing Giving Opportunities in Fellowship hall; see list here
• Dedicating Altar Flowers? Contact Joan Stepleton at JoanStepleton@gmail.com or 864-650-2816. A $25 dollar donation is kindly requested.
• The purpose of the Mary Magdalene Society is to financially support aspiring and current priests and encourage the development of youth in their spiritual journeys. Read more here.

Mary of Magdala Parish Community

Members: Need to view, update information or download a copy of the member directory? Just click here.

If you would like to contribute to Mary of Magdala, here are ways to schedule a single or recurring Sunday offertory.

All are invited and ALL are welcome to join our parish community. Here is the webpage with more information on membership



The ECC Regional Website - View here.

Newsletters of Trinity Lutheran Church and the St. Paul's Episcopal  

Click here for the Trinity Lutheran Church monthly newsletter, "Tidings". And here is St Paul's weekly bulletin.