Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

 

As a little boy, I would often come in for dinner after playing with my Tonka toys in the dirt.  My mother would always inspect my hands to make sure they were clean before I ate dinner, and if they weren’t I would be promptly directed to the bathroom to wash them.  Had my mother not done this, I would have sat down and ate dinner with dirty hands, and who knows what kind of bacteria I could have put into my body.  In a way, she was acting like John the Baptist - calling to mind my need for cleansing so I could securely eat dinner.  John the Baptist was the forerunner to Jesus, and his voice represents our conscience calling to mind our need to repent so as to prepare a space in our hearts to receive our Lord.  Our personal sin is something that we can easily rationalize - we can pretty much tell ourselves:  “oh, it’s no big deal!”  But it is a big deal - in fact we are dangerously fooling ourselves if we really believe we can be in an authentic relationship with God while persisting in sin and not repenting of it.  Advent is a penitential season meaning that the Church is asking us to look within ourselves and be honest about those attachments to sin we may have so as to confess them in the sacrament of Reconciliation.  That sacrament is a necessary gift as it unites us in a deeper and more profound way to the God who loves infinitely beyond our understanding.  Holy Family has this sacrament available every Tuesday from 6-7 pm, every Saturday from 4-5:30 pm, and by appointment.  Also, we will have our Advent Penance service on Thursday, December 22^nd.  

 

                                                                                   Your Brother in Christ,

                                                                                                                                Fr. Chris

 

REFLECTION ~ How are you preparing the “way of the Lord?” The “way of the Lord” is to love God above all and then to love your neighbor as yourself. 

Thursday, December 8^th is a holy day of obligation – THE Immaculate Conception OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.  Mass will be celebrated at 8 am and 7pm.  THE BLESSED SACRAMENT will be reposed from 7-9 am and 6-8 pm. 

Volunteers are needed for Christmas Masses.   Eucharistic Ministers, Ushers, and Greeters are needed. Please call the office to leave your name. 

 DID YOU NOTICE OUR ADVENT ANGEL TREE in the main vestibule? The wish list for this year includes coats, hoodies, scarves and gloves. Items do not have to be gift wrapped.  Please drop off your donation at the office.  Coats will go to Head Start and other needy families.

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS:  Envelopes for Christmas flowers are available at the entrances. If you would like to donate a Poinsettia ($10 each) in memory or honor of a special person, please fill out an envelope and bring it to the office no later than noon, Wed, Dec 21^st.

Trinity Catholic High School will host an Information Night for all prospective families on Tue, Dec 6^th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.  Information regarding Admissions, Curriculum, Financial Assistance, Extra-Curricular Activities, and Athletics will be available. Come be a part of the Holy Trinity FAMILY!  If you have any questions please contact Ms. Gonzales at (254) 771-0787 or kgonzales@holytrinitychs.org  Sandwiches and snacks will be provided.

MEETINGS AND EVENTS IN OUR PARISH

 THE LADIES SOCIETY INVITES YOU TO JOIN US FOR COFFEE AND DOUGHNUTS AFTER ALL SUNDAY MASSES.

NEED A SPECIAL GIFT FOR THE HOLIDAYS.  COME ONE COME ALL TO THE SOCIAL HALL AFTER ALL SUNDAY MASSES AND ALL AFTERNOON.  The Ladies Society will be selling religious articles and other gifts. What a wonderful way to do your Christmas shopping.  See you there!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO JOIN US for our German Advent afternoon this Sunday from 3-5 pm.

You are invited to join Fr. Chris THIS SUNDAY EVENING AT 6:00 PM IN THE CHURCH FOR “VESPERS”. Vespers is often translated “Evening Song” and it signifies the gathering  of the Church to pray and sing at evening time. This liturgy is a beautiful time of music and scripture with special prayers in preparation for Christmas.  Please take 40 minutes out of your busy schedule and join us.

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR – Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration will be held on Sunday, December 11^th.  Immediately following the 12:30 Mass we will have a prayer service with Mariachi music, followed by a pot luck meal in the Social Hall.    There will be lively music, Folklorico dancers, and lots of activities surrounding our Patroness of the Americas, Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Please come out and celebrate this wonderful expression of our Catholic Faith.  Volunteers are needed.  There will be a meeting on Mon, Nov 28^th at 6:00 pm in the Social Hall.  Please contact Gloria Hernandez at (254) 535-3275 for more information.
 

NO CLASSES Dec 18^th – Jan 4^th.  Sunday classes will resume on January 8^th / Wednesday classes will resume January 11^th. 

 SAVE THE DATE---December 18----Holy Family music ministry will present our annual CHRISTMAS CANTATA.  More information to come.

 

ULTREYA - Calling all Cursillistas!  Come out to our monthly Ultreya this Sun, Dec 4 at 3:00 pm at the 58th St. Chapel on Ft. Hood.  Margit Wyers will be our witness speaker and we ask you to come for fellowship, grouping and a wonderful talk to inspire before the Christmas holiday.  Be on the lookout in the Catholic Spirit for upcoming events for our Cursillo community to be a involved in to help you continue on your 4th day journey. 

 

“LAS POSADAS/SIMBANG GABI” - Experience a new spirit of joy and prayer, JOIN US in our First Annual Advent “Las Posadas and Simbang Gabi”.  These unique nine-day Nativity tradition and Novena Mass are combined for the first time in a special Liturgical celebration from Dec 15^th-23^rd at 5:30 pm.  These will be celebrated at St. Joseph-Killeen on Dec 15^th, 16^th, 17^th, 20^th, 22^nd & 23^rd; at St. Paul Chong Hasang-Harker Heights on December 18^th & 21^st and at Holy Family-Copperas Cove on Dec 19^th.  A potluck refreshments, fellowship and spiritual enrichment will follow in each respective Parish Hall/Activity Center.  EVERYONE IS WELCOME!  For more information, please contact Ms. Edith Natividad at
(254) 291-6104.

 

Discernment dinner for high school-aged young men High school men are invited to a discernment dinner geared especially to their age group at the St. William Parish Rectory, 620 Round Rock West Dr., Round Rock, on Dec 7^th at 7 pm.  The dinner is for any young man of high school-age open to discerning God’s will in his life and desiring to know more about the priesthood, discernment, prayer and virtue.  Please contact Fr. Jonathan Raia (also known as PIT 1) at St. William at (512) 255-4473.

 

 

 PRAYERS FOR THE SICK ~ Please keep the following parishioners in your prayers: 
Juan Cruz, and JoBeth Rudd.
May God heal them in body and spirit.

 

PLEASE REMEMBER AND PRAY for the repose of the soul of Ben Linley Capps – father of Larry Capps
who has been called home by our Savior: 

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him! 

 

 ATTENTION:  The deadline to submit your bulletin announcement for consideration is Tue by 4:30 pm. 
Email to:  kkennedy@hf-cc.org and lmchugh@hf-cc.org

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