Generation Christ - Ann Arbor at 530 Elizabeth Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 US
| 11-27-2009 |
~ The Weekly Update ~
Friday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time (OF) / Ferial Friday after the 25th Sunday after Pentecost (EF)
Greetings GenChrist,
Happy Thanksgiving weekend!
We will not have a Sunday evening holy hour this week but will resume meeting next Sunday night.
This Sunday begins the season of Advent, that penitential season at the beginning of the Church year by which we prepare for the celebration of the Christ's nativity and coming to earth. While the kitschy, consumerist, and exhausting American 'holiday season' is already being blasted at us from every media imaginable, we can - with effort, prayer and God's grace - make fruitful use of these 26 days of preparation to thoroughly ready ourselves for the true celebration of Christ's birth - which begins on December 25th and runs through January 10th (OF) or February 2nd (EF).
In Christ,
Paul Schultz
News in Brief
November 27: Friday Adoration - 7:30 a.m to 12:05 p.m.
November 28: Work day / Bonfire Night @ KofC Picnic Ground
December 1: Parish Advent chant lesson - 7 p.m.
December 2: Five Guys and a Catechism: Mary, Mother of God
December 5: Parish Advent chant lesson - 12:30 p.m.
December 13: Parish Christmas Concert: The Winter Rose
GenChrist notes: March for Life Scholarships; Thanks and Congratulations to new Core Team members; Magnificat Advent Companion available; Pope Benedict's December prayer intentions; Catholic news
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News
Friday Adoration
This week only, in consideration of the Thanksgiving weekend, Friday adoration will conclude before the 12:10 Mass today.
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Thanksgiving Saturday: Work Day + Bonfire Night
The men of Generation Christ are invited burn-off some of those turkey calories tomorrow, Saturday, 11/28 - cutting, hauling and processing timber and cleaning up the KofC picnic grounds to raise money for GenChrist and other ministries at St. Thomas. Good weather permitting, we aim to start around 10:00 a.m and to work as long as light allows. Tools will be provided to those who RSVP.
In the evening, we hope to have a large bonfire and to be joined by the ladies of GenChrist and any alums who are in town.
Guys - let us know if you can make it. Gals - let us know if you can help out with food or other celebratory preparations.
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Parish Chant Lessons
All members of the parish are invited to two upcoming Advent chant lessons - where Organist Timothy Tikker and members of the music program will re-introduce chants and hymns from the Church's treasury of sacred music. We will all be singing these in the seasons ahead, particularly at the 12:30 Mass on Sundays, which regularly features English and Gregorian chant.
The lessons will be:
Tuesday, December 1st at 7 p.m.
and
Saturday, December 5th, at 12:30 p.m.
The lessons will be held in the parish hall. Both lessons will cover the same material. Free sheet music and handouts will be provided. Light refreshments will be served. A few copies of a new resource - The Parish Book of Chant - will be available for purchase.
The Vatican Kyriale (pdf) is a songbook which is a collection of eighteen Masses. Each Mass consists of a Kyrie, a Gloria, a Sanctus and an Agnus Dei. The focus of the Advent lessons will be the Gloria from Mass XV (which Mass is known as "Dominator Deus"), as well as some Advent hymns.
Advent, like Lent, is a penitential season. Therefore, we don't sing the Gloria during Advent. The Gloria returns at Christmas Midnight Mass because we follow the example of the angels who, on that night so many centuries ago, gave glory to God in the highest. This Christmastide, we hope to utilize the Gloria from Dominator Deus for our celebration of Christ's birth!
Come to either of the lessons this Advent. No experience is required and everyone is invited. Sheet music and some mp3s are presently available at www.saintthomasmusic.org - in case you would like to learn the music ahead of time or will not be able to attend either of the lessons.
No RSVP is required but, if possible, we would be appreciate if you could let us know how roughly how many plan on attending. Please direct all information and inquiries to Paul - (734) 646-0430
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Five Guys and a Catechism (plus friends)
This Wednesday, December 2nd, the Five Guys team will lead a discussion of the Blessed Virgin Mary and how her importance to the Church springs from the ways in which she points us to her Son and the ways in which she stands in opposition to various heretical misunderstandings of Jesus and His mission which have arisen across the centuries.
In contrast to prior sessions, the discussion will begin at about 6:00 p.m.
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Parish Christmas Concert
Save the Date: Sunday, December 13th, 3:00
The St. Thomas Choir will be presenting Joseph Martin's The Winter Rose
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GenChrist Notes
Scholarship for the March for Life
The Respect Life Committee is offering two $100 scholarships for a bus trip to Washington, DC for the annual March for Life on January 22, 2010.
Members of the St. Thomas community who wish TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP for the March for Life bus trip: Please write a brief essay describing the importance of the pro-life movement in your life and your reason for wishing to attend the March. Pleace you essay in the Respect Life mailbox in the parish office. The Application deadline is Sunday, December 6, 2009. High school and college students are eligible and are encouraged to apply!
Now is not too early to make plans for the trip. Right to Life of Michigan is CURRENTLY taking REGISTRATIONS for its charter bys trip that departs Thursday, Jan. 21 at 5:00 p.m., arriving in DC early on the morning of Jan. 22 (the day of the March), and arriving back in Michigan between 5 and 6 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23. The cost is $90 for students and seniors, $95 for adults. For further bus trip info, call Karen at RTL of Michigan (734) 930-7474
New Core Team Members
A big thank you to those who stepped forward to coordinate activities for the various communities within Generation Christ:
Undergrads - Renee Sink (rsink at umich dot edu), Meghan McLoughlin (mmmcloug at umich dot edu), Brian Kempa (kempab at umich dot edu)
Grads - Mollie Kempa (mkempa at umich dot edu)
Young professionals - Katie Muer (kt8402 at gmail dot com)
Magnificat Advent Companion
Once again, St. Thomas will have copies of the Magnificat Advent Companion available at the Church doors the first Sunday of Advent. This booklet offers scriptural reflections for each day, meditative prayers, inspiring essays, poetry, an examination of conscience and Advent Stations of the Cross.
One recommended way to benefit from using this rich spiritual booklet: Set aside a few minutes of quiet time with the readings of the day (found on the cover of the bulletin), your Bible, and the Advent Companion. God is present in the Word and, during the seasons of Advent and Lent, the daily Mass readings are especially full.
Prayerfully read the Scriptural passages of the day, meditate on the words, and then quietly ask God how He may be speaking to you.
Pope Benedict's Prayer Intentions
Each month, Pope Benedict XVI announces his special prayer intentions--particular things that he wishes all Catholics to pray for that month. (When, for instance, we pray the rosary and say the prayers at the end for the intentions of the Holy Father, these are the intentions for which we're praying.) Pope Benedict offers two intentions every month, one general, and one for a particular Catholic missionary activity.
His general prayer intention for December 2009 is "That children may be respected and loved and never be the victims of exploitation in its various forms."
Pope Benedict's mission intention is "That at Christmas the peoples of the earth may recognize in the Word Incarnate the light which illuminates every man and that the Nations may open their doors to Christ, the Saviour of the world."
Catholic news
Certain "Catholic news" items have made the national news recently. Excellent recaps and analysis of these two stories may be of benefit:
Why Patrick Kennedy attacked his bishop
Anglicans returning to the Church
