It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

No, no, we're not rushing anything, we're still celebrating Advent... but the joy and expectation of Jesus' birthday is in the air around here.

Our Advent Stars Project is bigger this year than ever before. This weekend the gifts filled the front of the sanctuary, and with the due date this Sunday, we can only imagine what it'll look like when we get to Mass this weekend!

Our guests at Go! Make! Disciples!! during Generations of Faith this past weekend were Sister Limeteze Pierre-Gilles and Brendan Shea. They had inspiring stories to tell!

The Centerpiece-Making night was a success as always. Everyone left with a beautiful (and a little bit delicious!) centerpiece to grace their Christmas table. Thanks to Judy DiMascio and her family for their hard work on this fundraiser for Youth Ministry and a local family's Christmas.

News and Views from I.C.

Advent is a busy time around Immaculate Conception! Here are some peeks at what you might have missed:
We celebrated our Feast of the Immaculate Conception with Ice Cream after the evening Mass, sponsored by our Youth Ministry:

Jason Evert paid a visit to high school and middle school students from our Malden-Medford Collaborative and beyond.

Coffee and Donuts in December was hosted by our wonderful Ultreya group:

The Knights of Columbus decorated the grove of Christmas trees on the corner of SSND Park:

Thank you to all who make Advent a joyful and holy season at Immaculate Conception!

One more Advent Calendar

I hate to move the Immaculate Conception reminder down on the blog, but must share just one more online Advent calendar, from Busted Halo.com. It's got some great quotes and intriguing pictures, too! Check it out! (But don't forget, tomorrow's a Holy Day and our parish's patron's day: Immaculate Conception!)

Advent is here!

When I was a kid, my family observed advent even as we were writing our Christmas lists and dreaming of Christmas morning. I have great happy memories of the traditions we shared, which all flowed from our Catholic faith. Each year we brought out the Advent calendar, and it really did fill me with anticipation, waiting for another day to come so we could open another paper door. On Saturday nights at dinner, we would pray from a little Advent wreath booklet that our parish had given out, and each week it would someone's turn to light the appropriate candles.
Now at our own home, we are opening a door a day on the Advent calendar that was given out to the parents at last month's GOF, our blue books are on our bedside stands, and we have the wreath up in our dining room. But there are so many new-fangled ways to celebrate and pray through Advent, even online. Here are some of our favorites:

• American Catholic has a great Frequently Asked Questions page up, with all you want to know about Advent there.
• If that's too much reading for you, here are the top ten things to know about Advent, just to pique your interest!
• Beliefnet has a nifty Advent Calendar up with interesting facts, some challenges, and other activities for adults.
• The US Conference of Catholic Bishops offers this online Advent calendar, a great place to check in every day from your desk!
• St. Margaret Mary Parish in Naperville, IL is famous for its online Advent calendar - it's a great one to visit with your kids!
• There are so many great places to visit online to make your Advent journey a special one, but one of the best places to visit is our chapel, for daily Mass at 6:30 AM or anytime during the day (until around 2:00) to visit with the Lord. We'll save a seat for you!

HELP Needed!

Help Deacon Mark hang the Advent Stars this Saturday at noon in the main church! We need as many helping hands as possible to transform our church walls into starry skies of opportunities to give this Advent season. No R.S.V.P. necessary, just show up at the church and jump in! This is a GREAT opportunity for families to serve together!

(photo credit: M. Skiffington, from Flickr)

A Prayer For Giving:
Lord God, we give thanks for the resources that allow us to be your partners in caring for your people. We give you thanks that "we are here to help each other... walk the mile and bear the load." We pray for joyful hearts in all of our giving. Amen.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, in November!

Have you seen it? The Christmas decorations are up in stores, and the commercials are airing... I've heard that some radio stations have ALREADY changed to all-Christmas-music-all-the-time. I know I am not the only one to be annoyed with this rushing, I like the season of Advent and think it's worth lingering in... and of course there's the Catholic understanding that the actual Christmas season doesn't even begin until... well, Christmas.
But, I guess, we might as well face it, the world is in a hurry to be Christmas-y. But I don't think we have to join them in this madness to change the calendar. There are a lot of great ways to pray Advent and your parish is one of the best places to do it! Check back here often during Advent for great prayer resources. We'll keep you posted, and will do our best to keep you focused on the Reason... for every season!
-MM