Your Sunday Connection for December 13, 2020

Dear Friends,

Christmas is swiftly approaching! Monday, December 14, 2020 at 7:00pm we will hold the final installment of our Advent Speaker Series – “Lessons and Carols.” It will feature numerous parishioners who will share the spirit of Christmas through song and prayer. To register for the Zoom call, visit www.standrew.org/christmas2020. From this webpage, you can also view recordings of the past presentations from our Advent Speaker Series (available starting Sunday night).

Then we head straight into our Come to the Manger outdoor prayer services which begin on Tuesday, December 15 and will be held on select evenings through Christmas.

These prayer services will provide an opportunity for us to recall the gift of the Christ child. As we have noted, only a small percentage of parishioners will be able to attend Christmas Mass this year. Masses will be held on Christmas Eve, December 24 at 3:00pm and 5:00pm and on Christmas Day, December 25 at 9:00am and 11:00am.

Reservations for Come to the Manger, Christmas Eve Mass, and Christmas Day Mass are required. Make your reservations now at www.standrew.org/christmas

If you would like to join us for Mass tomorrow Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 9:00am, there are still spaces available for those who make a reservation.

Make your reservation to attend Mass at www.standrew.org/mass-reservations

You can also watch the live stream of Mass at Saint Andrew at https://standrew.org/sundaymass. It is available in real time and as a recording.

The remainder of this email is the Your Sunday Connection prayer guide.

Opening Prayer

O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one god, for ever and ever. AMEN.

The Readings

Reading 1 IS 61:1-2A, 10-11

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God. I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation and rapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels. As the earth brings forth its plants, and a garden makes its growth spring up, so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise spring up before all the nations.

Reading 2 1 THES 5:16-24

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil. May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it.

Gospel JN 1:6-8, 19-28

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?” He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Christ.” So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord,’” as Isaiah the prophet said. ”Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The Homily

Please click on the video link below to watch the homily for this week.

The Prayers of the Faithful

For the Church, that our words and actions may testify to the light, so that others may realize the goodness of God in what we say and do. We pray to the Lord. LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER.

That justice and peace may spring up before all nations. We pray to the Lord. LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER.

For prophets of our time, who boldly proclaim the truth as they stand up for what is right and good, and worthy. We pray to the Lord. LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER.

For our Jewish brothers and sisters, who have begun celebrating Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. We pray to the Lord. LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER.

For the poor, the brokenhearted, captives, and prisoners, that they may know a year of favor from the Lord. We pray to the Lord. LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER.

That we may heed the words of Saint Paul and retain what is good and refrain from every kind of evil as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray to the Lord. LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER.

For all who have been affected by COVID19, may God’s healing presence be comfort to them and bring health and well-being. We pray to the Lord. LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER.

For the departed, who remain with us in our prayers and our memories, and for the promise of a joyful reunion, and especially for: Caroline Lupori, Sarah Alvarez, and Diane G. Ghattas. We pray to the Lord. LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER.

For Ethaniel Gonzalez, who is receiving First Holy Communion today,

that as Jesus welcomes us to His Table, He may fill us with many blessings and spiritual gifts. We pray to the Lord. LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER.

Submit Your Special Intentions

Sunday Offertory

Stewardship of Saint Andrew Parish is the responsibility of us all. Consistently throughout the year, we remind parishioners about stewarding the gifts of Time, Talent, and Treasure to support the mission of Saint Andrew Parish.

During this pandemic, there are many urgent needs, among those needs are caring for the financial obligations of Saint Andrew Parish. If you do not regularly contribute electronically ether weekly or monthly, please consider making a Sunday Offering online through Give Central through the link below.

Give to the Sunday Offertory

Spiritual Communion

In many places in the world receiving Holy Communion is not possible. Catholics in these areas are encouraged to make “Spiritual Communion.” St.Teresa of Jesus wrote about this practice:

“When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you”

You can make Spiritual Communion by the bringing this prayer to your heart…

“My Jesus, I believe that you are in the Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things, and I long for you in my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though you have already come, I embrace you and unite myself entirely to you; never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.”

Closing Prayer

We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Announcements

Journey to Jesus

We invite you to take a journey with the Three Kings through Chicago in Saint Andrew Parish’s “Journey to Jesus” Watch them go from site to site by visiting https://standrew.org/journey-to-jesus/ or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Live Stream Mass

In addition to Your Sunday Connection provided by Saint Andrew Parish, the Sunday 9:00am Mass will be live streamed. Join the broadcast.

Please click on the button below to see a copy of the Sunday Bulletin.

Click for Sunday Bulletin