Our Lady of Sorrows Church
things of heaven.
From the Pastor’s Desk
My Dear People:
We have just finished the first week of
Advent and our world seems to be spinning
so fast, we often want someone to stop it for
a moment so we can savor the beauty of
each day and week of Advent. We need to
take time to enter into the spirit of hope,
expectancy and the fulfillment of all those
promises in the book of Isaiah about peace,
joy and happiness in the era of the Messiah.
The imagery in those first readings from
Isaiah this past week should keep us looking
forward to celebrating this coming of the
Savior in Bethlehem and His second coming.
“On this mountain the Lord of
hosts will provide for all peoples
a feast of rich foods and choice
wines….On this mountain He will
destroy the veil that veils all peoples,
He will destroy death forever….The
Lord God will wipe away the tears
from all the faces….On that day it
will be said: ‘Behold our God to
whom we look to save us….Let us
rejoice and be glad that he has saved
us.’ ” (Isaiah 25: 6-10)
The daily Mass prayers this week are some
of the best Advent prayers we can say:
“Lord, our God, help us to
prepare for the coming of
Christ, your Son. May He find
us eager in joyful prayer.
“Lord our God, grant that we
may be ready to receive Christ
when He comes in glory and to
share in the banquet of heaven.
“God of mercy and consolation,
help us in our weakness and free
us from sin. Hear our prayers that
we may rejoice at the coming of
your Son. Teach us to judge wisely
the things of earth and to love the
“God, our Father, you loved the
world so much you gave your only
Son to free us from the power of
sin and death. Help us who wait
for His coming and lead us to true
freedom.”
It is not too late to buy or make an Advent
wreath for the table at home and light the
candles according to the advancement of
each week. Offer a prayer with the lighting of
the candles.
I read recently that we should not use the
word “Christmas,” but the phrase, THE
BIRTH OF CHRIST, because the word
Christmas conjures up so many other things
like the tree, decorations, shopping, lights,
parties and food. However, the word
Christmas has the word Christ in it and it is
up to us to see Jesus in every connotation of
Christmas. It is up to us to find Jesus in the
Christmas carols, to see Jesus in the gifts we
give, to think of Jesus at the parties because
it is His birthday, and to see Jesus in the
decorations in honor of His birth.
It should be easy to find Jesus in those
nativity scenes. I remember one year a
mother had turned her back on a toddler who
was viewing all the images in the stable
scene in front of the church. When she
turned around, the toddler had picked up the
baby Jesus and was hugging Him. The
mother gently told her daughter she had to
put the image of Jesus back into the manger.
Oh, the wisdom of little children!
The Founding Fathers of our country, in
writing the constitution in the context of state
religions in England and Spain, intended that
no Christian faith would be the official religion
of this country. It meant that we would have
freedom to worship as we choose. They
never intended to prohibit the singing of
Christian Christmas carols in public schools,
and yet this is how far off base we have
come interpreting the constitution. The
present interpretation of the constitution is
almost hostile to religion. This was never the
mind the founding fathers of this country. It
is our job to keep Christ in Christmas in our
own lives and in this predominantly Christian
country.
Advent Penance Service will be held this
Thursday, December 10, at 7:00 p.m. in the
Church.
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With prayers and blessings,

Fr. Muller

Middle School youth group will meet this Monday

night from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. in the youth
MASS INTENTIONS room. Please bring one (inexpensive) wrapped
present for a white elephant gift exchange. This
Monday, December 7 Donors to the OLS School will be the final meeting for the year.
Foundation
For the Deceased Members of the Apicella Family High School PSR class meets Sunday mornings
Rosalie Alesci from 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Our last two
Tuesday, December 8 Frank La Russa, Sr. meetings for the year will be December 5 and 13.
Douglas Pierre We will not have class on December 20. Please
Kathryn Alfano remember to bring your journal.
Wednesday, December 9 Special Intention
Dolly Barranco
High School youth group meets Sunday nights in
Rosalie Alesci
Thursday, December 10 Fr. Clarence Bogetta
the Parish Hall from 7:00 p.m. until 8:45 p.m. All
Charles Anthony Schillaci high school youth are invited to make a
Mary Lightcap pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Blessed
Friday, December 11 Sue Dominick Sacrament on Saturday, December 12. Forms
Neil Jefferson are available in the vestibule.
Rosalie Alesci _______________________________________
Saturday, December 12 James Meehan
Roy Tallon Children’s Liturgy of the Word News
William Powell
Children’s Liturgy of the Word will observe the
Sunday, December 13 People of the Parish
Josephine Sicola
following schedule during the upcoming holiday
Don Smith season:

December 6 and 13–Children’s Liturgy of the

Word will meet during the 8:30 a.m. Mass.
PRAY FOR VOCATIONS
How are you preparing the way for the Lord? What December 20, 27, and January 3–No Children’s
needs straightening in your life? Call on God in prayer
Liturgy due to Christmas and New Year’s
to help you. (Matthew 3:1-12). For our Church, may
we encourage those among us who may have a call to holidays.
priesthood or the consecrated life.
Additionally, Children’s Liturgy will assist with the
Birthday Party for Jesus celebration on
Mass schedule December 7 and December 8,
Sunday, December 20, but I need the children’s
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is:
help! We will present The Birth of Christ Nativity
6:00 p.m. Vigil Mass (Monday)
play and actors, readers and cantors are needed.
6:30 a.m.
Therefore, children are encouraged to come to
7:30 a.m.
the Parish Hall after Mass on December 6 and 13
8:30 a.m.
to sign up. We will have a practice on Sunday,
12:00 noon
December 13, after PSR classes end, and will be
6:00 p.m.
finished around 12:30 p.m. Snacks will be
provided at the practice. Have a Blessed
Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!
The Madonna and Child Guild invites you and The Sisters at the Catholic Center of Concern
your family to the annual Birthday Party for Jesus have a great need for blankets and coats. We
and Her Choice Benefit on Sunday, December will be holding a drive on Sunday, December 13.
20, after the 8:30 a.m. Mass in the Parish Hall. Please bring your blankets and coats to the
Come and celebrate the reason for the season– Parish Hall.
Jesus’ Birthday! We will hear the reading of the ____________________________________
Christmas story from scripture with a live nativity
presented by Children’s Liturgy. The Knights of
The Folk choir will be going caroling to our shut-
Columbus will acknowledge the winners of the
ins on Saturday, December 12. We will meet in
Keeping Christ in Christmas Poster Contest. We
front of the Family Life Center at 4:00 p.m. We
will sing Happy Birthday and present our “gifts” of
invite any parishioner of any age to join us.
baby items to be donated to Her Choice
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Women’s Center. See you there!
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OLS Singles Ministry–Trip to Silver Star/Golden
Moon with Our Lady of Lourdes Singles Ministry
Join us next Sunday, December 13, for Adult
will be on Monday, December 14. We will leave
Education at 9:45 a.m. in the Parish Hall. Our
at 7:00 a.m. from Our Lady of Lourdes and return
speaker will be Yolanda Sullivan, associate of the
at 9:00 p.m. For reservations please call Grace
Sisters of Mercy and St. Francis of Assisi Church
Troncalli at 323-3000 or 475-1237.
member. Her topic will be “How to serve God
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through service to others.” This will be the last
Adult Education class for this year. We will
Friendly Visitors Needed
resume on Sunday, January 10.
We give all of our homebound and nursing home
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residents poinsettias for Christmas. We need
help with the deliveries. If you can help please
Immaculate Heart of Mary Guild will meet on
call the office at 871-8121.
Tuesday, December 8. Tuesday is a holy day of
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obligation–Feast of the Immaculate Conception
of Mary. We will go to Mass at 6:00 p.m. After
Mass we will have our Christmas celebration in
the Sodality Room. We are asking each of you
to bring a dish that can be shared with everyone.
You will also need to bring what you would like to
drink. You will be able to drop your food item off
in the Sodality Room before Mass. Please let me
know what food item you will be providing. Also
please bring any finished rosaries and any extra
supplies. We are trying to get a total number of
rosaries we have at the present time to First Annual 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
determine what additional supplies we need to High School Sunday, Dec 13th
purchase. Any questions please contact Wendy Youth Group $5.00 admission
Green at 492-7058. OLS Parish Hall
_______________________________________ _______________________________________

Please join us for our Madonna and Child Altar
Guild meeting on Friday, December 11, in the
Assembly Hall of the Family Life Center. We will
begin with the rosary at 9:00 a.m. followed by
social time. Please bring a dish or drink to share.
A nursery will be available. If you need nursery
reservations, please contact Lauren Elliott at
989-1800 or laurenelliott@charter.net by noon on
Wednesday, December 9. We hope to see you
there.
Chapel of Our Savior
The Chapel needs permanent Committed
Adorers for:
Monday at 3:00 p.m. (to share hour)
Our goal is to have at least two people on each
hour. These are the hours needed, but do select
an hour that best fits your schedule. Please call
Ida Wilker at 879-7040 or Mary Claire Brouillette
at 871-2909. “A Holy Hour of Adoration in our
modern rat race is necessary for authentic
prayer!” (Archbishop Fulton Sheen-1895-1979)