Feast of Christ the King - November 21, 2021
Here are some helpful resources:
- This week's Lincoln's Log.
- Ideas for living the five key discipleship skills.
- View the pick of the week on Formed.org.
- Check out this week's new meaningful meals starter question, and faith sharing help!
- 2022 Raffle Calendars are now on sale!
- Interested in learning more about St Vincent de Paul? See below for more details.
- Would you like to join the choir? See below for more details.
- COVID-19 clinic, find times for testing and vaccines.
- Check out the News, Updates, and Links to the bulletin and other great resources.
- And something to make you laugh.
Know that you are in our prayers.
Christ the King
“Christ, reign over us! Reign over our country, and reign in every nation -- for the greater glory of the Most Holy Trinity and the salvation of humanity. Make our homeland and the entire world into your kingdom: a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace. Amen.”
From the Act of Entrustment to Jesus Christ,
King of All Nations
King of All Nations
This weekend we entrust our nation, our state, our diocese, our parish, our family, and our hearts to the reign of Jesus Christ. Christ “reigns” whatever He wants to be done is done. It is as simple as that.
Christ’s reign has begun. We see it around us. Wherever people are treated with justice and love, Christ reigns. Where truth is taught, Christ reigns. Where businesses deal fairly, Christ reigns. Where life is respected, Christ reigns. Where God is praised, Christ reigns.
But Christ’s reign is not complete. There are parts of our hearts, our culture, and our world that is ruled over by someone else and resists the reign of Christ. When we cling to selfishness instead of love, Christ does not reign, we do. When a law is...
We've added a new skill for households this year...
The four skills we focused on last year help to form your family culture as a culture of faith. Many of you commented on how helpful they were (especially the family meal). This year we are continuing to focus on those four skills, but we are adding a fifth skill. Skills 1-4 are the same as last year, and we will continue to support them, but the fifth skill is new and is about moving outside of your family and working for the good of our community and world.
- To have faith sharing conversations - "faith talks" and "faith walks"
- New questions every week! Use this week's "Faith Talk" questions in the Mealtime Moments section below at a meal or some other time as a chance to go deeper in your faith as a family. It will be awkward at first, but stick with it and it gets easier.
- To use the Bible as individuals and as a family
- To pray regularly as an individual and as families
- To share a meaningful meal together regularly
- To reach out as individuals and a family for service and justice
In case you missed any Discipleship Formation Sessions last year, you can watch all of our Discipleship Formation Sessions at our STM Facebook page. Other formation videos can also be found there.
Did you know Formed has audio books available for you to enjoy? Find books like this and more today!
Tears of God: Persevering in the Face of Great Sorrow or Catastrophe by Fr. Benedict Groeschel
Fr. Benedict Groeschel, best-selling author and beloved spiritual teacher, writer, and psychologist, wrote this book for all those who have suffered great sorrow or catastrophe in their lives and for those close to such persons, who share their deep suffering. Sorrow comes into the life of every person, but only into the lives of some people comes catastrophe. These are disasters that occur either suddenly or with terrible effects, like the death of a child. They can be natural disasters like hurricanes, or they can be horrific accidents or tragedies caused by people's evil acts. They can also arise from wars and situations of great tension.
Fr. Benedict has written previously about faith and sorrow (Arise from Darkness) and seeks in this book to study catastrophes of all different kinds in relationship to our faith in divine providence, in God's goodness and mercy, and finally in the light of Christ's suffering and death. Christianity is the only religion that speaks of a God who suffered a terrible catastrophe, crucifixion, and death. Therefore, the Christian must, in the midst of catastrophe, find his way to the foot of the cross, and there he will find answers which that cannot be given by any other religious faith.
All religions attempt to deal with catastrophe, all try to confront the mystery of suffering and of evil. Christianity invites you to share the burden of your catastrophe with the person who is our Savior and Redeemer, one who Himself endured great pain and sorrow, the son of God, Jesus Christ.
Fr. Benedict has written previously about faith and sorrow (Arise from Darkness) and seeks in this book to study catastrophes of all different kinds in relationship to our faith in divine providence, in God's goodness and mercy, and finally in the light of Christ's suffering and death. Christianity is the only religion that speaks of a God who suffered a terrible catastrophe, crucifixion, and death. Therefore, the Christian must, in the midst of catastrophe, find his way to the foot of the cross, and there he will find answers which that cannot be given by any other religious faith.
All religions attempt to deal with catastrophe, all try to confront the mystery of suffering and of evil. Christianity invites you to share the burden of your catastrophe with the person who is our Savior and Redeemer, one who Himself endured great pain and sorrow, the son of God, Jesus Christ.
Mealtime Moments...
Remember, a weekly meaningful meal is a key discipleship skill. You can even make them more meaningful by having a "faith talk" around the table. Here is a gentle starter question to get the ball rolling:
How should success be measured? And by that measurement, who is the most successful person you know?
This question can lead to some surprisingly deep answers. A lot of how we view the world is based on what we consider to be worthwhile, and this question tries to get at the heart of that to find out what is most important to the person.
And for that "faith talk"...
based on this weekend's readings
TAKE TIME TO CHAT
- Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. Why do we call Jesus the King of the Universe?
- What does a king do? In what way is Jesus your king?
- What does Jesus mean when he says, “My kingdom does not belong to this world”?
... or you can just use these questions at a meal or any time for a "faith walk"!
Adult Question: In what ways is Jesus the ruler of your life?
Child Question: How can you show that you honor Jesus as the
king of your life?
king of your life?
Reverse Advent Calendar Fun
What is a Reverse Advent Calendar? It’s a lot of fun and a great way to share the
blessings of the holiday season with others.
The STM Service and Justice Commission has created two Reverse Advent Calendars
for this year’s Advent season. Here is how they work:
Calendar 1: Food Products
Find a big box or basket. Each day of Advent, add the item listed on the
calendar to the box or basket. On Christmas, bring the box or basket to
STM and we will make sure the items are passed on to our friends at St.
Anthony Parish in Neopit.
Calendar 2: Random Acts of Kindness and Reflection
Each day of Advent, perform a simple Random Act of Kindness for
someone in your life. That person may be someone you see every day or a
new person. Or, take a little time to reflect on a part of your life you wish to
give a little attention. We’ve provided you with a calendar to give you
ideas, but be sure to keep it simple and fun! Then, watch for how God
works through your kindness.
May your Christmas be blessed with the warmth of Jesus’ love.
Blessings,
STM Service and Justice Commission
What is a Reverse Advent Calendar? It’s a lot of fun and a great way to share the
blessings of the holiday season with others.
The STM Service and Justice Commission has created two Reverse Advent Calendars
for this year’s Advent season. Here is how they work:
Calendar 1: Food Products
Find a big box or basket. Each day of Advent, add the item listed on the
calendar to the box or basket. On Christmas, bring the box or basket to
STM and we will make sure the items are passed on to our friends at St.
Anthony Parish in Neopit.
Calendar 2: Random Acts of Kindness and Reflection
Each day of Advent, perform a simple Random Act of Kindness for
someone in your life. That person may be someone you see every day or a
new person. Or, take a little time to reflect on a part of your life you wish to
give a little attention. We’ve provided you with a calendar to give you
ideas, but be sure to keep it simple and fun! Then, watch for how God
works through your kindness.
May your Christmas be blessed with the warmth of Jesus’ love.
Blessings,
STM Service and Justice Commission
St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) is a Catholic lay organization that brings people together to grow in spirituality through face to face services to our neighbors in need, regardless of race or religion. Our organization focuses on promoting systemic change and reducing poverty by providing individualized, comprehensive services such as mentoring, education, merchandise and financial assistance, advocacy, and help navigating other available community resources.
Our SVDP offers person to person services to men, women and children in need. Made up of members (or “Vincentians”) of different backgrounds, SVDP works to relieve individuals of struggles with poverty, suffering and loneliness. For the Society of SVDP, there seems to be no charitable service that is foreign to them. SVDP works every day to make our community a better place.
Donations
Your donations of clothing, furniture, household items help support not only our store to raise funds needed to financially help our friends in need but support our Voucher Program.
Our Voucher Program provides economically disadvantaged individuals access to clothes, furniture, and household items that satisfy basic living conditions at no cost to the household.
Home Visit Program
When faced with a financial crisis, SVDP meets a neighbor in need where they are to offer a compassionate listening ear and comprehensive services that can come in the form of financial assistance, advocacy, education, and connections to other available community resources.
Bilingual Services
The director of Bilingual Services builds trust between basic needs agencies and the Latino community, educates service providers about the best practices, and provides culturally responsive services that increase access and lead to greater self-sufficiency.
St Thomas More has a collection envelope and loose change collection every Thanksgiving for the needs of SVDP here in Outagamie & Waupaca Counties.
Please be generous as the need is great!
Catholic Financial Life will be matching funds up to $500 for this and the giving Tuesday event at SVDP.
All of us here at STM would like to send our congratulations to our Communications Assistant Sara Stammer! Sara has started a new career with the Xavier Catholic School System. Over the next couple of weeks she will be transitioning into her career, November 21st being her last day with STM. We are sad to say goodbye to such a valuable team member, yet excited for her new journey. Thank you Sara for all your hard work and support that you have provided to the STM community over the years. You will be greatly missed!
Minka Bourner will now be handling the publication for the bulletin. Please direct all bulletin and other communications to Minka, via email at stmparish@stmcath.org.
Advent & Christmas Choir
The Advent & Christmas season is quickly approaching. It is that joyous time of year, as we wait to celebrate the birth of our Lord. In preparation, our STM CHOIR is beginning rehearsals for the season. We’re looking to add some voices to the group. If you’ve ever wanted to sing in the choir, but are unable to make a year-round commitment, please consider joining us for the Christmas season! This also could be a trial run if you’re considering being a permanent member, or are just in need of service hours. Rehearsals are Thursday from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. You may also just join us for choir rehearsal. The time is now, and this short-term commitment would last only thru the end of December. Make your move, and help us praise Him in song! You will be joyfully welcomed! Please contact the choir director Joseph Menard, or Patricia Verbrick, for more information at 739-7758.
Exploring His Kingdom Podcast
You can also find all the previous episodes at stmcath.org or wherever you subscribe to podcasts.
Ongoing COVID guidelines
To see the list of guidelines regarding COVID protocols please see the attached PDF below.
To see the list of guidelines regarding COVID protocols please see the attached PDF below.
