Dear Life Teen Family,
This past Sunday, we had an opportunity to talk about the life of St. Joseph. While only a very little is mentioned about him directly in the gospels, there is so much we can glean from context clues and his desire and fiat to help Mary accomplish her fiat. St. Joseph was righteous, just, and a protector of his family (and the official protector of the Church!) This invites us to look at how each of us has a righteous role in God's plan-- how are we living as God calls us? Are we fulfilling the role he has for us? His example invites us to live that role in a just and steady-handed way. (Joseph trusted and did what the angel asked of him.) Lastly, how do we care for the others around us as we fulfill that role? As Mary and Joseph traveled, to Bethlehem, to Egypt, back to Nazareth, Joseph cared for and protected his young family. How are we called to do the same with our families and those we encounter, especially in this Advent and soon-to-be Christmas season?
This Sunday, Dec. 15th, we'll have our final Life Night of the fall season. I hope you join us for what will be a more relaxed evening with time for fellowship, team building, and prayer. Don't forget this Sunday is also the last Sunday to get signed up for DYC at the Early Bird rate! Learn more below and don't miss out! We already have 30-some people signed up.
A Quick Note to Parents: It came to my attention from some adults this past Sunday that there was some horseplay in the parking lot among teens who drive themselves. The situation centered around a teen who was trying to get into a car as a passenger with their hand on the door handle, while the teen driver thought it would be funny to start driving away and then proceeded to drive the car backwards and forwards, eventually letting the passenger in.
If your teen is driving themselves to Life Night, please have a conversation with them about the privilege of driving, the goals of safe driving, and how the time for antics is not while you are operating a 4,000 pound machine. There is a potential for someone to get hurt and we'd appreciate not increasing the odds with reckless behavior. We do not usually have issues after Life Night, but this incident is a good reminder for us all!
Peace,
Mike
Advent Book Drive
Through December 20th
We are looking for new and gently used books appropriate for the age range of 4 through high school. Stories, fiction, non-fiction, etc. (No textbooks please!) Books can be dropped off at the youth center through Dec. 20th and/or brought to Life Night this Sunday, Dec. 15th. Books will be donated to local area learning environments in need. Thanks for your help and for senior Laura Deeb for coordinating the efforts!
Come Sing at
Christmas Midnight Mass!
In anticipation of Christmas, our 5pm Sunday Music Ministry is looking for a few singers who might be available to join us for the Christmas Midnight Mass. If you enjoy singing and could appreciate the limited commitment this offers, we'd love to have you. College students home on break and high schoolers most especially welcome. This very special candlelight Mass rings in Christmas as we go from Eve to Day. Practices will be on Dec. 19th (7-8:30p), 21st (1:30-3:30p), and 23rd (7-8:30p) -- with an additional hour on the 22nd after 5pm Mass if needed. If interested, please reach out to Mike. (mhorvath@saint-mikes.org)
Help Us Around the Parish
Just as we spend some time freshening up our own homes in anticipation of Christmas, family, and friends, 'tis the season to help spruce up our parish home. Our fantastic plant manager, Scott, is looking for some extra help in the days before Christmas with some cleaning, organizing, and setup for Christmas Masses. If you are avaialble, would like to earn some service hours, or just simply desire to help your parish, please reach out to him for more details:
Scott Guy, sguy@saint-mikes.org
Diocesan Youth Conference (DYC) 2020
Friday PM, February 7th - Sunday, February 9th
Richmond Marriott Downtown
Early Bird: $85 (Registered by Dec. 15th)
Richmond Marriott Downtown
Early Bird: $85 (Registered by Dec. 15th)
Final Deadline: $105 (Registered by Jan. 5th)
This is our premiere diocesan event of the year for all high school teens in Grades 9-12! Don't miss out!
Great Music | Food & Friends | 1,400 Other Teens
Mass & Adoration | Service | Inspiring Speakers
Inflatables & More! Words can't adequately explain this weekend. To watch a hype video about all you'll experience, get more info about our awesome speakers (Joel Stepanek & Rachel Leininger), and sign up, visit our DYC page below! YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT!
We would like to make sure that all of our teens and parents are signed up for weekly e-blasts and periodic text alerts. You can be added to/update your own account by sending a text to 84576 with the keyword: mikeslifeteen