OPEN BELL DATES: The following dates are still open in December and January for anyone wishing to have the bells rung in memory or in honor of a loved one: December 12th-14th, 16th-18th, 21st, and 29th & 31st. January 1st, 4th-14th, 16th-19th, 22nd-31st. Please call the rectory during office hours to make arrangements.

MASS INTENTIONS

Monday, December 11 St. Damasus I 6:45 †Mary Beth Franczok 12:10 †Guadalupe Santos Tuesday, December 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe 6:45 Pat Ricci 12:10 †Enrique Santos, Jr. Wednesday, December 13 St. Lucy 6:45 Elzbieta Pawlowska 12:10 Evelyn Lecher Thursday, December 14 St. John of the Cross 6:45 †Donna Pieper 12:10 †Richard E. Johnson Friday, December 15 6:45 Poor Souls in Purgatory 12:10 †Lee Bakewell Saturday, December 16 6:45 †Mary C. Katynski 5:00 Evelyn Virnig Sunday, December 17 Third Sunday of Advent 7:00 Living and Deceased Parishioners of St. Louis Church 9:15 Charlie Belland 11:00 †Vladislava Kondratowicz 12:30 †Teresita Artes Larena

PARISH CALENDAR Sunday December 10 Doughnut Sunday after Sunday Masses Monday, December 11 Rosary (Church) 11:40am Tuesday, December 12 Tuesday Organ Recital after 12:10 Mass Wednesday, December 13 Eucharistic Exposition 12:35pm-2:00pm

Please welcome these newest members to our parish Lynn Carlson Alexandra Gergen Patricia Johnston Colette Rentz Mark Rotty Eleanor Tapp Kathleen Weschcke Fuel and Heat Collection This weekend we will have a second collection to help with the extraordinary expense of heating the Church, Chapel, Parish Hall and Rectory. The bill last year from Xcel Energy for just the month of December was over $4,000.00 dollars. Please Note: Because of privacy laws, hospitals do not call the parish to alert us to the presence of a parishioner in the hospital. Please call the parish office to let us know about someone in the hospital that would like a visit.

Doughnut Sunday No need to make breakfast today. This Sunday after all the Masses (including the 12:30) we will be serving coffee, doughnuts and juice in the parish hall. St. Louis Christmas Bake Sale Thank you to all who baked, brought and bought for our annual Christmas Bake Sale as well as the many volunteers. We will be sending a check to Joseph’s Coat this week for $2,000.00. This marks an increase of nearly $300 from last year’s Bake Sale. Nice Work! Christmas Flowers and the Decoration of the Church. Please consider helping with the expense of decorating the church by contributing to the Christmas Flower Fund! Envelopes are available at the back of the church and can be dropped in any collection basket on Sundays or mailed to the parish office. Please do not drop these envelopes in the money slots in the church or chapel. Donations can be made in memory or in honor of a loved one. Please be sure your name is on the front and the name(s) of the person(s) in memory/honor you are making the donation is written clearly on the back. Thank you.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Schedule of Masses Also posted on our website at stlouiskingoffrance.org Saturday, December 23 - Vigil/Fourth Sunday of Advent 5:00pm Low Mass Sunday, December 24 - The Fourth Sunday of Advent 7:00 a.m. Low Mass 9:15 a.m. Sung Mass 11:00 a.m. High Mass (with Quartet) 12:30 p.m. Low Mass Sunday, December 24 - Christmas Eve 5:00 p.m. Sung Mass 7:00 p.m. Mass in French with French Carols After the French Mass, the church will be closed until 10:45 p.m. 11:30 p.m. Carols and Music 12:00 a.m. Christmas Mass at Midnight (with Choir) Monday, December 25 - Christmas Day 7:00 a.m. Low Mass 9:15 a.m. Sung Mass 11:00 a.m. High Mass (with Choir) 12:30 p.m. Low Mass New Lector Stand We have a beautiful new Lector Stand that graces the sanctuary to the left of the altar. Thank you to our fellow parishioner Steve Floeder who with skill and craftsmanship created and donated this beautiful new furnishing for the church.

RING OUT, O BELLS… DATE REQUEST FOR INTENTION REQUESTED BY December 11 †Arnold Pederson Anniversary of Death Nancy and Bruce Lindberg December 15 Cathy Halloran Happy Birthday Nancy and Bruce Lindberg

“Enrich the harvest of your charity.” PLEASE REMEMBER SAINT LOUIS IN YOUR WILL

MEDITATION

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Second Sunday of Advent

See Worship Book 770

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1:8)

The Holy Spirit—he makes all the difference. John had preached a baptism of repentance for sins, but he promised that someone “mightier” was coming—someone who would fill us with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:7). So what is that difference? John’s baptism focused on the past, on forgiveness for sins already committed. He wanted people to put the past behind them. The Holy Spirit, however, focuses on the future. He comes to mold us and shape us, to lead us into the kingdom of heaven. John’s baptism was for one purpose: for our pardon. But the Holy Spirit has many purposes. He reveals God’s love to us. He helps us understand Scripture. He teaches us how to live as brothers and sisters. He holds the Church together and moves us to work for the kingdom of God. And so much more. When we are baptized into Christ, we get both blessings. Our sins are washed away, and we receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus doesn’t want us to miss out on anything! It’s all wrapped up in one gift, which we call the “seed of faith.” If we want to see these blessings unfold in our lives, we need to tend to and nurture this seed. A simple analogy might help. The main reason most of us go on a healthy diet is to lose weight, but so much more happens when we change our eating habits. Yes, the weight drops. But our cholesterol levels also improve. Our immune system is strengthened. We feel more energetic, and we sleep better. We just wanted to lose weight, but our whole lives have been changed. This is what happens when we care for our seed of faith. Not only do we experience God’s forgiveness, but we invite the Holy Spirit to work in every other area of our lives. We feel God’s love. We become more loving. We want to reach out to those who are hurting. We find the strength to say no to temptation. In short, we become a new creation.

“Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of the Holy Spirit! Lord, help me grow my faith.”

Reprinted with permission from The Word Among Us

2018 Parish Calendars are available With grateful appreciation to Richard Graner of Good Life Consultants and to Klecatsky and Sons Funeral Chapels for providing our parish with the beautiful 2018 Religious Art Calendars. They are available at most entrances of the church and Chapel Please, one per family. Thank you.

ENTRANCE HYMN 356 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry

RESPONSORIAL PSALM 770 Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

POSTCOMMUNION HYMN 370 Comfort, comfort, O my people

CHORAL MUSIC AT THE 11:00 AM MASS

Kyrie Missa Alma Redemptoris Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)

E’en so, Lord Jesus Paul Manz (1919-2009) Peace be to you and grace from Him Who freed us from our sins, Who loved us all and shed His Blood That we might saved be. Sing holy, holy to Our Lord, The Lord, Almighty God, Who was and is and is to come; Sing holy, holy, Lord! Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell therein, Rejoice on earth, ye saints below, For Christ is coming, is coming soon! E'en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come, And night shall be no more; They need no light nor lamp nor sun, For Christ will be their All! — adapted from Revelation 22.

Communion Ierusalem surge Graduale Romanum, Mode II Arise, O Jerusalem, and stand on high; and behold the joy that shall come to you from your God. — Baruch 5:5; 4:36.

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday, December 11 Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 85:9-14; Luke 5:17-26 Tuesday, December 12 Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 96:1-3,10-13; Matthew 18:12-14

Wednesday, December 13 Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 103:1-4,8,10; Matthew 11:28-30 Thursday, December 14 Isaiah 41:13-20; Psalm 145:1,9-13; Matthew 11:11-15 Friday, December 15 Isaiah 48:17-19; Psalm 1:1-4,6; Matthew 11:16-19

Saturday, December 16 Sirach 48:1-4,9-11; Psalm 80:2-3,15-16,18-19; Matthew 17:10-13

Sunday, December 17 Isaiah 61:1-2,10-11; Psalm (Luke) 1:46-48,49-50,53-54; First Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8,19-28

A significant portion of the costs of the Tuesday recitals for the current season was graciously given by Sharon Bigot in loving

memory of ALFRED E. BIGOT.

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