In the season of Advent we prepare for the two comings of Christ: celebrating his birth in Bethlehem, and anticipating his return in glory as our King at the end of time. 

The Third Sunday of Advent is the pink or rose colored candle on the wreath, a joyful color, reminding us that Christ is nearer to us than when the season began and our wait for him will soon be over.  This is called Gaudete Sunday, a Latin word that means ‘rejoice,’ taken from the entrance antiphon for the Mass:  “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.  Indeed the Lord is near” (Philippians 4:4-5).  

There is no better way to prepare for the coming of the Messiah than to seek for yourself the very gift he came from heaven to bring to earth – forgiveness of sins.  There are still some penance services remaining this week, including Queens on Wednesday evening at 7pm.  

St. Mary:  Saturday December 14, 10am

St. Rita:  Monday December 16, 7pm

Queens:  Wednesday December 18, 7pm

St. John:  Thursday December 19, 7pm

The Holy Land families from Bethlehem will be set up in Vincentian Hall after all Masses this weekend.  They accept cash, check and credit card.  Please support them.  These hand crafted olive wood items make great Christmas gifts, or you can plan ahead for 1st Communion, graduation, summer weddings and anniversaries, birthdays, Confirmation next fall.  The possibilities are endless.  

The Parish Life Commission will have a cookie reception after the 5pm Saturday Mass and coffee and donuts after all Sunday Masses in hopes that you will come and browse the collection and stay awhile.  

Great 50/50 Raffle tickets make great stocking stuffers while supporting a great cause!  Tickets are on sale after all weekend Masses and at the parish and school office during the week.  Checks should be made payable to ‘Jackson Catholic Schools.’  Your $100 ticket enrolls you in 10 monthly drawings in 2025.  Two winners will be chosen each month.  In the recent past, each monthly winner has walked away with somewhere between $2,000 and $2,500!  The prize is determined by the number of tickets sold by January 31, 2025.   

The 26th Annual Community Wide Christmas Dinner is fast approaching!  Here are two ways you can help:

The ornament boards are at all the doors of church this weekend.  When you leave Mass, take some with you and bring back the items specified.

In total, the help of more than one hundred volunteers is needed, and not just the day of.  Help is needed for set up the day before and on Christmas before the dinner, then there is serving and clean up.  The Sign-Up Genius link for volunteers is below. 

If you are alone for the holidays, have no one to celebrate with, nothing to celebrate with, perhaps you’re mourning the recent loss of a loved one, no one should spend Christmas alone.  Be our guest for a plated dinner served on fine china, a homecooked meal fit for a new born king!

Lessons & Carols will be followed by a reception in Vincentian Hall hosted by the Queens Ladies Guild. This event is free and open to the public.  

If you attended Catholic school and have yet to support the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars Campaign, I ask you to step up and make a legacy pledge in recognition of the opportunities afforded to you by the sacrifice your parents invested in your future. 

If you have children who did attend or are now attending Jackson Catholic schools and you have yet to make a gift to this campaign, I invite your participation.  Tuition only covers half the cost of the schools.  Fundraising pays for the rest at Lumen and the parish pays for the rest at Queens.  Your support of S3 is recognition that others besides you are sacrificing for your child’s education.  

9 weeks into the QMM/S3 campaign, we are sitting at 85% of goal with pledges of $2,270,163 from 386 donors representing 25% of the parish family.  The average pledge so far is $5,881.  We have to raise another $394,837 to meet our parish S3 target of $2,650,000.  We have yet to hear from 1,170 Queens households.  Any amount raised over goal we get to keep 100%.   

The odds are in our favor and the math is simple.  If 25% of our parishioners can get us to 85% of our goal, then the other 75% of our parishioners should easily be able to make up the remaining 15%! 

‘THANK YOU’ TO THE S3 GIVERS!

You can make your S3 commitment however you like:  how much to pledge, when to start giving, how often you will be billed, how to pay, etc.  The power is in your hands.  Place pledge card envelopes in the offertory collection at Mass or drop them off at the parish office.  Checks should be made payable to ‘Stewardship for Saints and Scholars.’ 

The link below will take you to the Saints and Scholars website where you can set up your gift or pledge commitment:

CAMPAIGN PRAYER

Lord, everything we have is a gift from you. 
You call us to receive your gifts with thanks,  
to develop these gifts fully, 
and to share them generously.
Through the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars campaign
help every young person in the Diocese of Lansing
see your truth, beauty, and goodness;
help families to raise their children in the Faith;
and help parishes make a truly Catholic education
available to all.
May the work of this campaign bear abundant fruit
in the Saints and Scholars you are raising up for the future.
We ask these blessings through Christ our Lord.
Amen.   

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching” (Heb 13:8-9).

Fr. Tim MacDonald

Pastor

Queen of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church

606 S. Wisner St.  Jackson, Michigan 49203

(517) 783-2748  www.queenschurch.com