CHURCH OF ST. SAVIOUR

WE CELEBRATE EUCHARIST:

WEEKEND MASSES

5:00 pm: Saturday Evening

9:30 am: Sunday Morning

11:30 am: Sunday Morning

WEEKDAY MASSES

8:30 am

Confessions First Saturday of the month in the church from 4:00-4:30 PM. By appointment for all other times.

WHO IS WELCOME IN ST. SAVIOUR CHURCH?

Are you a sinner? Have you been away from the church for a long time? Are you divorced or separated? Are you physically or

mentally challenged? Are you from a different culture? Are you not accepted because of your sexual orientation? Are you

elderly, a teen or young adult? Are you discriminated against because of your color? Are you feeling broken? Are you poor or

out of work? Have you been imprisoned? Have you a feeling that you are left out? You are welcome here! This is your home,

and we are your family!

December 15, 2019

December 1

Offertory

$5,637.00

Attendance Who did you come to see? A version of this question is posed by Jesus many times in the Gospels. He asks it of Andrew and John when they begin to follow him. He asks it of Mary Magdalene in the garden of the resurrection. He asks it in today’s Gospel. “What did you go out to the desert to see?” There is something innately human about “seeing.” Animals have eyes — some with much more powerful vision than our own — but that’s not the kind of seeing Jesus is talking about. We could phrase the question several other ways. “What are you looking for?” “What are you longing for?” “Whom do you seek?”

It is in seeing for ourselves that our suspicions or hypotheses are confirmed, that our desires discover their fulfillment, and that we can rest for a moment in certainty. John the Baptist sought certainty of Jesus’ identity. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus sends word to him based on the testimony of sight, observations of the mighty deeds Jesus has begun to work. “Go and tell John what you hear and see.”

God recognizes our desire to see. In the Incarnation, the Word is

made flesh. The invisible is made visible. The supernatural is

made manifest in an infant who can do little more than the most

natural of movements as he feeds, cries, sleeps. We don’t need

to wait for Christmas to see God. The work of God is all around

us. Those blinded by sin “regain their sight.” People overcome

backgrounds of poverty and violence to make world-changing

contributions. Addicts grow and heal. Truth is spoken, and

people listen. Let’s pray for the grace to see God’s movement in

our lives this week. How have you seen the work of God?

“He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” – Luke 1:14-17

UPCOMING PARISH COLLECTIONS

CHRISTMAS MASS REMEMBRANCE

Included with the monthly contributions envelopes is a special envelope for the Christmas Mass

remembrance. Please use this envelope for your special intentions, which will be remembered at each of our celebrations of Eucharist this Christmas.

CHRISTMAS GIFT TO MY PARISH

At this time of the year we all receive many

requests from worthy charities and soon realize that

we can’t respond to them all. However, one appeal

that hopefully everyone will respond to is the

annual Christmas Gift to My Parish Collection.

A year-end Christmas gift is your chance to go

beyond the day-to-day support of your parish that

you fund through your weekly support in the

Sunday collection.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Each year we take great pride in the beautiful

Christmas decorations in our church. Contributions

to help defray the expense of decorating the church

for the holiday season may be made in memory of

deceased relatives or friends, or in honor of the

living. There are envelopes for this purpose in the

set of monthly envelopes or you may obtain one in

the vestibule of the church. Please help the Altar

Guild in creating a beautiful setting for our liturgical

celebrations during the Christmas season.

50/50 ENVELOPES

Purple 50/50 envelopes are available at the front

doors to the church. Simply take an envelope (or

as many envelopes as you’d like), fill them out,

place your $10.00 offering in each envelope and

then drop them in the Sunday offering collection.

We will collect them throughout the month and

on the last day of each month, we will have the

drawing in the Rectory, announce the winner, and

then split the total amount collected 50/50—50%

for the parish and 50% for the lucky winner.

Remember the old expression, you have to be in it

to win it, so take a chance (and a purple 50/50

envelope) and try your luck. The more people

who participate, the greater the prize money for

both the parish and the lucky winner!

Congratulations to parishioner Mr. Sal Cesarani

who won our 50/50 drawing. A total of $160.00

was collected for the December 50/50—so both

our parish and the winner will each receive

$80.00. We are now collecting envelopes for the

January 50/50. Remember, the donation for each

chance is just $10.00.

Brownbaggers Homeless Outreach

The Brownbaggers project serves the poor in the

NYC parks during the winter months. Since 2009

we have delivered thousands of lunches. Meeting

monthly in the Parish Hall at 12:30pm, we assemble

100 brown bag lunches with food and clothing

items donated by our volunteers. We then travel via

subway to multiple Manhattan parks to distribute our

lunches to those most in need, returning to Brooklyn

by 3:30 pm. John Olash is the current director of our

Brownbaggers HomelessOutreach Program.

Volunteers can reach John at:

johnolash@hotmail.com

Please RSVP now for Sunday, January 12

Twenty five volunteers are needed for this event.

RSVP to: johnolash@hotmail.com

Please consider donating warm socks, hats or gloves

into the Brownbaggers Donation Box which will be

located in the vestibule of the church after every

Mass. Any donations received will be distributed at

that month’s Brownbagger event. Also, financial

donations used to purchase food items can be made in

the Parish rectory. Thank you for your support.

*Just a reminder that all adults must be

VIRTUS trained to attend.

BOOK GROUP Please join a dedicated group of readers for a

relaxed and lively book discussion. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month (except where noted) at Chocolateria in Park Slope (228 7th Ave

between 3rd and 4th Streets) from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM. All are welcome. For more infor-

mation, please contact Betsy at ektbetsy@gmail.com.

Here's our upcoming calendar:

January 8 (2nd Wednesday in January) Pagels, Elaine. Why Religion? A Personal Story. Ecco, 2018. (256 pages) February 5 Steinbeck, John. Travels with Charley in Search

of America: Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition,

with

Introduction by Jay Parini, 2012.

(206 pages) [Note: Please buy or borrow the

Penguin Classics Deluxe Anniversary Edition,

which includes the Parini introduction.]

CHRISTMAS EVE 12/24

4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass

6:00 p.m. Family Mass/Nativity Pageant

12:00 Midnight Mass

CHRISTMAS DAY 12/25

10:00 a.m.

How grateful we are to have the

backing of generous St. Saviour

parishioners! Thank you for

your faithful support. Our most

needed items are dried beans,

rice, corn, peanut butter, and

cereal.

Sunday, December 15, THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT 9:30 a.m. Christopher Roazzi/ Joseph & Ann Flanagan 11:30 a.m. Ramon Caban/Maria Payawal Monday, December 16, Late Advent Weekday 8:30 a.m. Agnes Azzara Tuesday, December 17, Late Advent Weekday 8:30 a.m. Bernie Clarke Wednesday, December 18, Late Advent Weekday 8:30 a.m. Kevin Konrad Thursday, December 19, Late Advent Weekday 8:30 a.m. The Intentions of Mary Barry First Friday, December 20, Late Advent Weekday 8:30 a.m. The Intentions of Margaret Cunningham First Saturday, December 21, Late Advent Weekday 8:30 a.m. People of the Parish 5:00 p.m. Thomas H. Devane/ Intentions of Anna Henry Sunday, December 22, FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT 9:30 a.m. Zita McCloskey/ Jean Gray and the DeLucca Family 11:30 a.m. Kay McGovern

We still have Mass Intentions available for both

weekday AND weekend celebrations of Eucharist.

Please consider having a Mass celebrated for

a loved one or family member—either living or

deceased. We are ALL in need of prayers, and

there is no greater prayer than the celebration of

Eucharist. Each Mass Intention is only $15.00. If

you are interested in having a Mass celebrated in

memory of a deceased loved one, or in honor of

someone who is living, please call Emily at the

Rectory and she will be more than happy to assist

you.