Isaiah 61: 1 - 2A, 10 - 11

Thessalonians 5: 16 - 24

John 1: 6 - 8, 19 - 28

Today we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday.  “Gaudete” is a Latin word, meaning “rejoice.”  The Christian steward should be characterized by a spirit of rejoicing.

Our First Reading, from Isaiah, expresses a fitting motto for us.  “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.”  It is God Who is the source of our joy and contentment — not things or achievements or comfort, but our relationship with God.

This is why stewards can share so freely of their time, talents and material possessions — because ultimately, we are not attached to these things.  We recognize them as good gifts from our loving Father, but we are attached to the Giver of the gifts, not the gifts themselves.  This allows for great freedom in life and the capacity for great joy in the Lord.

In fact, we can become like John the Baptist, in today's Gospel passage from the Book of John.  We read this description of the prophet: “He came for testimony, to testify to the light...  He was not the light but came to testify to the light.”  This is our calling too — to testify to the Light, our wonderful Savior — by the way we make use of the time, talent and treasure He has entrusted to our care.

When God Himself is the source of our joy, it cannot be taken away from us.  There is still time, this Advent season, to clear away any “clutter” in our lives that may take our focus away from Him.  Let us strive to detach from any of these things so that we can be free to truly rejoice in God on Christmas Day.

Tue, Dec 19 @ 9:00 am          Bobby Ronquillo (RIP)

Tue, Dec 19 @ 11:00 am        Angel (RIP) - Senior Care Centre

Tue, Dec 19 @ 6:30 pm          No Mass  - cancelled

Wed, Dec 20 @ 9:00 am         Gerry Humber (RIP)

Wed, Dec 20 @ 10:30 am       John Toner (RIP) - Senior Care Centre

Wed, Dec 20 @ 6:30 am         Genardo and Maria Andres (RIP)

Thu, Dec 21 @ 9:00 am          Christian A Tinio (RIP)

Thu, Dec 21 @ 6:30 pm          Robert McCracken (RIP)

Fri, Dec 22 @ 9:00 am            Belen Frago (RIP)

Fri, Dec 22 @ 6:30 pm             Alison Schneider (INT)
Sat, Dec 23 @ 9:00 am           Suzanne Kitt & Family (INT)

Sat, Dec 23 @ 5:00 pm           Henry & Eva (INT)
Sun, Dec 24 @ 9:00 am          William & Okezie Ogwu (INT) 4th Sun of Advent

Sun, Dec 24 @ 11:00 am      St. Albert the Great Community (INT) 4th Sun of Advent

Sun, Dec 24 @ 4:00 pm              Vigil of the Nativity

Sun, Dec 24 @ 7:00 pm          Rizalino Garcia (RIP) Vigil of the Nativity 

Sun, Dec 24 @ 9:00 pm          Morales family (INT) Vigil of the Nativity 

ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFERS – when making donations by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) please put your full name in the memo line, and your address if it is the first time you are sending an EFT donation.  We are receiving donations that only come in from the bank with a first name, and we do not know who it belongs to, or what it is for; donation, sacrament fee payment, etc.  Also, you may have the same first and last name as another parishioner, and the address helps us correctly record the donation.  Your full name and address ensures that we are recording the donation to the correct person for tax receipts at the end of the year.

DONATION ENVELOPES – we are encouraging parishioners to make donations electronically, however we can provide you with a box of donation envelopes and a sheet of labels to put on them, as the envelopes are not numbered.  Please come to the parish office Monday through Friday 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, and we can provide you with the box of envelopes and labels.  If you do not want the labels, when using envelopes, please PRINT your full name and address on the envelope.  If you only put your first name “John”, or your last name “Doe Family”, we do not know who to record the donation to and it gets recorded as loose.

There will be no Mass on Tuesday, December 19 as Our Lady of the Rosary School will be having an Advent Concert during that time.  Evening Mass will return on Wednesday, December 20 at 6:30 PM.  Reconciliation will take place at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, December 19.

 

 

 

The Parish Office will be closed at the end of the day Friday, December 22, 2023 to Monday, January 1, 2024 inclusive for Christmas Holidays.  The Office will re-open on Tuesday, January 2 at 9:30 am. 

Our parish has a number of pastoral care ministers that are available to bring Holy Communion to parishioners who are unable to attend Mass.  Pastoral care is a ministry of healing and presence to those parishioners who are sick, elderly, dying, homebound and bereaved.   Our ministers are available to make home visits, as well we have ministers that regularly attend the South Campus Hosptial.  

If you or a loved one are a parishioner in need of a pastoral care visit at home or at the South Calgary Health Campus please contact the parish office at 403-257-6054. 

If someone asked you what the "Good News" was, would you be able to articulate it, clear and simple?  We talk about the "Good News" all the time but do we know what it is?  We can't effectively share our faith unless we are absolutely clear on this matter.  That's where the DISCOVERY faith study comes in.  DISCOVERY is a 6-week study and invites participants to encounter Jesus Christ through a simple but challenging look at the Gospel message - the Good News.  If you desire to know Jesus better, so that you can share your faith with others in your life, this is the BEST first step!  Our next DISCOVERY study takes place in January 2024.  Make this your New Year's Resolution and sign up NOW for 2024.

Click here:  http://tinyurl.com/NewYearGOODNEWS

On Saturday November 18th two members of our Parish family were Ordained into the Permanent Deaconate: Deacon Ferdinand Gayos and Deacon Reynaldo Tadifa.

They will both begin their assignments immediately. Deacon Ferdie will serve at St. Patrick’s Parish, and Deacon Rey at St. Bonaventure.

While our loss is a tremendous blessing to the other parishes, we invite the St. Albert the Great Parish family to a special Sunday Social where we will have an opportunity to show our gratitude to these two gentlemen and their families for answering the Lord’s call in such a meaningful way.

As our sponsored family gets closer to transitioning from being refugees to becoming members of our parish, we wanted our ministry name to better reflect this. This is why we have renamed our ministry the New Canadian Family Ministry of Hope.

  To the whole community of the St. Albert the Great.Parish, we extend a
  heartfelt thank you for making this year's Christmas Hamper Program a
  success.  We are fortunate to have the unwavering support of our
  parishioners, the schools, and the community at large.

  We delivered 220 Christmas hampers to families in our neighborhood this
  weekend.  There were 532 children and 457 adults that received a Christmas
  hamper that was packed with love and care and each contained non
  perishable food items as well as fresh fruits, bread and vegetables and
  gift cards, all of which were donated by you and our many sponsors in the
  community.

  We are grateful for the support of the schools in our parish and give a
  big thank you to the students, teachers, and staff at St. John Henry Newman,
  St. Marguerite, St. Isabella, Msgr Smith, Christ the King, Divine Mercy, St.
  Albert the Great, Our Lady of the Rosary, Prince of Peace and St. Gianna.

  We would also like to thank the many volunteers that gave their time to set
  up, pack and deliver the hampers.

  Together, we have brought the spirit of giving to our neighbors this

  Christmas.

Dr. Edward Sri's 5-week Bible Study course on, "A Biblical Walk Through the Mass" will run Wednesday evenings over Zoom from 6:30 - 9:00 pm on January 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31.  Cost for the workbook is $39.00

His other 5-week Bible Study course on "No Greater Love - A Biblical Walk Through Christ's Passion" will run Wednesday evenings over Zoom from 6:30 - 9:00 pm on February 21, 28, March 6, 13 & 20, finishing just prior to Holy Week.  The cost for the workbook is $39.00.

For more information, please contact Lucille Paplawski at:   paplawski@hotmail.com or 403-479-1211.

The meetings are held on Saturdays @ 7:00 am at St. James Parish in Okotoks.

You may register at  https://programs.paradisusdei.org/join/B2016B .

A small group of the faithful from St. Albert the Great Parish have taken on the mission to put together some recollections and archives going back to the very beginnings of our parish.  Our history got away from us and we think that while we’re still able, we need to gather up our memories.  We are reaching out to anyone who has been a part of our journey for the past 25 years to help document our past.

We’re not exactly sure of what this is all going to look like, but all stories and memories are important.  Can you help us?

Your participation wouldn’t involve a huge time commitment.  If you do like meetings and such, we’ve decided to gather once a month to add past events to a giant timeline.  But, another way that you might participate is to write down your recollections…events that stick out in your memory or that were really important to your family.  You might want to look through your boxes of photos and contribute those or a scan of those.  There are many ways that your participation might be celebrated.  Whether you walked in the front doors of our church when they first opened 20 years ago, or for the first time a few months ago, you are an important part of our history and we thank you for anything you might do.  If you have something to share, please contact us at  archives@stalbertthegreat.ca  .

Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre has many events scheduled from now until early December for the Christmas Season.  You can find them at  this link  .

To have a name added to the Prayer Board, please email secretary@stalbertthegreat.ca  and provide the name of the person you would like to add.

Click on the images above to connect to Mary's Meals website.

Click on the above image to view the renewal web page.

Are you ready to be a beacon of hope in the chilly heart of winter?  The Salvation Army Community Services (Calgary) Mobile Warming Station is in need of volunteers like you!
 
If you have a burning passion to uplift vulnerable communities and can spare just 2 hours a week, and are ready to brave the outdoors, this is an opportunity that will warm your heart and make a real difference.  More info

The Salvation Army is teaming up with the Diocese of Calgary to ensure everyone has a warm coat this winter.  Donations of new and gently used coats and other winter wear are sorted and distributed by Salvation Army throughout various programs to be shared with those in need.

If your parish, ministry, or school is ready to make an impact, join us:

Each year, Advent invites us to prepare for the greatest event in human history - The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. You are invited to St. Michael's Advent Mission with speaker Peter Thompson:

Applications are now open for Fall 2024 in all BA/BSc programs and the helpful admissions team at St. Mary's is ready to guide you through the process.  Get a head start on building the foundation of your future by applying to St. Mary's University today at  stmu.ca

Using symbolic language, John the Evangelist describes who John the Baptist is and what his mission will be.  In every gospel John the Baptist plays an important part but always he is subordinate to Christ.  John the Baptist is the one to prepare the way of the Lord, but he is not the Lord.  Undoubtedly there were some at that time who thought John the Baptist was the messiah.  But John the Baptist knew who he was. 

We can never take the light for granted.  It needs to be tended carefully. In what ways can we be joyful witnesses to the light during this Advent season?

During her Confirmation preparation, Ysabelle took the task seriously and completed it with enthusiasm.  Fr. James Hagel, her pastor, shared about Ysabelle and what the Lord has in store for her.

Advent includes an element of penance in the sense of preparing, quieting, and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas. Join us for our Parish Advent Penitential Service and rejoice in God's Mercy!  View list of Penitential Services at: catholicyyc.ca/advent.html#penitential

The Salvation Army is teaming up with the Diocese of Calgary to ensure everyone has a warm coat this winter.  Donations of new and gently used coats and other winter wear are sorted and distributed by the Salvation Army throughout various programs to be shared with those in need.  To drop off coats or to organize a Winter Coat Drive in your parish, please contact Monica at 403-218-5521 or email monica.ottenbreit@calgarydiocese.ca
  

Join experts Dr. Christopher West, Sister Helena Burns FSP, Fr. Cristino Bouvette, and internationally acclaimed songwriter, Mike Mangione, as they introduce and reflect St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body.  When/Where: Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 from 6 pm to 10 pm at Holy Spirit Catholic Church (10827 24 St SW Calgary). Register online.  For any questions, please contact theologyofthebodyconference@gmail.com  | Download Poster in PDF | JPG
  

Great news! The celebration of Sunday Mass has resumed at three hospitals in the City of Calgary on the First Sunday of Advent.  Patients, family members and friends, and hospital staff are now able to avail themselves of this pastoral outreach in the following facilities:  
 Sundays at 3:30 pm - Foothills Hospital Chapel
 Sundays at 3:00 pm – Peter Lougheed Hospital Chapel
 Sundays at 3:30 pm – Rockyview Hospital Chapel
  

Thanks to a generous Calgary couple, Elizabeth House can run a special year-end matching campaign again.  This presents a fantastic opportunity for you to double your gift and its impact.  Don't miss out on this chance - it's available until Dec. 16! Double your gift at  catholicyyc.ca/donateelizabethhouse

Please visit  catholicyyc.ca/careers  for more information and application details. 

If you haven't already, please subscribe to the  Diocesan publication Faithfully  - to keep you updated with what's happening in our Diocese.  Get a snapshot of faith at work in the lives of everyday people in our Diocese and find opportunities to spread the Good News of Christ beyond the walls of our churches.  Subscribe at catholicyyc.ca/faithfully