St. Joseph's Catholic Church

This week's second collection is for retired religious. Please be generous!

Do you have a creative kid at home? Encourage them to submit something to the CDA National Education Contest!

Do you know why some priests are called 'Monsignors?'

Happy Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception!
Glorious things are spoken of you, O Mary, for from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.

ANT. This is the rod in which was neither knot of original sin, nor rind of actual guilt.
V. In thy conception, O Virgin! Thou wast immaculate.
R. Pray for us to the Father, Whose Son thou didst bring forth.
Let us Pray
O GOD, Who, by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, didst prepare a worthy habitation for Thy Son, we beseech Thee, that as by the foreseen death of that same Son, Thou didst preserve her from all stain, so too thou wouldst permit us, purified through her intercession, to come unto Thee. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read the whole article at https://thejesuitpost.org/2023/05/catholic-101-holy-days-of-obligation/

We look forward to seeing you tonight or tomorrow to celebrate the Immaculate Conception!

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, every Sunday is a Holy Day of Obligation and all Catholics are bound to participate in the Holy Mass, unless they are unable to for a serious reason. There are other Holy Days of Obligation, such as Easter, which are also celebrated, but because they fall on a Sunday they are already included in the usual Sunday obligation.

Christians gathered each Sunday in the early days of the Church to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was the most important day of the week, the "first of all days, the first of all feasts". According to the Catechism, "The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship 'as a sign of his universal beneficence to all.' Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people." There are many additional reasons why Sundays are incredibly important in the life of every Christian, which you can read about in Part 3, Section 2 of the Catechism. Catholics who do not fulfill the Sunday Mass obligation commit grave sin which requires confession to enter back into a state of grace.

Read why St. Ambrose is associated with bees at https://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/why-is-st-ambrose-portrayed-with-a-beehive/
St. Ambrose, pray for us!

Happy St. Nicholas day! How will you be giving to others today?

Dennis Ouderkirk ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Crookston Official website of Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston. Features include diocesan news, ministries, events, priests, parishes & schools, descriptions of all diocesan programs and much more!

Tomorrow's Encounter Night features a string trio - it will be a beautiful evening and a wonderful way to focus our attention to the special time of Advent.

We all take things for granted. In particular, we take time for granted. We make our lives too busy. We plan our days, weeks, months, even years in advance. Remember, our time on earth is a gift. None of us knows how long we will be here. Start today and begin thanking God for each and every day. Take time in silence, every day, and listen to how God is calling you right now to help build His kingdom on earth.

A Happy Liturgical New Year to you all.

In case you don't have plans tonight, we have 6 open spots for tonight's Advent by Candlelight. Viewing of tables is from 6:15-7 p.m. with the program beginning at 7:00 p.m. Advent by Candlelight is our fundraiser for MACH1 which is our mother's group at St. Joe's. The night consists of decorated tables lit by candlelight, time for dessert, a speaker, and carols. It's the perfect way to get into the Advent Spirit. Open to women only. Tickets cost $20. Purchase your tickets online. https://fs2.formsite.com/stjoesmhd/form100/index?fbclid=IwAR3OPKWUDSrivOZuNJbCsgIMCmnsOI9k4c_ZPwWHam3n0zfXeTKuXLmXHDQ

Advent by Candlelight Registration View this form on Formsite

Mass times for Friday's Solemnity.

St. Nicholas of Myra's feast day is next week, and he is known for saying, "The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves."

Prayer for People with Disabilities

Lord Our God, you make every person in your divine image.
You know our needs and you fulfill our desires.
You protect us when we are fragile and give us courage for each new day.
Help us to understand the power and wisdom of human vulnerability.
Open our hearts to accept our weakness in your strength.
Give us the courage to break down the barriers that separate us from one another.
Enable us to reach out lovingly to all your children, so that, together,
we may all participate fully in parish life and worship.
Make us grateful for the talents and abilities that all people can share with the Church.
Guide our actions to create truly welcoming communities that are open to the gifts of each individual, celebrating our interdependence with respect for all life.
Help us to appreciate all those, living with disabilities, who contribute
their time and talents, even in the face of obstacles or misunderstanding.
We look to the future with optimism and with faith in you, as we pursue our call to provide justice and fullness of life for all people with disabilities.
We pray that every man, woman, and child may develop their potential.
We offer you these prayers as one flock, following the same shepherd, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Look to Our Lady–she is already waiting at the crib, desiring to teach us to make our hearts a pleasant crib for the Christ Child to dwell in.

Use your phone to set reminders, or, purchase a chaplet, which helps you keep track of your prayers throughout the day.

https://aleteia.org/2021/11/30/why-st-andrew-is-a-perfect-advent-saint/

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). John 1:40-41.

St. Andrew, pray for us!

🍎𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬!

All food donations will be distributed equally amongst our Moorhead and West Fargo pantry locations.

Please see the list below on all items we are in need of through our Moorhead & West Fargo locations!

𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙖𝙩:
📍Dorothy Day Food Pantry-Moorhead:
1308 Main Ave, Moorhead, MN 56560
📆Monday-Thursday
⏱ 9:00AM-3:00PM

Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship Him in humbleness;
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One;
O praise Him, O praise Him!
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Most of us are generous when it’s convenient for us. We are generous when we have the time or the money. But, real generosity is the opposite of that. It means giving of one’s time, money, compassion, forgiveness or mercy when it’s not convenient to us, when it’s not on our schedule, but on the other person’s timeline.

Wise words on spontaneous prayer.

This weekend is our collection for the support of the school at St. Mary’s Mission in Red Lake, MN. Your generosity has allowed this life-changing school and the 66 children enrolled to prepare for a future full of hope. Thank you for giving generously once again, to St. Mary’s Mission Appeal. Watch the SMMA video and donate online at
www.crookston.org/smma

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right and just.

The Mass has always been associated with a desire to give thanks to God for the many blessings that we have received. Going to Mass as a family is a perfect way to express that gratitude to God.

"The prison here is a true image of everlasting hell: to cruel tortures of every kind—shackles, iron chains, manacles—are added hatred, vengeance, calumnies, obscene speech, quarrels, evil acts, swearing, curses, as well as anguish and grief. But the God who once freed the three children from the fiery furnace is with me always; he has delivered me from these tribulations and made them sweet, for his mercy is forever. In the midst of these torments, which usually terrify others, I am, by the grace of God, full of joy and gladness, because I am not alone—Christ is with me."
- From a letter of Saint Paul Le-Bao-Tinh sent to students of the Seminary of Ke-Vinh, 1843
St. Andrew Dung-Lac and companions, pray for us!
Read about the Vietnamese martyrs at https://bigccatholics.blogspot.com/2017/11/st-andrew-dung-lac-and-companions.html

Here are some helpful hints to improve your prayer life. Which ones will you start to implement?

Happy Thanksgiving! May we all spend some time today dwelling on the bounty we have received, while praising and adoring the Lord.

The story of NCYC 2023 — “Fully Alive” Official website of Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston. Features include diocesan news, ministries, events, priests, parishes & schools, descriptions of all diocesan programs and much more!

It can be hard to pray spontaneously from the heart, especially if we aren't 'practiced' in it. Both spontaneous prayer and rote prayer are valuable, so spend time this week focusing on building up your daily conversations with God.

In his book Prayer for Beginners, Peter Kreeft says: “When we pray with the Church’s words, we pray with the best words ever written. But your words are more yours and God wants to hear them. It can be a beautiful thing to quote a sonnet to your beloved, but lovers who only speak in sonnets aren’t lovers, but performers. We need both.”

Use these prompts to help your child (and you!) to know how to start this type of spontaneous prayer. The acronym ACTS can help:
Adoration (Praise the Lord for the awesome God he is)
Confess (Admit your sins and ask for God's overflowing forgiveness and mercy)
Thanksgiving (Thank God for all the wonderful things he has done)
Supplication (bring requests for others/yourself to God)

🚨URGENT NEED ITEMS!🚨

This week we are in critical need of LARGE BLANKETS & COUGH AND COLD MEDICINE! ❄️

Winter is finally here, and while we try our hardest to ensure guests and their families are able to stay warm, we cannot always guarantee every guest has a bed which raises the possibility of them having to sleep on the floor or even outside in the cold.

Please see the list below on all items we are in need of through all of Churches United's locations!

📍All donations can be dropped off at Micah's Mission at:
1901 1st Ave N, Moorhead, MN 56560

Want to donate needs list items and have them ship straight to us? Click the link to our Amazon Needs List!

Medical Needs List:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2F33LVCIW115G...

Kids/Infant Needs List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3DS14X774TLGT...

Seasonal Needs List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/N8KY32ZW4NQC...

New Guest Kits Needs List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/24KN47GNYO30R...

It is written that as the musicians played at her wedding she ‘sang in her heart to the Lord’. She is one of seven women, excluding the Blessed Virgin, commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass. It is supposed that she was a noble lady of Rome who, with her husband Valerian, his brother Tiburtius, and a Roman soldier Maximus suffered matrydom in about 230, under the emperor Alexander Severus.

Read St. Cecilia's story at https://saintcecilias.org/the-story-of-st-cecilia/

St. Cecilia, pray for us!

Enjoy Thanksgiving break!

Franciscan Media has a wonderful short read on today's Memorial. Below is an abridged version:

"As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation in the temple only in apocryphal literature. In what is recognized as an unhistorical account, the Protoevangelium of James tells us that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was 3 years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless.

Though it cannot be proven historically, Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond.

It is sometimes difficult for modern Westerners to appreciate a feast like this. The Eastern Church, however, was quite open to this feast and even somewhat insistent about celebrating it. Even though the feast has no basis in history, it stresses an important truth about Mary: From the beginning of her life, she was dedicated to God. She herself became a greater temple than any made by hands. God came to dwell in her in a marvelous manner and sanctified her for her unique role in God’s saving work. At the same time, the magnificence of Mary enriches her children. They—we—too are temples of God and sanctified in order that we might enjoy and share in God’s saving work."

The St. Joe’s Youth are selling Discounted Marcus Theater Movie Tickets for $8.50. Tickets can be used toward any movie except 3D or 4D movies. These make perfect Christmas gifts! If you purchase 2 tickets, you’ll receive a $3 snack voucher good for concessions. We are also selling Gift cards to Marcus Theaters for $10 or $25. You can purchase tickets at the parish office now until December 8. Tickets will be ready to pick up on Monday, December 18. Checks can be made to St. Joe's.

The next Encounter night is Wednesday, December 6. Please come for an Encounter Night of music, prayer, and Adoration. Confession will be available as well! All are welcome! Families with small children, please feel free to stay as long as you would like for your family's needs and schedule. Please enter through the Gathering Space doors.

Please note the daily Mass on Thursday is pushed back to 9;00 a.m. for Thanksgiving.