11.25.18

Peace in the "End Times" This coming week is the last week in what we call “Ordinary Time” in the Church’s liturgical calendar.  This does not mean “ordinary” as in “regular,” much less “boring,” but has to do with the ordinal numbering of the Sundays (for example, “33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time”).  If anything, the readings near the end of Ordinary Time get more exciting as they become more apocalyptic in tone. Almost every day this week we have a reading from the Book of Revelation.  Also, this Sunday is the “Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe,” and is the patronal feast of Christ the King Chapel.  And so, in a way, the liturgical year “goes out with a bang.”  No doubt, our students feel this as well, as papers and projects come due and finals loom.  At times it might feel like the end of all things.  Some of our students might even find themselves praying for the second coming of Christ just to get out of a test!  But all of this excitement is not meant to cause us greater stress, but in fact to allow us to place even greater trust in God, who knows, loves and tirelessly cares for us.  As both the liturgical and calendar year draw to a close, and as we look to Advent and the Christmas season to follow, may we find that peace that comes from fully relying on God.  Fr. Thom Mass & More Door Prize! November 28 Fr. Thom really wants to keep this for himself, but is offering it up as a door prize.  Some lucky student will walk away from Wednesday's Mass and More with their very own Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar, just in time for Advent.  Fill out an entry slip on the way into Mass, and the lucky winner will be drawn at the end of Mass.  Must be present to win. Campus Ministry Service Trips Be sure to check out all of Campus Ministry's offerings for service trips this Winter and Spring Break.  Winter Break trip applications are due December 3!  Click here to register, or contact Kaitlin to learn more! Giving Tree for Project Renewal Bring your gifts back by December 5! If you took a gift tag, be sure to bring back the unwrapped care items to the Giving Tree in the Gathering Space by Wednesday, December 5, so we can get the gifts to the kids at Project Renewal.  Thank you for your generosity! Feast of St. Ambrose Mass Sunday, December 2 - 10:30 am Join us on the First Sunday of Advent as we honor our patron saint, St. Ambrose.  Bishop Zinkula will preside at the liturgy, which also features music led by a combined choir of SAU Music Minstry and Chamber Singers, as well as the presentation of the McMullen Awards.  A reception will follow in the Gathering Space.  All are welcome! Lessons and Carols Friday, November 30 - 7:00 pm Come and enjoy a special Lessons and Carols service, consisting of scriptures for the season and music featuring the University Chorale and Chamber Singers. Advent begins next Sunday, December 2.  This season is a time of preparation for Christmas and a reminder to be waiting in joyful hope for the coming of the Lord.  Here are a few offerings to help your Advent celebration:   -Use PrayAsYouGo to help you find a bit of time during the day for prayer and reflection - click here for desktop, also on iOS and Android. -Join us for Daily Mass during the week: noon Mon/Fri; 4:30pm Tues/Thurs; 9:15pm Wed. -Take part in times for Reconciliation: 45 minutes before every daily mass, during Monday Night Adoration at 9pm, or by appointment. -Break open the Word with Advent Scripture Study following the 6:30pm Masses on Sundays, December 2 & 9.  Come for a great discussion on the readings from Mass led by the Peer Campus Ministers. -Observe the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a Holy Day of Obligation, with a special mass at 12 noon on Saturday, December 8. -Celebrate one final mass together before break at the Student Candlelight Masson Tuesday, December 11 at 9:00pm.  In the Chapel, filled with light from candles held by students, we celebrate the mystery, joy, and hope of Christ's birth. Fill the Stockings Until Tuesday, December 11 Your Peer Campus Ministers are collecting socks for the Clothing Center at Minnie's Maison.  Donate socks and fill the big stockings in the Beehive! 2019-2020 Peer Campus Minister Applications NOW LIVE Looking for a way to "bee" a leader on campus next year?  Want to help your fellow students form community and grow in their faith?  Consider being a Peer Campus Minister!  Click here to learn more!                    QUICK BUZZ                    Interested in learning more about joining the Catholic Church or receiving a Sacrament of Initiation?  Contact Tammy to learn more.   BeesKnees is our prayer chain for the needs of our St. Ambrose community.  Email BeesKnees@sau.edu Have a prayer request, or want to join.

Have a question about a program or event going on in Campus Ministry? Got an idea for something you'd like to see happen? EMAIL US at ministry@sau.edu. Follow us online for news, events, prayer and spiritual resources, plus much more: Twitter Instagram Facebook

11.11.18

The Counter-Intuitive Nature of Self-Gift In the readings for this Sunday we are given two striking examples of self-gift. In the story of Elijah’s encounter the widow of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:10-16), the widow offers what little she has to feed the Lord’s prophet. Miraculously, the jar of flour does not go empty and the jug of oil does not run dry. And in the Gospel (Mk 12:38-44), Jesus observes yet another poor widow putting two small coins into the temple treasury, exclaiming that she has given more than all the rest, “for they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has given all she had.” At first, this seems like shameless exploitation of the poor. My instinct would be to tell them to keep what little they had. Even with my own giving, my tendency is to be conservative, to play it safe. But these examples in the readings are really less about money and more about faith and gift that each of us is called to make of ourselves. When we give generously of ourselves to God and for others, not out of compulsion or guilt, but “from our poverty” and of our own free will, then amazing things can happen. It may seem counter-intuitive, but in the end such self-gift is the only way for us to thrive as human beings and disciples of Jesus Christ.  Fr. Thom Applications are now live for our 2019 Service Trips! Winter Break applications are due Monday, December 3. Spring Break applications due Wednesday, January 30. All trips are $150, except the Local Mystery Trip which is only $100. Click here to sign up, or contact Kaitlin to learn more! Armistice Day Service Monday, November 12 This year is the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI.  Join us as we commemorate this occasion this Monday with a special service after the noon Mass.  All are welcome. Month of All Souls November is the month of All Souls, a time for us to remember all of our deceased loved ones.  You will find cards in the pews this weekend which you can use to write out the names of deceased loved ones you want to remember.  These cards can be placed in front of the altar, and we will pray for all of them at every mass in November. Scripture Sharing Sundays following 6:30pm Mass Join with the Peer Campus Ministers on Sunday evenings after 6:30pm mass to reflect on the Sunday readings.  Stick around in the Gathering Space right after mass for 30-45 minutes. Giving Tree for Project Renewal Before you head home for break, be sure to pick up a tag off of the Giving Tree.  Each tag will have a child's name from Project Renewal, along with the items to get for them.  Bring them back to the tree unwrapped after break, and help brighten Christmas for the kids at Project Renewal this year! Intro to Catholic Studies CATH 201 Spring 2019 - M/W/F - 11:00 am Taught by Chris Clow Learn about the history, key figures, and cultural impact of Catholicism on the world! Can help fulfill your Gen Ed requirements.  Talk with your advisor, or contact Chris Clow to learn more!                    QUICK BUZZ                    Interested in learning more about joining the Catholic Church or receiving a Sacrament of Initiation?  Contact Tammy to learn more.   BeesKnees is our prayer chain for the needs of our St. Ambrose community.  Email BeesKnees@sau.edu Have a prayer request, or want to join.

Have a question about a program or event going on in Campus Ministry? Got an idea for something you'd like to see happen? EMAIL US at ministry@sau.edu. Follow us online for news, events, prayer and spiritual resources, plus much more: Twitter Instagram Facebook