Preparing university students for a life of St. Philip Neri faith and leadership in the Catholic Church CATHOLIC NEWMAN CENTER and service to the world. First Week of Advent – Year B Liturgy of the Hours – Week 1 November 30-December 6, 2014 Christmas Party THIS WEEK Mon Dec 1 Morning Prayer – 8:30a Saturday, December 13 - 6p Mass – 12:05p Newman’s legendary Christmas party is just Evening Prayer – 5p around the corner. Things start with a RCIA – 7p catered dinner and date auction, followed by face2Face– 9-10p a live auction and white elephant gift Tue Dec 2 Morning Prayer – 9a exchange. All proceeds from the auctions will Free Lunch – 11:30a-1p be donated to Emergency Infant Services. Evening Prayer – 5p Please bring a wrapped gift under $5 for the Mass – 5:15p Brainstorm – 9p gift exchange. Festive attire is encouraged but not required. Wed Dec 3 St. Francis Xavier Morning Prayer – 8:30a Evening Prayer – 5p Choir Practice – 8p Christmas Caroling Rosary – 9p December 7 and 14 - 7p Mass – 9:30p, followed by ice cream Travel around Tulsa serenading Thu Dec 4 Morning Prayer – 9a Newman donors and friends with the Evening Prayer – 5p sounds of the season. Sign up on the Mass – 5:15p chalkboard and email kaitlyn- Adoration – 9p-12n Friday [email protected] for more Fri Dec 5 Pro-Life Rosary – 7:15a carpool information. Singers and Morning Prayer – 8:30a instrumentalists are both welcome. Mass – 12:05p Evening Prayer – 5p Broomball vs. CYA – 10:15p Broomball Sun Dec 7 Confession – 9:45-10:45a Friday, December 5 - 10:15p carpool Mass – 11a, followed by brunch Confession – 3:45-4:45p It’s time for our showdown with the Catholic Mass – 5p Young Adults and we need all the players we Sunday Dinner – 6p can get. What’s broomball? Think hockey, Christmas Caroling – 7p except with sneakers instead of skates and a soccer ball instead of a puck. Not so much into sports but still want to come? Join the SAVE THE DATE cheering section. Dress warmly and, if you Mon Dec 8 Immaculate Conception (Holy Day of plan to play, bring $5 to help with rink rental. Obligation) - 12:05p and 5:15p Masses Last Day of Class Dec 9-10 Reading Days face2Face Tue Dec 9 Holy Grounds – 7:30p carpool Monday, December 1 - 9-10p Advent is a time of prayerful, attentive Fri Dec 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe waiting. What better time to spend Christmas Concert – 7p at Tyrrell Hall some quality time with Christ in the Sat Dec 13 St. Lucy eucharist? Stop by for Adoration, praise Christmas Party – 6p and worship music, and confession. Sun Dec 14 Christmas Caroling – 7p Text follow tu_catholic to 40404 @TU_Catholic www.facebook.com/utulsaCatholic www.tu-newman.org MEME OF THE WEEK Christmas Concert Friday, December 12 - 7p at Tyrrell 'Tis the season for Christmas carols and the Newman choir's annual Christmas concert, which will include pieces by the entire choir as well as smaller groups with both vocalists and instrumentalists. It’s free and open to everyone, so bring some friends. TEC Retreat January 17-19 Retreat for a weekend early next semester with other young adults ages 18-29 from the Tulsa area at TEC (Together Encounter Christ). Registration is $45 before December 1 or $55 after. Sign up at tectulsa.org/register and email [email protected] or kaitlyn- [email protected] with any questions. Are you a BA (blind apostle)? Have Yourself A Holy Little Advent by Caitlin Kennell Kim Having emerged from your tryptophan-induced stupor, you awoke on Jesus until Christmas morning. Before any of the Christmas morning chaos Friday to the triumphant proclamation that it is Christmas. The TV says so. is allowed to ensue, he brings Baby Jesus down the stairs and — with the Every big box retailer in your neighborhood says so. The lights and wreathes solemnity particular to children of a certain age — sets him in the manger and inflatable Santas that appeared like magic overnight say so. To this I while everyone shouts “Happy birthday, Jesus!” If you have little people at say, bah. Humbug! your house (or you’re expecting little visitors this Advent) consider getting Ok, here’s the deal: I love Christmas. I love everything about Christmas. your hands on a felt nativity set. Kids learn by playing and acting out the But it’s not Christmas yet! It’s Advent. Advent is the liturgical season of Christmas story, and the last thing you want is a crowd of headless wise preparation that proceeds Christmas. New to observing Advent? Your men and a one legged St. Joseph. (Trust me on this one.) favorite convert gives you the basics to this beautiful season of hope. N — Nicholas: The feast of St. Nicholas falls on December 6. This Advent A — Advent wreath: Every Catholic church and many Catholic homes saint lived in the third (and into the fourth) century. He was a Greek bishop in display an Advent wreath. This wreath consists of an evergreen wreath, three Myra renowned for his piety, humility, and generosity. In fact, he was one of purple candles, and one rose candle. The candles are lit one by one on the the bishops who participated in the Council of Nicaea in 325, which gave us Sundays of Advent and are meant to symbolize Jesus, the Light of the the Nicene Creed. One of the most well known stories about St. Nicholas world, coming to dwell among us. The evergreens in a circle represent involves a poor man who had no dowries for his three daughters. In that eternal life. Pine cones or other seed-bearing decorations symbolize time, a woman with no dowry was destined to a life of sexual slavery. The resurrection. The purple candles represent prayer, penance, and preparatory man wept bitterly that he could not spare his daughters such an awful fate. sacrifices and the rose candle, lit on the third Sunday of Advent, represents Bishop Nicholas, too humble to receive any credit for his actions, threw joy at the midpoint of Advent on Gaudete Sunday. Consider making your three sacks of gold coins down the chimney. The man and his daughters own Advent wreath and lighting the candles as part of your prayerful rejoiced. preparation for Christmas. Christians celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas by putting chocolate gold D — Declutter: Let’s unclutter our lives and get our respective spiritual coins in their children’s shoes. St. Nicholas usually brings chocolate gold houses in order. Jesus is coming! Advent is a season of making our hearts coins, clementines, holy cards, and other small treasures. (We like to leave ready for the coming of Jesus, our Emmanuel… a season that weaves our him a beer and a carrot for his donkey.) If you’re celebrating Advent with little joyful expectation with a call to deeper conversion. Our Advent preparation ones, introduce them to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children and the is often drowned out by the insistent cacophony of consumerism. Consider holy namesake of Santa. You can say a St. Nicholas novena for the children spending less time shopping and more time mending rifts (big and small) in in your life and children throughout the world. Also, why not honor our friend your relationships. Try making homemade gifts (Pinterest!) and using the Nicholas in heaven by giving to a local rape crisis center or a charity that money you saved to help those in need. When loved ones ask what you’d helps victims of sex trafficking? like for Christmas, why not ask them to give to your favorite charity? T — Tree: No, not your Christmas tree … your Advent tree! A Jesse Tree V — Veni, Veni Emmanuel: Many of us are familiar with the Advent hymn illustrates the genealogy of Christ with a series of ornaments depicting his “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” This popular Advent song has its origin in various ancestors as outlined in the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. The the great O Antiphons, a series of seven responsorial prayers that offer titles last seven ornaments coincide with the titles for Jesus found in the O for the coming King. From December 17 through December 23, the Church Antiphons. You can make your own ornaments or purchase a Jesse Tree kit. prays these antiphons (sung or spoken responses) during vespers (the part Why not make it a new family tradition to decorate your tree with purple of the Liturgy of the Hours prayed during the evening). You can use this ribbons and Jesse Tree ornaments during Advent and wait until after resource to pray along with lay and religious Catholics around the world. Christmas Mass to add your Christmas decorations? E — Empty manger: Go ahead and put out your nativity set … without Remember, we’re not only preparing ourselves to celebrate Jesus coming the baby Jesus. What?! Blasphemy, you say! Nope. Catholic tradition. As to dwell among us … the King of Kings born into this world and into human Christmas approaches, you may notice that the nativity scene at your local history as a poor child in an occupied land. We’re preparing ourselves for his parish has made an appearance in some prominent spot in the church with coming again. For a fulfillment of all he has promised us. For our joy to be the exception of Baby Jesus. He’s not there … not yet. He won’t make his made complete. For the reign of justice and mercy and peace to be realized triumphant entrance until Christmas day.