The Mission of St. Edward Church is
to live and share the Gospel
by faith, with love, in hope.
Advent 2024
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Our focus for Advent is We are filled with joy.
This theme was determined by a preparation group made up of representatives from the Waterloo parishes, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools, and Waterloo Catholic Faith Formation. It comes from Psalm 126 in the second week of Advent, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” The promise of God-with-us, Jesus born as a baby, fills us with joy, even with the trials and tribulations of life. This allows us the chance to recognize joy is more than happiness, as, with Jesus at the center of our lives, we can have joy even when things are hard.
As we consider current situations in our community (and the greater society), the hope and joy found in the Scriptures are truly needed. The divisive political climate, together with other aspects of life, seem to make it more and more difficult to reach out to those with different viewpoints than ourselves. But if we are filled with the joy, hope, and promise of Christ, we can remember that our primary identity as disciples unites us.
Each week of Advent, we will have a subtheme taken from that week’s psalm.- Week 1: To you, O Lord I lift my soul; We are filled with joy
- Week 2: The Lord has done great things for us; We are filled with joy
- Week 3: Among you is the Holy One of Israel; We are filled with joy
- Week 4: Lord make us turn to you and we shall be saved; We are filled with joy
Our common song for the season is “Canticle of the Turning,” with words based on Mary’s Magnificat. We share Mary’s joy and commitment to justice.
During Advent, you’ll also notice a different option for our Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass. We will chant the second option where the priest chants, “Have mercy on us, O Lord” and we respond, “For we have sinned against you.” Then he will chant, “Show us, O Lord, your mercy,” and we will respond, “And grant us your salvation.” Remembering Jesus’ presence with us yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we are filled with joy!
1st Sunday in Advent: To you, O Lord I lift my soul; We are filled with joy
This first week of Advent reminds us that we await Jesus coming at the end of time, and we must be prepared and vigilant. We seek God’s direction and want to walk in His love. We lift our souls to the Lord and seek to know His ways. With expectation, we are filled with joy.- What promises do you hope the Lord fulfills in your life?
- How are you preparing for the Lord’s coming?
- How can you show love and joy as we start this Advent season?
Let's Decorate
It’s time to “deck the halls” by preparing our grounds and worship space for the season, and we need your help! This is one way that we can fulfill our parish mission to live and share the Gospel by faith, with love, in hope and share our Advent/Christmas focus, “We are filled with joy.”
Every person who helps makes a big difference. The decorating will happen in four sessions, led by members of the environment committee. Please meet in the Church Hall to help with any or all of these times. Unless otherwise indicated, decorating will take place following the 10:30am Mass (about 11:30am), and all should meet in the church hall to receive their assignments.- Dec. 1: Outdoor Decorating (Dress for the weather!) We'll brighten up the church entrances and maybe get most of the figures in the outdoor Nativity.
- Dec. 8: upstairs wreaths, trees, and garland
- Dec. 22: tree and Nativity in church hall; upstairs Nativity
- Dec. 23 (after 7:30am Mass, or about 8am): hang white flags; place poinsettias (if not done already); other final preparations
Additional Confession Times During AdventDuring the Advent and Christmas seasons, in addition to the usual 4pm Saturday reconciliation time, these additional opportunities will be made available at St. Edward to celebrate this sacrament:- 7am (before Mass) Mondays and Fridays
- 5pm (before Mass) and following 5:30pm Mass on Wednesdays (until all are heard)
- 9-11am Saturday, Dec. 21
- 2pm Sunday, Dec. 22—Communal Reconciliation at Sacred Heart Church
- 12-1pm and 6-7pm Monday, Dec. 23
Advent Lessons & Carols
Join us for this year’s Advent Lessons & Carols on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 2:00pm at St. Edward Parish. During this event, members of St. Edward Music Ministry bring the theme “We are filled with joy” to life through lessons of Scripture, reflections, and songs.
The event will last about an hour, with a cookie reception to follow. It is free and open to the public, so please invite others to join! This is a fitting offering even for those who haven't been in our church before.
Advent Women’s Bible Study
Please join us for our Advent Women’s Bible Study on Tuesdays from Nov. 26 to Dec. 17 with coffee and fellowship at 8:45am and a study from 9:00-11:00am in the St. Clare Room.
Rejoice! Advent, Meditations with Mary not only lets you walk beside Mary during the first Advent, but also lets you get to know her in a way you haven’t before. The journal is $13.95 at ascensionpress.com.
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Area Advent and Christmas Opportunities
Weekly Advent Discussion
Mondays, starting December 2. 7:00-8:00pm. Live Video Discussion. These weekly online discussions, facilitated by members of the Faith Formation Team, give participants an opportunity to reflect on the Sunday scripture readings and discuss how the readings shape their personal lives. Pre-registration required.- Learn more at: waterloocatholics.org/advent-discussion.
- Use this link to join the discussion: meet.google.com/vva-duoo-nff.
Advent Virtual Retreat
Dec. 9-15. “Becoming Pilgrims of Hope” is the theme for this Advent virtual retreat. Daily emails will provide a reflection, practice and prayer for each day of the retreat. The daily reflections are by Sr. Janet Schaeffler OP, a nationally recognized author and leader in adult and catechist formation.- Learn more at: waterloocatholics.org/virtual-advent-retreat.
- Register for the retreat at bit.ly/advent-retreat-24.
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Christmas Book Discussion Groups
This year, we will hand out Behold, Believe, Become: Meeting the Hidden Christ in Things We See, Say, and Do at Mass by Timothy P. O’Malley at all Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses.
We will have more information on book discussion groups coming soon.
