Christmas Pageant and Christmas Choirs News

The Christmas Pageant at St. John and St. Mary—it all began in 1987 with about a dozen kids and a few parents, a couple of guitars, carols by the choir, two little lambs and some shepherds’ crooks made in parish workshops. On Christmas Eve, we all watched and listened as our kids became the first to proclaim the Good News of Christmas. Over the years, there have been more kids and more beautiful music, but one thing has remained the same—at the first Mass of Christmas (Christmas Eve at 4 PM), we watch and listen as our kids become the first to proclaim the Good News of Christmas.

There could be no better reason for the Christmas Pageant. And yet, there is another reason, which is equally as good. On the days before Christmas, where can we find our kids? In church! What better place to prepare for Christmas!!!

Preparing for the Christmas Pageant

· FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS are our Pageant Kids. No sign up; just show up for rehearsals.

· Boys are Shepherds; costume is an Arab-like headpiece (white cloth and dark headband), SUPPLIED BY PARENTS

· Girls are Angels; costume is a garland halo, which the church will provide on Christmas Eve; each girl carries a battery operated candle, SUPPLIED BY PARENTS. Nothing more, except that each girl will wear her special Christmas dress.

· Mary and Joseph: we will draw the names of two SECOND GRADERS. Calls will be made to see if the kids are willing and able (sometimes, they can’t or just don’t want to). Will keep calling until we get Mary and Joseph. Costumes: the church has the costumes.

· Costumes do NOT come to rehearsals; come with your costume on CHRISTMAS EVE only.

Christmas Pageant Rehearsals for First & Second Graders

(All Rehearsals in Upper Church)

· Wednesday, December 22, 4:00 to 4:45 PM

· Thursday, December 23, 4:00 to 4:45 PM

Music for the Christmas Pageant--Choirs & Youth Ensemble

The Christmas Pageant at St. John and St. Mary would not be the celebration that it is without the beautiful voices and music of our kids. This has always been true and is especially true this year.

Ken Corneille, our Music Director, has formed two children’s choirs: the Regular Children’s Choir (Grades 1-5), which has been rehearsing and performing all year, and a Special Children’s Christmas Choir (Grades 3-8) which is open to all students in those grades who would like to sing for the Christmas Pageant Mass at 4 PM on Christmas Eve. Ken has also formed a Youth Ensemble of Instrumentalists (Grades 5-8).

Rehearsal Schedule for Choirs & Youth Ensemble

(All Rehearsals in Upper Church)

• Special Children’s Christmas Choir (Grades 3-8): Monday, 12/20, 4:00 - 4:45 PM
• Youth Ensemble of Instrumentalists (Grades 5-8): Tuesday, 12/21, 3:45 -4:30 PM
• Regular Children’s Choir (Grades 1-5): Tuesday, 12/21, 5:00 PM

Choirs & Youth Ensemble Join Pageant Kids for Christmas Pageant Rehearsals

BOTH CHOIRS & THE YOUTH ENSEMBLE WILL REHEARSE WITH THE PAGEANT KIDS AT THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT REHEARSALS:

· Wednesday, 12/22, 4:00 – 4:45 PM

· Thursday, 12/23, 4:00 – 4:45 PM

Christmas Eve

· Upper church OPENS at 3:00 PM. Church and Parish Office Closed until then.

· Choirs & Youth Ensemble should arrive at 3:00 PM sharp.

· Pageant Kids should arrive no later than 3:15 PM.

· Pageant Girls: report to Community Room A.

· Pageant Boys: report to Skelly Hall.

· Music begins at approximately 3:25 PM

· Pageant begins at approximately 3:45 PM (***After Pageant, parents come to sanctuary to bring kids back to their families for Mass)

· Mass begins at 4:00 PM

Third Sunday of Advent

The Third Sunday of Advent! And it's all about Advent Readiness.

The Middlers heard Jesus in today's gospel ask the crowd, who had come to eavesdrop on questions from John the Baptist: "Who did you go out to the desert to see?" The possible answers were either John the Baptist or Jesus himself. But when we listened carefully to Jesus, we heard something else. And that's when the mirror came out, and the Middlers understood exactly what Jesus was trying to say. We go out to the desert to look in the mirror and see ourselves.

Ask your Middler about a good friend of mine, Mary Alice, and a friend of hers, Desda. Let him/her tell you how Mary Alice learned from a homeless woman sitting on a heating grate to look in the mirror and see herself. And when she did, her life was changed, and the lives of so many were made better for it. Let him/her tell you how Desda became Mary Alice's Angel.

I asked the Middlers to email and tell me about their own look in the mirror and if there is anything they're doing for Christmas to see a changed person. So far, I've only heard from one Middler. There's still time, and I would love to hear from others and share what they have to say with the rest of the parish.

The Elementaries gathered as usual for Grace Before Snacks. This week, we prayed a Christmas Grace:

Dear God,

on this special night

we remember how Mary and Joseph

came to Bethlehem looking for shelter,

but found no place to stay.

In our celebration of Jesus' birth,

teach us to welcome him into our homes

by being kind to each other.

Show us how to care for him

by caring for all who need our help.

And bless our Christmas meal

and all of us who share it. Amen.

Christmas Pageant

Our Annual Christmas Pageant is celebrated immediately before the 4PM Christmas Eve Mass on December 24th

• First and Second Graders are the Pageant Kids
• Rehearsals: Wednesday (12/22) & Thursday (12/23), 4:00 to 4:45 PM
• NO SIGN UP, JUST SHOW UP!!!

Christmas CHOIRS

• Ken Corneille has formed 3 choirs: Regular Children's Choir (Grades 1-5), which has been been rehearsing and performing all year; Regular Youth Choir (Grades 6-8), which has been rehearsing for the last month, and the Special Christmas Choir (Grades 3-8), which is open to all students in those grades and has not met yet

Rehearsal Schedules

• Regular Children's Choir: Tuesdays (12/14 & 21) 5PM
• Regular Youth Choir: Tuesdays (12/14 & 21) 3:45 to 4:30 PM
• Special Christmas Choir: Mondays (12/13 & 20) 4:00 to 4:45 PM, plus Wednesday (12/22) and Thursday (12/23) 4:00 to 4:45 PM

NO KIDSRELIG UNTIL AFTER THE NEW YEAR.

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Second Sunday of Advent

The Second Sunday of Advent! We are all waiting. And for the Middlers, it was a big bag of Legos that helped us understand Gospel Waiting.

Unlike what we called “waiting by killing time” at the bus stop, the train station or the doctor’s office; unlike “waiting by anticipating” your next birthday, summer vacation or Santa at Christmas; unlike “waiting with anxiety” for the game to end, for the test to begin or the marks to be posted; Gospel Waiting isn’t even waiting at all. It’s bringing the future into the now.

We looked at our bag of legos and understood that what would be was right in front of us if we just made it happen now. And we dug in and made it happen. In fact, we made a whole lot of things happen. “Prepare the way of the Lord” is not to kill time waiting or either becoming too silly or serious about it all. It is to make the Lord’s coming tomorrow happen in our lives today. We have to make it happen. In fact, we have to make a whole lot of things happen.

The Elementaries heard all about Thanksgiving with our new grandson Asher (4 weeks old), and how everyone who came to dinner, from the grumpiest old man to the cutest little kid, wanted to do one thing—hold Asher. And it was a Christmas light bulb moment. When those shepherds and magi arrived at the stable, we all bet that nobody knelt down like we usually see them depicted. We bet that everybody asked Mary, “Can we hold him?” And we told ourselves that that’s what Christmas is all about—God came as a baby because he simply wants to be held. And Raymond North taught us the last and best lesson of all—God can still be held by each and every one of us in the Eucharist.

Christmas Pageant News

Our Annual Christmas Pageant will be celebrated immediately before the 4 PM Christmas Eve Mass on December 24^th. Every year, our 1^st and 2^nd Graders become our Pageant Kids. Rehearsals for the Pageant will be on Wednesday, December 22^nd and Thursday, December 23^rd, from 4 to 4:45 PM.

Calendar Reminder

NO KidsRelig this Wednesday, December 8^th. And Tuesday, December 7^th and Thursday, December 9^th are our last classes before Christmas.

Love,

Deacon Charlie