Thanksgiving, Unity, and Advent

As we send this bulletin to press, this weekend’s St. Martha Holiday Fair looks like it will be another wonderful success, and we can’t thank the fair committee, volunteers and donors enough for making this community-building major fundraiser possible! The co-leaders, committee members, and other crafters worked for months preparing everything. Countless parishioners supplied food for the kitchen and baked goods table, as well as gift cards to make our famous oversized raffle baskets. The fact this event brings people from beyond our communities is a testimony to the positive image of St. Martha Parish that it presents, and that is truly a blessing!

This week we also give thanks for the unity in Christian faith that is shared by all who follow Christ and pray for that unity to grow stronger. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving is the primary ecumenical celebration in our KP regional towns each year. This year the Service of Thanksgiving will be at 7:30 pm, Tuesday, November 26, at the Original Congregational Church of Wrentham (in the center at the lights). Please join me and other clergy & parishioners from our parishes and neighboring churches to show our unity in recognizing that our Thanksgiving is truly giving thanks to God for all the blessings in our lives and our communities. If you are traveling or busy on Wednesday and Thursday, that Tuesday is a great opportunity to bring our gratitude to prayer before things start getting hectic! I hope to see you there.

In addition, our collaborative celebrates a special  Mass of Thanksgiving in both of our parishes each year: one on Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 27) at 7pm in St. Martha
church, and Thanksgiving Morning (Nov. 28) at 9am in St. Mary church. Please bring some food for your Thanksgiving table (such as bread, pie, wine, etc.) to be
blessed at each of these Thanksgiving Masses.

Finally, next weekend begins not only the “high shopping season” but also (and more importantly) the beautiful  Season of Advent. Your Christmas will be that much
more meaningful if you plan ahead to reserve a little time in this busy season for prayer and reflection. Opportunities include: using an Advent daily reflection book or website to start or end each day in prayer; our Dec. 4 Advent Prayer and Preaching with Fr. Lambert (a mini-mission); December 8 is our “Preparing an Old Fashioned Christmas” Family Day and also the Children’s Choir Coffeehouse for Advent/Christmas; December 15 is our
Collaborative Christmas Pageant and “Jesu Bambino” blessing of the Christ Child at Masses, and we will have an evening for Confession & Reconciliation later that week.

Watch our website and bulletin for more information, or call your parish office.