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LETTER FROM THE PASTOR Dear Parishioners: One of the most recent movies that has hit the theaters should be considered as dangerous in regards to the spiritual battle, especially for our children. The movie “Ouija” has recently come out about the use of a ouija board and can make it a temptation in particular for curious teenagers to dabble in things that human beings have no control over. I remember growing up and having the temptation to use one with friends, Christian friends even. I thank God that I always shied away from using it, probably my Guardian Angel prompting my conscience to steer clear. The board is one dangerous toy, writes Joel S. Peters, an apologist for Catholic Answers in San Diego, Calif. "The ouija board is far from harmless, as it is a form of divination (seeking information from supernatural sources)," Peters writes. "The fact of the matter is, the ouija board really does work, and the only ‘spirits’ that will be contacted through it are evil ones. Just because someone regards the board as harmless doesn’t mean it is," Peters said. "A disbelief in something does not necessarily mean that something isn’t real. The ouija board has an objective reality that exists apart from a person’s perception of it. In other words, it’s real even if you don’t believe it is." Many years ago the ouija board was made more famous by the movie “The Exorcist”, which revolved around a teenager from Washington who was possessed after playing with a ouija board. Does this mean that someone using a ouija board would become possessed? Of course not necessarily. There may be people who have used it that were never affected by it or perhaps who have never sensed that they were, even if they actually were. Nonetheless it opens a window to that possibility of possession that a person has no control over and more often leads to oppression from evil, which is far more common than possession. Does that scare you? Good if it does. We shouldn’t be ruled by fear in our lives, we should be ruled by love for God, but love for God itself would lead us away from using such things that would put us in that kind of danger. If we begin at a level of not using something evil out of fear, however, at least we are not using it. The ouija board falls under the same kinds of things whose use is condemned in the scriptures. Fortune telling, soothsaying, spiritism, mediums, the occult, and psychics. Horoscopes, tarot cards, astrology, fortune tellers, palm readings, and séances fall into this category as well. Of course many people use these things without knowing the potential harm, but that doesn’t diminish the harm done. The great news! We have the Sacrament of Confession, which slams the door shut that can be opened to evil through those things. If a person has ever dabbled in any of those things, no matter how innocently they may have been involved, it is important to run to the Sacrament of Confession. Pope Francis has emphasized that we should take the devil and his power very seriously. He has spoken about this reality several times already in his young papacy. Exorcists throughout the world have said that there is a substantial increase in demonic activity across the world. It is no wonder, when sinful things become common place and accepted. It is sin after all that allows the devil the foothold into our lives and into our world. Why bring all of this up? Because it is important that we wake up to the fact that the devil is at work in our world and that we seek to do all we can to meet him in battle, always with Jesus Christ at our side and on our lips! We can not take on the devil by ourselves, as many saints have noted, but with Christ we can fight the good fight. How? Well, by daily prayer, reading the scriptures, seeking to do good in our world, fasting at times and spreading God’s love in our world. In short, by living our lives as authentic Christians whose everyday life is fully influenced and directed by Christ. God, in His great love is able to conquer all, but only in as much as we cooperate with His love. God ultimately has won the war, our responsibility is to fight the little battles for souls that will help as many as possible get to heaven! In the peace of Christ, Fr. Wichert For our Parishioners – information about your parish school: Visitation began our Advent season on Monday morning with an all-school prayer service around our Advent wreath. We have also started our annual sock drive for the poor. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our Advent Program on December 18 at 7:00PM. Thank you for your support of Catholic education here at VCSA! For more information visit our website: http://www.visitationstemacademy.org/ or our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VisitationCatholicStemAcademy Our updated prayer list, effective Dec. 1st, can be found in this week’s Bulletin and will continue through March 31, 2015. The next renewed list will appear April 1, 2015. Thank you to all who helped to verify those who need special prayers. As we continue to keep our prayer list as current as possible, please contact the Parish Office or email Kathy at [email protected] with any/all additions or removals as needed. St Vincent DePaul wants to thank the Visitation Stem Academy for the tremendous donation of food for our food bank. Their efforts will help to feed many families in need! We also wish to thank them for the warm fleece neck scarves. These will be used to keep the homeless we serve to stay warmer during these frigid nights. FAITH FORMATION Advent is here! Let us prepare our hearts to receive the fullness of God’s grace. Youth Group 7-9pm Dec 10— Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. Religious Ed: Dec 7—Classes resume. Confirmation May 31, 2015 Classes preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation will be Sundays 1-3pm in the Collier Center beginning Dec 7, 2014. Registration packets are available at the back of the church or the parish office. Next Baptism Class: Jan 8, 2015 Required for parents and godparents preparing for their infant’s baptism. Registration packets are available at the Rectory office. Please note that there will not be a class in Dec. Mark Shea December Talks: 7pm in the Church Free-will offerings will benefit Visitation Catholic STEM Academy Dec 9 Our Lady of Sorrows: Through Suffering to Glory Dec 16 Where are you with God? Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Holy Day of Obligation. Masses: Dec. 8 at 9am & 7pm Thank you for all the help, donations and attendance at the Thanksgiving Dinner. We served 140 meals, provided food to take home and located a shelter to donate the remainder of our feast to. Help support our Mission beyond your lifetime: Please remember Visitation in your Will. Thank you for your support! November 2 All Souls Day November 9 November 16 November 23 Thanksgiving Day November 30 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 5,978.00 1,815.50 6,314.00 5,343.00 5,302.00 1,027.00 6,578.00 Sacrificial Giving Renewal Our Parish Stewardship Renewal is coming to a close and we give grateful thanks to all who have returned their Parish Stewardship Yearly Commitment Renewal Card. We've received 184 to date. If you have not, please take time, to complete and return your pledge cards. Without your generous support, we cannot do all that God is asking us to do.. Thank You! Saint Nicholas March 270AD December 343AD. Also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century Christian saint and Greek Bishop of Myra (Deme, part of modern-day Turkey) in Lycia. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterlaas, itself from a series of elisions and corruptions of the transliteration of "Saint Nikolaos". His feast day is Dec.6. Respect Life Please join us for the National Night of Prayer for Life on Monday, Dec.8th, 8PM to 1AM at Visitation. The purpose is to unite our prayers with Catholics throughout the country in an effort to help bring back the world to Christ and to bring about an end to abortion. Coffee & Donuts hosted by the Pastoral Council Week 2 of Advent December 7, 2014 MONDAY, Dec 8 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Patronal Feast day of the United States of America Gn 3:9-15,20 Lk 1:2-38 TUESDAY, Dec 9 Is 40:1-11 Mt 18:12-14 Mass Intention: Lupeter Grant WEDNESDAY, Dec 10 Is 40:25-31 Mt 11:28-30 Mass Intention: +Genevive Klein THURSDAY, Dec 11 Is 1:13-20 Mt 11:11-15 Mass Intention: Norm Schaaf FRIDAY, Dec 12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Zec 2:14-17 Lk 1:39-47 Mass Intention: +Anna Clements SATURDAY, Dec 13 Memorial of St Lucy Sir 481-4,9-11 Mt 17:9a,10-3 Mass Intention: Tristan McGovern St Vincent dePaul We need: canned fruit, vegetables & soup. Join the Knights! Dec. 10th Meeting 6PM Rosary meeting to follow. Updated list for Dec 1, 2014 through Mar 31, 2015. Please pray for.. Justine Fleck, Dennis Thompson, Clara Schmidt, Alice Radke. Ruth Leingang, Helen Matteo, Jeannie Gatbunton, Martha Gatbunton, RoseAnn Bridges, Mick Flynn, Al Ehli, Maxine Campbell, Marta Palmquist, Rochelle Garcia, Judy Haser, Tina Kanesta, Peter Pagano,Margie Rivers, David Kozicki, Cindy Neureuther, Andy Kraemer. Bill Bradley, Claudine Elizaga, Thomas Wodja