Today we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. It’s a command, be joyful! That’s why we wear the rose (not pink) to commemorate that the coming of Christ is near. But in a world at war, a world with political drama, sickness and family strife, what do we have to be joyful about?

Did you know that the original Bethlehem story was a mess? Poor Mary was pregnant out of wedlock, Joseph couldn’t even provide a simple room for her when she was about to give birth. They had to follow a government mandate to do something that they didn’t want to do and they ended up far away from the support of family and friends when they needed it most. They did not go to a pristine nativity set, but more likely a smelly, dung filled animal cave on the outskirts of town and that was the best they could do for the son of God.

Can you imagine the heartbreak, the sadness of Joseph not being able to provide? The confusion of Mary that it happened this way? Yet God chose to be born into our mess on that Christmas night to redeem messy humanity and set us free. He was not repulsed by the mess but was attracted to it because he loves us. He wanted to be born into the mess to redeem it, to experience it, to transform it and to set us free. After all, didn't the angels appear, and there was a star and wise men? And He wants the same with us. He wants to be born into the Bethlehem of our world today, into the mess that is our hearts as well, to bring his hope, peace, joy and love.

Will we let Him? Will we prepare the way? My family had a tradition of an empty manger with a pile of straw next to it, and any time we did a good deed, any time we said an extra prayer, any time we made an extra sacrifice, we’d take a piece of straw and place it in the manger. That way when Christ came, there would be a place prepared for not only the figurine of Christ, but for Christ Himself in our hearts as we would receive Him on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. So, let us rejoice that our King and God is near. He loves us exactly as we are, but loves us too much to let us stay that way in the filth of our sins, and he desires to be born again in our hearts. Let’s prepare the way and let us rejoice!

There is no Wednesday Faith Formation on December 20 or December 27. We will resume on January 3. The next Family Program session is January 7.

LifeTeen will have their Christmas Party in the Youth Room. Please bring a $15

non-gender, wrapped gift to play the white elephant game. Bring a Christmas dish to

share with everyone and wear Christmas pajamas or a Christmas sweater! We will sign Christmas cards from the youth to our Alexis Manor friends.

Young Adults will have their Christmas Party in the Youth Room. We will play the white elephant game, so please bring a $15-$20 wrapped, non-gender gift. Please bring a dish to share with everyone.

The Following Christ Program is a follow up to Discovering Christ and is open to everyone who has completed the Discovering Christ, Alpha, or The Search Programs offered previously at St. Aidan or other parishes.

The Following Christ Program consists of seven weekly sessions.

• Sunday afternoon sessions (1:00 to 3:00 pm, January 7 through February 25) include prayer, a video, small group discussion, and light refreshments.

• All sessions will be held at the Blessed Seelos Academy Cafeteria.

Join us on Monday, December 18 at 6:00 pm at The Ark & The Dove on Babcock Blvd. All men are welcome. For more info call Paul Spence: 724-713-8633. 

The Men’s Fellowship supports men to fulfill their God-given mission to be holy and apostolic. Each meeting includes a talk with discussion on a practical aspect of Christian formation to challenge us to become the “best apostolic version of ourselves” that we are called to be.

Please prayerfully consider our weekend retreat at St. Paul of the Cross Monastery this coming:

Are you looking for a fresh start? A retreat is a great way to begin the new year. If you've never been on a retreat, 2024 is your year! Also, giving the gift of a retreat to someone is a beautiful idea. (Even if that someone is yourself). Call the Retreat Center to register. 412-381-7676

St. Aidan Parish music ministry is seeking volunteer choir members, cantors, and instrumentalists. All ages and experience levels welcome. For more information, please contact our music director, Lucas Barkley, at lbarkley@saintaidanparish.org. Clearances are required.

Do you have a family member, neighbor or friend within our parish community who is homebound? Do they need communion brought to them, a visit from a friendly face, or maybe they just need the parish bulletin mailed to them? If you know of someone in need, email Barb Griffith at homecare@saintaidanparish.org and she can arrange for a minister to visit them.

The March for Life takes place in Washington, DC each January. On January 19, we will begin with 5:30 am Mass, participants then board a bus which departs from the Saint Alexis parking lot at 6:00 am for Washington, DC, where it meets up with marchers from all across the United States to peacefully walk in support of life. Following the March, the bus returns to Saint Alexis later that evening. For more information, please contact Father Dan at respectlife@saintaidanparish.org. | Signup here

As the calendar year 2023 comes to an end, please consider an additional charitable donation to Saint Aidan Parish. As we continue to update our campuses and buildings, your donations are vital to these improvements. All contributions are welcome, both large and small, and you can specify the usage (extraordinary maintenance, debt reduction, general offertory etc.). Donations are tax-deductible; please consult your tax advisor for any questions regarding your tax return.

Donation statements for 2023 will be sent out by January 31, 2024, as required by IRS code. They will be emailed to the address we have on file. If no email is available, a paper copy will be sent through the US mail. Please be sure that your contact information is up to date to avoid any delays in receiving this information. You may contact the parish office at 724-935-4343 with any updates or changes. As always, thank you for your continued generosity to Saint Aidan Parish!

Thank you for your feedback at all the Masses this past two weekends.

If you haven’t yet given feedback about the sound system at St. Alexis and would like to please either fill out the form linked below or email it to media@saintaidnaparish.org (be sure to include what date and Mass time you attended). 

We still have approximately 25 copies of the commemorative St. Alexis Stained Glass Windows and Stations of the Cross books available for purchase at a price of $85/book. If you would like to purchase the book, please pay with the attached link: saintaidanparish.org/saintalexisbook and pick up your copy at the parish center, or visit the parish center to pay in cash.

To show our appreciation and thank everyone for their generous contributions and support of all of our charitable efforts, your Knights of Columbus Council 3907 Wexford is sponsoring four informational sessions, all related to your Financial Wellbeing. These sessions are open to everyone, all totally free without cost or obligation; and no one who attends will be contacted. These sessions cover several topics important to most of us. 

All of the sessions will be held on Tuesday nights starting at 7:00 pm and will last approximately one hour. and will be held at the Ryan Center at Saint Alphonsus Church (Blessed Seelos Academy gymnasium). Please mark your calendar to save the following dates:

January 9, 2024 – Retirement Planning – Brian Quaranta, CEO Secure Money Advisors (SMA)

February 9, 2024 – How Insurance Can Work for you - David McIntosh, FIC K of C

March 12, 2024 – Understanding Social Security – Neil Mager – Sr Financial Advisor SMA

April 19, 2024 – Understanding Medicare - Sr. Health Care Specialist SMA 

Studies have shown that people spend more time planning their vacation than planning for their financial well-being. Bring your relatives, friends and neighbor and join us at one or all of the sessions. Thank you once again for your past generosity.