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December 5, 2021

Dear Ladies and Friends of TASTE,
  • This week is our last meeting before our Christmas break.  One day earlier (on December 8th), we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary by her parents, Joachim and Anne.  Of course God had a hand in this too as He crafted a pristine soul incapable of sin or moral disorder.  From her first instant, God prepared Mary for the great purpose of being the perfect edifice to carry, birth, and mother the Son of God.  She would be the New Eve, a perennial model for all the faithful, and the Morning Star whose Immaculate Conception was the first flicker of a greater Light to come.
  • This past week, Fr. Ebuka Mbanude's  set our mind on Advent with a talk entitled "Is There Room for Him in Your Inn?" Father gentled us into the Advent season with a beautiful reflection on what it means to prepare ourselves for Jesus' coming. Our inn refers to our heart, and God already has access to our hearts because He made us, but are we cooperating with Him to deepen the relationship? Fr. Ebuka focused on two words: "Come" and "Prepare." He reminded us how many times the word "Come" occurs in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus was always encouraging people to come and follow Him. Father focused on prayer - we are praying for the fulfillment of the Lord's promise,  and at the same time, we are being invited to come to Him. The one who comes is the one who has made room. To Prepare is to know He is coming, to accept that He is coming, and to anticipate that He is coming to me. Father then gave us three ways to prepare; 1) Prayer and repentance, 2) Loving, for He is Love, 3) Rejoicing that He is coming. Father used Joseph and Mary as examples throughout his talk. In the end, he encouraged us to live this Advent with joy, with confidence, knowing that “If He who in Himself can lack nothing chooses to need us, it is because we need to be needed.”  (C.S. Lewis quote)

 THIS WEEK AT TASTE

SPECIAL REMINDERS

  • PRAYER REQUESTS —  Several of our TASTE sisters need our prayers.  Please pray for:
    • All our TASTE sisters, especially Kate Christianson, KatyLee McInerney, Sheila Bisson who will be undergoing breast reduction surgery this week for back pain, Geraldine Broglio (complete healing from hand surgery), and Kay Robinson (Jennifer's D's mom).
    • Our spiritual director, Fr. Larry Swink as well as all of the priests in the Baltimore and Washington Archdioceses, especially those of whom you may have spiritually adopted.
    • Our speakers — especially: 1) Theresa Bonapartis for healing of her back, 2) Susan Conroy for her health, 3) Sr. Mary Michael Fox, for healing of her sister Chris from metastatic cancer, and for the completion of her new book, and 4) Colleen Duggan and her baby, who the doctors are saying has a 90% chance of having Downs syndrome.
    • Supreme Court Justices — Please let us all pray today for wisdom, strength, and courage for our Supreme Court Justices and for Life to be victorious.  Note that we will not know a decision most likely until June). This NEW VIDEO is an insightful explanation of the abortion issue in law.
    • New prayer requests can be sent to Joy Parker at joyparker73@gmail.com.
  • ADVENT REFLECTIONS — Are you looking for something to add to your Advent routine?  See reflections from Scott Hahn and John Bergsma.   LINK

CONTINUED REMINDERS

  • USCCB & SUPREME COURT — For a reminder of prayer intentions for the USCCB and Supreme Court, please view this LINK 
  • LOGISTICS — For a reminder of any information associated with zoom small group, parking, masks, public health, babysitting, or registration, please view this LINK.
  • DONATIONS — For a reminder of how to donate to TASTE or the Sisters of the Servants of the Lord, please view this LINK.
Blessings,
Joy, Michele, Carolyn, and Karen
Jesus, I trust in You!

ATTACHMENTS:

Postcard TASTE Light in Darkness.Long
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