This Week at Ascension + November 30, 2022

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." - Psalm 96

Wednesday, November 30

Saint Andrew the Apostle

Evening Prayer at 6:00 p.m. via ZOOM

In-person and Live-streamed Mass at 6:30 p.m.

Unction will be available for those who wish it.

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

Image: Saint Andrew, El Greco

Sunday, December 4, 2022

The Second Sunday of Advent

8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via ZOOM

9:00 a.m. In-person Sung Mass

with Organ and Hymns

11:00 a.m. In-person & Live-streamed

Solemn High Mass

The 11 a.m. Order of Worship may be found here.

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

Image: The Preaching of John the Baptist, Bartholomeus Breenbergh, 1598–1657,

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

In the Afternoon on December 4, 2022

3:30 p.m. Organ Recital by David White

4 p.m. Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

The Recital details and 4 p.m. Order of Worship may be found here.

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

From the Curate

The watchword of Advent is in its name: Veni, “Come!”, which we sang with gusto last Sunday evening at our Lessons and Carols service. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. And also Wisdom, Lord of might, Branch of Jesse, Key of David, Dayspring, and Desire of Nations. You may notice that we don’t say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” This is because Advent is an opportunity to live, as the poet Malcome Guite says, “BC.” 

He writes: “By calling on Christ using each of these seven several gifts and prophecies we learn afresh the meaning of a perhaps too familiar name. It might be a good Advent exercise, and paradoxically an aid to sharing the faith if for a season we didn’t rush in our conversation to refer to the known name, the predigested knowledge, the formulae of our faith, but waited alongside our non-Christian neighbors, who are of course, living ‘BC’. We should perhaps count ourselves among the people who walk in darkness but look for a marvellous light.”

Each Sunday of Advent, following the coffee hour after the Solemn High Mass, I’m leading a group in exploring each of these names we use as we actively bid Christ to come into our world and into our lives. By using these ancient images in our prayers, we acknowledge that we, too, are part of a long line of holy people filled with holy longing for God to be present among us.

—Mtr. Murphy-Gill

What a wonderful beginning of the Season of Advent. Hearty thanks to those who helped to green the church on Saturday. What an efficient and well-oiled machine! 

We launched Advent on Sunday with a fuller house at mass. Advent Lessons & Carols brought even more folks in. Thanks to all who made it possible: Benjamin Rivera and the Ascension Choir for their glorious singing, David White for his mastery of the king of instruments, the readers, and acolytes. If that wasn't enough, we enjoyed a fabulous reception afterwards. Thanks to George Pineda, David Reeves, and David White for their contributions to it. 

—Fr. Heard



A few pics from the L & C Reception may be viewed here.

Advent Formation Opportunities

Waiting with the O Antiphons,

Sundays during Advent

Advent is a time of waiting in the darkness for the light of Christ. But it is not passive waiting. In this darkness, we actively seek the light of Christ, in prayer calling out the ancient names for the Incarnate One in what are known as the O Antiphons.

Following coffee hour after the Solemn High Mass (around 1 or 1:30 pm), we’ll gather in the Library to learn more about the antiphons, their use, and how we might use them to prepare our own hearts for the birth of Christ. We’ll listen to these Antiphons chanted in Latin, read them in English, and reflect on them using Malcome Guite’s O Antiphon-inspired sonnets. 

Bring your own lunch. Copies of Waiting on the Word are now available. Suggested donation is $5. Please see Mtr. Murphy-Gill for your copy. 

Advent Quiet Morning, Saturday, December 10, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Take a break from the holiday rush this month with a quiet morning of prayerful rest and reflection. Our theme will be Waiting. A light breakfast will be provided.

Please RSVP using this link or by contacting Mtr. Murphy-Gill so we know how much food to provide.

Thank You from the Flower Guild

Last Saturday morning, a group of Ascension folks gathered to green the church for Advent and Christmas. I'd like to publicly thank David White, David Reeves, Jay Jacot, George Panice, Vicki Dvonch, and Thomas Heard for their efforts. I am extremely grateful for their assistance in this annual event.

Claire Green,

Flower Guild Chairperson

Food Pantry, Saturday, December 3

We will again gather to assemble bags of shelf-stable groceries and personal items for our neighbors in need. We begin filling bags in St. Michael Hall at 9:00 am and start distributing them at 11 a.m. We need the most help between 9:00 and 11 am, but welcome your help for however long you are able to stay.

Come be the hands, heart, and feet of Christ in our own neighborhood, and enjoy some fellowship as well.

Giving Tree for RefugeeOne

Beginning this Sunday, we will have a Christmas tree near the Parish House entrance decorated with paper ornaments with names of household goods needed by newly arrived refugees, many of whom are from Ukraine. Please take one (or more!) of these ornaments and bring to the church the UNWRAPPED item(s) on your ornament. You can drop off your gifts in St. Michael Hall. Please look for the sign that says “Gifts for Refugee One Here.” We’ll be collecting gifts throughout Advent and Christmas and delivering them to RefugeeOne after The Epiphany. 

Please contact Mtr. Murphy-Gill with any questions. 

Read more about the important work of RefugeeOne here.

Prayer Requests

Do you have a need for special prayer in your life? Whether your prayer needs are because you have an upcoming surgery, an ill family member, or you’re just feeling particularly lonely lately, Fr. Heard and Mtr. Murphy-Gill would like to know.

We’ve created a way for letting us know about your requests for prayers in a way we hope makes it easy for you to reach out, though you can always call the church or reach out to one of the priests personally. 

Share your prayer requests here.

Organ and Choral Repertoire for December 4, 2022

For our prayers

Catherine Cyran, Thom Racina, Robert Browning, John Smolinski, Noah Riggenbach, Natalia & Victor, Dorothy, Betty, David Schrader, Burton Nelson,

Pablo Illás, Victor Fernandez, Claire Green, Beth Hall, Sue Lenz, Brenda Martins,

Lee Gould, Gertrude Isaac, Marty Stenson, Steve Dionne

Requiescat in pace

John Riggenbach, Clara Smith Hayes, 11/27/2006;

Frank C. Anderson, Priest, 11/28/2009; Norman C. Chylinski, 11/29/1993;

Eugene H. Smith, 12/1/2000; Richard Clark Taylor, 12/3/1989

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them;

May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



Vestry of Church of the Ascension

Ken Kelling, Sr. Warden; LaVerne Rollé Saunders, Jr. Warden;

Ian Barillas-McEntee, Jim Lo Bello, Ken Cozette, Marlea Edinger, Sean Hansen, George Pineda, Joshua Simpson, Sam Sommers, Clerk, Enrique Vilaseco

Susan Schlough, Treasurer

Finance@ascensionchicago.org

Br. Nathanael Deward Rahm BSG, Parish Office

Office@ascensionchicago.org

Approved minutes of Vestry meetings are always available online to parishioners who request the link. If you would like Internet access to these Vestry Minutes, please email the Parish Office and request the link. Once you access the web page, you can read all recent Vestry meeting minutes.

The link remains live indefinitely. Any parishioner who has the link will not need to request a new link from month to month.