Our Vision Statement: ‘With the heart and mind of Christ, we transform the world.’

Reflections from our Pastors

December 16, 2025

Peace by Maya Angelou

Today, let’s first take a moment and raise our minds and hearts in sorrow and grief for our 15 Jewish siblings* who were killed, and the 24 who were wounded while celebrating the first day of Chanukah on Sunday at Bondi Beach in Syndey, Australia. Pray that we put down our weapons and stop wounding and killing our own souls when we humans kill and injure others. The hatred shown through the victimization of ‘the other’ at Bondi Beach re-traumatizes all Jews on the planet. We believe that all of creation belongs together in the Mystical Body of Christ and so we stand in solidarity that all Jews be protected, that religious freedom be protected and we find ways to live in peace. 

Second, let’s take a moment to raise our minds and hearts to honor our two student siblings* who were killed and the 9 who were injured while they were studying for exams in the library at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Young people are just on the brink of adulthood. Some of them had been injured in previous high school shootings and are re-traumatized. Pray that we put down our weapons and stop wounding and killing our own souls when we humans kill and injure others. The hatred through the victimization of ‘the other’, in their home away from home, the university, attests to the unknown numbers of students who have been affected by school shootings. We believe that all creation lives together in the Mystical Body of Christ and so we stand in solidarity with the Brown University students, faculty and their families. All of us have a right to live in peace.

*Christianity is built on Judaism. Jesus of Nazareth was a Jewish man who practiced his faith. We are held together and loved by the mystery of a Boundless Love.

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Peace is on our minds and in the news every day. We are so much in need of peace, peace of mind and in our hearts. Giving books as gifts is a given for some of us. There is a Christmas book that looks like a children’s book until we notice the author, Maya Angelou. A closer look uncovers a poem about peace for adults. Maya Angelou calls for everyone to stop hating at Christmas and gather in Peace. Although the book was published in 2008, it surely resonates today.

The art is beautiful and intriguing for those of us with a eye for art. The art is fabric, paper and paint, creating dimension and texture. The art may be a study in itself.

Here is the link to the poem in written form.

Here is the poem in Maya Angelou’s own voice (recommended). She first presented her poem at the Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington DC on Dec. 1, 2005. You might also enjoy the music.

Further if you are interested, the book is Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou and paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Random House Children’s Books. 2008. ISBN hardcover: 978-0-593-51861-8, and ISBN e-book: 978-0-375-9827-0.

Thursday will be the last reflection for 2025. We are taking some Christmas holiday time. Reflections will resume in January. Check your e-mail announcements for reminders. And,

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2026!

May peace take of permanent residence in our hearts, in our homes, and in our heart of hearts,

Pastor Jane

Note: Our pastors will be enjoying time with family and friends over the Christmas Holidays. Tuesday and Thursday reflections will not be sent during these two weeks. (December 21- January 2) They will resume again on Tuesday, January 6.

 Community Christmas Video

One of our Mary of Magdala traditions for our Christmas Mass is a video sharing images of how our members celebrate Christmas in their homes. The Christmas video for 2024 can be viewed here:

Please review the video. If you have changes in your household since last Christmas or have new images you would like to share, please send to Tom Moos (tjmoos@aol.com) with the details or new, high resolution JPG pictures by Dec 17.

In addition, please get any pictures of your Christmas creche decorations to Tom for the Christmas Day video. Pictures can include people!

Remember: The last day to send is December 17th.

🕯 ️Mary of Magdala Christmas Day Mass 🕯️

Thursday Dec. 25, 10:00 AM

For Zoom, use the Sunday Zoom Link

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Tomorrow - Last Wednesday For Advent Evening Prayer

Simple Dinner and Evening Prayer - - All three churches participating

          Wednesday - December 17

      Holden Evening Prayer                          6:00 pm

       Soup suppers                                           6:30 pm

This service offers a time of reflection, community, and warmth. The service will be in the Sanctuary and on this Zoom link.  We kindly ask everyone to help fill all the spots on our Sign-Up Genius link HERE. We need all the helping hands we can get, whether it’s bringing soup, setting up, or cleaning up afterward. Soup is especially needed, since we often run low!

Christmas Poinsettias on the Altar

You are invited to remember family and friends this Christmas with a suggested donation of $12 for poinsettias that we will display right before Christmas.

Your name and intentions (“In memory of …” “In celebration of …”, etc.) will be listed in the next bulletin. If you would like a poinsettia to take home or to a shut-in, they will be available on a first-come, first-served basis after the Christmas services of all three congregations are over (Christmas after our Mass)

If you would like to remember or celebrate someone with poinsettias, please email marymagdalafc@gmail.com by Friday, December 19. Please place your check in the offertory basket or donate online Here.

Advent Grocery Card Project

During Advent, the MoM Social Justice team is sponsoring a project of collecting grocery cards for our Pastors to distribute to folks needing immediate and short-term assistance with gas or food. 

The need for this help has increased with insecurity faced by low-income families in light of interrupted SNAP benefits and other government assistance programs. 

If you are willing to help with this project, please purchase grocery gift cards for King Soopers or Safeway in denominations of $10 or $25. Please label the card packaging with the denomination and drop the cards in the Offertory collection basket at church on Sunday.

Weekly Evening Peace Prayer 

Join us in a prayer for peace in the world and within ourselves. 20 minutes every Tuesday via Zoom. (Families invited!)

Tuesday Evening Peace Prayer

At 7:00 pm on this Zoom Link

Meeting ID: 881 2656 0118 Passcode: 295075

This is the last Tuesday evening prayer for 2025. The evening prayer will resume January 6. Monday morning prayer will continue through December.

Final Advent Mid Week Soup & Supper

Take a midweek pause this Advent and join us Wednesday, December 17.


• Holden Evening Prayer at 6 PM, and
• Soup Supper at 6:30 PM.

This service offers a time of reflection, community, and warmth. The service will be hybrid, using the same Zoom link as Trinity's weekend worship, click HERE to join online.

To make these evenings run smoothly, we kindly ask everyone to help fill all the spots on our Sign-Up Genius link HERE. We need all the helping hands we can get, whether it’s bringing soup, setting up, or cleaning up afterward. Soup is especially needed, since we often run low!

Coming Up: Holiday Office Closure

The Trinity building offices will be closed from December 24-January 1.

Office voicemails and emails will be checked periodically for all 3 churches.

This closure over the Christmas break allows the staff for our three churches time to spend with family and friends during the holiday season. It also provides a chance for staff to rest and return to work refreshed in the new year.

News from Bishop Paul & 'The Mary Magdalene Society'

December 10, 2025

Dear Beloved,

As the Mary Magdalene Society looks ahead to 2026, we see new opportunities to strengthen and expand our vital work......

Read more here about the work of the Mary of Magdalene Society from Bishop Paul "Pablo" Burson, Presiding Bishop, ECC

Service Recordings

Service Recording for the 3rd Sunday of Advent

The recording of the readings and homily for the 3rd Sunday of Advent, 12/14/2025 has been uploaded here.

Associate Pastor Jane Reina presided and delivered the homily.

Social Justice Reflection

By Tom Moos

The Advent season connects our Spiritual hunger for Christ with the physical needs for food and justice.

Advent is a season of waiting—of living in the tension between promise and fulfillment. As candles are lit week by week, we remember a world longing for light, hope, joy, justice, and peace. This longing is not abstract. It exists today in the millions of people who wait for justice, welcoming, peace, and those who wait for their next meal. World hunger gives Advent an urgent, uncomfortable relevance: waiting may be holy, but forced waiting for food is not.

The Advent candles symbolize light breaking into darkness, yet hunger persists in the shadows of inequality, conflict, and neglect. The prophetic voices of Advent promise a world where the hungry are filled and the lowly lifted up. Much work remains before these promises are fully actualized.

Christmas deepens this challenge through the mystery of the Incarnation. God enters the world not in power or abundance, but in vulnerability. Jesus is born into poverty, dependent on the care of others, and placed in a manger, a food trough—an image inseparable from hunger and need. In this humble birth, God identifies intimately with those who lack food, shelter, and security.

Ultimately, Advent and Christmas remind us that hope is not passive. Love enters the world to change it. When we believers respond to hunger with compassion and action, we embody the light of Christ, making room for him not only in our hearts, but in the lives of those who need nourishment most.



I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who has participated in our Mary of Magdala grocery card project this Advent. By contributing King Soopers or Safeway gift cards in $25 or $10 denominations, you enable our pastors to respond to immediate needs. Our 301 Faith Partners’ Reverse Advent Calendar project collecting non-perishable food items help Trinity, St Paul’s and Mary of Magdala fill the Little Food Pantry, outside the church on Stuart street. These are gifts given to our local community with compassion and without judgement. Thank you for your generosity in bringing light, hope and food to our hungry world.

Prayer Requests

Praying for peace, health and well-being through challenging times.

+Deborah Hughes, for healing, spouse of Laura Templet, member

+Len Russ, member

+Fr. Frank Quintana, ECC priest

+Zoe Wahl, sister of Kristina Bulik-Hocum, member

+Colleen DeMuth, member

+Courtney and Cache, family of Jean Christin, member

+Jane Kommrusch, spouse of Richard Kommrusch, member

+ Jeff Klein, son of Debbie Klein

+Mary Powers and Katie Richards, members healing from long COVID

+Milo Pasquale Cushman, brother of Liz Urban, member

+Julie Lucas, daughter of Bruce & Carol Yeazell

+The Grant and Cloyd families, for healing

+Pastor Rick Reiten, Pastor at Trinity Lutheran

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A blessed and peaceful repose of souls for those who've passed and comfort for the friends and families.

+Roy Harsh - brother-in-law to Linda Joyce, member

+Lois Hug, mother of MaryAnne Heyman, member

+Richard Life, member of Mary of Magdala

+Donald Sherlock, brother-in-law of Dori Healy

+Joseph Grant, nephew of David and Cindy Cloyd

+Dennis Healy, Tom Healy's brother and Dori's brother-in-law

+Pauline Devlin, David Devlin's mother

+Jim Carroll, husband of member Dori Carroll

Please send prayer requests to marymagdalafc@gmail.com. Prayers will be listed for one month unless requested for longer. Prayers for the repose of souls will be listed for six months unless requested for a longer time.

Wednesday - Weekday Mass

December 17, 11:00 am

• Weekday Mass in the Fireside room
• No Zoom available
• Mother Rosean Amaral presiding

Sunday Mass -

December 21 12:30 pm

• In person and Zoom available
• Mother Rosean Amaral presiding

Sunday Mass - Chistmas

December 25 10 AM

• In person and Zoom available
• Mother Rosean Amaral presiding

NO Wednesday Weekday Mass on December 23th OR December 31st

Did you miss an article or announcement?



Past e-bulletins are posted on our website here. Below are links to some key articles:

• Happy Thanksgiving from The House of Laity here.
• Read the ECC statement on immigration here.
• Ongoing Giving Opportunities in Fellowship hall; see list here.
• Dedicating Altar Flowers? Contact Joan Stepleton at JoanStepleton@gmail.com or 864-650-2816. A $25 dollar donation is kindly requested.

Mary of Magdala Parish Community

Members: Need to view, update information or download a copy of the member directory? Just click here.

-->If you are in need of a picture for the directory, contact David Cloyd via this email. Put 'Need Picture for the Directory' in the subject line and include your name and telephone number in your email <--

CONTRIBUTIONS TO MARY OF MAGDALA

If you would like to contribute to Mary of Magdala,

click here to schedule a single or recurring Sunday offertory.

All are invited and ALL are welcome to join our parish community. Here is the webpage with more information on membership

The ECC Regional Website - View here.

Newsletters of Trinity Lutheran Church and the St. Paul's Episcopal  

Click here for the Trinity Lutheran Church monthly newsletter, "Tidings". And here is St Paul's weekly bulletin.