Welcome to This Week at St. Luke’s for the third week of Advent, December 13, 2025 to December 20, 2025.

This week begins with Gaudete or “Rose” Sunday, a moment of lightness and anticipation of joy during our preparations for Christmas, when we light the rose-colored candle on the Advent wreath. “Gaudete” is the Latin for “Rejoice.” After our Saturday Said Eucharist, all are invited to join in rejoicing with our Artist-in-Residence The Lyric Consort with their Christmas concert at 7:30pm.

On Sunday, from 2pm-4pm, we will be hosting a communal reading of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” in the nave, with refreshments following.

This Tuesday from 1pm-2:30pm we will be hosting our satellite food pantry with Friends of the Poor.

Next Saturday, December 20, we will be greening the church from 10am-12pm. All are welcome, whether you’d like to hang wreaths or polish brass and silver.

This week we will have our usual schedule of services, with our 5pm Saturday Said Holy Eucharist, 11am Sunday Sung Holy Eucharist, and our 12:10pm Wednesday Healing Eucharist followed by book study.

Our schedule of special Christmas Season services is as follows:

Family Christmas Eve Service at St. Mark’s, Moscow	4:00pm December 24
Christmas Eve Sung Holy Eucharist with Choral Prelude	8:30pm December 24
Christmas Day Sung Holy Eucharist	10:00am December 25
Sung Holy Eucharist for The Feast of the Holy Name	11:00am January 1
Sung Holy Eucharist for The Feast of the Epiphany	7:00pm January 6

Please see below for our weekly schedule, important announcements and upcoming events, livestream links, and our parish prayer list.

Livestream Links:

Links to our livestreamed services are available on our website’s Livestream page (links are posted within 2 hours of the service) or may be viewed on our Facebook Page or YouTube Channel.

Click here to download the Leaflet for the Third Sunday in Advent

Click here to watch Father Parry’s sermon for the Second Sunday in Advent

Announcements and Events:

“Tell Out My Soul” Stewardship Campaign:  This week Father Parry offers a letter to the parish to read here. Stewardship pledge cards will be collected on January 11, 2026, the First Sunday after the Epiphany. Pledge cards are available at the church in the back of the nave. 

Christmas Memorial Flowers and Greens:  All who wish to give flowers and greens in memory or honor of a loved one and have their name included on St. Luke’s Christmas Memorial List may use the envelopes marked “Christmas Memorial Flowers and Greens.” Envelopes have been included in the service leaflets and are available on the table in the back of the nave. Please have your envelopes returned by Sunday, December 21.

Advent Event: A Christmas Carol Reading – December 14, 2pm-4pm: We are in the process of organizing a reading of A Christmas Carol in the Communal Reading Version formatted as a play by the Jesuit Media Lab on December 14, from 2-4, in cooperation with St. Mark’s, Moscow. If you’d like to volunteer, contact Rebecca Beal, Rebecca.beal@scranton.edu. As you make your Advent plans, please include us, whether as a reader or not! 

The Greening of the Church – Saturday, December 20, 10am – 12pm: Help make our church beautiful for the Christmas season, placing wreaths and hanging greens. We will also be polishing the silver and brass, so if you enjoy that, please stop by! 

Molly’s Food Pantry Update – In the weeks to come, and in light of anticipated cuts to food distribution programs, St. Luke’s will continue to collect shelf stable food for Molly’s Pantry located in Nay Aug Park. We are asking for cold weather, comfort foods (soups, stews, grains, rice, pasta, and pasta sauces). Proteins like canned meats/tuna and peanut butter are essential, as are hot drink mixes and bottled water. A shopping cart will be available in Kreitler Hall for your donations, or if you’re in the neighborhood, you can drop off your gift directly in the pantry located near the helipad in Nay Aug Park.   

The Anna Young Project – Anna Young served as a volunteer at the Lackawanna County Prison for more than three decades, where she spearheaded a program that provided inmates with candy, snacks, and cards. In 2022, following Anna’s death in November of that year, St. Luke’s partnered with the Scranton Area Ministerium and other community leaders to continue her ministry of kindness and compassion. St. Luke’s is again partnering with others to continue Anna’s legacy, and will be preparing “goody bags” for folks at the prison for distribution in early January. If you would like to help support this ministry with a financial contribution, please Click Here, or you may send a check made payable to Scranton Area Community Foundation, 612 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510. Be sure to include “The Anna Young Project” in the memo line. Look for more information about ways you might help with this project in the weeks to come. See The Rev’d Dr. Tyler Parry or Sharon Sollami for more information. 

Ronald McDonald House Soda-and-Soup Tabs Collection: The St. Elizabeth Princess of Hungary Chapter of the Order of the Daughters of the King is collecting pull-tabs from soda, soup, and other cans to benefit the Ronald McDonald House through their recycling program. Please bring in your tabs and drop them in the container at the back of the nave.   

Wednesday Book Study: On Wednesday, October 15, we began a book study following our Healing Eucharist, exploring together Bible Stories for Grown-Ups by author Josh Scott. Some copies of the book are available at the church; please feel to join in! 

Sunday School Volunteer Opportunity: Please see Father Parry if you feel called to assist in our Sunday School. Safe Church requirements must be fulfilled. 

Thank You To our special ministers at last week’s worship services and our coffee-hour hosts!

In Our Prayers

Please keep the following in your prayers this week: Jordan, Frank, Elaine, Lynn, Mary Jane, Robin, Heather, Chase, Philomena, Jeanette, Mario, Canon Bill+, Scott, Margaret, Brendan, Albert, Bessie, Christine, Colleen, Melissa, John, Anne, and Josie.

And the departed: Ricky, John, Linda, Janina. Mary Ann, and Bob. May they rest in peace and may light perpetual shine upon them.