Gate of Heaven Parish. Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel...

Transcription

1 Gate of Heaven Parish Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel...

2 WELCOME TO GATE OF HEAVEN PARISH To every traveler who comes through our towns and stops to visit in one of our churches we say, Welcome, friend, come and worship with us. You can join us at All Saints Church, Saint Agnes Church, Saint Matthew Church or Saint Patrick Church. We are all one family, and you are welcome at our table. If you plan to move on, we pray you safe travel. If you plan to stay we hope you find peace and fulfillment. Regardless of your situation, we thank you for stopping in to join your hearts with ours as we pray in our Father s House! PARISH MINISTRY PERSONNEL Faith Formation Coordinator Susan Tibbetts Youth Ministry Coordinators Daphne Cassady Jeannine LaBounty Finance Council Chair Tyler Rancourt Pastoral Council Chair Bob Rutherford The Tabernacle Society Sandra Doolan, President Catholic Women s Group Carrie Morrill, President Men of Saint Joseph Kurt Hall (Tuesday P.M Group) Knights of Columbus Mark Frank, Grand Knight RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for adults) Susan Tibbetts, Facilitator Boy Scouts Kenneth King, Scout Master Cub Scouts Bill Rutherford, Cubmaster Parish Bookstore/Gift Shop Ruby Berryman, Manager Calvary Cemetery John Brooks, Sexton St. Matthew & St. Margaret Cemeteries Don Doolan, Sexton SACRAMENTS Reconciliation/Confession Saturdays 2:45 p.m. 3:45 p.m. St. Matthew Church Mondays 7:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. All Saints Church Half hour before daily Mass. For a personal appointment please call the rectory. Baptism/Marriage Please call the rectory to make arrangements. (For weddings, please call at least six months in advance of your planned wedding date.) Communion/Anointing the Sick Due to privacy laws priests must be asked by the family members to visit parishioners in the hospital or nursing home. Please advise us of those in need of the Church s ministry, whether they are homebound or have been hospitalized. We are happy to bring the Eucharist to those who cannot get out to attend Mass. And if someone is ill or declining in health, the pastor is happy to come to their home, anoint them and bring them Holy Communion. Please call the rectory, and we will make the arrangements for you. Cemetery Arrangements Gate of Heaven Parish has four cemeteries Calvary Cemetery, Water Street Cemetery, St. Matthew Cemetery and St. Margaret Cemetery. You are always welcome to make arrangements for your eventual burial in one of these cemeteries, as three of the four have sites to lease. Please call the rectory in order to ask about end-of-life preparations. Parish Bulletin If you, or someone you know, is homebound, please call the rectory and let us know. We d love to send them the weekly bulletin so they can keep up with the goings-on in the parish. Also, if you are a snowbird, and head south or west for the winter, we can also get the bulletin to your winter address. That way you always know what s going on here at home! Please consider remembering our parish in your will.

3 3rd Sunday of Advent December 16, 2018 This Weekend SATURDAY, DEC. 15 4:00 p.m. St. Matthew 3rd Sunday of Advent Gate of Heaven parishioners SUNDAY, DEC. 16 8:00 a.m. St. Matthew 3rd Sunday of Advent Honore Gendron Jr. by Ellie Martin & children 10:30 a.m. All Saints 3rd Sunday of Advent Brendon Patnoe by Memere & Grampy 5:00 p.m. All Saints 3rd Sunday of Advent Mason Cliché by Tom & Marilyn Foss Daily Mass MONDAY, DEC. 17 8:30 a.m. All Saints Feria Special intention by Bob & Pauline Tuttle TUESDAY, DEC. 18 7:00 a.m. St. Matthew Feria Living & deceased members of the Haines & Ranno families WEDNESDAY, DEC. 19 7:00 a.m. Feria NO MASS THURSDAY, DEC. 20 7:00 a.m. All Saints Feria Raymond Mallory Sr. by Carrie Morrill FRIDAY, DEC. 21 7:00 a.m. St. Matthew St. Peter Canisius, priest Dorothy Birard by Gate of Heaven parishioners & Doctor of the Church SATURDAY, DEC. 22 9:00 a.m. OLM Shrine Feria Herbert McGee by a parishioner 4th Sunday of Advent SATURDAY, DEC. 22 4:00 p.m. St. Matthew 4th Sunday of Advent Arthur & Dora Bourassa by their daughters SUNDAY, DEC. 23 8:00 a.m. St. Matthew 4th Sunday of Advent Gate of Heaven parishioners 10:30 a.m. All Saints 4th Sunday of Advent Bob & Mickey Brennan by their sons 5:00 p.m. All Saints 4th Sunday of Advent Rosalie McGraw by Tom & Marilyn Foss Your Weekly Offering Weekend of December 8-9, 2018 OFFERTORY: $2, E-GIVE: $1, TOTAL: $3, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: $1, RETIRED RELIGIOUS: $ (There will be no second collection next weekend, December ) May the good Lord reward your generosity!! The magic of Christmas is not in the presents, but in His presence.... Sanctuary Candle Throughout the month of December the sanctuary candle at All Saints Church will burn to light the place of Christ s repose in loving memory of Roger & Berthe Choquette as requested by their family. At St. Matthew Church it will burn in loving memory of Carlene Dumas & Linda Dumas Poulin, as requested by John Dumas and the family. At St. Patrick Church it will burn in loving memory of Alexander Weekes, as requested by his wife and children, and at St. Agnes Church it will burn in loving memory of Sheryl Doolan and Daniel Stiles, as requested by Don & Sandra Doolan.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Philippians 4:4 COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS DINNER The FREE Gate of Heaven Christmas Dinner is on again for this year! Tuesday, December 25, all those who are hungry for a great meal, hungry for some company, or just hungry to share the Good News with others this Christmas season, are all invited to a delicious treat of turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, desserts, cranberry sauce and beverages to enjoy! And there is NO CHARGE! In order to make this incredible meal a success for the whole community (we serve 300+ each year), we need those faithful Gate of Heaven elves to lend some assistance here and there! We will need turkeys and hams, and they need to be cooked before you deliver them. We also need green beans, corn, chicken broth, pickles, butter, milk and cranberry sauce. If you are the baking type, we d love some desserts cakes, cookies, pies, etc. That would help a great deal! If you don t cook, but would like to help us out by donating toward the overall cost of the dinner, that s wonderful too. You can send donations to Don and Sandra Doolan at 17 Hill Street, Lancaster, NH If you have any questions call either Don or Sandra at If you d like to help serve on Christmas Day, or help to set up the hall, or take down tables afterward, we d love the help. You can either show up on Christmas Day, and we ll put you to work, or you can call Sandra to see where she needs the most help. Thanking you all in advance for the wonderful job you always do!! Christmas flowers... If you would like to help with the cost of Christmas flowers that adorn our sanctuaries throughout the Christmas season, we appreciate your support. If you use offering envelopes you will find a Christmas Flowers envelope in your box. If not, you can pick up an envelope at the entrances of the church. Please record the names of those whom you wish to be remembered in a special Mass on Sunday, January 6, at 5 p.m. at All Saints Church. These intentions should be turned in no later than December 30. Christmas Mass Schedule CHRISTMAS DAY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25 12:00 A.M. (Midnight) All Saints Church 8:30 A.M. Saint Patrick Church 10:30 A.M. All Saints Church CHRISTMAS EVE, MONDAY, DECEMBER 24 4:00 P.M. All Saints Church 6:00 P.M. Saint Agnes Church 7:00 P.M. Saint Matthew Church Christmas Vacation St. Andrew Dinner... St. Andrew was the first of the Apostles to hear Jesus call to follow him. We would like to invite college students who are home for vacation, and other men in our diocese who are considering a vocation to the priesthood, or who would simply like some help hearing the Lord s call for their life, to an evening of prayer, conversation with the Vocations Team, and dinner. This dinner will be held at St. Patrick Parish in Pelham on Friday, January 4, from 6-8 p.m. Please RSVP online to Becky Vinson at rvinson@rcbm.org or call if you would like to attend. This year don t get your tinsel in a tangle.

5 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in your faith, so that in the power of the Holy Spirit you may be rich in hope. Romans 15: 13 Saturday morning Mass... Saturday, December 22, will be the last Saturday morning Mass celebrated at Our Lady of the Mountains Shrine for the year. Beginning Saturday, January 5, the Saturday Mass will be held at All Saints Church at 9:00 a.m. Once spring arrives, the shrine will reopen again. Vocation dinner with Bishop Libasci... Thursday, December 27, the New Hampshire Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a Vocation Dinner with Bishop Peter Libasci and our Seminarians. Evening Prayer will be at 5:30 p.m. and a dinner of stuffed roast pork will be at 6 p.m. in St. Joseph Cathedral Hall. The cost is $20 per person and $50 per family. Checks should be made out to New Hampshire Knights of Columbus. Please contact Ed McCann for reservations at or online at Emccann777@comcast.net. The reservation deadline is December 20. All Saints giving tree... As many have noticed, we do not have the Angel Giving Tree up this year in All Saints Church. The tree has been under the responsibility of the Youth Ministry Team these past several years, but with the transition in faith formation, specifically in Youth Ministry, they were unable to organize the tree this year. Your support through these years has been greatly appreciated as we served both the elderly and the youth in and around our community. We hope the Giving Tree will be back up in the 2019 Advent Season! Scheduled Events SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15 2:45 P.M. 3:45 P.M. Confessions (St. Matthew Church) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16 11:30 A.M. Men/Women Cursillo Meeting (All Saints church hall) MONDAY, DECEMBER 17 6:00 P.M. Boy Scout Meeting (All Saints church hall) 7:00 P.M. 8:00 P.M. Confessions (All Saints Church) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18 6:30 A.M. Confessions (St. Matthew Church) 5:30 P.M. TABS Dinner (The Inn at Whitefield) 6:00 P.M. K of C Meeting. (St. Matthew rectory) 6:00 P.M. Men of St. Joseph (All Saints Church library) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19 11:00 A.M. 5:00 P.M. Eucharistic Adoration (St. Matthew Church) 5:30 P.M. Praying the Rosary (St. Leo s Church, Lunenburg) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20 1:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. Eucharistic Adoration (All Saints Church) 5:00 P.M. COMMUNITY DINNER (All Saints church hall) 7:00 P.M. Men/Women Cursillo Meeting (St. Matthew rectory) 8:00 P.M. Alcoholics Anonymous (All Saints church hall) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21 6:30 A.M. Confessions (St. Matthew Church) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22 2:45 P.M. 3:45 P.M. Confessions (St. Matthew Church) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23 11:30 A.M. Men/Women Cursillo Meeting (All Saints church hall) MONDAY, DECEMBER 24 (Christmas Eve) 7:00 P.M. 8:00 P.M. Confessions (All Saints Church) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25 (Merry Christmas) 12 NOON CHRISTMAS COMMUNITY DINNER (All Saints church hall) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26 11:00 A.M. 5:00 P.M. Eucharistic Adoration (St. Matthew Church) 5:30 P.M. Praying the Rosary (St. Leo s Church, Lunenburg) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27 1:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. Eucharistic Adoration (All Saints Church) 3:00 P.M. Cenacle of St. Monica (St. Matthew sacristy) 5:00 P.M. COMMUNITY DINNER (All Saints church hall) 7:00 P.M. Men/Women Cursillo Meeting (St. Matthew rectory) 8:00 P.M. Alcoholics Anonymous (All Saints church hall)

6 Weekly Readings, Third Sunday of Advent, December 16, 2018 Zephaniah 3: 14-18a / Psalm Isaiah 12: 2-3, 4, 5-6 / Philippians 4: 4-7 / Luke 3: Good news! Let us rejoice in anticipation! This theme is evident in today s readings. In the First Reading we hear that on that final day when God s justice is fully manifest, he will take away Jerusalem s shame and give her cause for great rejoicing. Daughter Zion is a personification of the ideal city of Jerusalem where God, the king of Israel, can dwell as its savior and lover. Today s Responsorial Psalm closely parallels this notion of the exultant Daughter Jerusalem, even though the phrase is not used. Likewise, in the Second Reading Paul exhorts his readers to rejoice in the nearness of the Lord and not to be anxious, but always to act with kindness (Greek epieikés, meaning mildness, forbearance, fairness, moderation ). Then, when they make their requests known to God, they will experience the fullness of God s peace. Today s Gospel describes a scene in which John the Baptist preaches repentance in anticipation of the coming messiah. When John tells the crowds that they must live righteously, they are so enamored of his words that they think he is the long-awaited messiah. He lays that idea to rest saying, one mightier than I is coming.... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. The Greek baptizo means to dip or submerge, as in a ritual. With that, John continues to preach the good news to the people. One may wonder how the crowds could consider a baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire to be good news? 1. What does the First Reading tell us about the nature of God and God s relationship toward the chosen ones? 2. As you reflect on the Second Reading, consider how acting with kindness and offering gratitude to God in prayer has brought you a sense of God s peace. 3. What does it mean to you to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire? Christmas Eve Christmas Pageant... This year many things changed with regard to our Faith Formation program. Because of the new Restored Order for sacraments, and rescheduling times for different grades, we were not able to pull together a pageant for this year s Christmas Eve Mass at All Saints. While we feel badly we couldn t quite get it together, it s only temporary! Please bear with us while we adjust to these new schedules and locations. And join us next year when we plan to include the Christmas Pageant at our Christmas Eve Mass once again. We thank you so much for your understanding! Daily Readings DECEMBER 17, 2018 DECEMBER 23, 2018 MONDAY: Genesis 49: 2, 8-10 / Matthew 1: 1-17 TUESDAY: Jeremiah 23: 5-8 / Matthew 1: WEDNESDAY: Judges 13: 2-7, 24-25a / Luke 1: 5-25 THURSDAY: Isaiah 7: / Luke 1: FRIDAY: Songs 2: 8-14 / Luke 1: SATURDAY: 1 Samuel 1: / Luke 1: SUNDAY: Micah 5: 1-4a / Hebrews 10: 5-10 / Luke 1: CATHOLIC TRIVIA How many Masses during the liturgical year honor the Blessed Virgin Mary? Answer: Fourteen.