PASTOR S MEANDERINGS 9-10 DECEMBER 2017 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (B) REFLECTION FOR SUNDAY Goodness always tends to spread. Every authentic experience of truth and goodness seeks by its very nature to grow within us, and any person who has experienced a profound liberation becomes more sensitive to the needs of others. As it expands, goodness takes root and develops. If we wish to lead a dignified and fulfilling life, we have to reach out to others and seek their good. (Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, 9) STEWARDSHIP: John he Baptist s call to repentance is echoed in the U.S. bishops pastoral letter on stewardship: Christians must beg God for the grace of conversion: the grace to know who they are, to whom they belong, how they are to live the grace to repent and change and grow, the grace to become good disciples and stewards. Cardinal Suenans The preaching of the Gospel and its acceptance ply a social revolution whereby the hunger are fed and justice become the right of all. READINGS THIRD SUNDAY ADVENT 17 DEC 17 Is. 61:1-2, 10-11: An identikit for the coming Messiah is outlined in this familiar passage. God s anointed one will exult for joy in the Lord and the wonders He will work. 1 Thes. 5:16-24: Joy marks this Sunday of Advent. In what might be Paul s earliest letter he concludes with the assurance that who live and die in Christ will be saved. God will not fail those who have been called. Jn. 1:6-8, 19-28: John s gospel opens with a poetic prologue that presents Jesus as the Word of God made flesh. Who is Jesus? and what does His appearance mean is now answered by the witness of John the Baptist.
G. K. Chesterton Happiness is a mystery like religion, and should never be rationalized. TICKET LOTTERY for JAN. 12 BISHOP INSTALLATION MASS Parishioners, students and educators hoping to participate in the joy and excitement of the Jan. 12 Mass of Installation for the Catholic Diocese of Richmond s new Bishop Barry C. Knestout now have a chance to secure admission to the special Mass by entering a lottery. Seating for the 2 p.m. event at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart will be extremely limited so the faithful are encouraged to enter the drawing for admission tickets by completing the online form here: http://richmonddiocese.org/installation-mass-details/ The last day to enter the drawing is Friday, December 29, 2017. The drawing will be held I early January with two tickets awarded to each selected registrant. Those selected will have 48 hours to respond before the tickets are released to alternates. Tickets are not transferrable and may not be sold. For questions, contact newbishop@richmonddiocese.org or (804) 622-5294 FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTIONS Continued: Conditions to Fulfill The First Saturday Devotion There are five requirements to obtain this promise from the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On five consecutive first Saturdays of the month one should: 1. Have the intention of consoling the Immaculate Heart in a spirit of reparation 2. Go to confession (within eight days before or after the first Saturday). 3. Receive Holy Communion. 4. Say five decades of the Holy Rosary. 5. Meditate for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary with the goal of keeping Our Lady company (for example, while in church or before an image or statue of Our Lady). Why Five Saturdays? Our Lord appeared o Sr. Lucia on May 29, 1930 and gave her the reason behind the five Saturdays devotion. It is because there are five types of offenses and blasphemies committed against h Immaculate Heart of Mary: 1. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception 2. Blasphemies against Our Lady s perpetual virginity 3. Blasphemies against her divine maternity, in refusing at the same time to recognize her as the Mother of men 4. Blasphemies of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children, indifference or scorn or even hatred of their Immaculate Mother 5. Offenses of those who outrage Our Lady directly in her holy images Never think that Jesus is indifferent o whether or not His mother is honored! Greater Difficulty, Greater Reward While keeping up with these devotions over five or nine consecutive months is not easy, the reward for making the effort is eternal. Look again at those promises from Jesus and Mary! Nothing in this life is more important than holy religion (living according to the will of God as
revealed through His Church), offering yourself to God as a self-gift for the benefit of others (Christ-like reparation for the sins of others), and obtaining salvation through Jesus Christ (joining the saints in heaven for all eternity). So, resolve to make the effort to do one or the other (or both!) of these devotions, and pray for the grace to follow through to the end. God always gives the grace to those who wish to faithfully accomplish His requests! BAMBINELLI SUNDAY THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT 16-17 DEC Pope John Paul II, during his papacy, instituted the celebration of Bambinelli Sunday on the Third Sunday of Advent a day on which children from Rome bring to St. Peter s Square the figurine of the Christ Child from their families Nativity sets. Then, following the Sunday Angelus address, the Holy Father blesses the statues of Baby Jesus which the children will take back to homes to be placed under their Christmas trees. Pope Francis continued the tradition, blessing the statuettes which children brought before him in the Square. Parishes around the world now join in the celebration, encouraging young children to make the connection between the Nativity set at home and the local church where they worship each weekend. The blessing of the Bambinelli [Baby Jesus figurines] as they are called in Rome, reminds us that the crib is a school of life where we can learn the secret of true joy. This does not consist in having many things but in feeling loved by the Lord, in giving oneself as a gift for others and in loving one another. Let us look at the crib. Our Lady and St Joseph do not seem to be a very fortunate family; their first child was born in the midst of great hardship; yet they are full of deep joy, because they love each other, they help each other and, especially, they are certain that God, who made himself present in the little Jesus, is at work in their story. And the shepherds? What did they have to rejoice about? That Newborn Infant was not to change their condition of poverty and marginalization. But faith helped them recognize the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger as a sign of the fulfilment of God s promises for all human beings, with whom he is pleased (Lk 2: 12, 14). Please bring your figures of the baby Jesus from your Nativity sets next Sunday for the blessing. ADVENT Ten things You Need to Know About Advent Most of us have an intuitive understanding of Advent, based on experience, but what do the Church's official documents actually say about Advent? Here are some basic questions and (official!) answers about Advent. Some of the answers may be surprising! 1. What Is the Purpose of Advent? Advent is a season on the Church's liturgical calendar--specifically, it is as season on the calendar of the Latin Church, which is the largest Church in communion with the pope. Other Catholic Churches--as well as many non-catholic churches--have their own celebration of Advent. According to the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar: Advent has a twofold character: as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ's first coming to us is remembered;
as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation [Norms 39]. We tend to think of Advent only as the season in which we prepare for Christmas, or the First Coming of Christ, but as the General Norms point out, it is important that we also remember it as a celebration in which we look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. Properly speaking, Advent is a season that brings to mind the Two Comings of Christ. 2. What Liturgical Colors Are Used in Advent? Particular days and certain types of celebrations can have their own colors (e.g., red for martyrs, black or white at funerals), but the normal color for Advent is violet. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal provides: The color violet or purple is used in Advent and Lent. It may also be worn in Offices and Masses for the Dead. In many places, there is a notable exception for the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday: The color rose may be used, where it is the practice, on Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent) and on Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent) [GIRM 346f]. 3. Is Advent a Penitential Season? We often think of Advent as a penitential season because the liturgical color for Advent is violet, like the color of Lent, which is a penitential season. However, in reality, Advent is not a penitential season. Surprise! According to the Code of Canon Law: Can. 1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent. Although local authorities can establish additional penitential days, this is a complete listing of the penitential days and times of the Latin Church as a whole, and Advent is not one of them. 4. What Is the Role of Sundays in Advent? There are four Sundays of Advent. The General Norms state: The Sundays of this season are named the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Sundays of Advent [Norms 41]. It has been mentioned that the Third Sunday of Advent has a special name--gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word for "Rejoice," which is the first word of the introit of the Mass for this day. The Church ascribes particular importance to these Sundays, and they take precedence over other liturgical celebrations. Thus the General Norms state: Because of its special importance, the Sunday celebration gives way only to solemnities or feasts of the Lord. The Sundays of the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter, however, take precedence over all solemnities and feasts of the Lord. Solemnities occurring on these Sundays are observed on the Saturdays preceding [Norms 5]. You also cannot celebrate Funeral Masses on the Sundays of Advent: Among the Masses for the Dead, the Funeral Mass holds first place. It may be celebrated on any day except for Solemnities that are Holydays of Obligation, Thursday of Holy Week, the Paschal Triduum, and the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter, with due regard also for all the other requirements of the norm of the law [GIRM 380].
5. What Happens on Weekdays in Advent? It is especially recommended that homilies be given on the weekdays of Advent. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states: On Sundays and Holydays of Obligation there is to be a Homily at every Mass that is celebrated with the people attending and it may not be omitted without a grave reason. On other days it is recommended, especially on the weekdays of Advent, Lent and Easter Time, as well as on other festive days and occasions when the people come to church in greater numbers [GIRM 66]. The General Norms also point out a special role for the weekdays of the week preceding Christmas: The weekdays from 17 December to 24 December inclusive serve to prepare more directly for the Lord's birth [Norms 41]. This special role is illustrated, for example, by the Scripture readings used in the liturgy on these days. 6. How Are Churches Decorated During Advent? The General Instruction of the Roman Missal notes: During Advent the floral decoration of the altar should be marked by a moderation suited to the character of this time of year, without expressing in anticipation the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord. During Lent it is forbidden for the altar to be decorated with flowers. Exceptions, however, are Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and Feasts [GIRM 305]. 7. How Is Music Performed During Advent? The General Instruction of the Roman Missal notes: In Advent the use of the organ and other musical instruments should be marked by a moderation suited to the character of this time of year, without expressing in anticipation the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord. In Lent the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only in order to support the singing. Exceptions, however, are Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and Feasts [GIRM 313]. 10. Is the Gloria Said or Sung During Advent? Neither. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal provides: [The Gloria or "Glory to God in the highest"] is sung or said on Sundays outside Advent and Lent, and also on Solemnities and Feasts, and at particular celebrations of a more solemn character [GIRM 53] 11. What Private Devotions Can We Use to Grow Closer to God During Advent? There are a variety of private devotions that the Church has recognized for use during Advent. The most famous is the Advent Wreath, Advent Calendar, Jesse Tree, Pageants, ICON AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH THE VISITATION In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and
exclaimed with a loud cry. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. (Lk. 1:39-42) This familiar story in the Gospel links the nativities of John the Baptist and Jesus. the event has been celebrated by the Church for centuries as the first miracle wrought by Christ while still in His mother s womb, using Mary s mediation t bring grace to St. Elizabeth and her unborn son who would become John the Baptist. St. Bonaventure first recommended celebrating the event with a feast in the Church calendar, and this was begun by Franciscans in 1263. The practice spread to the entire Roman Catholic Church in 1389 and continues to this day. This simple composition focuses on the greeting embrace of the two women. St. Elizabeth in the red cloak and Mary in the blue. They are surrounded not by scenery but by a background of gold leaf. Gold, because it reflects light differently from pigment, is used in iconography as a symbol of Divine Light. The inscriptions on the background are Greek and read from top left: The Greeting, Elizabeth, The all-holy, and Mother of God. Saints are frequently labeled in icons so that no confusion can arise about who is being portrayed. Mary s cloak, called in Greek a homophorion, has three stars on her head and shoulders. They are symbolic of her perpetual virginity; before, during, and after Christ s birth. The gold embroidery around the face reflects her special importance as Queen of Heaven and Mother of God. Halos surround the heads of Mary and Elizabeth and these are symbols of their sanctity. Both women s faces are painted in iconographic style, with little attempt at realistic portraiture. The noses are long and narrow in the Byzantine ideal of nobility. The mouths are small and closed in the silence of spiritual contemplation. The eyes are overlarge windows to the spirit. Neither saint makes eye contact with the other or with the viewer. Their gaze is within or toward the infinite. UP-COMING SCHEDULE Weekday Mass 6:30 a.m. & 8:30 a.m. Monday - Friday Monday 11 Dec 7:00 p.m. Brig Tuesday 12 Dec 7:00 p.m. Advent Reconciliation Service Wednesday 13 Dec 10:00 a.m. Mass at Portsmouth Catholic Regional School Thursday 14 Dec 5:00 p.m. Confessions 6:30 p.m. Mass Friday 15 Dec Saturday 16 Dec 10:00 a.m. First Reconciliation Prayer Service Confession 1:30-4:30 p.m. Vigil Mass 5:00 p.m. Third Sunday of Advent 16/17 Dec Bambinelli Sunday 7:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Brig 7:00 p.m. December 19 Tuesday Christmas Pageant and Choral Fourth Sunday of Advent 24 December also Christmas Eve Mass Schedule for the Fourth Sun. Saturday 23 Dec 5:00 p.m. Sunday 24 Dec 7:00 & 10 a.m. Christmas Eve Masses Children s Mass and 6:00 p.m. 9 p.m. Midnight Christmas Day 7:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m.