St. Francis Xavier Parish 2 nd Sunday of Advent 10 Dec 2017
Mon. Dec 11 St. Damasus I; Pope ( Dec 13 St. Lucy; Martyr are homebound, in the hospital and nursing facilities; and CONFESSIONS Monday: 5:30 to 6:30pm Saturday: 9:30 to 10:30am Saturday: 3:00 to 3:45pm F F. W SHOES FOR RWANDA: After the Masses on Dec. 10 th and 17 th, a donation of $20 will buy a pair of shoes for a needy Rwandan child. You can donate on behalf of another person or donate the shoes in memory of a loved one. Father Leonard will remember these individuals (and all who donate) at Holy Mass! Thank you for supporting this very noble cause. GUADALUPE CELEBRATION In December 1531 the Blessed Virgin appeared to Juan Diego at Guadalupe in Mexico. Our parish will commemorate the apparitions in two ways. First, from 9-12 December, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be present in the church. Also, we will have two Masses in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe as well: our normal 9 a.m. Mass on the feast itself (12 Dec.), as well as a special evening Mass at 7 p.m. on 11 Dec. with the Women of Grace. Following this evening Vigil Mass the women of the parish are invited to a special dramatic performance of the Blessed Mother s experiences before the Birth of Christ. CATHOLICISM WITH THE MEN OF ST. JOSEPH I enjoyed being with the Men of St. Joseph last month for their viewing of an episode of the wonderful Catholicism series by Bishop Robert Barron. I encourage all men of our parish to come this Wednesday, 13 Dec., from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the hospitality room in the lower church, for the next episode and some good conversation too! SPECIAL LETTER I have written a special column this week regarding the crisis of sexuality in our society, and our response as Catholics; it is on pages 5-6. SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION During this Advent season I encourage everyone in our parish to receive God s forgiveness in this sacrament of grace and mercy. Confessions are heard every Monday evening from 5:30-6:30 p.m., Saturday mornings following the 9 a.m. Mass, and Saturday afternoons from 3-3:45 p.m. ST. JOHN PAUL II offered the following prayer at Guadalupe in 1979: O Mother, help us to be faithful stewards of the great mysteries of God. Help us to teach the truth proclaimed by your Son and to spread love, which is the chief commandment and the first fruit of the Holy Spirit. Help us to strengthen our brethren in faith, help us to awaken hope in eternal life. Help us to guard the great treasures stored in the souls of the People of God entrusted to us.
PARISH INFORMATION HELPFUL CONTACTS PARISH OFFICE HOURS Mon-Fri: 9:30am 4:00pm Please make an appointment to meet with Father Williams to schedule a Baptism or Wedding. Religious Education: 508-998-7445 School: 508-995-4313 School Fax: 508-995-0456 ACCESSIBILITY Open for Prayer Every Day Wheelchair Lift Cry-room Fr. Riley J. Williams, Administrator [rjw@sfxparish.com] Deacon David Pepin [dbp@sfxparish.com] Mr. Steven Guillotte, Director of Pastoral Services [sng@sfxparish.com] Mrs. Michelle Russo, Principal [mrusso@sfxacushnet.com] Mrs. Anabela Shaughnessy, Asst. Principal [ashaughnessy@sfxacushnet.com] Mrs. Janine Hammarquist, Rel. Ed. Coordinator [jlh@sfxparish.com] HOLY MASS Monday-Sat 9:00am Third Thursday (Latin/Extraordinary Form) 5:30pm First Friday 9:00am & 6:00pm Saturday Vigil 4:00pm Sunday 8:00am & 10:30am CONFESSIONS Monday 5:30-6:30pm Saturday 9:30-10:30am Saturday 3:00-3:45pm First Fridays 5:15-5:40pm Any Time by Appointment ADORATION Mon -Sat 9:30am-9:00pm Thurs 7:00am-5:30pm Friday 9:30am-9:00pm Saturday 8:00am-2:45pm EVENING PRAYER Vespers : Mon, Tues, & Wed at 6:30pm Benediction: Mon & Wed O C (Mk 1:4; 6 Ramesses, Cyrus, and Xerxes the Great; greater than even rah whose inspiration to war led to years of peace; Gideon who overcame mightier foes with divine aid; and Samson ; for
candidate should be accompanied by their sponsor; if your N P I: U S S C Annunciation (1453) Fra Angelico The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus." (Lk 1:30-31) SFX P C M R W D 10, 2017
SFX P L Our Lady of Guadalupe 12 December 9:00AM Holy Mass Vigil Mass 11 December 7pm followed by Marian performance in the Parish Center Presented by SFX Women of Grace A RESPONSE TO THE CRISIS OF SEXUALITY IN OUR CULTURE: SOME THOUGHTS FROM FR. WILLIAMS Sex is broken. Or, perhaps more accurately, our cultural attitude towards sex is broken. We have all seen the headlines these past years, expressing the damage that sexual transgressions have caused on college campuses, in the military, now in the entertainment industry - and, as we know, even in our own beloved Church. As I've read accounts of these varied cases, I consistently notice a gaping hole in the proposed solution. Those in authority talk as though all that matters is consent - put bluntly, just get the other person to say yes. However, this ignores a far deeper problem: that the very meaning of sex has become debased in our culture. In 1968 Pope Paul VI wrote a letter to the Church called Humanæ Vitæ (Of Human Life) in which he illuminated the Church s teaching that abortion and artificial contraception are incompatible with a moral way of life. He wrote of the dangers these practices would bring: A man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection. The human body - male or female - is not merely a commodity with which we may do as we wish; nor do the bodies of others exist simply for our pleasure. So, rather than asking for consent, the question that should instead be asked is: do I have the right to have sex with this person at all? Have I made a commitment to this person that allows me to accept that person s gift of themselves? Am I prepared to take responsibility for the new life that is a natural result of this union? Sex is a sign of something profound: it is an act of physical self-gift only having meaning where the couple has made the lifelong commitment of marriage. It is astonishing that only a few months ago our Vice President was mocked for his dedication to his marriage, while the passing of Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, was marked with a knowing wink and a smile by our culture, with no acknowledgement of the damage that he did to our society s view of sex. That view very well might not change in the near future: the problem will continue until our culture has the honesty and courage to address the root causes of the problem: the separation of sex and marriage, largely a result of the widespread use of artificial contraception, and the objectification of the human body, now treated as commonplace in the media and in society. What, then, should be our response to this tragic and dangerous situation? Sister Lucia of Fatima said, towards the end of her life, that the final battle between the Lord and the Kingdom of Satan will be marriage and the family. Fathers and mothers: please, please speak to your children Continued next page
Crisis (continued)...about sex: teach them about the place it should have in their lives and (married) relationships, and be aware of the importance of your own witness. Be vigilant about the values (or lack thereof) about sexuality to which they are exposed in the media, as well as to what they see online - including the danger of pornography. If ever I can be a help or support to you in your roles as parents, know that I am here for you. IDEAS FOR PRAYER BY DOM HUBERT VAN ZELLER A M, Quotation Corner A hindrance is a nuisance only if it prevents you from going in the right direction. (Anonymous) O D N: S C Bedford, I want to make the sign of the cross; but I don t. I them paid their respects; a few sent cards. One neighbor Socratic Method; just lots of hindering and delaying. works for having tried it. First she thought me a hindrance;
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