Week of December 20, 2015 Fourth Sunday of Advent The Pastor's Christmas Message The Week at a Glance Dear Family in the Lord, In just a few days, we will once again gather to celebrate that great moment when the Word of God leapt from heaven, when half-spent was the night. This celebration brings back so many memories to all of us and yet there is always a newness to it. As we celebrate this Solemnity of the Lord's Nativity with the Eucharist, we realize that this isn't historical reminiscence, but rather, the altar becomes the manger, the bread and wine become that same Lord who first took flesh among us in the infant of Bethlehem. We hear in the proclamation of the Gospel the invitation of the angels and we come, in all our diversity, as did shepherds and kings, to adore Him and, hopefully, to leave the encounter renewed. Just as a baby being born in a family changes everything, we can reorder our lives around this life, and begin to live our life of faith in a renewed way. St. John, in the first chapter of his Gospel, proclaims: What came to be through Him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. This brings us to this Christmas, at this point of history, and in the midst of the darkness of violence, terrorism, revenge, secularism, and relativism that seems to almost completely be enveloping us. We live in a time of great fear, of escapes in drug and alcohol abuse, in mindless consumerism, of hedonism where many push God aside to be their own god and feel their own pleasure at any cost, yet never arriving at real lasting joy. This feast, this reality that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us can renew our hope, light the way, and help us navigate to truth, lasting values, and to stand in awe of the overwhelming gift of his love and mercy all manifested in the Baby of Bethlehem and all within our reach as members of His Body, the Church. This Jubilee Year of Mercy calls us to reflect this light with ever greater intensity that the darkness might not overwhelm us or those we share this journey with. We have the truth! We have the light! He brought it as He took flesh and He left it in His Church - and we are that Church, lifted up by His mercy, nourished by His flesh and blood, and sent, day after day, to proclaim tidings of great joy in the midst of the world's sadness, as once angels did to shepherds, shepherd's to townsfolk, and a star to wise men who were seeking for more. I beg you to live the full season of Christmas all the way to its completion on January 10, the Feast of the Lord's Baptism. Keep your trees and lights shining! More importantly, let's come often before His Holy Image before the altar or at the manger, and, as we pass through a Holy Door, may each of us make his or her heart and holy door flung open wider to Christ, taking up the invitation of our Holy Father Pope Francis in renewed and real ways in lives changed by what we celebrate: I invite all Christians to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least to an openness to letting Him encounter them. I ask you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord. The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk. Whenever we take a step toward Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms. (The Joy of the Gospel, #3) So, my family in the Lord, this is my prayer and my wish for you! I pray that you will act on these words and be overwhelmed with gratitude as you ponder them and glance upon the Infant Savior with His outstretched arms. May your days of Christmas be joyful, blest, full of good times, and forming the stuff of good memories. But, most of all, may you allow Him to be reborn in you, to become like a little child in the simple, open, and trusting way you come to Him! After all, it's true, Christmas is for kids! Merry Christmas! With Love in the Lord, Monday, December 21 CERS Group Meeting 7:00 PM (NH LL) Tuesday, December 22 Televised Parish Mass 7PM, Channel 98 Advent Evening Mass 7:00 PM (IC C) Wednesday, December 23 Prayer Cenacle 2:00 PM (SC C) Thursday, December 24 Parish Office Closed No 8 AM Mass today at St. Catherine Christmas Masses: 4:00 PM (IC) 6:00 PM (IC) Midnight (IC) Friday, December 25 Parish Office Closed Christmas Masses: 9:30AM (IC) 2:00PM (SC) Spanish Saturday, December 26 Rosary 3:30 PM (IC C) Sunday, December 27 Televised Parish Mass 10 AM, Channel 98 Spanish Mass 2:00 PM (SC C) Sanctuary Lamps The sanctuary lamp at St. Catherine Church will burn this week in memory of Samuel & Josephine Cavallaro, as requested by their daughter Mary Lou Guerra and family. At Immaculate Conception Church, the sanctuary lamp will burn this week in memory of Margaret & Albert Guerra, requested by their son Ralph Guerra and family. At the St. Joseph altar, the votives will burn in memory of Tunney Shea, Mr. & Mrs. Chana Robbins, and Marion & John Shea, requested by Ellen Shea and daughters. At St. James Church this week, the sanctuary candle will burn for Catherine Athanasiou, as requested by her husband Odyssias.
Intentions For Holy Mass Monday DEC 21 St. Peter Canisius 8:00AM SC Julia Parnell, by her daughter Maryann Tuesday DEC 22 Advent Feria (weekday) 8:00AM SC Joseph Parmentola, by his wife Anne & Family 7:00PM IC Roger and Kevin Liberty, by their Family Wednesday DEC 23 St. John of Kanty 8:00AM SC Assunta Sacramone, by Arthur & Helen Sacramone Thursday DEC 24 Advent Feria 8:00AM SC No Mass this morning Vigil ~ Nativity of the Lord 4:00PM IC Christmas Flower Memorials 6:00PM IC Celebrant s Intention Midnight IC Pro Populo (For our Parish Family) Friday DEC 25 Nativity of the Lord 9:30AM IC Christmas Flower Memorials 2:00PM SC in Spanish Celebrant s Intention Saturday DEC 26 St. Stephen 8:00AM SC Peggy and Mary Sullivan, by Shirley Sisson Vigil Feast of the Holy Family 4:00PM IC The Kane and Mulville Families, by the Family Sunday DEC 27 Feast of the Holy Family 8:30AM IC James Kelley, by Tom & Kathy Watson 10:30AM IC Pro Populo (For our Parish Family) 2:00PM SC in Spanish Celebrant s Intention 4:30PM IC Joseph Parmentola, by his wife Anne & Family To schedule Mass intentions, please call Marilyn Chavez at the St. Catherine office, 436-0344. Morning Prayer All are invited to join the community gathered before the daily Mass, Monday through Saturday, as they pray Lauds (Morning Prayer) from the Liturgy of the Hours at 7:40 AM at our St. Catherine Church. Our Reflection Of God s Generosity To Us! Weekend of December 12/13, 2015 Envelopes/EFT $ 11,507.00 Loose $ 2,088.78 Total $ 13,595.78 Last weekend 280 envelope/eft users contributed 85 % of our income. Poor Box Donations $ 501.00 Immaculate Conception $ 3,280.40 Nativity of the Lord We will celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord with five Holy Masses of Christmas: Christmas Eve 4:00 PM (Immaculate Conception) Vigil Mass, opening with candlelight procession with the Holy Infant. Song by our Youth/Children s Choir 6:00 PM (Immaculate Conception) Vigil Mass, Song led by Cantor & Organ Christmas Midnight 12:00 M (Immaculate Conception) Solemn Midnight Mass will begin with Candlelight procession with the Holy Infant. Song by Festive Choir (A prelude of carols, anthems, instrumentals and chant for your reflection and preparation will precede Holy Mass at 11:20 PM.) Christmas Day 9:30 AM (Immaculate Conception) Mass of the Day, Song led by Cantor & Organ 2:00 PM (St Catherine) Mass of the Day celebrated in Spanish Please note: The 4:00 PM Mass is usually overcrowded, and fire regulations only allow us to admit a fixed number. We suggest, if at all possible, that you consider one of the other Masses, which do have adequate room. Also, we ask that no one come early and try to save seats for others coming later. The ushers will be filling every space on first come/first seated basis. Thanks for your understanding.
Evensong & Benediction We gather for this Advent devotion tonight (Sunday) at 6:00 PM in our Immaculate Conception Church. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed at 5:30 PM and remains exposed after devotions until 7:00 PM for those who might wish to come early or linger for personal prayer and adoration. Advent Evening Mass The final Candlelight Mass will be offered at 7:00 PM on Tuesday at the high altar in our Immaculate Conception Church. Final Confession Times Confessions will be heard this afternoon (Sunday) at 3:45 PM, and again at 5:30 PM (until Evensong) then again after at 6:30 PM. Confessions will also be heard after 8 AM Mass on Monday through Wednesday. Adoration Cancelled Please note that we will not have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on the next two Thursdays, December 24 and 31. We will have Holy Hour on New Year's Eve as noted elsewhere in this bulletin. Invite Family & Friends! Last year we had a number of folks return to the active practice of their faith after years away. It began for them when a relative or friend invited them to come into our open churches one day in the Christmas season, to see how beautiful they were, and... it got them remembering and pondering... and coming home! Who could you bring in? Thanks In Advance! As we enter the beautiful liturgies of the Christmas season, and as we look back at the beautiful Advent season, it is obvious that we would not have all that we do, all that inspires and leads us deeper into the mysteries of these days, if we didn't have our decorators, music ministers, and liturgical ministers. We are most grateful to all who contributed to the beauty of Advent specials such as Evensong and the Candlelight Rorate Masses, in addition to the weekend liturgies. Let's unite in asking the Lord to bless all these folks abundantly, as we all benefit from what they provide for our worship! Flower Fund Intentions All those whose names were submitted with offerings will be remembered in the Masses of the Christmas Octave, from Christmas to the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, on January 1st. The listing of names will be included in next weekend's bulletin. For now, thank you for all your generosity makes possible! We are sure you will agree that all three of our churches will be beautiful settings to celebrate these coming days! CHRISTMAS EXTRA EFFORT Some parishes have grand annual appeals. It has been the custom here, and the operating budget figures it into the mix, that rather than a grand annual, the Christmas Collection is an all-out extra effort gift to the parish. We ask that you prayerfully consider what you can do. We thank those who have been generous in the past, personally and from their businesses, with cash or stock, in this special gift to the parish. Simply use the special Christmas envelope in your packet or use a plain envelope marked Christmas Extra Effort. Thanks in advance for your prayerful consideration and for whatever you may be able to do! New Year s Schedule This is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, a Holy Day of Obligation, and the World Day of Prayer for Peace. Thursday, December 31 4:00 PM Immaculate Conception Friday, January 1 9:30 AM Immaculate Conception New Year s Eve Holy Hour We invite you to spend the last 30 minutes of the passing year and the first 30 minutes of the new year in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Benediction will be imparted at the stroke of Midnight to ask the Lord s blessing on the year before us. There will be a series of reflective petitions to focus on intercessory prayer as we look back and look ahead. All are invited to join us on New Year s Eve, from 11:30 PM to 12:30 AM, at Immaculate Conception Church!
Jubilee Holy Door Last Sunday, the center door of our church was solemnly blest and then opened as the Porta Sancta, or Holy Door for our church, designated as a pilgrimage site by our Bishop. The significance, ultimately, is that the door represents the door into the Heart of Christ. We pass through it, into this Holy Place, to encounter the Lord's Word, His mercy, and His divine presence itself within the Most Blessed Sacrament, then, as we go forth through the door, we are sent out as Missionaries of Mercy, if you will, bringing His truth, His invitation to come home, and the imitation of His mercy by our acts of mercy toward others. In order to obtain the abundant graces associated with the Jubilee Year and the passing through the Holy Door, one needs to come in the following spirit: Approaching the door as a pilgrim, seeking to draw closer to the Lord and to deepen our relationship with Him. Passing through the door one should, in their own way, make an act of opening the door of their heart to Jesus. One needs to be free from attachment to sin, or, entering with the intention of receiving that freedom from the merciful Lord by coming in for confession, then receiving the Lord in Holy Communion, and praying for the intentions of our Holy Father for the Church and the world. One then goes out seeking to be more attentive to the mercy moments daily life offers ways to bring the mercy of God to others through our outreach (the Spiritual and Corporal works of Mercy) and through our missionary spirit of inviting others. The abundant graces available are traditionally referred to as indulgences the grace that frees one from any temporal punishment due to sin, once they have been confessed with a contrite heart. One may obtain this indulgence for one s self, or apply them for others who have preceded them in death. Just as scandal and sin of individuals can weaken the witness of the whole Church, so too the goodness of so many holy men and women make up an abundant treasury of grace and goodness, from which pilgrims can draw from the abundant generosity of God. New Votive Shrine Today, at the 10:30 AM Mass, we will solemnly bless the beautiful new shrine that was completed on the day we entered this Jubilee Year of Mercy, December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The Shrine houses the antique Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the Black Madonna, one of the most ancient representations of our Lady that Christians have venerated. Its origin is traced back to the Middle East and there is a tradition that the original was painted by St. Luke. It provides a beautiful setting in our IC Church for the kindling of votive candles to honor our Lady and seek her intercession. We thank a generous parish family who funded this project, and the parishioner, Ray Lizotte, who crafted it. Within the new setting and its illumination, the beauty of the Icon is certainly enhanced! The presence of our Lady at the foot of Christ's cross is depicted by the letter M surmounted by a cross in the center section, with the words TOTUS TUUS (Completely yours) the motto of St. John Paul II and the reminder of consecration to Jesus through Mary on either side of the image. In commissioning this project and funding it, the donors ask that the dedication inscription be as follows: "This shrine is given in gratitude as a tangible sign of our parish's consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary, Mother of Mercy, pray for us." A framed inscription of this dedication will soon be placed near the shrine. We are most grateful for this generous gift and that it was completed honoring our Mother of Mercy on the first day of this Jubilee of Mercy! Jubilee Year of Mercy Free App! Celebrate the Jubilee Year of Mercy with a great new free app from Our Sunday Visitor! You can find the link on the homepage of our parish website: www.corpuschristinh.org. The theme for the year is Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful, and is reflected in the elements of the app, which include: Daily reflections on mercy Daily Scripture reflections Book excerpts Year of Mercy resources Pope Francis' tweets throughout the year Year of Mercy news stories Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena And more! Save the Date! Special event for women coming soon! Did you ever wonder? What is Grace?? How do I recognize Grace present in my life?? Who does God give his Grace to?? What is the result of Grace? Join us for an evening of food, fellowship, and conversation with other women to discover of the gift of Grace in our lives. This Reflection Evening will be held on Saturday, January 9, from 5:00-7:30 PM in St. Catherine Church Hall and is open to all women of our parish and the larger community. Preregistration and potluck sign-up is required. Forms are available in the church doors!
Parish News NEW! Deacon Day Next Saturday is the Feast of the Deacon St. Stephen, the proto-martyr of the Church. Let's be united in expressing our gratitude for the ministry of our own Deacon Jim Wilton among us by remembering him in a special way in our prayers that day! Happy Feastday, Deacon Jim! NEW! First Semester Down! Our seminarian Joe Moynahan arrived home among us this past Friday and is looking forward to celebrating these upcoming high holy days with his parish family here at Corpus Christi. He wants you to know how grateful he is for the prayers and support offered last week as he faced graduate school final exams for the first time. The cards, notes, and goodies were all very much appreciated! The first semester went great in every way. He'll have a personal message for you in an upcoming bulletin. Your prayers and support mean more than you realize! NEW! News from the Knights of Columbus Please join the Immaculate Conception Council #140 in congratulating our Knight of the Year, Lee Seifert, and our Family of the Year, Graham & Rosemary Kent. They are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to our organization, the parish and community. Also, Council #140 would like to thank the parishioners of Corpus Christi Parish for your support over the past year. Wishing you all a very Blessed and Merry Christmas! NEW! Traveling Vocation Icon This week, Florencia & John Lorandeau will receive the Icon of Jesus Knocking at the Door into their home and intercede in a special way for Sr. Jacinta Pio, Joe, and all in formation, for those discerning, and for many vocations to rise up from our community. 20/20 WINNER$ $25 Winners ~ Week 16 # 26 Judy & Edward DeFrias # 170 Linda Golter The Mystery of God Our Adult Faith Formation study series continues with this six-week study developed and presented by Bishop Robert Barron. In this new six-part film series and study program, Bishop Barron reaches into our rich intellectual tradition to bring us into the Divine Mystery. Using the insights of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Benedict XVI, and others, he uncovers a clear yet sophisticated understanding of what we mean by God". Who is God? And why does he matter? Watch this series and you will not only learn the answers yourself, but you will discover how to share them with others - especially those who no longer believe. Study begins Tuesday, January 5 th, and continues for six consecutive weeks. Morning Session: 9:00-10:30 AM Evening Session: 6:30-8:00 PM Both sessions take place in St. James Church Hall Register by using the form below. Additional forms can be found on the parish website and the entrance to the church. ------------------------------------------------------------ THE MYSTERY OF GOD Morning Session Evening Session Name: Address: City: Zip: Phone(s): Email: Participant Study Guide $25 X (# of sets) = $ Donation for study set scholarship (opt.) = $ Total payment = $ Paid with: Cash Check Check # Amt. Received by: Date: Save the Date! Don t Miss the Party! For all in our Young Family, Children s, and Youth Ministry programs and their families, but also open to all ages! Save the date Sunday, January 3, 4:45-6:30 PM in St. James Hall. Details to follow! Young Family Ministry St. Gabriel Playgroup Sunday, December 20 10:00 11:45 AM (SPS) Children s Ministry Children s Faith Formation Grades K 5 Sunday, December 20 10:00 11:45 AM (SPS) Youth Ministry Middle School YM Upcoming Dates! Sunday, December 20 EDGE Session 5:30-7:30 PM, SPS YR