As we approach the midpoint of Advent, we once again hear from Isaiah with his beautiful imagery, reminding us that sorrow and mourning will flee; we will have joy and gladness; and all things and peoples will be in harmony. Although we will not see complete harmony in the world on this side of the grave, we are not excused for doing our part in the world and developing a harmony in our lives. God offers this harmony to us when we call upon the Holy Spirit to open the gifts we received at Confirmation, (wisdom, courage, understanding, knowledge, fortitude, counsel, wonder and awe), to deal with the complexities of life. Ultimately, the harmony is the Christ Child who permeates our life with his mercy and love.
You may notice that our Christmas schedule is a bit different this year. Masses will be at 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, along with our usual Midnight Mass, with caroling beginning at 11:30 p.m. On Christmas Day, the schedule will be 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. There will be no 6:00 p.m. Mass. Since Christmas is on a Sunday this year, I invite you to consider contributing for both Sunday and Christmas with the envelopes or on Give Central.
Pastors received a strong letter from the Archbishop’s office last month reminding us that Christmas Eve Masses should not begin before 4:00 p.m. For a good Pastoral reason we may request a 3:00 p.m. Mass. After reviewing our Mass attendance last year, I could not see a good pastoral reason to seek this permission. Consequently, we changed our Mass schedule to accommodate the Archdiocesan regulation. I hope that we can all make the necessary adjustments.
The Parish Pastoral Council has completed our Long-Range Pastoral Plan. It is a working document that will be used to continue the Pastoral ministry of our parish. We will have hard copies available by Christmas, and it also will be on our website. There also will be a link to all the questions and comments that we responded to during the last 3 years. We will see our accomplishments and the challenges that await us. Our continued goal is to listen in prayer to the Holy Spirit and be faithful to God’s promptings as He leads His parish in the future.
We have 7 new CDs in our Narthex kiosk. They are available for $3.00 each. They are excellent source of inspiration, and may help you on your spiritual journey. They are listed below.
I hope that you continue to have a fruitful Advent.
Rev. Robert C. Rizzo
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF MASS by Dr. Scott Hahn
Takes us through the awesome grandeur of the holy sacrifice form entrance song to dismissal. He explains how the sacred liturgy transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary and the earthly into the heavenly.
LECTIO DIVINA by Dr. Tim Gray
Explains how to read, meditate. and bring to life the sacred scriptures found in the Bible.
THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST by Dr. Scott Hahn
Provides the biblical basis for the church’s teaching on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the feast of Corpus Christi.
THE SECOND GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD by Fr. Michael Gaitley
Describes the story that encompasses Divine Mercy, the life of St. Pope John Paul II.
7 SECRETS OF CONFESSION by Vinny Flynn
Explores the “hidden” truths of Confession. Presenting to many what will be a new way of appreciating Confession.
CAN YOU TRUST GOD by Dr. Tim Gray
Addresses the misconceptions that God is quick to anger, that of the Old and New Testament are different and that God doesn’t have a merciful heart for us. We will see that we can trust our heavenly Father.
GLIMPSES ALONG THE WAY OF THE CROSS by Msgr. James P. Shea
Guides us along the Stations of the Cross, opening our hearts to the suffering and loneliness of Jesus on the way to Calvary.