Tag: Gaudete

This Third Sunday of Advent, often called Gaudete Sunday, invites us to rejoice as the celebration of Christmas draws near. To help prepare our hearts, I encourage you to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our Parish Penance Service is today at 5 PM, and earlier this afternoon at 2 PM, a Penance Service will also be held at Beloved Disciple. If it’s been a while since your last confession or if you’re unsure where to begin, a helpful guide to going to confession and an examination of conscience can be found in this weekend’s bulletin. Please make every effort to attend one of these services and embrace the grace and mercy of this beautiful sacrament before Christmas.

I also want to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported our Nursing Home Gift Tree. Your generosity is truly appreciated, but we still have 18 gifts unaccounted for. If you have one of the remaining tags, please return the gift immediately. If for any reason you are unable to purchase the gift, I ask that you bring the tag back as soon as possible so we can ensure every resident receives a gift. Your help in completing this project is a true blessing and means so much to those we serve.

As we continue our Advent preparations, I’d like to remind you that Oplatki Christmas Wafers are available by the St. Joseph statue. This beautiful tradition invites families to share Christ’s love during their Christmas meal. The suggested donation is $4 per pack of four wafers, and they are available while supplies last.

Looking ahead, our parish office will be closed for the Christmas season beginning Friday, December 20, and will reopen for in-person business on Tuesday, January 7. During this time, we will continue to monitor phone messages and emails, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s something you need. Thank you for your understanding as we take time to celebrate this joyful season with our families.

Our Christmas Mass Schedule is as follows: Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24, Masses will be at 5 PM and 9 PM. On Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, we will celebrate one Mass at 9 AM. Please make plans to join us as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Additionally, as we approach the new year, I want to remind you that Wednesday, January 1, is a Holy Day of Obligation—the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. We will celebrate Mass on Tuesday, December 31, at 6 PM and Wednesday, January 1, at 9 AM. What better way to begin the new year than by celebrating this special feast day and honoring our Blessed Mother?

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or you take them with gratitude. Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. One of the most sincere forms of respect is listening to what another person has to say. Life becomes so much easier when you “accept” an apology that you never got.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

The Power and Tradition of Mass Intentions

The Mass is considered the greatest prayer of intercession in the Church. This is because it is the perfect offering of Christ to the Father, making present the Paschal Mystery of His death and resurrection. Traditionally, a Priest may be requested to offer a Mass for a specific intention, even if the requester cannot be physically present.

Offering Masses for the Deceased:

Having a Mass offered for a deceased person is an ancient and commendable practice. A Mass is offered to pray for the departed, that they may find peace in heaven. Since each Mass holds infinite value, requesting one or several Masses is of tremendous benefit to the person prayed for, as well as their family, who can take comfort in knowing that their intention is united with the prayers of the Church.

The Mass: Center of Christian Life:

Every Mass is a precious gift from God. It is the center of the Church’s life, known as “the source and summit of the Christian life,” because in the celebration of the Mass, we are brought back to Jesus’ Last Supper, the first Mass. We consciously recall the love of God poured out for us through the life, death, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ. At each Mass, all the intentions of God’s people, both living and deceased, are included. As Pope Paul VI noted in his motu proprio “Firma in Traditione,” the faithful, moved by an ecclesial and religious sense, join their own sacrifices to the Eucharistic sacrifice, participating more intensely and supporting the Church’s needs, especially its ministers.

Requesting a Mass Intention:

Anyone may request a Mass Intention for a living person, a deceased person, members of a family, or a special intention appropriate to the celebration of the Eucharist, such as World Peace, Vocations, or Respect for Life. The Church allows only one intention per Mass.

Offering a Mass Stipend:

The normal stipend offering for a Mass is $10. However, a Mass Offering can be more or less than the suggested amount, depending on the financial position of the person requesting the Mass. Envelopes for Mass intention requests are available at the entrances of the church. These envelopes can be placed in the collection basket or returned to the parish office. The requester may also ask for a card to be sent to notify someone that a Mass Intention has been requested (one card per intention). Please note that the name of the person(s) requesting the Mass is not announced.