Wednesday 12/30
Weekday Mass at 12:10 pm at the Church
Thursday 12/31
Catholic Charities Food Pantry at the Church
9 am – noon or until all food has been distributed
Friday 1/1: Mary, Mother of God
Mass at 9 am and 11:15 am (also live streamed)
Sunday 1/3: Epiphany
Mass at 9 am and 11:15 am (also live streamed)
Make-up Bible Study at 5 pm on Zoom
In this time of Christmas, the Holy Spirit guides the Church in the celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family. It is a special remembrance, for it reminds us that Jesus was born into the most basic of communities: the community of the family. And it was there that he learned much of what became the source of the convictions of his life.
Continue reading “Holy Family – Homily (Msgr. LoPinto)”Please join us to celebrate the Holy Family on Sunday, December 27:
Today’s readings and hymns are available to download here:
Transcript:
I would first like to extend my prayers that you will have a happy and a blessed Christmas. I speak not only for myself, but for Monsignor LoPinto and Father Gribowich. This is a still a blessed and wonderful time of year, however difficult it may be this particular year. I remember my parents telling me about what Christmas was like during the Second World War. My father was off in Europe fighting, and my mom was at home, and I now understand if the Christmas song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was sung, my parents would kind of hold hands and almost tear up. So for those of you us who are not being able to see our families this season, let us remember that the Church is a family because of what we celebrate here today. Jesus has truly made us brothers and sisters, and it is also good to see so many and hear so many familiar things at Christmastime. We have the hymns so beautifully sung and played by our our music ministry. We have the altar wonderfully decorated. We see the creche and all the symbols within and it does give us a sense that this too shall pass. There’s something more permanent.
But and among the people, or the groups that we see at this time, are the shepherds. Shepherds are a very important part of the stories of Jesus’ birth. They receive a special invitation by angels to meet Jesus, yet but they disappear from history immediately afterwards. They do not appear in the Gospels again. Luke does not have even one of them encounter Jesus or the Apostles at any time or place even in the Acts of the Apostles. There are no – as far as I can tell – legends about them. Despite their powerful introduction to Jesus, why did they simply vanish? Luke’s answer is simple: they did not ponder.
Continue reading “Christmas – Homily (Fr. Smith)”Simeon and Anna Praise the infant Jesus, Arent de Gelder, c. 1700, Mauritshuls (The Haugue)
Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the First Reading
Solemnity of the Holy Family
Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
December 27, 2020
The theme of barrenness is prominent throughout both testaments. We see it for the with Sarah in today’s reading. However, in Genesis alone, there is Rebecka and Rachael. We need also remember Samson’s mother and Hannah in Judges and 1 Samuel. In the New Testament, there is most famously Elizabeth and in Christian legend, Anne the mother of Mary. We can look at this sentimentally as a feeling of loss but in the ancient Mid-East, especially in the Old Testament, this was a serious problem on many levels.
First spiritually, people did not believe in an afterlife and eternity would be through one’s children and further progeny. In today’s reading the LORD tells Abram that he is his “Shield” and that his reward will be very great. Abram’s response might seem to us ungrateful or even rude “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless (Ge 15:2.) Indeed, he continues: “See, you have given me no offspring, and so one of my servants will be my heir.” (Ge 15:3)
Continue reading “Solemnity of the Holy Family – Trusting and Laughing with the Lord”As our Christmas gift to you, we have selected homilies taken from transcripts of our Masses this liturgical year. They document the life of the parish and our faith journey during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The compilation is available in PDF and also formatted for your Kindle or E-reader.
Please join us to celebrate the joy of Christmas, wherever you are:
Today’s readings and hymns are available to download here:
