The Solemnity of The Epiphany of The Lord: The Lord has made his salvation known to the whole world!

The word 'Epiphany' means 'appearance' or 'manifestation' of God connoting the breaking in of the divine to our material world. Throughout the scriptures there are a number of 'types' of epiphanies; God speaking directly to people like Adam and Eve, Noah, and Abraham. God's appearance to Moses in the burning bush and face to face on mount Sinai, God's leading of Israel out of Egypt as pillars of fire and smoke. All of these very awesome and awe-inspiring. But no appearances in all of scripture and all of human history were more profound, awe-inspiring and deeply sublime, as those we find in the New Testament in the flesh and blood of Jesus.

Since the 3rd Century three have stood out and been the heart and soul of this most solemn of feasts that, for many hundreds of years, superseded Christmas in importance; the Wedding feast at Cana, the Baptism of The Lord (which we will celebrate next week) and, of course, the Feast of the Epiphany - that sublime revelation of the Maker of the moon and the stars and all that is, to impoverished shepherds and foreign Kings in the flesh and blood of the tiny babe, Jesus, our 'God who saves'.

This is the feast that highlights our own place in the story of salvation, that draws us into the Jewish family of Christ and shows that the long-awaited fulfillment of all of God's promises, has begun! Today we give thanks and offer praise to God for brining us, the Gentiles, into His family and we bend our knees in awe and wonder at the remarkable, surprising way in which He chose to reveal Himself to the world!


From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope


The loving providence of God determined that in the last days he would aid the world, set on its course to destruction. He decreed that all nations should be saved in Christ.

A promise had been made to the holy patriarch Abraham in regard to these nations. He was to have a countless progeny, born not from his body but from the seed of faith. His descendants are therefore compared with the array of the stars. The father of all nations was to hope not in an earthly progeny but in a progeny from above.

Let the full number of the nations now take their place in the family of the patriarchs. Let the children of the promise now receive the blessing in the seed of Abraham, the blessing renounced by the children of his flesh. In the persons of the Magi let all people adore the Creator of the universe; let God be known, not in Judea only, but in the whole world, so that his name may be great in all Israel.

Dear friends, now that we have received instruction in this revelation of God’s grace, let us celebrate with spiritual joy the day of our first harvesting, of the first calling of the Gentiles. Let us give thanks to the merciful God, who has made us worthy, in the words of the Apostle, to share the position of the saints in light; who has rescued us from the power of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. As Isaiah prophesied: the people of the Gentiles, who sat in darkness, have seen a great light, and for those who dwelt in the region of the shadow of death a light has dawned. He spoke of them to the Lord: The Gentiles, who do not know you, will invoke you, and the peoples, who knew you not, will take refuge in you.

This is the day that Abraham saw, and rejoiced to see, when he knew that the sons born of his faith would be blessed in his seed, that is, in Christ. Believing that he would be the father of the nations, he looked into the future, giving glory to God, in full awareness that God is able to do what he has promised.

This is the day that David prophesied in the psalms, when he said: All the nations that you have brought into being will come and fall down in adoration in your presence, Lord, and glorify your name. Again, the Lord has made known his salvation; in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

This came to be fulfilled, as we know, from the time when the star beckoned the three wise men out of their distant country and led them to recognize and adore the King of heaven and earth. The obedience of the star calls us to imitate its humble service: to be servants, as best we can, of the grace that invites all men to find Christ.

Dear friends, you must have the same zeal to be of help to one another; then, in the kingdom of God, to which faith and good works are the way, you will shine as children of the light: through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with God the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

O God, who on this day
revealed your Only Begotten Son to the nations
by the guidance of a star,
grant in your mercy
that we, who know you already by faith,
may be brought to behold the beauty of your sublime glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Peace and God Bless

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Feast of Mary Mother of God - The Word took our nature from Mary

I've always thought it so wonderfully grace-filled that our Church begins new calendar year with this special solemnity (the highest order of Church Feasts) to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of God (Theotokos in Greek). The following reflection by St. Athanasius tells us why this action of God, in creating a body for His Son, the Word, was so very remarkable and necessary for our salvation. Mary's was the single 'Yes' that saved the world. What a wonderful and blessed Mother we have!

From a letter by Saint Athanasius, bishop


The Apostle tells us: The Word took to himself the sons of Abraham, and so had to be like his brothers in all things. He had then to take a body like ours. This explains the fact of Mary’s presence: she is to provide him with a body of his own, to be offered for our sake. Scripture records her giving birth, and says: She wrapped him in swaddling clothes. Her breasts, which fed him, were called blessed. Sacrifice was offered because the child was her firstborn. Gabriel used careful and prudent language when he announced his birth. He did not speak of “what will be born in you” to avoid the impression that a body would be introduced into her womb from outside; he spoke of “what will be born from you” so that we might know by faith that her child originated within her and from her.

By taking our nature and offering it in sacrifice, the Word was to destroy it completely and then invest it with his own nature, and so prompt the Apostle to say: This corruptible body must put on incorruption; this mortal body must put on immortality. This was not done in outward show only, as some have imagined. This is not so. Our Savior truly became man, and from this has followed the salvation of man as a whole. Our salvation is in no way fictitious, nor does it apply only to the body. The salvation of the whole man, that is, of soul and body, has really been achieved in the Word himself.

What was born of Mary was therefore human by nature, in accordance with the inspired Scriptures, and the body of the Lord was a true body: It was a true body because it was the same as ours. Mary, you see, is our sister, for we are all born from Adam.

The words of Saint John: the Word was made flesh, bear the same meaning, as we may see from a similar turn of phrase in Saint Paul: Christ was made a curse for our sake. Man’s body has acquired something great through its communion and union with the Word. From being mortal it has been made immortal; though it was a living body it has become a spiritual one; though it was made from the earth it has passed through the gates of heaven.

Even when the Word takes a body from Mary, the Trinity remains a Trinity, with neither increase nor decrease. It is for ever perfect. In the Trinity we acknowledge one Godhead, and thus one God, the Father of the Word, is proclaimed in the Church.

O God,
who through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary
bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation,
grant, we pray, that we may experience the intercession of her,
through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life,
our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

From your CTK Parish family, we would like to wish all of you a blessed and Happy NewYear!

Peace and God Bless.

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Feast Of The Holy Innocents - They Cannot Speak, Yet They Bear Witness To Christ

It's easy to forget during all of our modern festivities, and maybe especially within the context of more recent tragedies, that the very first Christmas was itself heralded by deep and senseless tragedy. Today's feast reminds us that Christ came to free us from fear...and that, in spite of how it may seem and feel at the time, our King, our Saviour, our God, is never closer than in the midst of our pain, suffering and confusion. Today let us pray for all of the Holy Innocents, martyred by fear, by hate, and by the darkness and sickness of sin.

On this day, let the words of this reflection, written as a letter to Herod, a letter that could be written to all those who lash out at the innocent of the world, resonate as a prayer in our hearts;

From a sermon by Saint Quodvultdeus, bishop

A tiny child is born, who is a great king. Wise men are led to him from afar. They come to adore one who lies in a manger and yet reigns in heaven and on earth. When they tell of one who is born a king, Herod is disturbed. To save his kingdom he resolves to kill him, though if he would have faith in the child, he himself would reign in peace in this life and for ever in the life to come.

Why are you afraid, Herod, when you hear of the birth of a king? He does not come to drive you out, but to conquer the devil. But because you do not understand this you are disturbed and in a rage, and to destroy one child whom you seek, you show your cruelty in the death of so many children.

You are not restrained by the love of weeping mothers or fathers mourning the deaths of their sons, nor by the cries and sobs of the children. You destroy those who are tiny in body because fear is destroying your heart. You imagine that if you accomplish your desire you can prolong your own life, though you are seeking to kill Life himself.

Yet your throne is threatened by the source of grace – so small, yet so great – who is lying in the manger. He is using you, all unaware of it, to work out his own purposes freeing souls from captivity to the devil. He has taken up the sons of the enemy into the ranks of God’s adopted children.

The children die for Christ, though they do not know it. The parents mourn for the death of martyrs. The child makes of those as yet unable to speak fit witnesses to himself. See the kind of kingdom that is his, coming as he did in order to be this kind of king. See how the deliverer is already working deliverance, the savior already working salvation.

But you, Herod, do not know this and are disturbed and furious. While you vent your fury against the child, you are already paying him homage, and do not know it.

How great a gift of grace is here! To what merits of their own do the children owe this kind of victory? They cannot speak, yet they bear witness to Christ. They cannot use their limbs to engage in battle, yet already they bear off the palm of victory.

O God,
whom the Holy Innocents confessed
and proclaimed on this day,
not by speaking but by dying,
grant, we pray,
that the faith in you
which we confess with our lips
may also speak through our manner of life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Peace and God Bless

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"For A Child Has Been Born For Us, A Son Given To Us!"

From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope
Christian, remember your dignity

Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born; let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.

No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness. Let the pagan take courage as he is summoned to life.

In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its creator. He came to overthrow the devil, the origin of death, in that very nature by which he had overthrown mankind.

And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to his people on earth as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world. When the angels on high are so exultant at this marvelous work of God’s goodness, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men?

Beloved, let us give thanks to God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit, because in his great love for us he took pity on us, and when we were dead in our sins he brought us to life with Christ, so that in him we might be a new creation. Let us throw off our old nature and all its ways and, as we have come to birth in Christ, let us renounce the works of the flesh.

Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom.

Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.


O God,
who wonderfully created the dignity of human nature
and still more wonderfully restored it,
grant, we pray,
that we may share in the divinity of Christ,
who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

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Merry Christmas From Your Parish Family of Christ The King!

The Annunciation by Denise Levertov;

We know the scene: the room, variously furnished,
almost always a lecturn, a book; always
the tall lily.

Arrived on solemn grandeur of great wings,
the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering,
whome she acknowledges, a guest.

But we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions
courage
The engendering Spirit
did not enter her without consent. God waited.

She was free
to accept or refuse, choice
integral to humanness.

Aren't there annunciations
of one sort or another in most lives?
Some unwillingly undertake great destinies,
enact them in sullen pride,
uncomprehending.

More often those moments
when roads of light and storm
open from darkness in a man or woman,
are turned away from
in dread, in a wave of weakness, in despair
and with relief.
Ordinary lives continue.

God does not smite them.
But the gates close, the pathway vanishes..

She had been a child who played, ate, spelt
like any other child - but unlike others,
wept only for pity, laughed
in joy not triumpf.
Compassion and intelligence
fused in her, indivisible.

Called to a destiny more momentous
than any in all of Time,
she did not quail,
only asked

a simple, "How can this be?"
and gravely, courteously,
took to heart the angel's reply,
perceiving instantly
the astounding ministry she was offered:

to bear in her womb
Infinite weight and lightness; to carry
in hidden, finite inwardness,
nine months of Eternity; to contain
in slender vase of being,
the sum of power -
in narrow flesh,
the sum of light.

Then bring to birth,
push out into air, a Man-child
needing, like any other,
milk and love -

but who was God.

Merry Christmas!

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Advent Conspiracy - Christmas Can Still Change The World

I found this link in my twitter stream the other day and it intrigued me that there could be some kind of secret conspiracy behind Advent, that liturgical season I love so much. I've never been one to shy away from a good conspiracy (growing up my dad always had well-worn copies of the Enquirer, The News and other reputable papers with pictures of bat-boy and aliens shaking hands with the President on the front page). A click or two took me to the Advent Conspiracy homepage (this is BIG folks...an entire section of the www is dedicated to this stuff!) where I found the following video;





If that isn't intriguing enough with it's secret plot to undermine the Christmas Machine for all time, their manifesto outlines things even more clearly;

Nobody wants a Christmas worth forgetting. The concept behind Advent Conspiracy is simple...

Worship Fully - It starts with Jesus. It ends with Jesus. This is the holistic approach God had in mind for Christmas. It’s a season where we are called to put down our burdens and lift a song up to our God. It’s a season where love wins, peace reigns, and a king is celebrated with each breath. It’s the party of the year. Entering the story of advent means entering this season with an overwhelming passion to worship Jesus to the fullest.

Spend Less - Before you think we’re getting all Scrooge on you, let us explain what we mean. We like gifts. Our kids really like gifts. But consider this: America spends an average of $450 billion a year every Christmas. How often have you spent money on Christmas presents for no other reason than obligation? How many times have you received a gift out of that same obligation? Thanks, but no thanks, right? We’re asking people to consider buying ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas. Just one.  Sounds insignificant, yet many who have taken this small sacrifice have experienced something nothing less than a miracle: They have been more available to celebrate Christ during the advent season.

Give More - God’s gift to us was a relationship built on love. So it’s no wonder why we’re drawn to the idea that Christmas should be a time to love our friends and family in the most memorable ways possible. Time is the real gift Christmas offers us, and no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right?

Love All - When Jesus loved, He loved in ways never imagined. Though rich, he became poor to love the poor, the forgotten, the overlooked and the sick. He played to the margins. By spending less at Christmas we have the opportunity to join Him in giving resources to those who need help the most. When Advent Conspiracy first began four churches challenged this simple concept to its congregations. The result raised more than a half million dollars to aid those in need. One less gift. One unbelievable present in the name of Christ.

My final investigations into this mysterious underground movement led me to the radically subversive site rethinkingchristmas.com, with it's seemingly endless lists of alternative giving ideas and diy gifts that cost little to nothing in cash but fairly scream out one's personal interest and investment in your loved ones lives.

All in all, as crazy as it may sound, it seems there is indeed a conspiracy afoot. What else can you call it when a mysterious, elite group of individuals begin a nearly viral movement to turn one of the most important seasons of our liturgical year on it's head?

Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself and you'll see it is indeed an honest to goodness Advent Conspiracy!

Peace and God Bless

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The Baptism of the Lord

And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’

Another of a series of five major manifestations of Christ's divine nature that we find in the Gospels (The Nativity, The Epiphany, The Wedding Feast at Cana, The Transfiguration, being the others) this feast at one point was a part of a single celebration that included the Nativity and Epiphany as well.

As our Christmas season draws to a close, we find Christ approaching a baptism for the forgiveness of sins, a baptism of which he has no need. yet he tells John in the midst of his protests that it must be so. As we've seen so often before in the scriptures, waters are opened, God is made manifest, and the Word proclaims a message of hope and wonder "This is my Son, the beloved..."

Trhough the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, this beloved Son joins himself with our human state that we might be joined with his. We are reminded of this at every single Mass as we are called to witness at the start of our Eucharistic Liturgy, the priest adding water to wine and humbly praying, "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity"

More on the Baptism of the Lord (From catholicism.about.com);

The Baptism of the Lord has historically been associated with the celebration of Epiphany. Even today, the Eastern Christian feast of Theophany, celebrated on January 6 as a counterpart to the Western feast of Epiphany, focuses primarily on the Baptism of the Lord as the revelation of God to man.

After the Nativity of Christ (Christmas) was separated out from Epiphany, the Church in the West continued the process and dedicated a celebration to each of the major epiphanies (revelations) or theophanies (the revelation of God to man): the Birth of Christ at Christmas, which revealed Christ to Israel; the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles, in the visit of the Wise Men at Epiphany; the Baptism of the Lord, which revealed the Trinity; and the miracle at the wedding at Cana, which revealed Christ's transformation of the world. (For more on the four theophanies, see the article on Christmas.)

Thus, the Baptism of the Lord began to be celebrated on the octave (eighth day) of Epiphany, with the miracle at Cana celebrated on the Sunday after that. In the current liturgical calendar, the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Sunday after January 6, and, a week later, on the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear the Gospel of the Wedding at Cana.

Prayer From the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) for the Baptism of the Lord;
Almighty, eternal God,
when the Spirit descended upon Jesus
at his baptism in the Jordan,
you revealed him as your own beloved Son.
Keep us, your children born of water and the Spirit,
faithful to our calling.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Peace and God Bless

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The Feast of Epiphany

"Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage."

So begins our gospel reading for this feast which unites the Churches of both East and West. A question posed by Matthew's mysterious 'wise men' from the east. Who are these strangers? What did they know of Jesus or God for that matter? What or who were they seeking?

They were from 'The East' one of the Holy Scriptures' 'pay attention' phrases that is repeated in several of our favorite stories beginning with the Garden itself where Adam and Eve are exiled and sent to live 'East of Eden'. Jacob flees to live 'with the people of the east' after cheating his older brother out of both blessing and birthright. The people that gathered at Babel to build their tower to the heavens 'migrated from the east' and Lot leaves his uncle Abram when their tribes grow too large to travel together and "journeyed eastwards...and settled among the cities of the Plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom"

Throughout the scriptures 'The East' always signifies a place away from God and outside of God's goodness and light. Matthew's 'wise men' or 'sages' (magi means 'sage') come out of this place following the light of a star and a message of hope...the King of Kings has come! This is the wisdom they hold, that they have seen the light of the Christ, they have heard his sacred Word, and have changed the course of their travels to follow.

It is a story that captures our imaginations and underlines the great gift that Jesus is to the whole world. Our Nativity scene grows from a tiny lonely and frightened family huddled in the dark to first include shepherds, those poor and forgotten folk who lived outside of the Law, and their community and now these gentile visitors from a foreign place.

The King of Kings has indeed come. The creator of heaven and earth, the Word spoken at the dawn of time itself, has become flesh and appears now; not to the rich, or the pius, not to the leaders of Churches or nations, but to the poor and calls to his side those who have lived on the fringes and in darkness.

This is our Lord, this is our King and this is the Good News he has called us all to share!

More About The Feast of Epiphany (From Churchyear.net):

Officially called "The Epiphany of the Lord," this feast celebrates the epiphany (manifestation) of Christ to the Gentiles, symbolized by Christ's manifestation to the Magi (Wise Men). The feast originally was more closely connected to Jesus' baptism, the primary theme of the feast in Eastern Churches to this day. In addition, other manifestations of Christ were often commemorated during Epiphany, including the miracle at Cana. In fact, it has been asserted that the Baptism of the Lord, the adoration of the infant Jesus by the Magi, and the miracle at Cana all historically occurred on January 6 (see Abbot Gueranger's works). Whether this is true is contested, but either way, the Epiphany solemnity is celebrated on January 6, which falls within Christmastide. In some Catholic regions, the feast is translated to a Sunday. The Eastern Churches often call the holiday Theophany, which means "manifestation of God." Eastern Christians also refer to the Epiphany as "Holy Lights" because they baptize on this day, and baptism brings about illumination. Traditionally, Epiphany marked the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

The story of the Magi traveling from the East to see the Christ child appears only in the Gospel According to St. Matthew. The word Magi, in Greek magoi, comes from the Latin word meaning "sage." These particular sages were possibly Zoroastrian astrologers from Persia. Upon seeing a star rising in the East (the Star of Bethlehem), they realized it was a sign that the king of the Jews had been born. According to St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. AD 107), the star shone with an inexpressible brilliance, and the sun, moon, and other stars all formed a chorus around the special star (Letter to the Ephesians, 19). The wise men followed the star to Bethlehem of Judea, and to Jesus' dwelling there. Having arrived, they worshipped the infant Jesus, and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

There have been numerous traditions that have grown up about the Wise Men. Typically we think of there being three wise men because of the number of gifts, but Matthew doesn't tell us the exact number. Since the 3rd century, Christian writers have referred to them as kings, even though Matthew doesn't specifically tell us that they were royalty. Their names in the West, Gaspar (or Caspar), Melchior, and Balthasar date to the 6th century. The names mean: Master-of-Treasure, King, and Protect-the-King, respectively. The Syrian Church has given them the following Persian names: Larvandad, Hormisdas, and Gushnasaph.

St. Bede the Venerable fills in a few gaps, providing colorful details about the Magi:

The first was called Melchior. He was an old man, with white hair and a long beard; he offered gold to the Lord as to his King. The second, Gaspar by name, young, beardless, of ruddy hue, offered to Jesus his gift of incense, the homage due to Divinity. The third, of black complexion, with heavy beard, was middle-aged and called Balthasar. The myrrh he held in his hand prefigured the death of the son of Man (see The Catholic Source Book).

St. Bede hints that the magi represent different races, an idea that was further developed around the 14th century, in which the wise men were said to represent the three known races of the time, European, Asian, and African. According to another legend, St. Thomas the Apostle visited the Magi, and after catechizing them, he initiated them into the Christian faith. Eventually the Wise Men were ordained priests and then bishops. Near the end of their lives, the Christmas Star revisited them, this time bringing them together for a final reunion. The information provided by Bede, and this legend, are interesting but historically unreliable.

Let us pray,
Father of light, unchanging God,
today you reveal to men of faith
the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh.
Your light is strong,
Your love is near;
draw us beyond the limits
which this world imposes,
to the life where Your Spirit
makes all life complete.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
New Saint Joseph Sunday Missal

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Epiphany Blessing for Our Homes

One German tradition for the Christmas season is that of the childrens' festival between January 1-6 (Three Kings Day). After a Mass the children go from house to house to gather offerings for the poor. They are dressed as the three kings and carry sticks with stars on the top. At the homes they sing songs and recite messages of Christmas. At each house they paint a series of letters and numbers of blessing over the door frame that remain until the next year.

The blessing is as follows;


All gather outside at the main entrance to the home (inside if it's too cold!)

Leader: Peace be to this house.

All: And to all who live here.

Leader: Bless, O Lord,
this household and family,
and allow all of us who live in this home
to find in it a shelter of peace and health.
Inspire each of us to develop
our individual talents
and to contribute wisdom and good works
for the benefit of the whole family.
Make our house a haven for us all,
and a place of warmth and caring
for all our friends who come to visit us.
Enlighten us with the brilliance
of your Epiphany star,
so that, as we go into the world,
we might clearly see our way to You
and discover You in our work and play.
This we ask to your glory
and in the power of your kingship.

All: For yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory now and forever, Amen.

Bless the house with the sign of the cross.

After the blessing, the initials of the following Latin blessing are written over the main doorway in chalk (any color you like); Christus Mansionem Benedicat 'Christ bless this house' (The Initials also correspond to the traditional names: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar) The Finished blessing inscription would look like this: 20 + C + M + B + 11 (where the + is a cross and the "11" stands for 2011; change the year accordingly).

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Feast of Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos - God Bearer)

One of my favorite extra-Sunday feasts is that of Mary, the Mother of God, celebrated around the globe on January 1st every year (No that Mass you see listed each year on the 1st is NOT a New Year's Mass!). I love especially the imagery that is called up by the Eastern Title of Theotokos or 'God Bearer' for Mary. The Old testament presents us a number of interesting images for how God's promised salvation is to the world, the Ark in which the one righteous family of Noah provides hope for the future, the little basket of reeds that carried Moses down the Nile safely so that he could bring salvation to his people in God's name, the great golden Arc of the Covenant that served as a constant reminder for the People of God that God was indeed present and active among them...

All of these point to the single most significant act of God in fulfilling His divine promise to bring all persons back to Him...that of God taking human flesh and dwelling, teaching and ultimately dying and rising again so that His Spirit may fill the world and enact it's salvation for all time. And how is this action of God carried into the world? Through the 'Yes' of the most innocent, beautiful arc in salvation history, Mary herself who carried the fruit of God's promise within her own body as a gift for the world!

Amazing!

A little more about this very special feast that is the First of only two Holy Days of Obligation (Days that are just as important for worship as Sundays!) in our Church taken from Churchyear.net;

In the 4th and 5th centuries debates about the nature of Christ raged in the Church. The debate was about the relationship of Christ's divine and human natures. At the center of this debate was a title of Mary. Since at least the 3rd century, Christians had referred to Mary as theotokos, meaning "God-bearer." The first documented usage of the term is in the writings of Origen of Alexandria in AD 230. Related to theotokos, Mary was called the mother of God. Referring to Mary this way was popular in Christian piety, but the patriarch of Constantinople from 428-431, Nestorius, objected. He suggested that Mary was only the mother of Jesus' human nature, but not his divine nature. Nestorius' ideas (or at least how others perceived his arguments) were condemned at the Council of Ephesus in AD 431, and again at the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451. The Church decided that Christ was fully God and fully human, and these natures were united in one person, Jesus Christ. Thus Mary could be called "mother of God" since she gave birth to Jesus who was fully divine as well as human. Since this time, Mary has been frequently honored as the "mother of God" by Catholics, Orthodox, and many Protestants.

The Solemnity of Mary Mother of God falls exactly one week after Christmas, the end of the octave of Christmas. It is fitting to honor Mary as Mother of Jesus, following the birth of Christ. When Catholics celebrate the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God we are not only honoring Mary, who was chosen among all women throughout history to bear God incarnate, but we are also honoring our Lord, who is fully God and fully human. Calling Mary "mother of God" is the highest honor we can give Mary. Just as Christmas honors Jesus as the "Prince of Peace," the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God honors Mary as the "Queen of Peace" This solemnity, falling on New Year's Day, is also designated the World Day of Peace.

From Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours;
Father,
Source of light in every age,
the virgin conceived and bore your Son
who is called Wonderful God, Prince of Peace.
May her prayer, the gift of a mother's love,
be your people's joy through all ages.
May her response, born of a humble heart,
draw your Spirit to rest on your people.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Peace and God Bless

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Fr. Barron on Christmas

Our struggle as Christians is to fit this subversive image of the infant, swaddled and impoverished king into the very domesticated form of our world's modern version Christmas...

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The Nativity of Our Lord and the Feast of the Holy Family

So many of the great figures of our Advent preparations, John the Baptist, Mary, and Joseph, have served as examples of self-sacrifice, faith and obedience to God's Word. These are people who heard the Word of God, whispered, dreamed and shouted into their lives and were moved to respond. They underline for us just how important it is that we do not simply sit back, and enjoy the celebrations, good-will and peace that the Nativity of our Lord and King has heralded in, but that we actively and concretely respond to the Word whose birth we have just witnessed.

Today, on this Feast of the Holy Family, a feast which highlights how the family of Jesus can serve as a model for all struggling Christian families, we are invited to gaze upon our Lord, held in faith and hope by Mary and Joseph our two great models of faith in action and pray for the courage to respond in kind.

A great part of our Christian tradition is celebrated in the days and the feasts of the Christmas season. The liturgies and feasts of Christmas are integral to complete acquaintance with the entire rich deposit of faith. The liturgies of the Christmas season celebrate and emphasize each of the primary, essential truths of Christianity and Catholicism.

Now that you have spent time spiritually preparing for the coming of Christ in your heart at
Christmas, where in life do you most need Christ to come down? What in your life is in most
need of God’s salvation? If Christmas also celebrates those who have witnessed to Christ
through martyrdom, can you name some small ways that you have been a similar witness? In
what way have you taken up the cross for the sake of the Gospel in your lifetime? How
would you say you have exemplified John the Baptist’s insistence that he must decrease so
Christ could increase. In what way have you become less in order for God to become all in
all? In what way is your heart prepared for the coming of Christ this Christmas?

DECISION FOR CHANGE: What one bothersome behavior or attitude might God be calling
you to change in preparation for Christmas? What one spiritual activity are you willing to
engage in as Christmas draws near? Have you remembered the poor in your Christmas giving?



Prayers For Our Families

A Prayer for the Family

Jesus, our most loving redeemer,
You came to enlighten the world
with your teaching and example.
You willed to spend the greater part of Your life
in humble obedience to Mary and Joseph
in the poor home of Nazareth.
In this way, You sanctified that family,
which was to be an example for all Christian families.

Graciously accept our family,
which we dedicate and consecrate to You this day.
Be pleased to protect, guard, and keep it
in holy fear, in peace,
and in the harmony of Christian charity.
By conforming ourselves to the Divine model
of Your family,
may we attain to eternal happiness.
New St. Joseph People's Prayer Book


A Prayer for a Child's Return to the Faith

Dear Lord,
You became Man, suffered, and died
to win salvation for all souls.
Look graciously on the soul of my child
who has drifted away from You and the Faith.
Grant him/her your grace
to see the error of his/her ways
and return to the fold of Your care.

Teach me to stay close to him/her
during this trying time
and strive to convert him/her by action and prayers
more than by words that may antagonize.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust You
to do everything to bring my child back to You
New St. Joseph People's Prayer Book

Peace and God Bless

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A Christmas Message from Fr. Barron

Matthew's genealogy of the Christ presents a variety of very surprising and unexpected men and women who underline just what kind of people are invited to be joined to the family of the savior...

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Prayers for Christmas Day

Though we've spent the past four weeks preparing for the Lord's coming, we cannot forget the deep spiritual significance of all we do throughout the feast of Christmas. As you and your family and friends share gifts of love with one another and gather for the great feasting and celebrating that this season deserves, here are a few prayers to help you center yourselves on the great love God has for us in sending His only Son to be our Lord, our King, our Christ;




From The Liturgy of the Hours (The Divine Office) for Christmas Day:
Almighty God and Father of light,
a child is born for us and a son is given to us.
Your eternal Word leaped down from heaven
in the silent watches of the night,
and now your Church is filled with wonder
at the nearness of her God.
Open our hearts to receive his life
and increase our vision with the rising of dawn,
that our lives may be filled with his glory and his peace,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for Opening Gifts
Loving God:
We gather surrounded by a wealth of signs, symbols and reminders. Our tree, ever green and fragrant, reminds us of the everlasting life you’ve promised.

Our Home is decorated with signs of our joy at the presence of Jesus among us. Spread at our feet are gifts, symbols of the love we share.

We pray in gratitude for the gifts,
And even more, for the givers. In each gift we see a sign of love, Love that begins with you and finds its fullest expression in your greatest gift to us: Your Son, Jesus. Through Jesus we pray in joy and thanksgiving on this Christmas Day.
Amen.

Christmas Day Table Prayer
Lord God of life,
together with the beautiful traditions of decorating the Christmas tree, or singing carols and giving gifts, this Christmas dinner is an important part of our celebration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Come, Lord Jesus
And surround our feast day table as we delight in this joyous season of Christmas. Gift us in this meal with the taste of happiness as we savor this coming together of family and friends. As sparkling stars and singing angels rejoiced at the birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem, so may we take great joy in this our Christmas dinner celebration.

May you, our God
Bless our feast, our family and our friends in Your holy name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen+

From your parish family, we wish you and all your loved ones the happiest and merriest of Christmas Feasts. May this season of blessings and joy be for you the start of a New Year filled with all of the graces you seek.

Merry Christmas!

Peace and God Bless

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THE DIGITAL STORY OF NATIVITY - ( or Christmas 2.0 )

One of our teachers emailed this to the office just today, and like all of the Good News...it just screams to be shared! Enjoy;














THE DIGITAL STORY OF NATIVITY - ( or Christmas 2.0 )







Peace and God Bless

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Christmas Mass Times

To help with your Christmas and Holiday planning here are the times when our parish Community will be gathering to offer worship to God and share the Eucharist which is, of course, the focus and font of all our other celebrations and traditions;

December 24- Anticipated Christmas Mass; 7:00 p.m.

December 25: Midnight & 10:00 a.m. - Christmas Day; A Holy Day of Obligation

December 26: 10:00 a.m. - Sunday Mass; Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

December 31: 5:00 p.m.; A Special Mass of Thanksgiving for the blessings of this past year...NOT an anticipated January 1st Mass

January 1: 10:00 a.m.; Feast of Mary, Mother of God; A Holy Day of Obligation

Januarcy 2: 10:00 a.m.; Regular Sunday Mass

As both Christmas and The Feast of Mary, Mother of God fall on Saturday's this year, and both are Holy Days of Obligation, these very important feast supersede any anticipated Masses a parish may do prior to their regular Sunday celebrations. Practically this means that for Saturday December 25th and Saturday January 1st we are unable to have our usual Saturday Evening celebrations of the Anticipated Sunday Mass. These extremely important feasts must always be celebrated in place of any regular anticipated masses in a parish.

Questions about the scheduling of Mass times for Holy Days of Obligation (like Christmas and January 1st) or Sunday Masses verses anticipated Masses in general? Our Bishops have had a lot to say on the matter and, thanks to the wonders of the internet, now you can read all about it in the comfort of your home or wherever you happen to be; CCCB on The Celebration of Christmas Masses.

Wondering what the heck a 'Holy Day of Obligation' is? Catholic Online has all your answers!

May your prayerful and spirit-led preparations this Advent help to create a holy space in your home and in your heart for the birthing of our Lord of Light and Love...Jesus Christ.

Peace and God Bless

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