Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Feast Day, Parish Novena, and Eucharistic Devotions - January 25- February 2 Our parish patronal feast day is Jan. 25, the Conversion of St. Paul. This year we are celebrating over a period of nine days with our parish novena. This week’s bulletin includes the novena prayers for everyone to pray on their own, and folks can follow on our website or facebook page. This weekend we are continuing the novena prayers following the Masses and also after the 4:30 and 11:30 Masses, we will have time of adoration and Benediction. Here is the rest of the novena schedule:
Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Feast Day, Parish Novena, and Eucharistic Devotions - January 25- February 2 Our parish patronal feast day is January 25, the Conversion of St. Paul. This year we are celebrating over a period of nine days with our parish novena. This week’s bulletin includes the novena prayers for everyone to pray on their own, and folks can follow on our website or facebook page. We will offer other public opportunities for prayer as well. Here is the schedule:
Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Time after Epiphany / Ordinary Time You will notice that while the Christmas season is technically over, some of our Christmas Decorations have remained. The manger scene is there but Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are gone that we reflect on how they had to flee Herod and go to Egypt. The wise men are returning home, but by a different route. Celebrating these events of Jesus’ life can help us realize the importance of the Incarnation in our lives. Having encountered the Lord, we are made new to live a new way. This means it could bring persecution like Herod hunting after the infant Christ. Yet we take courage, for in the Lord’s Providence all will be brought to Good.
Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Happy Epiphany! The wisemen statues in our church narthex have been “journeying” since the beginning of Advent, making their way from one end of the narthex now arriving at the manger scene. We do this every year to show how Christmas is not just a day, but an event that is celebrated and pondered over time. Epiphany shows forth God’s Revelation to the whole world. The three wisemen where not Jewish, but Gentiles, and were yet drawn to the reality of the Messiah. They show us the universality of our human need for salvation. This is also the foreshadowing of God’s desire to offer salvation to all through faith in His Son. Hopefully we have journeyed closer to the Lord this season, offering Him our meager gifts, and in so doing we are changed by His grace.
Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR! The Christmas Season continues, so keep pondering the great mystery of Christ’s Incarnation and Nativity. As we switch gears, now at Mass we are singing the Gloria again and moving away from the “Adventy” Mass settings and hearing more of the organ and seeing decorations. However, one aspect that we are continuing is the singing of the Alma Redemptoris Mater hymn after all our Masses. This Marian hymn takes us all the way to February 2 giving us time to more deeply reflect on the Father’s Love, the Son’s Incarnation by the Holy Spirit, and also to honor Mary. Especially today as we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, perhaps take time praying with that hymn. It and its English translation is on the front of this bulletin.