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SACRAMENT OF PENANCE

Saturdays: Msgr. Ryan Hall - 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Also by appointment

SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY

The Church provides certain times and preparation for

weddings. Please contact the Rectory at least six months

in advance to begin the process.

REGISTRATION

Every family and person within the parish is encouraged

to register with the Parish.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

Celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of the month at 1:30 p.m. In

July and August Baptism will be celebrated at 12:30 p.m.

A required Baptism preparation meeting for parents meets

on the first Monday of the month at 8:00 p.m. Godparents

are welcome. Please register in advance for the class and

Baptism. Godparent Pre-Requisites: Godparents must be

practicing Catholics in good standing, 16 years of age or

older, Baptized and Confirmed Catholic.

ON BECOMING A CATHOLIC

Those seeking information about the Catholic Faith are

invited to contact Fr. Valentine at the Rectory at 621-

2222.

CARE OF THE SICK

Please notify the Rectory and Human Concerns Ministries

if there is anyone seriously ill so that we can provide

spiritual care.

THE MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Sunday, December 22: FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT 7:30 a.m. People of the Parish 9:00 a.m. Mary & Carmin Dellavecchia by Charles & Linda Dellavecchia 11:00 a.m. Anthony Gagliardi by Kiki & Carmine Capparelli Maria Ghersi-10th Anniversary by Family Dr. Raphael Russo by Patrick & Elaine Brea 12:15 p.m. Douglas John Gubbins by Katarina & Tony Markovina

Monday, December 23: Late Advent Weekday 9:00 a.m. Cornelia Massimo by her Daughter

Tuesday, December 24: Late Advent Weekday 9:00 a.m. Alexander Levchuck &Michael & Gertrude Hochla by Janet & Family 4:00 p.m. Christmas Memorial 6:00 p.m. Christmas Memorial Midnight People of the Parish

Wednesday, December 25: The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) 7:30 a.m. Christmas Memorial 9:00 a.m. Christmas Memorial 11:00 a.m. People of the Parish 12:15 p.m. Christmas Memorial

Thursday, December 26: Saint Stephen, The First Martyr 9:00 a.m. Patricia Harding-5th Anniversary by Family

Friday, December 27: Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist 9:00 a.m. Ivan Supe by the Markovina Family

Saturday, December 28: The Holy Innocents, Martyrs 5:00 p.m. Frank & Mary Corrigan by Mr. & Mrs. Luis Lara-Rivas

Sunday, December 29: THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH 7:30 a.m. People of the Parish 9:00 a.m. Stella Grochowski by the Nadel Family 11:00 a.m. Mildred Bruno by Lynn Gargano Irene & Francis McCaffrey by Dolores & Richard O’Hara 12:15 p.m. Ivan Supe by the Markovina Family

Bob Boeshore Lillian Boeshore

Ted Burger Kathleen Capuano

Barbara Coe Rebekah Cole Kevin Cronin Paul Cronin

John Damiano Linda De Stio

John Paul DiNonno James Dougherty

Eric DuBois Natalie Finamore

Hazel Hill Ida Kelly

Christine Kenney Maria Kim

Douglas Knehr

Anne Krukowski Frank Krukowski

Richard Malon Jonathan Mannina Stuey Manzione

Tom McCormack Brendan Miles Freida Navarro Victoria Oxer Jenna Reggio Trevor Rogers

Anna Sambucci Charles Strecker

Elizabeth Sympson Clotida Vecchione Jacqueline Verde

Anne Wright Mary Wybaillie

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK

...AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED

Pasqua Grippo

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READINGS FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14 Second Reading: Romans 1:1-7

Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24

FOCUS: Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises

God has made to the House of David.

Today’s readings remind us that in Christ Jesus, God has

been faithful to the promises he made to his Chosen

People. Our salvation in Christ is how we are reconciled

back to God, who created us and loves us.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

Isaiah prophesies a sign for Israel: The virgin shall

conceive, and bear a son who will embody God’s

redemptive presence with his people. Paul, recalling his

own apostolic calling, writes that the Gentiles are also

called to belong to Jesus Christ. In the Gospel, the

Lord’s angel comes to Joseph in a dream and reveals the

circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy, and what this

means. Joseph obeys the angel’s commands.

Readings for next week, December 29, THE HOLY

FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH: Sirach 3:2

-6, 12-14; Colossians 3:12-21 or 3:12-17; Matthew 2:13-

15, 19-23

From Liturgical Commission Publishing, Lansing, MI

Celebrants for the Weekend of

December 28/29

Celebrants* Lectors Eucharistic

Ministers

Altar

Servers

Sat 5:00

Fr. Valentine J. Doyle

C. Dellavecchia

J. Green

Volunteers

K. Ditrano

N. Ditrano

G. Green

Sun.

7:30 Fr. Lauder Sr. Pat

K. Friend

N. Toal

9:00 Fr. Lauder B. O’Hara

T. Naughton

W. Smith

Volunteer

E. Guevara

11:00 Fr. Valetine C. Vanatta

B. Catapano

P. Vanatta

Volunteer

JT Canton

12:15 Fr. Valentine M.G .

Donaldson

L. Nassiri

Volunteers

* Subject to last minute changes.

Celebrants for December 24/25

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

Christmas Day

9:00 AM - Church Fr. Lauder

Christmas Day

7:30 AM - Church Fr. Lauder

Christmas Eve

4:00 PM - Hall Fr. Valentine

Christmas Eve

6:00 PM - Church Fr. Valentine

Christmas Eve

Midnight - Church Fr. Valentine

Christmas Day

11::00 AM - Church Fr. Valentine

Christmas Day

12:15 PM - Hall Fr. Valentine

FOSTERING STEWARDSHIP AS A WAY OF LIFE

PARISH SACRIFICIAL GIVING St. Joseph is always a great example of how we should live our

lives. Burdened by doubt, he was unaware of what he should

do regarding Mary’s mysterious pregnancy. However, he was

visited by an angel and told what God wanted him to do.

Parish Sacrificial Giving Summary

Thank you for your continued sacrificial gifts to St.

Mary’s.

Offertory and attendance information for

December 14/15 was not available

as of the printing deadline.

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Dear Friends:

When discussing the mystery of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, my students had a lively

exchange about what it “means” to say that bread and wine, after the consecration, are no longer bread

and wine, but truly the Body and Blood of Christ. This begs the question: by what method does one

determine that this “really” happens? Various answers included the use of chemical analysis, electron

microscopes, even DNA testing. These methods are legitimate, but beside the point, for they uncover

only one aspect of the material world, namely, that which presents itself to the senses. By contrast, St.

Thomas Aquinas tells us, faith affirms the reality of Jesus’ Presence, while the senses continue to say

“bread and wine.” Faith, then, is not a denial of truth, scientific or otherwise. Rather, faith goes to the

heart of reality, to behold what only grace can help us understand. Catholicism identifies people of faith

who demonstrate a remarkable sensitivity to the spiritual life as “mystics.” To use a metaphor: an infant,

sitting in his mother’s lap, sees and hears everything that the rest of the congregation sees and hears. Yet

he does not “get” what is happening; he has not yet developed the tools to interpret the information

coming at him. The mystic, by contrast, sees and hears exactly the same things as the rest of us, yet

grasps their deeper meaning.

Artists, in their own way, help us perceive the meaning of the world around us, the various connections

that tie together the events of the material world. When guided by faith, they can even connect the things

of heaven and earth without the use of words. Alessandro Botticelli (1445-1510) was a Florentine

painter of extraordinary ability, whose “The Birth of Venus” ranks among the finest—and most

famous—paintings of the Renaissance. Later in life, he became alarmed by the events of his time, when

Italy was undergoing the devastating effects of war and civic turmoil. He drew comfort from his faith,

and in particular, the message of the Book of Revelation, which (as a colleague at St. John’s University

told me) Christians should never read with fear, but with hope in God’s power to save us. Botticelli

created our cover art today, the “Mystic Nativity,” filling it with symbols that keep our attention fixed on

Christ, who transforms a seemingly hopeless situation into a divine victory. Inspired by the book of

Revelation, the artist creates a scene of the second coming of Christ, who brings an end to all wars and

human suffering. Yet we can only “see” this if we focus our attention on Christ. Notice that the artist

suspends the laws of perspective to make the Madonna and Child larger than what would seem

appropriate. Everyone at the stable, from Joseph to the Kings to the shepherds, looks only at them.

Angels from above drop 12 crowns and ribbons from heaven, indicating the virtues of Our Lady, while

those below embrace human beings with olive branches, the symbol of peace. Even the Kings’ robes

symbolize the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. Botticelli never displayed the painting in

his lifetime, perhaps because he feared that people might interpret it as a political statement, rather than

as an expression of faith in God’s sovereignty over human history.

Friends, it would be fair to say that we all undergo turmoil, upheaval, and stress in life. When interpreted

through the eyes of faith, however, this need not be a bad thing, but rather the means through which we

conform our hearts and minds more closely to Christ. My colleague told me that his student, reflecting

on the Scriptures, wrote: “God breaks my heart to heal me, to re-fashion me, and to place me where he

wants me to be.” This, from an 18-year-old!

What a privilege it is to be your pastor here at St. Mary’s! Let us continue to search for the presence of

Christ as he reveals himself through the ordinary and extraordinary moments of our life together.

Faithfully,

Fr. Valentine

THE PASTOR’S PAGE

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Christmas Eve – Tuesday, December 24th 4:00 p.m. - Church 6:00 p.m. - Church

12:00 Midnight Mass - Church

Christmas Day – Wednesday, December 25th 7:30 a.m. - Church 9:00 a.m. - Church

11:00 a.m. - Church 12:15 p.m. - Hall

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Wednesday, January 1st, 2019

9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. - Church

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE

CHRISTMAS 2019

In observance of Christmas Day, the Rectory Office will be closed on Wednesday, December 25th, 2019,

Thursday, December 26th, 2019 and Friday, December 27th, 2019

In observance of New Year’s Day, the Rectory Office will be closed on

Wednesday, January 1st, 2020

MERRY CHRISTMAS

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Processional Hymn Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Fourth Sunday of Advent December 22, 2019

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Psalm Response

Gelineau Gradual 67C

Presentation Hymn The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came

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Communion Hymn Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending

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Recessional Hymn

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FATHER LAUDER’S LECTURES

Fr. Lauder’s Catholic Novel lectures are being shown on

the Catholic Faith Network (formerly Telecare) on

Mondays at 7:15 p.m. and Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. The

Catholic Faith Network channels: 29/137 for Optimum

and 296 for Verizon FiOS. All 40 lectures are also on

U-Tube.

RECTORY OFFICE HOURS

Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Friday 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

The Office is closed on Saturday and Sunday

A REMINDER REGARDING

DONATIONS TO ST. MARY’S

All checks should be made payable to St. Mary’s

Church. If the check is for a special purpose, please

indicate that on the memo line. For example:

Human Concerns, 300 Club, Religious Education,

Diocesan Collection, etc.

We thank you for your generous support of our

Parish and its activities.

CHURCH HANDICAPPED RAMP

There is a ramp for handicapped access at the

Church. It can be found off the parking lot, and

goes around to the back of the building. We

encourage you to use it if you have difficulty with

the front steps.

PARISH REGISTRATION REQUEST

I/we would like to register in the parish of St. Mary’s. Please send me a Parish Census to complete so I can become a parishioner of St. Mary’s. Please send my Census to: NAME:___________________________________ ADDRESS:________________________________ _________________________________________ PHONE:__________________________________ E-MAIL: __________________________________

Please return to the Rectory Office or place in the collection basket.

CAPT Brendan Echausse

COL Daniel Friend

PFC Joseph M. Friend

LCdr Christian R. Foschi

PFC Steven Hyyti

CAPT David Jacobs

SK1 John D. Klick

PFC Michael P. Lanciki

MAJOR Eric W. Lipp

Cpl Caitlin Lyons

LT. Dennis Mackin

Cpl Tommy Mozer

SGT Julio Ortiz II

LCpl Jonathan Peres

GSGT Jonathan Porto

PVT Michael Starczewski

SGT Luke Whitting

RCT Jordan J. Williams

Lord, hold these men and women in your loving hands and protect them as they protect

us and bless them for their self-forgetting acts. We pray for peace in our world and an

end to war. Amen.

REMEMBERING THOSE WHO SERVE

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A

FAMILY CHRISTMAS

PRAYER

O God,

Bless our family and all its members and friends;

Bind us together by Your love.

Give us kindness and patience

To support each other;

And wisdom in all we do.

Let the gift of your peace come into our hearts,

And remain with us.

May we rejoice in Your blessings for all our days.

Amen.