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TRANSCRIPT
Mass Schedule
Saturday
5:00 p.m. SFX
7:00 p.m. (on Jekyll)
Sunday (SFX)
8:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
6:00 p.m. in Spanish
Weekday Masses
St. Joseph Chapel
Mon. - Noon
Tues. Thurs. Fri.
7:00 a.m.
Wednesday
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Reconciliation:
Church
Saturdays
4:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Sunday
7:45 - 8:15 a.m.
(Or by appointment)
St. Joseph Chapel
(Please go to the main office for a key)
Monday - Friday
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
St Joseph Chapel
First Friday
Adoration
2:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Holy Hour
7:00- 8:00 p.m.
First Saturday
8:45 a.m.
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
www.xavierbrunswick.org
Church Address: 1120 Newcastle Street,
Brunswick, GA 31520
Phone: (912)265-3249 Fax: (912)265-6797
Email: [email protected]
Jesus Comes to Save Us!
Christmas begins Sunday evening. We have been preparing ourselves for this great event over the course of Advent. Last week we examined the message and role of John the Baptist. As we continue our journey today we look to the mother of Jesus, Mary. As we seek to fathom the incredible mystery of God becoming a little baby at Bethlehem whom better to walk with than the teenaged Hebrew girl that God chose to be His mother?
How can we fathom this fact: That the God who shaped the Swiss Alps, who filled the Pacific Ocean, who sculpted the Grand Canyon, who hung the stars and formed the planets was born as a little baby in a stable in Bethlehem? Who better to turn to than the mother who was there from His conception to the Cross?
As Catholics we believe that Mary, as a special privilege, was free from all sin. We can reason to this. We have a perfect Fa-ther in heaven who wanted to send His perfect Son to earth to free us from our sins. What is lacking in this equation? The perfect mother. Although she always had free will, Mary never sinned. She would be the new Ark of the Covenant. As God dwelt with the people of Israel in ancient days so he would take residence in Mary.
For thousands of years before Jesus, people walked in darkness. The world was place of sin and selfishness and there was no hope of heaven. God desired the reconciliation and healing of His people. His perfect plan was to send His Son into the world to show us the depths of the Father's love.
The time, however, had to be right. God waited for the "fullness of time." It had to be a time when the message could be received and then sent forth to all corners of the world. The Roman system of highways worked to make the world more connected. From the Greek dynasties there was a worldwide language base. The time was ripe for the message to go throughout the world. It was the "fullness of time".
God was ready to enact the plan of redemption. He called forth one of His special messengers, the archangel Gabriel. Go to this young maiden and ask if she will cooperate with my plan. We might imagine the young virgin at prayer. No doubt much of her prayer life consisted of the Psalms. She would pray weekly in the synagogue and no doubt recite some psalms from memory each day.
One day while at prayer she is greeted by the archangel, who says, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." This messenger then brings his message to Mary. "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus." She will have baby and she will name him, "God saves." She is then told, "He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will given him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
Most importantly though he will be called "Son of the Most High." That means he will be the Son of God. We see the poor teenaged girl in Mary next. How can this be since I am not even married? Gabriel tells her that God will be the Father of this child.
After thousands of years of darkness we see God's plan revealed. God will send His own Son into the world to save people from their sins. But first a perfect mother must be found. How will Mary respond to this request? St. Bernard wrote that after the question of the angel the heavens stopped and trembled as all awaited Mary's response:
"We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us…Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you…Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ances-tors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.
And how does Mary reply? "May it be done to me according to your word." Heaven explodes in celebration when Mary said her "Fiat." Mary said "yes" to God's will. He had found the perfect mother and she said yes. Mary would be the new Ark of the Cove-nant!
This is the backdrop for where we find ourselves this week. We are preparing to recall that cold evening in a stable in a Beth-lehem where Mary would give birth to the Son of God, the child who was sent to save us from our sins. During this season Jesus was growing within Mary. Has Jesus grown within us this Advent season? Mary's job was to bring Jesus into the world. The call remains the same for you and I. We are called to bring Jesus into our world, to: our families, our friends, our workplaces, and our communities. This Christmas may we respond with the same generosity that the humble virgin of Nazareth did.
-Fr. Tim McKeown
St. Francis Xavier Staff
Fr. Timothy McKeown
Pastor
912-265-3249 ext. 11
Fr. Chris Ortega
Associate Pastor
912-265-3249 ext. 12
Ann Buebel
Office Manager
912-265-3249 ext. 0
Maggie Shafer
Director of Finance
912-265-3249 ext. 16
Permanent Deacons
Rev. Mr. Ntungwa Maasha
912-262-0458
Rev. Mr. Larry Guyer
Director of Religious Ed.
912-265-3249 ext. 14
Christian Formation
Center
Juan Perez-Valdes
Hispanic Ministry
912-264-6805 ext. 11
Marisol Soler
Youth & Family Ministry
912-264-6805 ext. 12
Joe Sechkar
Director of Liturgy
Facilities Maintenance
St. Francis Xavier
Catholic School
1121 Union St.
Brunswick, GA 31520
912-265-9470
Dr. Terry Mermann
Principal
Lori Carden
Office Manager
As we approach the end of the calendar year, please consider making a year end tax deductible gift to the Forward with Faith Campaign. It can be made out to SFX with the memo "Forward with Faith." Last contributions to receive tax credit will be the Christmas Day masses.
We are thankful for our new hymnals/
missalettes. Since they need to last
throughout 2018 a few pointers: Please
do not take them home or out of the
church. Please place them in the racks
with the binder side up. Please do not
fold in and half and place in the rack.
Thank you!
Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24th 5 p.m.
7 p.m. (Jekyll)
9 p.m. (Spanish)
Midnight
Christmas Day, Monday, December 25th 8:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
Collections for:
December 16th - 31st will
be posted in the bulletin
on January 6th & 7th.
Special Collections
Dec. 25 Diocesan Catholic
Schools
Please note that the schedules for the Lectors, Greeters, EMs and altar servers are now on a bulletin board next to the Marian Chapel.
Please consider bringing canned goods to
mass next week. Especially helpful are pop-
top cans that people can open without an
opener. Meats, tuna fish and peanut butter
and crackers are good protein items. We are
grateful for your help. Please check the expi-
ration dates before donating. We cannot dis-
tribute out of date items.
Advent and Christmas Mass options
Saturday evening (Advent) + Sunday night (Christmas Eve)
Saturday evening (Advent) + Monday morning (Christmas Day)
Sunday morning (Advent) + Sunday night (Christmas Eve)
Sunday morning (Advent) + Monday morning (Christmas Day)
St. Francis Xavier - Weekly Intention for Vocations Matthew 9:38
“Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Meditation: “To believe in the Lord and to accept his gift, therefore, leads us to entrust ourselves to Him with thankful hearts, adhering to his plan of salvation. Our first duty, therefore, is to keep alive in families and in parishes…and in all the sections of diocesan life this appeal to the divine initiative with unceasing prayer. We must pray that the whole Christian people grows in its trust in God, convinced that the “Lord of the har-vest” does not cease to ask some people to place their entire existence freely at his service so as to work with him more closely in the mission of salvation.” – Pope Benedict XVI
Intention: We pray that our parish and our families may be open to vocations and re-
newed in our efforts to foster them. Let us encourage our sons and daughters, our sisters
and brothers, to simply be “available” to Jesus. May we always trust in his Divine Plan for
our lives and for those we love.
Anna Hardwick
Huong Thi Phan
Richard Brunegraff
David Higbee
Gloria Quiñones
Vera Borkowski
Kathleen Koreski
Billie Lou Henjum
Michael Mleko Jr.
Steven Gentzle
Savannah Jones
Shelby Jones
Jason Runyon
Wyatt Kersey
Steve Williams
Frances Nohrden
Kathy Poliwka
Michael Rafolski
Jane Rafolski
Tom Crankshaw
Marlana Padovani
Jane Allen
Andrew Robson Jr.
Sr. Mary A. Curran
Judy Wyatt
Lewis Dawson
Jean Davis
Kevin Nicklay
Pierce Rogers
Ida Chapman Welch
William Waddell
William Pankin
Georgia Burgess-Erwin
Maria Zambon
Moira Kaluzienski
Gertrude Roberts
Byron Bankston
Judy Perry Majka
Benjamin Koreski
Leslie Kaufman
Buddy Vasquez
Bradley Huffman
Pat Ragsdale
Venus Gines
Maria Borrego
Vicky Hancock
Jackie Maasen
Helen Berry
Margaret Young
Peggie Cash
Katharine Thompson
Jim Holland
Sr. Kathleen J. McMenamin
Deborah Pitts
Betty Jean Murray
Betty Blouin
Lisa Ann Pankin
Jason Runyon
Eunice Petrich
Kathy Rogers
Arlene Dixon
Tony Brimer
Greg Zito
Jack Zinkenlaker
Dusty Sloan
Karla Lewis
Elma Ognilla
Let us pray for all those in the military and police
force both active and retired.
Mass Intentions
Saturday, December 23
5:00 p.m. t Jack & Jeanne O’Donnell
7:00 p.m. t Richie & Tilly Johnson
( At Jekyll United Methodist Church)
Sunday, December 24
8:30 a.m. t Bill Pollack
11:00 a.m. t Margaret & Jim Lewandowski
Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24th
5 p.m. Living & Deceased Diocesan Priests
7 p.m. (Jekyll) Living & Deceased Military
9 p.m. (Spanish) Our Parish Family
Midnight Living & Deceased School Benefactors
Christmas Day, Monday, December 25th
8:30 a.m. Parish Ministry members
11 a.m. Living & Deceased Sisters of St Joseph
Tuesday, December 26
7:00 a.m. t Maria & Chevillard Fazio
Wednesday, December 27
No Masses
Thursday, December 28
No Mass
Friday, December 29
No Mass
Saturday, December 30
5:00 p.m. t Andrew Guyer
7:00 p.m. t Delia Schlosser
( At Jekyll United Methodist Church)
Sunday, December 31
8:30 a.m. t Jack Curtin
11:00 a.m. t Thomas Winner
6:00 p.m. Our Parish Family
December 24, 2017
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Mass Intention Request: Having a Mass offered for a loved
one, living or deceased, is a wonderful expression of caring,
compassion and thoughtfulness. The usual donation for a
Mass offering is $10. Please stop by or call the parish office
and someone will gladly assist you with your request.912-265
-3249 ext. 0
There will be a
7 a.m. Mass on
December 26th
and no
morning masses
on December
27, 28 and 29
Parish Activity Contacts
Adult Bible Study, Joe & Linda Kirby…………….267-9359
Altar and Environmental Care, Diane Lott……….223-1261
Bereavement, Ann Buebel………………………..265-3249
CCW, Cate Gooch-Coolidge………………………266-0100
Culture of Life, Rose Lodise…………….…….…...264-4121
Greeters, Ginger Dorcas…………..……………....275-8492
Jekyll Island Catholic Ladies, Eleanor Daniel…....635-3046
Knights of Columbus, Bill Schuster……………….266-6779
Religious Ed., Larry Guyer ……………………..…265-3249 ext. 14
Religious Articles Shop, Rose Lodise……..……...264-4121
St. Monica Society, Peggie Cash…………….…....264-5458
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store…………...….…....262-6027
Parish Council, RoseMary Jones
Most Rev. Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv.
Bishop of Savannah
M embership
To be a registered member of the parish is to
have a sense of belonging to a family. Newcom-
ers are requested to register at the church office
soon after arrival to meet the staff and learn
about your new parish. In the time of family sick-
ness, death or special need, parishioners are
asked to notify the Church office. If requested,
Holy Communion will e brought o anyone desiring
to receive the Eucharist but are unable to attend
Mass for serious reasons.
Church Office
405 Howe St.,
Brunswick, GA 31520