Holy Family
CATHEDRAL NEWS December 2012
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Volume 18 Issue 5
The Rector’s Report Dear People of Holy Family Cathedral Parish, It is hard to realize that Thanksgiving is over and Advent is upon us. That of course also means that Christmas is right around the corner. During this Year of Faith that the Holy Father has asked us to observe, we are providing some books for your reflection. They are called Little Blue Books and are available at the doors of the Cathedral. Each one of you is welcome to take one and use it for reflection. It is designed to take about six minutes out of your day and give them to God. Please let me know what you glean from these few minutes a day with God. Also we included in last month’s Cathedral News the financial report concerning our present situation. Certainly the summer months went very well and the added income came in line with the need. As usually happens, October fell off for some reason and the needs continue to climb. So we now await the generosity of Christmas. As you know our yearly solvency is greatly dependent on the Christmas and End of the Year donations. So PLEASE REMEMBER TO GIVE THE CHURCH A CHRISTMAS PRESENT THIS YEAR. I sincerely hope and pray that this Advent and Christmas Season find each of you well and your families well also. Please keep the parish and school in your continued prayers. May you have a Blessed Christmas following a grace filled Advent Season. Sincerely in the Holy Family,
Msgr. Gregory A. Gier Rector
Identification Statement: The Cathedral News Issue 5 December 2012 (USPS 022-729) is published 10 x per year (monthly, except for June and July) by Holy Family Cathedral at 122 W 8th St., Tulsa OK 74119-1402. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CATHEDRAL NEWS, PO BOX 3204, Tulsa, OK 74101-3204. 2
CHRISTMAS EVE: MONDAY, DECEMBER 24 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Confessions 5:00 p.m. Children’s Mass 7:30 p.m. Vigil Mass with Motet Choir 11:00 p.m. Christmas Carols 12:00 Midnight Mass with Full Choir
CHRISTMAS DAY: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25 8:00 a.m. Mass 10:00 a.m. Mass with Motet Choir 12:00 p.m. Mass with Motet Choir [No 5:00 p.m. Mass]
MARY, MOTHER OF GOD: MONDAY, DECEMBER 31 5:00 p.m. Mass TUESDAY, JANUARY 1 8:00 a.m. Mass 10:00 a.m. Mass 12:00 p.m. Mass 5:00 p.m. Mass
COVER: THE ICON OF THE NEW ADVENT WAS CREATED BY FR. WILLIAM MCNICHOLS S.J. FOR POPE JOHN PAUL II DURING HIS VISIT TO DENVER IN 1993. IT IS THE OFFICIAL ICON OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER. HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL DISPLAYED THE ICON BRIEFLY IN 1997.
Cathedral News deadlines: Please submit articles and announcements to the Cathedral News by the 15th of the preceding month. Email mikemalcom@gmail.com or send your article to Mike Malcom at the parish office. 3
A Poem by Martin Reidy
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I sought my Lord on Christmas Day in a stable where He lay.
“Saw Me begging in the street pleading for some bread to eat.
I heard He had the Gift of Peace to fill each heart with Grace increased
“You turned your eyes from my abuse sold for a pittance to evil amuse.
Inside I found a naked Child broken, hungry, much defiled.
“There was My Peace at every turn but every offer you chose to spurn.
“Where is my Lord?” I dared to askmuch perplexed by this masque.
“Instead you rushed to find a ‘prince’ not having heart or time to mince.
The Child glanced up. He began to speak: “I am the One you came to seek.
“For, you see, My Peace is within your reaching but must be found in those beseeching.
“You thought to find a royal prince arrayed in gold and frankincense.
“So, I give to you My way of Peace Go, now - and give it to the least.
“Yet you passed Me by on the road shivering, naked in the cold.
“Then you will know you have found the way to celebrate by coming on this Christmas Day!”
Notes from the Knightstand BY MARTIN REIDY
A little food for thought before beginning this
This offering back to the Father occurred
Christmas narrative: St. Augustine had a child, a
thirty-one days after the day of birth, and five
son, who he described as “the sweet fruit of my sin.”
shekels of silver were paid to "redeem" the
What was the child's name? Meanwhile, back at the
child from obligatory Temple service. This
stable...
Temple ceremony and requisite Law evolved from Exodus where God demanded of the
The story of the stable, or creche, is as old as St. Francis who began the custom of a Nativity scene circa 1223 in Crecio, or Grecio, Italy (both spellings are given) when he set up a Nativity scene for Midnight Mass in a
Jews the dedication of their first born male child in thanksgiving for their deliverance out of Egypt. Thus, the first born child fulfilling the criteria set forth became, in effect, a gift to God.
hollow on the side of a hill. And the rest, as they say is history. Sanitized through the centuries the original scene, in a cold and smelly hollow located probably below a local inn, was no fit place to give birth to a child. The description of swaddling clothes belies the fact that the clothes were more akin to strips
However, Mary and Joseph according to tradition lacked the five silver shekels and so, in a way, Jesus was not redeemed from His Temple service of which we now know to be His life and eventual Crucifixion to redeem all of us before the Father.
of cloth to wrap or swaddle the Child Jesus. His first admirers were the dregs of society: shepherds who were a class of workers a step above a swineherd.
So, in a way, all of you who have donated so generously to our- pleas for “five silver shek-
Any protection offered by this stable from the ele-
els” to underwrite our various and sundry pro-
ments was purely accidental.
jects - Ultrasound, Turkey Drive, Homeless Project to name but a few - are, in your own
However, survive He did and in accordance with
way, a gift to God and for which we are very
Jewish Law Jesus was offered to the Father (God)
grateful. We do say that, indeed, you have
in a ceremony called Pidyon HaBen or, Redemption
found the Way to celebrate the Peace of
of the Son (or First Born) in what we call the Feast
Christmas come this Christmas Day! So it is
of the Presentation in the Temple. Criteria for this
that we also say to each of you may you have
acclaim was that the child be:
a Blessed and Merry Christmas.
• • • •
the first born of the mother, neither a Kohanim (priest) or Levite, a natural birth (no C-section), and that
Uh, Yes! - The name of Augustine's son? Adeodatus: Gift to God! Pax
the mother had never had a miscarriage more than 40 days into her pregnancy.
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The First Transition: The Rite of Acceptance BY THE RCIA MINISTRY TEAM
The Inquirers in RCIA reached their first official conversion milestone, the Rite of Acceptance, at the Feast of Christ the King on November 25. This was the moment the unbaptized chose to become Catechumens. Those already baptized in other ecclesial communities became Candidates. They each had a sponsor who verified their interest in the Church. The entire congregation encouraged them to pursue further study into the Catholic faith. The sponsors placed a simple corded wooden cross around each inquirer’s neck as a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice for all of us. At this point they became members of our community - although they are not in full communion with us. They cannot receive the Eucharist but they do have many other rights as members, such as being married or buried in the Church. They will continue their study of our faith as they seek to become fully in union with us at the Easter Vigil next spring. They have learned many of the basic tenets and structure of the Catholic Church, including embracing both Scrip-
MONSIGNOR GIER TEACHES RCIA CLASS TO A ROOM FULL OF INQUIRERS.
ture and Tradition. This Tradition is consistent with what the apostles taught
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There is still time for new inquirers to
After the Rite of Acceptance, we begin
during those early years of the Church.
join this year’s inquiry sessions. The
reserving several rows each Sunday at
While the Bible holds much of what God
regular schedule continues on Wednes-
the 10:00 Mass for these catechumens
has revealed to us, Jesus taught his fol-
day evenings at 7pm. in the Halpine
and candidates so they get an opportu-
lowers many things that are not recorded
Room. A calendar of topics is available on
nity to clearly view the Mass, and are visi-
there, and showed them how to worship
the Holy Family website, along with many
ble to the congregation who became their
and continue the faith. The classes on
other useful items related to RCIA. For
church family. The folks filling those
Church History revealed how much of this
those entering at these later times, we
pews are not the entire group, as many
was finally written down and authenti-
have DVD recordings of the topics to en-
attend other Masses. Be sure to welcome
cated by Church fathers and the applica-
sure they are not left out of the presenta-
them into our family and encourage them
tion of these early forms continue to be
tions. These provide the lesson, but at-
in their studies.
used by the current Church leaders to
tending the actual sessions brings a
maintain consistent, true beliefs.
much fuller understanding of each topic.
Parish News and Events
Diocesan Notice
The Little Blue Books in the back of the church are free for you to take. They contain a series of daily reflections for this year’s Advent and Christmas seasons. 2013 Calendars: The parish will not be distributing calendars at the end of the year. The previous sponsors for the calendar have
From the Diocese: It is the policy of the diocese to prohibit any weapon inside any building owned or occupied by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa, Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma, Bishop Kelley High School, or any parish within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa.
withdrawn. Women’s Club: The Women's Club December luncheon is Thursday, Dec. 6. It is a catered lunch at Holy Family Cathedral Heiring Auditorium after the 12:05 Mass. Cost is $16 per person. You may pay at door or send a check to Paulette Barnes. Reservations are needed. The Knights of Columbus sponsor a pot luck dinner and the showing of a full length Catholic or Christian movie on the first Friday of the month. The pot luck dinner starts around 6:30 p.m. and the movie begins around 7 p.m. The kitchen area is open before the 5:05 p.m. Mass for anyone wishing to drop off their dish before Mass. The 55+ Group will meet at the Cathedral in the Halpine Room for our Christmas Lunch at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 12. Please bring a covered dish and small inexpensive unwrapped toy for Catholic Charities.
Catholic Charities gave away 14,000 coats last year! The Cathedral’s annual Coats & Blankets Drive is our parish’s way to participate in this corporal work of mercy. The final date to bring items to the Cathedral is December 9. If you cannot bring a coat to Holy Family by Dec. 9, you may drop it off at any Yale Cleaners before year’s end. The parish youth group will take the coats and blankets to Catholic Charities: time and date to be announced.
RCIA sessions are on Wednesdays at 7p.m. in the Halpine Room. All those interested in the Catholic faith are invited, including Catholics who have fallen away from the Church and have questions or concerns. These classes are free and require no obligation or commitment...Just come learn what it means to be Catholic. The Women’s Club announces that the price of the Cathedral prints has been reduced in time for Christmas: $50.00 per print. Some of the prints are signed by the artist. They also have notecards: $5.00 per package of six.
LAST YEAR, PARISHIONERS BROUGHT BAGS OF COATS TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
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Holy Family Cathedral P.O. Box 3204 Tulsa, OK 74101-3204 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
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