Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Chattanooga, Tennessee Mass Intentions beginning this Saturday: Dec 5 8:00 AM +Catherine Pierce Dec 5 5:30 PM +Frank & Marie Ruggiero and Mark Henricks & Karen Green Dec 6 7:30 AM Ints of Helen Dolan & all sick Dec 6 10:00 AM +Russell & Catherine Pierce Dec 6 12:00 PM +Robert Wayne Douglas Dec 6 2:00 PM Parish Family Dec 7 8:15 AM +Russell Pierce Dec 8 8:15 AM +Joe Gribben Dec 9 8:15 AM +Sheryl Tatum Dec 10 8:15 AM +Bernard Byrne Dec 11 8:15 AM +Danny Rawn Dec 12 8:00 AM +James W. Gustus Dec 12 5:30 PM +Merrill Lamsey Dec 13 7:30 AM +Helen Rogers Dec 13 10:00 AM +Helen Mahoney Dec 13 12:00 PM +Mildred Gresham Dec 13 2:00 PM +Paul John Bigol Prasnik (+Deceased) Parish Bookstore is open after weekend Masses. Sun. Jr. High Youth Group 6:30-8:00 1st & 3rd Sunday’s call Vicki at 855-2505 or 364-1480 Mon. The bulletin deadline is noon. Tues. Contemporary Choir 6:00-8:00 pm Fr. Jim Bible Study 7:00 pm. PLC no class Dec 8, class Dec 15; no class Dec 22-Jan 12 Class resumes Jan 19. Wed. Bridge Players/St. Brigid’s Craft Groups, 10-2 in the Parish Life Center. Choir rehearsal 6:30-8:00 pm Thurs. Hispanic Choir rehearsal 7:00 pm Sat. Cursillista’s after 8:00 AM Morning Mass in the Parish Office Rosary Group meets at 9:00 a.m. daily in the church. Please pray for the repose of the soul of William E. Cooper, Sr. father of Becky Laws of our parish. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen This weekend is our monthly collection for the parish Food Pantry. With the holidays and as it gets colder we have more calls for temporary assistance. We need canned meat products, jelly spaghetti and sauce mix. We appreciate your generosity to this ministry. Next weekends second collection is for our adopted parish in Haiti. Thank you for your generosity to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Next weekend the Olive Wood Carvers will be in Holy Family Hall to sell their hand carved items. These will make great Christmas gifts so be sure to stop by.
December 6, 2009 Second Sunday of Advent Lector & Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion Schedule: Sat, Dec 12 at 5:30 D. Ingram, S. Dorris Lectors Deacon C. Blake, R. Smith, A. Alisago, E. Buske EMHC Sun, Dec 13 at 7:30 Mass W. King, K. Heider Lectors J. Reinert, B. Reardon, J. Trimble EMHC. 10:00 M. Delaney, S. Castle Lectors, S. Lindner, C. Arnt, T. Crutch, B. Dickinson, N. Donohoo, A. Dougherty, B. Dougherty, J. Fava, C. Ingle EMHC 12:00 J. Hand, A. Hand Lectors M. Williams, J. Gonzalez, J. Jackson, M. Jackson, M. McKenzie, M. Pomerance, M. Simpson, A. Wells EMHC. 2:00 A. Camacho, M. Camacho Lectors J. Gavez, G. Guox, J. Manuel EMHC. Thank you for your ministry. If you are not able to serve please find a replacement. Many Cultures-One Faith Muchas Culturas-una fe All are welcome: No matter what your present status in the Catholic Church; no matter what your current family or marital situation; no matter what your past or present situation; no matter what your personal history, age, background, race etc.; no matter what your own self image or self esteem you are invited, welcomed, accepted, loved, and respected at… Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church
Many Cultures-One Faith Muchas Culturas-una fe Todos son bienvenidos: No importa cual es su situación actual en la iglesia Católica; no importa cual es su situación actual en su familia o matrimonio; no importa cual es su situación pasada o presente; no importa cual es su historia personal, edad, antecedentes, raza, etc.; no importa cual es su imagen o autoestima; usted esta invitado, bienvenido, aceptado, amado y respetado en la… Nuestra Señora de el Perpetuo Socorro
WHY CATHOLIC? PORQUE SER CATOLICO? Altar Server Schedule: Sat, Dec 12 at 5:30 S. Stovall, L. Schemel, N. Dang, K. Dedmon, A. Robbins Sun, Dec 13 at 7:30 Mass M. Zolkowski, K. Klassen, S. Rhodes, E. Mangan, 10:00 J. Harris, S. Price, TJ McGhee, G. Speer, E. Roach 12:00 S. Mohler, M. Mohler, N. Snellgrove, G. Britto, K. Mitchell 2:00 M. Espinoza, P. Acosta, A. Ubas. When sending your Christmas Cards don’t forget to include our Parish Seminarian Doug Owens. His address is St. Charles Borromeo Seminary 100 East Wynnewood Rd. Wynnewood, Pa 19096.
Dec 6 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 10 Dec 14 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 17
Advent Reconciliation Services 6:00 PM St. Catherine 6:30 PM CT Our Lady of Lourdes 6:30 PM St. Bridget 5:30 PM St. Peter & Paul 7:00 PM St. Jude 6:30 PM CT Shepherd of the Valley 7:00 PM St. Mary 7:00 PM St. Therese 7:00 PM St. Stephen Would you like to stay in shape over the holidays? Join us on Mondays from 5:006:00 p.m. in the Parish Life Center for free Aerobics Classes. Everyone is welcome to attend this year round class.
Volunteers are needed for the Interfaith Hospitality Network the week of Dec 27 through Jan 3. We will host families this week. If you would like to help with this ministry we need overnight host, meals, greeters, and people for activities. If you can help call Lisa Kosky 877-5982 or Anne Wells 706937-6953. There is a sign up poster located in Holy Family Hall if you sign up please be sure to include your phone number. "Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen."
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FAMILY HONOR 2010 – All 8th grade families in the Chattanooga Deanery are invited to participate in the Family Honor Program on Jan 29-30th, 2010. This year Family Honor will be held @ St. Stephen’s Parish. Registration forms can be downloaded from www.myolph.com. Family Honor’s mission is to provide opportunities for parents and children to learn to communicate effectively on important life values, with the special focus on the truth and goodness of human sexuality and the virtue of chastity. It is presented in a fun and interactive format. You will walk away with a new perspective on questions of “Who am I?” and “What is life for?” For additional information or questions about this program contact Jan O’Boyle @ 706-226-9110 or Mary Pat Haywood @ 706-278-6391. Space is limited to 40 families so get your registration forms and $25.00 in early to reserve your spot for the Family Honor Program. Fast Day: It’s worth giving up a meal…Each year the Chattanooga Community Kitchen asks our community to support the activities of the Kitchen by fasting for one meal between Sept and Dec and donating the cost of that meal to the Community Kitchen. Your gift helps the hungry and homeless men and women and children in our community. Christmas singers are needed for youth/children’s choir. Children 3rd grade and up are welcome to join us. Rehearsals will be held on Wednesday from 5:306:30 Dec 9. We will sing for Christmas Eve 5:30 Children’s Mass. Please call the office 622-7232 or see Julie Roberts if you are interested. Instruments for Christmas music are needed. Consider adding the beautiful sound of your instrument to the sounds of Christmas music. See Josh Knight or Julie Roberts or call the office if you are interested in playing for Christmas. You are needed!!! Choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. We are currently preparing for Advent and Christmas. New singers are always welcome. All voice ranges are needed. Please consider joining. Sing through the Christmas season. The Parish Church Cleaning Crews are looking for members to join their ministry. If you would like to participate in this special ministry call Thelma Crutch 624-5780.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Chattanooga, Tennessee OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP SCHOOL NEWS Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School is now taking applications for Kindergarten through eighth grade for the 2010/2011 school year. To receive an application package or set up a tour contact Teresa 423-622-1481; Teresahennen@catholicweb.com. Thank you for your generosity by sending food for the Catholic Charities Thanksgiving Food Baskets. OLPH faculty, staff & students brought in enough food to feed 200 families for Thanksgiving this year. Special thanks to Tracie Mertel, Kim Thomas and Dawn Signiski for sorting & counting the food and to the 8th grade students for collecting from the classrooms and loading all the food on the truck. Scrip Cards for the Holidays: A limited selection of cards will be available for purchase after the weekend masses on Dec 5 &6 and Dec 12& 13 for your Christmas shopping and entertaining needs. OLPH GIVING TREE – OLPH School has adopted 8 families through Catholic Charities. Christmas trees will be set up in the main hall the school library the 7th and 8th grade building and Holy Family Hall. Students and parishioners will have the opportunity to take an ornament from a tree. On the ornament the gender of the child, age, size and item requested will be listed. After you have purchased the item please return the unwrapped gift with the paper ornament to your child’s homeroom class no later than Mon, Dec 14th. The gifts will be wrapped by the OLPH 8th grade students. Thank you for helping those in our community who are less fortunate and showing Christ’s love to these families. OLPH CHRISTMAS PROGRAM – Mark your calendars now to attend the Christmas Program Wed, Dec 16 in the OLPH Gym @ 7:00 PM. IRISH MIDDLE SCHOOL WRESTLING – the Irish Wrestling Club is open to students in grades 1-8. the season will consist of weekly practices with competitions to be held on Fri & Sat during Dec thru Feb. Practices are Mon and Wed in the new NDHS Wrestling Center beginning Dec 2 from 6:00-7:30 pm. For info call John Mullin 624-4618 ext 1007
December 6, 2009 Second Sunday of Advent The next “Picture of Love” engaged couples retreat is Sat, Jan 30 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. This marriage preparation on e day retreat is a supplement to the couples marriage formation with their parish priest. The program is designed to help the couple gain a better understanding of the joys and challenges of living the sacrament of Matrimony in their day to day lives. Cost is $135/couple. The retreat certificate is good fro a $60 discount on your marriage license. The retreat starts at 8:00 am. with a light breakfast and ends with dinner at 6:00 pm. Mass will be included in your day and you must attend the entire day to receive your certificate. For more info contact Marian Christiana 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@diocesofknoxville.org Health Ministry This is National Hand Washing Awareness Week and appropriate since there is so much emphasis on being careful due to the seasonal flu as well as H1N1 season. Hand washing is important tot help prevent things like flu and colds but also more serious diseases like Hepatitis A, meningitis and infectious diarrhea. Why hand washing is important: children have weaker immune systems than adults and can become sick quicker. Germs that cause disease also live in meat, vegetables and more. Germs are spread from unclean hands to food, usually when food handlers don’t wash their hands after going to the bathroom and germs are then passed onto those who eat the food. With the holiday season many families are eating out more to celebrate and to save time at home. Germs spread from uncooked foods like hamburger to the hands and then from the hands to other foods such as salads. Cutting vegetables on the same board used to cut meat contaminates the vegetables. By washing your hands frequently you wash away germs that you may have picked up form other people or from contaminated surfaces. The simple act of performing this basic task properly will make a big difference in your won household as well as in work, school and church. Advent is a time for celebrating the birth of our Savior. As we light the Advent candles at Mass each week or the candles of our home Advent wreaths remember to thank God each time for sending Jesus into our lives. Visit the Parish Nurse link at myolph.com for current news and information.
WHY CATHOLIC? PORQUE SER CATOLICO? The state of Tennessee has a property tax relief program for elderly and disabled homeowners as well as disabled veterans. For 2009 tax year the program will contribute up to $121 towards city taxes and up to $173 to county taxes for those who qualify. Disabled veterans who qualify can receive up to $848 toward city taxes and $1210 toward county taxes. Application can be picked up at the City of Chattanooga treasurer’s office or the Hamilton County trustee’s office. For info call the State Tax Relief Office 615-747-8871. Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Counseling Program offers mental health counseling to parishioners of St. Mary’s church and other members of the Athens community. Al services are provided on an income based sliding fee scale and are available to anyo9ne in the community regardless of religious affiliation. Fro confidential counseling services or more information call Sr. Mary Christine 865-3993832 or Catholic Charities 423-267-1297. Catholic Charities would like to thank all parishioners for the wonderful response to the annual Thanksgiving program and for your support in the annual Bake Sale. Complete meals were provided for over 200 families. A special thanks to OLPH School and Church for holding a food drive to fill the baskets and to the Knights of Columbus for their time and volunteers. Proceeds from the Bake Sale go to Family Support Services. Divorce and Beyond is a structured 9 week program for Catholic men and women who have experienced or are experiencing divorce. This group will begin meeting on Sun, Jan 10 through March 7 at Sacred Heart in Knox. Sessions will be from 2:00-4:00. Cost is $15. To register or for info call 865-691-2256. The Chattanooga Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols will be at First Cumberland Presby. Church on Sun Dec 13 at 6:30 pm. Music will be presented by The Roueche Chorale & Symphony Orchestra. Bishop Stika will host a special celebration in Chatt. to honor married couples and their commitment to the sacrament. The Bishop will offer Mass with the opportunity to renew you marriage vows. Mass begins at 11:00 am with lunch to follow at OLPH Church on Sat Feb 6. RSVP to Marian 892-2310 or mchristiana@dioceseofknoxville.org.
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¡Vamos a celebrar el Sacramento y el compromiso de Matrimonio! El Obispo Stika hará tres celebraciones especiales en bilingües, serán en Knoxville, Chattanooga y Kingsport, para honrar a las parejas casadas y el compromiso con el sacramento del matrimonio. En cada celebración el Obispo Stika ofrecerá la misa como una oportunidad para renovar sus votos matrimoniales. Las misas comenzarán a las 11:00 A.M. con un almuerzo después de cada evento. La primera celebración se llevará a cabo el Sábado, 9 de Enero, 2010 en La Iglesia de San Juan Neumann, 645 St. John Court, Knoxville. La segunda celebraciones serán el Sábado, 6 de Febrero 2010, en Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Iglesia, 501 South Moore RD., Chattanooga. La tercera celebración y la última celebrará será en la Iglesia de Santo Domingo, 2517 John B. Dennis Hwy, el Sábado, 24 de Julio 2010. Para asistir a una de estas celebraciones de boda por favor, reservaciones a Marian Cristiana (Oficina Diocesana de Preparación Matrimonial y de Enriquecimiento) al 423-892-2310 o un correo electrónico a Marian a mchristiana@dioceseofknoxville.org. Weekly Readings Dec 7 Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 5:17-26 Dec 8 Gn 3:9-15, 20; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38 Dec 9 Isaiah 40:25-31; Matthew 11:28-30 Dec 10 Isaiah 41:13-20; Matthew 11:11-15 Dec 11 Isaiah 48:17-19; Matthew 11:16-19 Dec 12 Rev 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab; Luke 1:39-47 MASS ATTENDANCE
November 22 1236 November 29 1314 Nov 22 Nov 29 Envelopes 14,497.00 15,149.00 Offertory 294.53 345.25 Children’s 3.00 5.00 Funds Required 19,000.00 Weekly Variance -4,205.47 -3,500.75 Year to Date Variance -45.963.04 -49,463.79 Diocese 296.00 MOUNT OLIVET CEMETERY Chattanooga’s Catholic Cemetery since 1886. For information call David Hale, 622-0728. Please remember OLPH in your will.
Feast of the Immaculate Conception Tuesday, December 8 Is th a Holy Day of Obligation
Mass will be at 8:15 am and 5:30 pm December 8" Not the Change of times for Holy Day Masses. There will be no Vigil Mass. The 8:15 am Mass will be an all school Mass. Please join your children for this Holy Day Celebration
Approximately 7,400 people become newly infected with HIV every day. That's one person every 12 seconds. o We can educate ourselves and others on the disease and its impact on individuals, families and communities. • Around 5,700 people die from AIDS each day. That's one person every 16 seconds. o We can support care and treatment programs that help millions of people living with HIV live longer, healthier lives. In 2007, there were 15 million children under 17 orphaned by AIDS. o We can reduce HIV stigma by praying for the orphans and vulnerable families affected by HIV. • We are all affected by HIV and AIDS. We all can do something. Visit www.crs.orgiworldaidsday today!
• OCRS CATHOUC
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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community. We alleviate suffering and provide assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.
COME AND CELEBRATE MASS WITH US IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE FEAST PATRONESS OF THE AMERICAS "Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast"
In 1531 Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to a humble Indian named i Juan Diego at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City. She identified her self as the Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God for whom we live. Her message was of love and compassion, and her universal promise of help and protection to all man kind. She made a request for a church to be built on the site, and submitted her wish to the local Bishop, when the Bishop hesitated, and requested a sign, the Mother of God sent Juan Diego in the dead of winter to the top of the hill to gather an assortment of roses for the bishop, Juan Diego carried the flowers and his tilma ( poncho) where Our Lady left her image imprinted miraculously. The Bishop rose to his feet when he saw it and marked the spot where the church was going to be built. When: Saturday December 12 Please join us(bilingual after Mass at the PLC to continue the celebration. th at 9:00am mass) YEN Y CELEBRA CON NOSOTROS
PLEASE SIGN UP BY DECEMBER 16 ... If you would like to help provide flowers to beautify our church for Christmas. Please provide the following information so we can prepare the bulletin. REQUESTED BY
IN HONOR OF
and/or IN MEMORY OF
Enclosed is my donation for the flowers.
aliteeVeA.N7 Human beings cannot live without hope. Unlike the animals, we are blessed-or -cursed with the ability to think, about the future and to fear our actions to shaping it. So essential is this to human life, that human beings cannot live without hope, without something to look forward to. To be without hope, to have nothing to live for, is to surrender to death in despair. But we can find all sorts of things to live for and we can hope for almost anything: for some measure of success or security or for the realization of some more or less modest ambition; for our children, that they might be saved from our mistakes and sufferings and find a better life than we have known; for a better world, throwing ourselves into politics or medicine or technology so that future generations might be better off. Not all these forms of
hope are selfish; indeed, they have given dignity and purpose to the lives of countless generations. But one of the reasons why we read the Old Testament during Advent is to learn what to hope for. The people of the Old Testament had the courage to hope for big things: that the desert would be turned into fertile land; that their scattered and divided people would eventually be gatheredagain; that the blind would see, the deaf hear, the lame walk; that not only their own people, but all the peoples of the earth, would be united in the blessings of everlasting peace. Clearly, their hopes were no different from ours or from any human being's: lasting peace, tranquil lives, sufficiency of food, an end to suffering, pain and misery. Thus we hope for the same things as the Old Testament people, for their hopes are not yet realized. But we differ from them in two ways. First, the coming of Jesus in history, as a partial fulfillment of God's promises, immeasurably confirms and strengthens our hope. Secondly, we differ from the Old Testament people because Jesus has revealed to us that God is not afar off, but is already in our midst. Hence, the importance in the Advent liturgy of John the Baptist and of Mary: because they recognized the new situation, they serve as models for the Church in discerning the presence of our Savior in the world. (Adapted: "The Spirit of Advent," Mark Searle, in Assembly. Volume 7:1. Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, Notre Dame, IN The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of Eucharist .2009)
ollielkitAN70 Los seres humanos no pueden vivir sin esperanza. A diferencia de los animates, estamos bendecidos-o-afligidos con la habilidad pEtra pensar sobre el futum y con temor por nuestras acciones para formar este futuro. Muy esencial es esto para la vida humana, ya que los seres humanos no pueden vivir sin esperanza, sin algo para seguir adelante. EstEtr sin esperanza, no tener nada para vivir, es entregamos a la muerte en desesperanza. Pero podemos encontrar todo tipo de cosas para vivir y podemos esperar por casi cualquier cosa: por algo de exit° o seguridad o por la realizacion de algtma Etmbicion mas o menos modesta; por nuestros hijos para que puedan ser salvados de nuestros errores y sufrimientos, y encontrar una vida mejor que la que hemos conocido; por un mundo mejor, trabajando dentro de la politica, medicina o tecnologia, para que las futuras genemciones puedan estar en mejor posicion. Todas estas fonnas de esperanza no son egoistas; verdaderamente, ellEts no dan dignidad y proposito a las vidas de imuunerables generaciones. Pero tma de lEts razones por las que leemos el Viejo Testament° durante el Adviento es para aprender por lo que estamos esperando. La gente del Viejo Testament° tenla el valor de la esperanza por grandes cosas: que el desierto seria una tierra feral; que el ciego yen a, el sordo (Aria, el lisiado caminaria; que no solamente nuestra gente sin° toda la gente de la tierra, estarf a unida en las bendiciones de la paz etema. ClEtramente, sus esperanzas no eran diferentes a las de nosotros o de las de cualquier ser humano: paz duradera, vidas tranquilas, comida suficiente, un fin al sufrimiento, dolor y miseria. Mi, nosotros esperamos por las mismas cosas como la gente del Viejo Testament°, por sus esperanzas que aun no son reali7adas• Pero nos diferenciamos de ellos en dos fonnas. Primer°, la venida de Jesus en la Historia, como una realizacion parcial de las promesas de Dios, incalculablemente confirma y fortalece nuestra esperanza. Segundo, diferimos de las persons del Viejo Testament° porque Jesus ha revelado a nosotros que Dios no esta muy distante, sino esta ya entre nosotros. De aqui, la importEtncia en la liturgia del Adviento de Juan el Bautista y de Maria: Porque ellos reconocieron la situacion nueva, ellos sirvieron como modelos para la Iglesia en discemir la presencia de nuestro Salvador en el mundo. (Adapted: "The Spirit of Advent," Mark Searle, in Amens*, Volume 7:1. Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, Notre Dame, IN The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy ofthe Hours and Celebration of Eucharist - 2009)
Discovering hope and Joy in the Catholic faith.
December 2009
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church
One Minute Meditations Marys faith Like us, Mary got confused by God's instructions. When the angel appeared and told her of her role in God's plan, she was 'study troubled" and confused enough to ask, 'How can this be ...?" (Luke 1:29, 34). Even the full explanation was too enormous for her to completely understand. It was Mary's great faith in God that caused her to say, "Yes," to whatever he asked.
The Advent wait We spend Advent waiting for something wonderful to happen. Yet in our impatience to get to that something wonderful, we can forget that the wait can be wonderful, too. Try taking it one week at a time and wait, hope, prepare, and rejoice at the miracle of Christ's birth.
A Catholic difference As Catholics, we are never alone in our 0 0 efforts. We are members of the Church, 0 the body of Christ, and t0ogether we make a real difference. 0 0
Celebrate Christmas like the first one Celebrating Christmas can be 00 others who would otherwise celebrate anything but peaceful Between the 0, alone extra spending, shopping, and 0 L), Praise God like the angels. 'And holiday activities leading up 0 u suddenly there was a multitude of the to Christmas, we may be angel, praising Cod' more stressed at this 0 i(X.N9 heavenly host with the time than at any other time of year. an abundance of i ill401ʻ (Luke Yet Jesus e-% 0 2:13). There certainly 0 is doesn't want 4i ii;rio, hymns and carols \ 0 to sing out it that way. *48k vols0 He spent the tradition of x praise. Renew his first (# day on 1Earth in a manger. ow 77-:-.' or host a 1His 8 \Pfirst outfit was 0 41;0$ ,,---•---• - caroling party by -litde more than tr C cimmo wrappings of doth and friends to share their joy through caroling I0,,,, inviting family 0 neighborhood and his first gifts weren't entertaining. song. in your Why not learn from the first Christmas Give gifts from the heart. The Magi how to truly celebrate his birth? 'opened their treasures and offered him Surround yourself with family. Jesus gifts' (Matt. 2:11). What gifts can you spent that first night in the company of offer from your treasure of talents? his parents. Their gifts to him were Remember, gifts from the heart are simple: love and attention. Celebrate more valuable than anything you can find in a store Christ's birth with family or invite
Why Do Catholics Do That The Catechism teaches that God gave Mary all the gifts necessary for her to become mother of our Savior. In fact, when the angel Gabriel addressed Mary as 'full of grace" in Luke 1:28, he meant that Mary had the special divine
Why do Catholics believe Mary was born without Original Sin? help necessary for the task ahead. While we are deansed of original sin at Baptism, Pope Pius IX infallibly affirmed that Mary's role in Jesus' work was so crudal that it kept her from original sin at the outset.
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Growing in FaithTm
December 2009 Page 2
Give gifts of love this Christmas Jesus came to us out of love He suffered and died on the Cross out of love. During Advent and Christmas, why not find ways to share Jesus' gift of love with others? 'This is my commandment love one another as I love you' (John 15:12). Look for the lonely. Christmas can be a sad time for those who are alone. Gifts of love can be as simple as baking Christmas cookies, sending a card with a personal note, or offering to share a Christmas meal.
Reach out to the suffering. Many people are struggling financially this year. Even if you are one of them, consider calling your parish office or Catholic Charities (800-919-9338) to find out how you can help someone who is worse off. That's a great gift of love. Offer time This is one of the most precious ways to show you care. Spending time with someone else. even when you may not have it to spare- is a gift of love that will
Luke 2:41-52, Living in the world In this reading, the Holy Family went to Jerusalem during the year Jesus was twelve In those days, a Hebrew boy became a man around the age of twelve and was recognized in a ceremony we know as a Bar Mitzvah. At this point a Jewish boy would begin formal education in the Torah and Hebrew Scriptures. This was an important time in Jesus' life This reading said that Jesus stayed behind to talk with the scholars and teachers, and told his parents he was
Feasts & Atf Celebrations December 8 — Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is the day we celebrate that Mary was conceived in St. Anne's womb without original sin. December 12th - Our Lady of Guadalupe (1531). The Blessed Mother appeared to St. Juan Diego in Mexico. She asked him to tell the bishop to build a chapel for her, and had him carry roses in his tilma (cape) as a sign. When he emptied his tilma before the bishop, it retained the image of the Blessed Mother. December 26 — St. Stephen (1st
doing his Father's work. He had become aware of his duties to his Father in Heaven, yet he remained mindful of his responsibilities to his parents on Earth and obediently left with them. Christians live in the world, in neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces .his respect for his ties to his .family, Jesusyet he continued to pursue his place in Cod's plan demonstrat of salvation. ed The lesson for us is that we don't have to retire from the world to be holy. Instead, we have to find ways to live a holy life in the world.
century). A deacon of the early Church, St. Stephen angered the Jewish authorities by preaching that the Israelites consistently rejected Cod's chosen messengers. He was stoned to death and became the first martyr. Dec. 27 — The Holy Family (1st century). On this feast day, we celebrate the family of Jesus — three people who lived for God. By their love of God and support for each other, the Holy Family is a model for all Christian families.
not be forgotten.
Fa • , What are the 18 4 the carols we sing? ! Some of the most popular Christmas hymns date back two hundred years or more. ori Silent Night ,• Written as a poem in gi1816 by Austrian priest Joseph Mohr, it came in handy two years ns later when his church organ broke. Mohr gave of the poem to his friend so Franz Xavier Gruber who wrote the melody in time m to be played on a guitar e for Midnight Mass. 0 Little Ibwn of Bethlehem — Rector of Phillips Brooks of Philadelphia wrote it in the late 1800s after he had visited the Holy Land. He was inspired by the view of Bethlehem ftom the hills of Palestine 0 Holy Night by— Pladde The Cappeau de Roquemaure, a wine seller, in 1847 when the parish words were priest asked him to write a poem for written Christmas. 0 Come All Ye Faithful — Englishman John Wade is credited with writing this hymn in Latin in 1744. One hundred years later, it was translated into English by an Anglican ministe4 Prededdc Oakeley. Since then, it has been translated into 76 languages. tr:Mr Top practical ideas that promote 1 faithful Catholic living. ,. Success Publishing & Media. LLC 1_0 Publishere of Crowingin Faith" and Fanners in Faith" (540)662-7844 (340)662-7847 fax 4EA tfilKil (Unlesshilm//www.growinginfaith.com noted Mit quota and refemmes are from lY,the Revised Standard Version and the Newmatron Me) 010 0Copyright 2009Success Publishing&Medic, 1 7