A CHRISTMAS PRAYER
Jesus, the Light of the World, as we celebrate your birth, may we begin to see the world in the light of the understanding you give us.
As you chose the lowly, the outcasts, and the poor to receive the greatest news the world had ever known so may we worship you in meekness of heart.
May we also remember our brothers and sisters less fortunate then ourselves in this season of giving. Amen.
PLEASE NOTE:
The Parish Office and Rectory will be closed from Friday, December 23rd to Monday, December 26th. We will reopen on Tuesday, December 27th at 8:00 AM.
DECEMBER
Wine – Hosts – Sanctuary Lights – Memorials
ST. JOHN CHURCH
Wine – In Memory of Minnie and John Colera
By Children and Grandchildren
Hosts – In Memory of
Deceased Members of the Calamunci Family
By Son Gust and Family
Sanctuary Light – Week of December 25th – 31st
A Christmas Remembrance for our Parents
Vincent and Arasma Consiglio, Sr., and Brothers
Vincent Consiglio, Jr. and Frank Consiglio, Sr.
By Gerri Mazzurco and Sam Consiglio
SS. PETER AND PAUL CHURCH
Hosts – In Memory of Agostino “Gus” Pellerino
By Sally Corkery and Ted Bogdan
MEMORIAL TO HOLY APOSTLES PARISH
In Memory of Nicholas Sabino
By Theresa Moore
MASSES FOR THE WEEK
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24
Christmas Eve
4:00 (St. John) Dominick and Angeline Salone and daughter Patricia (Salone) Oljeski by Family
Midnight (SSPP) Intentions of our Parishioners
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25
Christmas Day
9:00 (St. John) Mary Mistretta by Mistretta Family
11:00 (SSPP) Stephen Young by Sonny Young and Family
MONDAY, DECEMBER 26
St. Stephen
NO MASS
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27
St. John, Apostle
9:00 (St. John) Intention of our Parishioners
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28
The Holy Innocents
12:10 (SSPP) Joseph and Agnes O’Hagan (Wedding Anniversary ) By Family
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29
St. Thomas Becket
9:00 (St. John) Souls of the Faithful Departed
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
12:10 (SSPP) Gilbert and Teresa Caskey by Estate
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
St. Sylvester I
New Year’s Eve
4:00 (St. John) Giuseppi Riolo, Birthday by Wife Bessie and Family
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017
Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God
New Year’s Day
7:15 (SSPP) Intentions of our Parishioners
9:00 (St. John) Mary and Anthony Martinelli by Estate
11:00 (SSPP) Sal Calamungi, Anniversary by Wife Irene and Family
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK
OF OUR PARISH FAMILY
Candido Andino, Baby Charlotte, Monica Becht, Ann Kapuscinski, Alice Minarovich, Sherry Propheter, Irma Rhoney, Lisa Troche, Pat Valone, Kathy Westerburg.
PLEASE WATCH FOR THE COLLECTION
FIGURES FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18TH
IN NEXT WEEKEND’S BULLETIN.
We would like to welcome into our faith community, through the Sacrament of Baptism, ALEC ROBERT HASSON, son of Jeremy and Bethany (Calarco) Hasson.
May Alec be filled with the Holy Spirit and received into the family of the church that he may walk with Christ and grow in the knowledge of His love.
2017 CALENDARS
Holy Apostles Parish calendars for 2017 are again available this weekend at the entrances to both church buildings. Please take as many as you like (within reason). We express our gratitude to parishioners G. Craig Miller and Elisabeth A. Hall for providing the funds for this year’s calendars.
END OF YEAR STATEMENTS
If you would like a copy of your contributions to the parish for 2016, call the parish office at 664-5703. Your statement will be mailed out in January. If you have received a statement in the past, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CALL. IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE SENT TO YOU.
The Buffalo Youth Convention for 2017 will be held March 3-5 and is open for students in grades 9 – 12. It’s a great weekend to explore your faith and meet new friends from our Buffalo diocese. Mrs. Paula Slagle, Youth Minister will be having a brief meeting on Sunday, January 8, 2017 at noon at the Holy Family Center. She will discuss the weekend and answer any questions you might have. No money needs to be paid at this time. If you are not sure you would like to attend the Buffalo Convention, or need more info, come to this meeting. If you would like to talk to Mrs. Slagle, call her at 485-8783.
THE CHRISTMAS FEASTS
On occasion I will write about the Church’s liturgical calendar, especially at times when how it is organized may be confusing. The Christmas Season which begins today is one such example of how there are variations within a standardized pattern. This year, for example, because December 25 occurs on a Sunday the Advent Season was four full weeks. Next year, when Christmas Day occurs on a Monday, there will be the customary four Advent Sundays but only three full weeks of the season, the shortest possible time. This year, it is the Christmas Season that will be the shortest possible time! Let me explain why.
The designated time for the observance of Christmas is from December 25 (a fixed date) until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which does not have a fixed calendar date but which is customarily observed on a Sunday. That is, unless the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is observed on either the 7th or 8th of January (as will happen in 2017). When this happens the Baptism of the Lord is not observed on a Sunday but is transferred to the Monday immediately following the Epiphany! So this year, the Christmas Season will be observed for the shortest time.
Now, I’m sure you might be thinking, “but I thought the Epiphany was the 6th of January.” Well, that’s the traditional fixed date for the celebration. However, in countries such as the United States where it is not numbered among the Holy Days of Obligation it is always transferred to the Sunday nearest that date.
There is yet another change in our liturgical observances this year with respect to the Feast of the Holy Family. The assigned day for its celebration is “the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity.” However, with Christmas being on a Sunday, the octave day is also a Sunday (January 1) and is thus the date assigned for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. The observance of the Holy Family is therefore transferred to December 30th. As you can see, the preparing of a Church calendar is somewhat of an intricate task.
This coming week (the “Octave of Christmas”) will include the celebration of several significant feasts. On Monday the 26th we will honor St. Stephen, a deacon who was the first Christian martyr. This is the feast on which “Good King Wenceslas” ‘looked out’ according to the song! Tuesday the 27th is the Feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, who is the patron of one of our Holy Apostles Parish church buildings. Wednesday the 28th is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the children who were murdered when Herod was trying to kill the infant Jesus.
All of these Christmas feasts are an invitation to us to remember how Jesus was revealed as the Christ of God and to ponder how we have embraced him as the fullness of God’s revelation. Merry Christmas.
Be at peace,
Father Dennis Mende