News - December 2015 RSS Feed

As we gather to commemorate the Lord’s Day our Christmas celebration continues with the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In the Gospel reading we hear about the “Finding in the Temple,” which has become the fifth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. The Evangelist Luke is the only Gospel writer to convey this story which occurred when the Lord Jesus was 12 years old and had become separated from His parents while visiting the Temple in Jerusalem. This event was the cause of great anxiety for Mary and Joseph as they feared the worst. All parents can associate with this stress on the thought of losing a child. This upset is heard in the words of the Blessed Virgin to the Child Jesus when they are reunited: “Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”

Our Sacred Heart School Community wishes all our parishioners a Merry Christmas & a Blessed New Year! Thank you for all your support and all you do for us!

The School’s Annual Calendar Raffle ticket sale is in process! Tickets cost $10.00 and are sold after the Masses, by our parents and in the school office.

The Saint Monica Guild of Saint Cecilia Church is sponsoring a pilgrimage May 17-18 (Wednesday-Thursday), to the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, New York.

Holiday Shopping: Please keep in mind while shopping for your holiday meals to purchase food gift cards, which helps support Sacred Heart School. They are sold after all the Masses and in the school office. They also make great stocking stuffers, holiday grab bag gifts, and for family and friends gift ideas.

As we assemble to celebrate the Lord’s Day we also mark the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Our Advent journey is nearly complete for we have only five days before reaching the Solemnity of Our Lord’s Nativity. In today’s Gospel we hear about the journey made by the Mother of God to her relative Saint Elizabeth.

JOY is the word we hear as we come together to celebrate the Lord’s Day on this the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as “Gaudete Sunday.” “Gaudete” is the Latin word for rejoice and this is the word which resounds over and over again in the liturgy for this day. The ordo states: Gaudete (rejoice), taken from the Latin translation of the Letter to the Philippians 4:4-5, sets a tone of joyful expectation for the Lord’s birth and Second Coming, as does the permitted used of rose-colored vestments. In the first lection for today we read from the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah, “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” Yes, God is in our midst in the person of His Only Begotten Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Sacramentally He is present in the Most Holy Eucharist. Differently, He is present in His word (scriptures) and in the faces we see each day.

We gather on the Lord’s Day to celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent. The scriptural texts are filled with anticipation and joy for the coming of the Holy One of Israel, Christ the Savior. This is also a time of joy And anticipation as we welcome the JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY which begins with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Tuesday, December 8th.

The St Cecilia Men's Society will be holding a Fish & Chips dinner on Saturday December 12 in Hayes Hall. Prices are Adults $16, Seniors $15 and Children $8 - Eat In / Take Out.

The Retirement Fund for Religious will be held on the weekend of December 12 – 13. Show your appreciation for the senior laity and priests who made a positive difference in so many lives. Please give generously to next week’s collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious.

All women are invited to The Woman's Society Annual Christmas Party on Monday night, December 14th at 7 PM in the All Purpose Room of the school.