Mary, Mother of God

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I continue to wish you and your loved ones the miracle of hope, the joy of sharing, the comfort of friendship, and the blessing of peace!

Today, the Church rings in the New Year by celebrating our most ancient feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, honoring her with one of her most beautiful titles, Holy Mother of God. On this day so filled with the hope of new beginnings and good resolutions, Mary also stands before us as Queen of Peace, the woman of contemplative prayer who reflects in her heart on God’s ever-renewed presence in the world. She is likewise First among the Disciples, the woman of gospel action, who responds to God’s word with obedient faith and selfless charity. As we begin this New Year, she points to her Son and says to us what she told the servants at Cana’s wedding feast, “Do whatever he tells you.”

During a previous tumultuous time (1968), as Vietnam War protests raged in the United States and student demonstrations flared in Europe, Pope Paul VI designated New Year's Day as the World Day of Prayer for Peace. Educating young people in justice and peace is the theme of Pope Benedict XVI’s 2012 message for the World Day of Prayer for Peace. The message affirms the role of young people in working for justice, peace, and common good, and urges public policymakers to create institutions, laws and environments that allow young people to flourish. Take a look at the message on the bulletin boards in the church.

Many thanks to all who remembered me at Christmas with cards, gifts and prayers. God bless you!

Our Responsorial Psalm this week, “God, bless us with your mercy,” reminds us to praise God for the many blessings we have been given.

Six rings are great but 7 would be heaven ... GO STEELERS!

Christmas

Merry Christmas! “Let us rejoice in the Lord, for our Savior has been born! Today true peace comes down to us from heaven: for a child is born for us, a son is given to us; and he is called Wondrous God, Prince of Peace, Father of Future Ages; and his reign will be with out end. As this Christmas Day and season fills our hearts with the radiance of God’s incarnate Word, let us pray that the light of our faith in Jesus may also shine forth in our lives.” As we rejoice in the angels’ song of “peace on earth to people of good will,” let us resolve to be faithful “heralds of Christ’s Gospel of peace.”

A special "thank you" to all who helped decorate the church and the grounds for Christmas!

Monday, December 26 is the feast of the first martyr, St. Stephen. The root of the word martyr is “witness,” and there are many ways we are called to testify to the gospel: being a good parent, a loving partner, honest in business dealings, and compassionate. During this Christmas week pray for a spirit of courage for that witness not only in words but with our lives.

Tuesday, December 27 is the Feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. May we imitate his memory by telling others about our wonderful encounters with Christ!

Friday, December 30 is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This feast usually falls on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s Day except when Christmas falls on Sunday as it does this year. For some of us, this late in the holiday season, the burden of family may just be starting to express itself. (Will this houseful of relatives ever leave?) Yet many also find themselves away from their homes or families for reasons not entirely under their control, ranging from military service, education, employment, illness, divorce, loss or estrangement. For them even a lightly used and tarnished family would be better than none at all. This Christmas share your heart and home by inviting someone in to enjoy the gift of belonging.

Following the 5:00 PM Mass on Saturday, December 31, we will gather outside to bless the local community as we begin the year 2012 and enjoy a light reception in the Hall.

Our Responsorial Psalm this week, “A Light will shine on us: the Lord is born!” will help us to celebrate the light the birth of Jesus had brought to our world!

Six rings are great but 7 would be heaven ... Go Steelers!

Advent 4

On this final Sunday of Advent, the Church’s liturgy and scriptures bid us rejoice as “the clouds prepare to rain down the Just One, and as the earth prepares to be opened and bring forth a Savior.” As we await the arrival of God, not in a palace but in a stable, let us pray for a spirit of gratitude for all that God has done.

In gratitude, I thank the Knights of Columbus for hosting the Breakfast with Santa last Sunday, and to Santa for the wonderful gifts he gave to the children. It was so nice to see the overflow crowd after the 10:00 AM Mass! It is so nice to see the parish community come together for fellowship and a good breakfast!

Beginning last Friday, CatholicsComeHome.org began to air commercials inviting those away from the practice of their faith to return “home.” I encourage you to pray for those who have left the Church and invite them to join us this Christmas Season at Holy Cross!

The Collect (opening prayer) for today’s Mass is the same Collect that traditionally concludes the Angelus. In ages past, this ancient prayer summoned the faithful at dawn, noon and dusk to pause and remember the great mystery of Mary’s daringly obedient faith, by which the eternal God took on our human flesh in the mystery of the Incarnation. Since, as we say so often, the way we pray both expresses and reinforces how we believe, might it not be a salutary end-of-Advent resolution to restore – to at least one daily observance – this central of our faith, whose ramifications certainly have the potential to renew, on many levels, our Christian witness in the world? Make an effort to pray at dawn, noon and dusk!

The Nativity scene is moving! The language of the Church is very strong that the Nativity scene should not be placed in front of the altar. Therefore the Nativity scene will be placed in the area of the Shrine of St. Joseph. Here it will remain a place of devotion, prayer and wonder! Come and help to prepare the church for Christmas on Thursday, December 22 beginning at 10:00 AM. Lunch will be served at Noon.

Our Responsorial Psalm this weekend, “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord,” challenges us to proclaim God’s good news to the world.

Six rings are great but 7 would be heaven ... GO STEELERS!

Advent 3

Today is Gaudete Sunday, which means that on this third Sunday of Advent we rejoice! We have much to rejoice in here at Holy Cross as we journey through Advent to Christmas.

We rejoice in all who attended Advent Family Day last Sunday and the lighting of the Tree of Hope. There were over 120 people in attendance and it truly was a blessed Advent evening! We look forward to Lenten Family Day coming up in Lent 2012!

We rejoice in our girls basketball team which won the Girls Basketball CYO 2011 Championship tournament on Sunday afternoon. I was there and it felt like March Madness in December. Congratulations to the team and coaches!

We rejoice in Phil and Virginia Ball who readied the church and rectory grounds for winter this past week. Thanks!

We rejoice in the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Monday, December 12. May we share Mary’s concern for the poor and powerless and learn to include them in our lives.

We rejoice in the Feast of Saint Lucy on Tuesday, December 13. During the Middle ages people suffering from eye trouble began invoking Lucy’s aid because her name is derived from the Latin word for “light” (lux). May we share her courage to witness to Christ with our lives.

Thanks to all who have participated in the Tree of Hope Project. Remember you have until January 1, 2012 to participate.

God of power and mercy, who blessed the Americas at Tepeyac with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, through her intercession, help all peoples to accept one another as sisters and brothers, and through your justice present in our hearts may your peace come to reign in the world. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Our Responsorial Psalm this week, ”My soul rejoices in my God” reminds us to rejoice in God’s blessings and saving power.

Six rings are great but 7 would be heaven ... GO STEELERS!

Advent 2

This Sunday, December 4 is our Advent Family Day from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. All are invited to come and partake of the events for adults, teens and kids. At 5:45 PM, the Tree of Hope will be illuminated! Take time out and come to celebrate with your Holy Cross Family the joy of Advent!

This Wednesday, December 7 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, I will be participating in "Tips for Tots" at the New Stanton Eat N’ Park. All tips collected will be donated to the Free Care Fund of Children’s Hospital. I was a maître d' for 7 years before entering the seminary. Come and see if I still have the skills!

This Thursday, December 8 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass will be celebrated at 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

The Virgin Mary is Patroness on the United States and all the Americas, and we see, in her generous cooperation with God’s saving plan, a challenge to give ourselves unconditionally and unreservedly in the loving service of God and our neighbor.

A special "thank you" to all who shared of their time last Saturday in preparing the church for Advent and replacing all of the hymnals in the pews as we began to celebrate the Liturgy using the new Roman Missal.

This Second Sunday in Advent features scriptures that comfort our hearts with the assurance of the Shepherd’s tender compassion and patient love for us, the cherished sheep of God’s flock.

Tuesday, December 6: St. Nicholas, pray for us!

Saturday, December 9: St. Juan Diego, pray for us!

Our Responsorial Psalm this weekend, "Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation" reminds us that our gracious and just God wants to give us many blessings.

Six rings are great but 7 would be heaven ... Go Steelers!