Memo from Msgr. Raun- Tuesday December 22nd, 2020
My dear family, Hi, everyone! A few reminders before Christmas: CHRISTMAS: Friends, this will be the Christmas Mass schedule this year: Dec. 24, Christmas Eve : 4 pm, 6 pm, 8 pm Dec. 25, Christmas Day : 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm The Christmas Eve 4 pm Mass and the Christmas Day 9 am Mass will be live-streamed on our website (stanm.org). If you are not able to come to church this year, we suggest that you gather as a family and watch the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Mass. All Christmas Masses will be broadcast on our FM transmitter (106.5 FM) that can he heard anywhere in our parking lot. Holy Communion will be distributed outside the church doors after all the Christmas Masses. (If you are concerned about being inside the church and around other people because of the virus, hearing Mass in your car and receiving Communion outside is an excellent option!) We can have 250 people inside the church for each Mass. It will be "first-come, first-served". (No, friends, you can't sneak in early and "reserve" a bunch of seats!) Once we reach that number, other people will be invited to hear Mass in their car and receive Holy Communion at the end of Mass. A word to the wise: we all know how the Christmas Eve 4 pm Mass is very well attended. So if you want a better chance of getting into the church, plan on attending one of the other Masses! CONFESSIONS: All the regular times, plus 6:30 pm confessions tonight and on the 23rd. The last confessions before Christmas will be at 9:45 am on December 24th. No Christmas Eve or Christmas Day confessions. MISSION COLLECTION: Every year our second Christmas collection at the Adoration of the Christ-Child goes to help Msgr. Mukasa and our other mission partners in Uganda. Well, there won't be any Adoration of the Baby Jesus this year (that would be a super-Covid spreader!), but if you would like to help our missions in Uganda, just put it in an envelope and mark it "Missions" or "Africa" or "Uganda", and put it in the collection or get it to the parish office. After the new year we will wire it to Msgr. Mukasa. I know they can use it. "NIGHT IN BETHLEHEM" REPORT: We had 200 cars come by to visit Baby Jesus! It was so wonderful. Many thanks to our wonderful volunteers who did so much and spent hours out in the cold night to make it happen. UPDATE ON FATHER YOUNG: We thought he would go to the rehab hospital yesterday, but at the last moment they decided to keep him in the hospital for another day or two. I talked to him this morning, and he sounded good. He sends his love to everyone, and thanks for the many prayers being offered for him. Sorry, still no visitors. THE VACCINE: The Holy See in Rome has issued a statement that there is no moral problem with Catholics receiving the Covid-19 vaccine that is now being released. Our American Bishops have already released a statement to that effect. To read a good article on this, go to: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vatican-says-covid-19-vaccines-morally-acceptable-when-no-alternatives-are-available-95774 Another good article on this: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/throughcatholiclenses/2020/12/12-things-less-remote-cooperation-in-evil-than-covid-vaccines/ Laughing is the best medicine : Some funny play on words... My friend was explaining electricity, and I was "Like watt"? Someone threw a jar of mayo at me, and I was like "What the Hellman?!" Where did the Terminator find toilet paper? Aisle B, back. A PRAYER IN FRONT OF THE NATIVITY SET: this is one of my favorite prayers. You could print and save it, and pray it as a family each night at home for the Twelve Day of Christmas (Dec. 25-Jan. 6), kneeling around you home's Nativity set . + In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. OUR Father... HAIL, Mary... GLORY be... V. And the Word was made flesh. R. And dwelt among us. O divine redeemer Jesus Christ, prostrate before Thy crib, I believe that Thou art the God of infinite majesty, even though I see Thee here as a helpless babe. Humbly I adore and thank Thee for having so humbled thyself for my salvation as to will to be born in a stable. I thank Thee for all thou didst wish to suffer for me in Bethlehem, for Thy poverty and humility, for Thy nakedness, tears, cold and sufferings. Would that I could show Thee that tenderness which thy Virgin Mother had toward Thee, and love Thee as she loved Thee. Would that I could praise Thee with the joy of the angels; that I could kneel before Thee with the faith of Saint Joseph, the simplicity of the shepherds. Uniting myself with these first worshippers at the crib, I offer Thee the homage of my heart, and I beg that Thou would be born spiritually in my soul. Give me, I pray Thee, the virtues of Thy blessed Nativity. Fill me with that spirit of renunciation, of poverty, of humility, which prompted Thee to assume the weakness of our nature, and to be born amid destitution and suffering. Grant that from this day forward I may in all things seek Thy greater glory, and may enjoy that peace promised to men of good will, Who lives and reigns, world without end. Amen. Sweet babe of Bethlehem, I praise thee, I bless thee, I thank thee. I love thee with all my heart. I desire to worship thee, And to be like thee in all Thy holy and blessed ways. O Holy Mary, as I here adore thy divine Son, pray for all little children, that they may be protected from all harm and danger, and that they may grow in grace and in favor with God and man. We pray thee, O Father, that the holy joy of Christmas may fill our minds with thoughts of peace, and our hearts with a sense of Thy great love; hasten the time when war being done away, we may love as brethren, and bring in the reign of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In the Name of the Father, + and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen ! Msgr. Doug Raun | | |
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