Parish Bulletin for Sunday, December 4, 2005

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT

"The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

– Mark 1:1-8

The gospel of Mark was most likely written some 40 years after the resurrection right smack in the middle of the revolution that saw the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the decimation of the Jewish community in Palestine. It is believed that the writer of the gospel lived far from Jesus' homeland and lived within a community of Christians who knew persecution first hand.

Their reflections on the reign of God are mirrored in the story precisely because they knew first hand all about persecution and death for beliefs that simply were not accepted. If biblical scholars are correct, then this particular community was subject to the much written about persecutions of Nero himself and could most likely claim knowledge of both Peter and Paul.

The focus of Mark's gospel is contained in his very first line. He is not writing a newspaper article or a magazine report on the life of Jesus. "Good news" is the meaning of the Greek word gospel. A gospel, or the good news, is a document of faith; from this testament, readers are meant to be convinced that the author believes that Jesus is the answer to all our deepest life questions and that his news is indeed good news for all of us. Mark, for example, is writing to interpret the life of Jesus so that we will believe. His gospel is invitational and speaks to us here where we live.

The name, Jesus, was and is derived from a very common Hebrew name, Joshua. Jesus is the Greek translation and means "God saves" in the Hebrew tradition. It is interesting to note that at no time in his ministry did Jesus call himself Jesus Christ. Christ is a term that means anointed one and dates back to the time of David. Christ, or anointed one, has great political overtones, as it was used to identify David as a great political and religious leader.

The Jewish people were waiting for a king who would free them from oppression – in Jesus' time that freedom would undoubtedly have meant war with Rome. By the time of Mark's writing, this term "Jesus Christ" was in common use. The early Christians understood that Jesus did indeed free them from oppression, but not in the way that was expected. Mark wanted his readers to understand this distinction. Jesus was not interested in politics or war mongering to bring his message to his followers. He had a better way to bring the kingdom into fruition.

We find many titles to honour the Lord of all time. He is known as teacher, rabbi, Lord, Messiah, Son of David, and Christ – all biblical names, all used to describe Jesus. Perhaps the most significant expression of New Testament faith is found in the phrase "Son of God." This one expression is the greatest early Christian expression of the divinity of Jesus.

By the time of the writing of this gospel, Christians had come to believe that Jesus was not simply a gifted craftsman who had been sent by God; they were struggling to express a belief that, in Jesus, God had lived a human life. One of us, yet so much more than words could ever express. This Jesus had prayed to God, had called him Abba, and many times separated himself from them in order to pray. The struggle led to a new way of looking at the title "Son of God." A simple phrase that holds a wealth of meaning!

So, as we hear these words proclaimed on this second Sunday of Advent, let us be put on notice. Mark is telling us that he intends to convince us that the life of Jesus will indeed provide us with the answers to life's deepest questions – the Good News, that Jesus is the fulfilment of Jewish hopes and of all readers – the Christ, and that Jesus is the living presence of God on earth – the Son of God. This, my friends, is the "good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

TUESDAY, Dec. 6

Advent

8:30 a.m. - † Desire LaBlanc

Requested by wife

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 7

St. Ambrose

8:30 a.m. - † Johanna Sheahan

THURSDAY, Dec. 8

Immaculate Conception of Mary

8:30 a.m. - † Lydia Arsenault

Requested by husband

FRIDAY, Dec. 9

Advent

8:30 a.m. – † Nicola Loconte

Requested by Francis Pierri

Parish Bulletin for Sunday, December 11, 2005

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

"JOY TO THE WORLD "

"I am the voice of one crying in the desert . . . "

– John 1:23

Today we find all three authors from the bible reminding us that the news of God's coming among us is indeed good news. It is good news in the first reading, of liberation, healing, salvation and justice. It is good news that the gift of God's light in Jesus has come among us to pierce the darkness of human sin.

And it is good news in the second reading for those whom the God of peace is making perfect in holiness. Joy – true, deep, authentic, and resilient joy – calls to us this day. This joy is palpable in the messages for today. With utter confidence in the power and presence of God, each biblical author prompts their readers to rejoice. In two weeks, and with the already present experience of the power and presence of God-made-flesh in Jesus, the praying assembly will belt out once again the song Joy to the World!

Why joy in a world torn by dissent, war, and strife? Why joy in a world suffering famine and flood? Why joy amid injustice and brokenness? Because God's eye is on the sparrow and I know that God is watching me. This belief enables a joy that overcomes the limitations of present pain. This joy enables us to make sense of the senseless and find meaning in the meaningless. This joy enables us a glimpse of glory; joy is that moment when it all comes together, when the broken is made whole.

John the Baptist lived his life deflecting attention away from himself so that the focus of faith and hope might be fully and directly on Jesus. I am not the one; there is, however, one among you whom you do not know. John's challenge reaches us as well. We are challenged to know Jesus. Whether we see him as the baby in the manger, as spiritual guru or revolutionary leader or in any of countless other ways, each picture we hold is but a facet of the Christ who will be fully revealed and fully known only in his second coming. Until then, we bear witness, we cry out in life's wilderness, "Come, Lord Jesus, joy of our hearts, joy of the world."

TUESDAY, Dec. 13

St. Lucy

8:30 a.m. - † John Drake

Requested by wife Rita

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 14

St. John of the Cross

8:30 a.m. - † Michele and Marta Virgilio

Requested by Frances Pierri

THURSDAY, Dec. 15

Advent

8:30 a.m. - † Eduardo and Cecilia Pierri

Requested by Frances Pierri

FRIDAY, Dec. 16

Advent

8:30 a.m. - † Vito and Maria Virogilio

Requested by Francis Pierri

Parish Bulletin for Sunday, December 18, 2005

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

Luke 1:26-38

Today's gospel is one of the few references to Mary in the New Testament. There is very little information provided in Christian scriptures and yet we are able to form a clear picture of her as a disciple whose example leads us to a very comprehensive picture of what it means to be a follower of the Christ.

Mary was sensitive to the ways and will of God and was receptive to God's Word. She heard, and listened and kept that Word, allowing it to inspire, direct, and change her life. Mary continues to teach the Advent church; through her, we know how to welcome and how to witness to the good news whom we call Jesus Christ. Mary teaches us to become that empty, open, welcoming, holy place where God enters in and love is free to happen.

In today's gospel, Mary is portrayed as the one who completely surrenders her will to God's ways. Not for her are the questions that require detailed descriptions and reassurances of acceptance and fulfilment. She is content to ponder the Word and hold it in her heart. As God's faithful disciple, she submits to God's will for her; "Let it be done to me as you say." Mary's response challenges us to ask of ourselves: When God makes a loving overture into my life, do I try to avoid the encounter? Do I demand full knowledge before I answer, or can I trust without full understanding and believe without being in control – of my life, my plans, my future? Am I, like Mary, willing to risk a Yes, a Yes that has the potential to change me forever?

I know, the reaction is mixed. It is all well and good for Mary to offer space in herself for God to dwell and be born into the world, but do I possess the radical belief so necessary in making this commitment? Yet we can, through prayer and utterly profound response to grace, welcome God. Mary had only space, love and belief to offer to God. In the end, it is the one who is boldly in love with God and who makes a sanctuary of life who delivers Jesus Christ, who then delivers us. Isn't this really the mystery we celebrate at Christmas? Christ is born in us. God is here in us. What if, like Mary, we were able to welcome, to be a sacred space made holy by the God who dwells within?

Mary's response signifies that God has selected her and that God's choice of her is powerful and precious to her. She consents to God's plan and to His will and is filled with joy. It is no mistake that her great Canticle known to generations as the Magnificat comes just a few short verses following today's gospel. This song, placed on Mary's lips by Luke, celebrates the inscrutable ways of God, who turns the world upside down in order to set things right. This is the God Mary welcomed; this is the God who graces each one of us.

TUESDAY, Dec. 20

Advent

8:30 a.m. – Thanksgiving

Requested by the Dimasuay family

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 21

Advent

8:30 a.m. - † Ilario Santoro

Requested by D D class at St. Gerald School

THURSDAY, Dec. 22

Advent

8:30 a.m. - † Joseph Lee Nam Kwong

Requested by family

FRIDAY, Dec. 23

Advent

8:30 a.m. - † Clem Valerio

Requested by Maria

Parish Bulletin for Sunday, December 25, 2005

A Christmas Message From Father Tom

My dear friends:

Each year we come to Christmas a little older, and hopefully a little wiser. This feast should become more important as we grow older, even though the prevailing culture says that is a time for children. While children enjoy celebrating Christmas, this is not a feast primarily aimed at them. The coming of the Lord into human history and what that means is better understood by those who are old in the faith, rather than by those who are young in it. This is a feast for adults.

It is a reflective adult who understands what it means to be saved by another and that finally it is God who saves us. It is a reflective adult who understands the power that love has to transform and to uplift. It is a reflective adult that understands that the life we celebrate this day will be selfless and sacrificial. It is a reflective adult who will understand that Jesus has touched our lives in countless ways and given us both direction and meaning. It is a reflective adult who will understand that the life we celebrate today is meant to be imitated by all of us. Maybe it is easier to say that this is a feast for children.

The power of this feast lies in Jesus – what he has done for us and what he desires to continue to do with us. Christmas reminds us of past innocence, of goodness, and for some simpler times. It can easily slip into nostalgia and sentimentality, which makes it about ourselves and not Jesus. What is important this day is our openness to God and our desire to live in imitation of Jesus. That is the good news the angel brings to the shepherds and we bring to each other this day. God is indeed close to us and loves us deeply.

Happy Christmas

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28

Holy Innocents

8:30 a.m. - † Raffi Krikorian

Requested by Maria Valerio

THURSDAY, Dec. 29

Fifth Day in Christmas Octave

8:30 a.m. - † Tula Ines Raul

Requested by Castro family

FRIDAY, Dec. 30

Holy Family

8:30 a.m. - † Deceased Reyes family

Requested by Lee