The people of the Old Testament knew that their God was near to them. He taught them, gave them guidance and protected them. All they had to do was to be faithful to the covenant He made with them through Moses. Whenever they were defeated in battle or things were not going right for them, they knew that it was their fault. They had moved away from their God. God did not move away from them. God promised to be as near to them as their “shade” or shadow.

With the coming of Christ, God got even closer. The Son of God became one of us so that we might share in his very life. Read, once again, the heart-filled words of Jesus at the Last Supper. “Father, I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word” (John 17:6-9). “If you love me, you will obey what I commanded. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth…you know him for he lives with you and will be in you…Because I live, you also will live…My Father will love you and we will come to you and make our home with you” (John 14).

In other words, God, through Christ, will no longer be as close to the faithful as a shadow but dwell within the Christian. We have a new life in Christ in order to be Christ in the world, continuing the work of Christ. Pope Saint Leo the Great, (Pope from 440-461), carries on this theme in his Christmas sermon: “Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born; let us rejoice…No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing…And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to his people on earth. Beloved, let us give thanks to God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit.  In His great love for us he took pity on us, and when we were dead in our sins he brought us to life with Christ, so that in Him we might be a new creation…Christian, remember your dignity, and now you share in God’s own nature…Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

May the Christ, whose birth we celebrate, be born again in us and in our Community?  All are remembered in my Christmas Masses as I ask God’s blessings on you and your loved ones.  “Come, Lord Jesus!”

 

 

St. Brigid Church
9:00am	Tuesday December 22nd	Helen Barry
9:00am	Thursday December 24th	Charles Connolly
9:00am	Saturday December 26th	Camillo Apollonio Kevin Murray Maria & Vincenzo Tassoni
Sacred Heart Church
9:00am	Monday December 21st	Christopher Ferrari
9:00am	Wednesday December 23rd	John Murphy

 

Helping Hands

Helping Hands for the month of December is:
Kalley Moore - 781-538-5178.

Please pray for all who are in need of our prayers that God’s healing and comforting presence may be with them, especially Father William Smith, Father Thomas Nestor, Jen Bombaca, Marianne Slack, Elaine Murphy, Bob Kozlowski, Deacon Bill Wildes, Edward O’Brien, Dorothea Russo, Edward Ronayne, William McCarthy, Marie Dempsey, Pat White, Anita and William Gorham, Mary Whelan, Eleanor Mann, Amy Galehouse Goolkosian, Henry Downes, Billy Wedgwood, Gerald McCue, Kathleen Brown, Brendan Murphy, Kevin Johnson, Monica Cotter, Ann LaMantia, Christine Griffin, Josephine Siders, Douglas DiVito, Mary McGuinnes, Jewel Douglass, Marjorie Kearns, Shannon Capriulo, Olivia Moran and Brianna Cimino.  Please also remember in your prayers all of our deceased family members and parishioners.

Looking For Support During Your Job Search?

Seasoned Human Resources and Marketing pros to lead the Lexington Job Support Group (LJSG) for the Catholic Community of Lexington and our friends.  Learn and share  job search strategies, resources and networking tips while getting support during your search for that next great opportunity.  Meetings are the first and third Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm - 9:00pm at Sacred Heart Parish Center. The next two meetings are January 6th and January 20th. Informal, no need to sign up, come on the evenings you are free with a cup of coffee or supper, and invite a friend.  If you have any questions, contact Bob Ludwig at 781-861-7231 or Donna Heuchling at dheuchling (3)

New Altar Servers Training

Children of the Catholic Community of Lexington, in grades 4 through 12, are invited to become Altar Servers at Saint Brigid's.  This is an important ministry, and a wonderful way for children to become more involved in the liturgy.  Training can be arranged at your convenience.  For questions or to sign up, please contact Jeanne Hobbs at 781-248-9722, or email JeanneHobbs at Verizon dot Net

In Service For Their Country

Lt. John Schiavi, Sgt. Christopher Considine, Timothy Dunbar, Richard Rigley, Chris Cullen, Caitlin R. Battell, Robert McLaughlin, Sean Maddigan, Michelle Leverone, Marissa Leverone, Rev. Paul Passamonti, Airman Jason Cunha, Mark Zarnecki, Elizabeth Leyne, Patrick J. Nordahl, Scott and Michael Donahue, CDR Michael P. MacLellan and Captain Brian Geary.

Lord Jesus, watch over our sons and daughters in the service of their country.  Give them the courage to serve their country with honor and dignity and grant that when their service is finished they may return to us, sound in mind, body and soul.

Adoration

Since Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Friday, we will not have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on those days. Adoration will resume on Friday, January 8.

Mark Your Calendar for WINGS Winter Season!

Mark your calendar for the WINGS (Women IN God’s Spirit) Winter Season on January 7, 14, 21, 28, and February 4. Celia Sirois, one of our favorite WINGS speakers, returns to present a five-week series on Spirituality of the Psalms. The sessions will be on Thursday mornings, 9:30 – 11:15am, in the hall in St. Brigid Parish Center.  Membership in WINGS is not required to attend these sessions or any WINGS program.

The Twelve Days of Christmas was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith - a memory aid, when to be caught with anything in writing indicating adherence to the Catholic faith could not only get you imprisoned, it could get you hanged.  The songs' gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. 

The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: Jerusalem!  Jerusalem!  How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so.

The other symbols mean the following:

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments.
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues.
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists.
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace. 
6 Geese A-Laying = the six days of creation.
7 Swans A-Swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven Sacraments.
 8 Maids A-Milking = the eight beatitudes.
 9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-Leaping = the Ten Commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's
Creed

 

Catholic TV

CatholicTV Will Air 72 Hours Straight of Christmas Programming
at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV

Starting on December 24th, CatholicTV will offer viewers 72 hours straight of Christmas programming. This programming will include among others, Midnight Mass from the Vatican, an Emmy-nominated Christmas musical performance, and even a Christmas cookie episode of the Catholic cooking show, “Our Daily Bread”.
The 72 hours of Christmas programming will stream live at www.CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV where available.
Highlights and details of “ChristmasTV” by CatholicTV are available below (all times Eastern):

• Daughters of St. Paul Christmas Concert:  Tuesday, Dec.22 at 12:30 PM., Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 6 AM, Christmas Eve at 2:30 PM. Christmas Day at 9AM and 7:30 PM, and Sunday, Dec. 27 at 2 PM.
• The Sounds of the Season- A Christmas Concert featuring ‘The Gregorian Concert Choir’ and ‘The Festival Orchestra’ from the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence, RI:  Dec. 24 1:00 PM
• “The Promise” with Bing Crosby- Bing Crosby narrates the Nativity story Dec.24 1:30 AM, Dec.26, 1:00 PM
• Pope Benedict’s Christmas Message- Dec.25 Noon & 10:00 PM, Dec. 26 3:30 AM 
• Real Faith TV:  Christmas Edition- “Christmas: Holy day or Holiday?” Catholic teens share their perspective on Christmas and the need to keep Christ at the center Dec. 24 1:30 AM Dec. 26 8:30 PM
• Midnight Mass at the Vatican Dec. 24 11:00PM , Dec. 25 12:30 AM,  6:00 AM    
• Tajci: I Believe, the Christmas Concert. Croatian-born Catholic Musician Tajci takes viewers on a Christmas musical sleigh ride in this Christmas concert steeped in mystery and resonating with emotion. Dec. 25 8:00 AM, Dec. 26 2:00 AM  
• The Nativity: A Christmas program of music and drama hosted by Princess Grace of Monaco Dec. 25 12:30 AM & 7:30PM

CatholicTV is a nationally-broadcasted television network streaming a live feed 24 hours a day at CatholicTV.com.  Heeding Pope Benedict XVI's call to greater utilize the power of television and new media, the CatholicTV Network features its cable TV station, Catholic web site, mobile apps and widget.  Celebrate Mass online; pray The Rosary; enjoy programs on prayer, the saints, the Scriptures and the Catholic Church on America's Catholic Television Network.

Please pass this information along to any homebound in our parishes.

Sunday, December 20th

NOTE: ALL ACTIVITIES FOR DEC. 20TH ARE CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW

10:00 – MASS –MIRASOL’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY
AND BAPTISMS
11:00 – ADVENT SPEAKER – SR. MAUREEN CLARK
            CHAPLIN OF MCI – FRAMINGHAM
11:30 – CHOIR REHEARSAL

Monday, December 21st

FEAST OF ST. PETER CANISUIUS, PRIEST/DOCTOR
Peter Canisius was a Jesuit catechist and missionary; leading voice in counter-reformation Germany; organized the German Jesuit province and founded several colleges, authored the popular and enduring catechize, Institutiones Christianœ Pietatis; known as the “Second Apostle of Germany.”

Tuesday, December 22rd  

FEAST OF ST. FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI, Virgin
St. Frances was born in Lombardy, Italy, in 1850.  In 1880 she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and in the US schools, hospitals and orphanages for the care of Italian immigrant children.  She died in Chicago on December 22, 1917

Wednesday, December 23rd  

FEAST OF JOHN OF KANTY, PRIEST.
John of Kanty, died in 1473.  He was dean of philosophy and professor of theology at the University of Cracow; noted for his austerity, humility and charity toward the poor.

Thursday, December 24th

CHRISTMAS EVE
MASSES 4 & 7:30 AT SACRED HEART
MASSES AT 5 & 11:00 AT ST. BRIGID

Friday, December 25th

MERRY CHRISTMAS

MASS AT 10:00 AT SACRED HEART
MASSES AT 9:00 & 11:00 AT ST. BRIGID

Haiti Appeal

Within the next week or so, you will receive a letter from the St. Brigid/Sacred Heart Haiti Committee. Please do not overlook this important message: it is our annual appeal asking for funds to pay teacher salaries in our sister parish of Fond des Blancs. Your generosity makes all the difference in the lives of so many children. Thank you!

Advent Speaker Series

Advent Speaker Series entitled "A Look at the Social Justice Work in Our Parish". 

On Sunday December 20th Sr. Maureen Clark, Catholic Chaplain at MCI Framingham will discuss her work with prisoners.  All talks will take place right after the 10:00 a.m. Mass in the hall at Sacred Hear Church.  Please join us!

Women’s Retreat

SEARCHING FOR A SPECIAL GIFT FOR YOUR SPECIAL LADY?  HOW ABOUT A WOMEN’S OVERNIGHT RETREAT IN THE SPRING?  Husbands, family members, significant others—here’s your chance to gift your loved one with a refreshing, renewing overnight at Craigville Beach, on the Cape.  The dates are 5 p.m. on Friday, April 30th to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 1st, 2010.  Supper, breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided, plus reflections, quiet time, music and fun activities!  The all-inclusive registration fee is $125; “scholarship” funds are available.  Contact Beverly Good, pastoral associate Beverly.Good(1) or 781-863-0319, ext. 20) for more details or to reserve your favorite lady a space!

St. Brigid
Offertory for December 12th & 13th	$ 10,240.00
Envelope Offerings	$   8,887.00
Loose Cash	$   1,353.00

Out of the 548 envelopes we sent to St. Brigid parishioners, 286 have used their envelopes. To date we have received $62,280.76 in our Grand Annual Collection from 147 parishioners. Our goal this year is $140,000.

Sacred Heart
Offertory for December 12th & 13th	$   7,604.00
Envelope Offerings	$   6,761.00
Loose Cash	$      843.00
St. Katharine Drexel	$      470.00

Of the 265 envelopes we sent to Sacred Heart parishioners, 136 parishioners have used their envelopes this week. To operate the parish our offertory should be $7,500 per week.To date we have received a total of $38,190 from 74 parishioners in our Grand Annual Collection.  Our goal this year is $313,000.

Thank you to all who so generously contribute to our parishes each week!

—Fr. Colletti

St. Katharine Drexel Concert

St. Katharine Drexel Parish is hosting an Ethnic Celebration of Lessons and Carols for Christmas on Sunday, December 20 at 4:00pm. The program will feature the St. Katharine Drexel Choir, Nigerian Community Choir, Boston Community Choir, Kenyan Community Choir and the Cape Verdean Community Choir of Brockton. Admission is free. St. Katharine Drexel Parish is located at 517 Blue Hill Avenue, Dorchester.

Pennies for Jo!

It’s been a while since we have put a request for “pennies for Jo” into the bulletin…And did we hear about it!!!  Josephine Murphy saves pennies for different charities over the year and every once and awhile she gives us a nudge to put this request into the bulletin.  (See Jo, I did pay attention!)  So, if you could dig out all of those jars of pennies, check in all of your junk drawers and for the containers on the closet floors to get those pennies to Jo, it would greatly be appreciated.

Holy Humor

A single guy decides life would be more fun if he had a pet. So he went to the pet store and told the owner that he wanted to buy an unusual pet.

After some discussion, he finally bought a centipede (a 100-legged bug) that came in a little white box to use for his house. He took the box back home, found a good location for the box, and decided he would start off by taking his new pet to church with him, so he asked the centipede in the box, "Would you like to go to church with me today? We will have a good time." But there was no answer from his new pet.

This bothered him a bit, but he waited a few minutes and then asked him again, "How about going to church with me and receive blessings?" But again, there was no answer from his new friend and pet.

So he waited a few minutes more, thinking about the situation. He decided to ask him one more time; this time putting his face up against the centipede's house and shouting, "Hey, in there! Would you like to go to church with me and learn about The Lord?"

YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS!

A little voice came out of the box:.............

"I heard you the first time! I'm putting on my shoes."

Religious Education classes are CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW Sunday, December 20th 11:15 to 12:15 at Sacred Heart Parish Center for grades 1-8.

THERE ARE NO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES   DECEMBER 21ST TO DECEMBER 23RD.
CLASSES RESUME JANUARY 10TH.
CONFIRMATION CLASSES WILL RESUME
JANUARY 11TH & 12TH

O Antiphons

Most Roman Catholics have heard and sung the “O Antiphons” for years even if they don’t know it.  An antiphon is a brief refrain, usually from the Bible, either sung or said during worship.  An “O” antiphon is an antiphon that starts with O, as in “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”—each verse of that song is made up of an “O Antiphon.”
The antiphons are most at home in the Liturgy of the Hours, the collection of psalms, hymns, prayers, and readings that that make up the regular rhythm of the Church’s prayer at morning, midday, evening, and night.  The “O Antiphons” your friend refers to are verses used during the Church’s evening prayer from December 17-23.  With one verse spoken or sung before Mary’s Magnificat each evening, these antiphons call on the Lord to come to his people using titles taken from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
When the “O Antiphons” are sung in Latin, they present a sort of acrostic with a hidden message.  The first letter of each title in the antiphon spells sarcore, which is ero cras spelled backward.  In Latin, ero cras means “tomorrow I come” or tomorrow I shall be.”
In their original language context, the “O Antiphons” have a particularly rich significance, but they remain beautiful even when sung simply in English as the verses of “O Come, O Come Emmanual.”

All children are invited to join in the Children’s Liturgy of the Word, a special weekly presentation and discussion of the day’s scripture readings. After a blessing and dismissal by the priest before the first reading during St. Brigid’s 9:00am Mass, the children proceed downstairs to Keilty Hall to participate in this program. They rejoin the Mass after the homily. We will not have Children’s Liturgy of the Word next Sunday, December 27. CLW will resume on the following Sunday, January 3. 

The Lexington Food Pantry Collection
St. Brigid and Sacred Heart

The weekend of December 19th and 20th is the collection of non-perishable food. Items may be left in the food bins at St. Brigid or on the altar at Sacred Heart. Please check the expiration dates. These items are always needed: low sugar cereals, oatmeal, canned fruit in light syrup or fruit juice, low sodium vegetables, meals in a can, rice, tomato sauce and peanut butter. The food pantry also accepts hygiene items and paper products since food stamps cannot be used for non-food items. Cash, supermarket gift cards and checks made out to the Lexington Food Pantry may be placed in an envelope marked Lexington Food Pantry and placed in the offertory basket or left at the office. We thank you for your generosity and support of this endeavor throughout this past year and wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Last year we set up an emergency system for the Mass schedule in the event of a snow storm…If there is a 6” snowfall or more and/or icy conditions prevail, we will contact the answering service and leave a message with them. Please call St. Brigid, 781-862-0335 or Sacred Heart, 781-862-4646. We will also put the message on WBZ Storm Center and Channel 7 News. As always, common sense should be your guide; your safety should come first. If we adhere to this system it will give the towns a chance to finish their plowing. It will also give our plows a chance to clear the parking lots.

Kids & Carols: A Birthday Party for Jesus

CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW

Kids of all ages are invited to a birthday party for Jesus on Sunday, December 20th, in Keilty Hall after the 9:00am Mass at St. Brigid Church.  We’ll have refreshments and lively caroling for all and cookie decorating for the younger set.  And oh, yes, we’re also expecting a resident of the North Pole to join the party!

The Legend of the Christmas Candy Cane

To celebrate Christmas, a candy maker decided to make a candy that would include several symbols of the life of Jesus Christ, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane.  He began with a stick of pure white, solid candy: white to symbolize the Virgin birth and solid to symbolize the firm love Jesus has for all of us.  The candy maker made the candy in the shape of a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus.  Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker added red stripes.  He used three small stripes to represent the nails that held Jesus on the cross and a large stripe to show the blood shed by Jesus, giving us the promise of eternal life. Then he added the wonderful flavor of peppermint which is a royal gift of spice.  So perhaps the next time you look at this familiar Christmas decoration, you will remember the candy maker and the real meaning
behind the Christmas Candy Cane: 

The Wondrous Birth of Jesus and His Great Love for all of us.

Use Your Expertise To Help Children Read!

Start the new school year off right by helping children in Waltham who need extra help with reading! Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) is looking for volunteers for its Reading Partners Program. Designed to boost confidence and improve reading skills, the program pairs adults age 55 and over with children in grades K-3. Training starts in September so please call Lauren Reid at 781-324-7705 today! Combine the wisdom of age with the energy of youth and become a Reading Partner!