Gingerbread Houses

The week before their break, Kindergarten students built Gingerbread Houses with the help of their 7th Grade Mass buddy at St. Columbkille Catholic School.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We hope they tasted as good as they look.

The Octave of Christmas

There is an ancient practice of celebrating Christmas for eight wonderful days, because how could you celebrate this unfathomable mystery in just one mere morning? This is in sharp contrast to the modern American practice of celebrating Christmas during December. Liturgically we celebrate each Mass during the Octave (eight days) as if it were Christmas. One of those ways is by including the Gloria every day.

The Hebrews celebrated many of their feasts, such as the “Feast of Tabernacles” and the “Dedication of the Temple” for eight days. Later, the Roman Emperor Constantine continued the tradition by celebrating the dedication of basilicas in the Christian World for eight days. Before the Second Vatican Council the Church granted certain feasts an octave including Pentecost, Epiphany, the feasts of Sts. Peter and St. Paul, St. Lawrence, and St. Agnes. Today we celebrate two feasts with Octaves: Easter and Christmas.

Life in the ancient world was so hectic and filled with pressure and families had grown apart and were being swept up in the older pagan traditions so the Church granted a period of eight days in order to contemplate the mysteries experienced in the Church’s liturgy. If the Ancients were busily distracted, what has become of us!? Take some time and be humbled before the Mystery: The Word of God has become man!

Celebrate the New Year

Just as Christmas landed on a Sunday this year, so does the celebration of Mary the Mother of God. On Saturday, there will be an additional anticipatory Mass at 11:00 p.m. That will be followed in the Social Level with a celebration of 2012 at midnight.

You can bring some treats to share or just come join in the celebration.

Feast of the Holy Innocents

While Jesus would end his life dying for other, his life began with other dying because of him. The story is told in today's Gospel:

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

A voice was heard in Ramah,

sobbing and loud lamentation;

Rachel weeping for her children,

and she would not be consoled,

since they were no more.

Today we are reminded of Rachel's weeping with the victims of abortion. Thus we pray for the innocents that were involved in abortion. Through Project Rachel, and similar groups, we pray for hope to those who have been involved in an abortion.

Project Linus

 Because someone stood up with an idea at a Teen Faith Meeting, a service project was done for:

As Charles Schulz’s Linus character from the PEANUTS® comic strip was comforted by his blanket, Project Linus strives to do the same and more for children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. The blankets our nearly 400 chapter coordinators collect from thousands of “blanketeers” across the United States and then distributed to these children provide love, a sense of security, warmth, and comfort.

Two Wednesdays they worked on blankets for children.

Money from the Cookbook sales by 8th grade students at St. Columbkille Catholic School helped pay for some of the meterials.

In the end, 21 blankets went to children in need.

Merry Christmas!

Cookbook

The 8th Grade students from St. Columbkille Catholic

School compiled a cookbook of their favorite recipes.

For the cookbook they interviewed their 2nd Grade Mass buddies. They asked they what their favorite food is? what they think is in that food? and their favorite prayer? Those responses were included as well.

Sales on the cookbook were over $3,0000.

After the expenses were paid, all of the proceeds were given to charities.Some went to buy Christmas Items for children in need in Sarpy County. Some went to the Teen Faith's work on the Linus Project.

The rest of the money was given to the

Stephen Center to help the homeless.

It was their way of saying,

"Merry Christmas!"

Archbishop Lucas' Christmas Message

For Archbishop Lucas's Christmas message, click here.

The Tree of Jesse

Mrs. Taylor's Kindergarten class studied the Tree of Jesse. The promise of Jesus coming was promised long ago as God promised time and time again to send us the Prince of Peace. And in the birth of Jesus, that promise was fulfilled.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Thursday morning our Children's Choir

was practising for the 5:00 Mass tonight.

Christmas Eve Masses:

5 & 7 p.m.

Midnight

Christmas Day:

7:30, 9, 10:30 a.m., noon and 5 p.m.

Preparing for Christmas

The worship space is being prepared for Christmas.

 

 There's some extra task in preparing

 the Social Level for worship.

Music books need to be set out.

This year we also need to set out sheets with the words for

 the New Roman Missal to assit the assembly in worship.

Christmas Parties

There were Christmas parties at St. Columbkille Catholic

School during the half day before Christmas break.

Snowmen were made.

Christmas trees were decorated.

Games were played.

In one you tried to swing a ball onto your nose.

In another, you slide a cookie from your forehead...

... to your mouth without using your hands.

Or jump around to shake the jingle bells out of a box.

Skits were performed.

Crafts were made.

Joy was shared.

Before Mrs. Yanovich's students left, they read How the Grinch Stole Christmas! If all of your presents and decorations were stolen would you still celebrate Christmas? The Who's did, because they remembered what is most importatnt at Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Kindergarten Christmas Program

This morning at Mass Fr. Damian thanked the Kindergarten students at St. Columbkille Catholic School for helping get us all in the Christmas mood through their program last night.

 

 

 

 

 

We hope you "leap for joy" on Christmas!