Ascension Thursday Masses

Thursday is a Holy Day that sneaks up on us.

The stained glass windows in our chapel (pictured above) remind of us of when Jesus, before he ascended, spoke the words which are the basis of our parish mission statement, "Go and Make Disciples."

There is an anticipatory Mass tonight at 5:30 to celebrate the Ascension of Jesus to heaven. The Masses Thursday for this Holy Day are:

6:20 a.m.

8:15 a.m.

12:10 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

The Immaculate Conception

When we celebrate the Immaculate Conception on December 8th each year, it is a common mistake to think we are celebrating the Immaculate Conception of Jesus. At Mass on the Immaculate Conception the Gospel is always the Annunciation. Because the Archangel Gabriel appears to Mary to tell her about the child she would have, sometimes people think that is the conception which is called immaculate. But the Immaculate Conception is about the conception that prepared Mary for this moment; the time where she would choose whether or not to participate in God's plan for salvation.

In the Gospel, the angel Gabriel says, "Hail Mary full of Grace." In Greek the word used, κεχαριτωμένη, is a perfect passive participle of χαριτοω meaning "to fill or endow with grace." The tense indicates that Mary was graced from the instant she first existed in her mother's (Anne's) womb (well before Gabriel visited) and ever since. It might be best understood as her being so full of grace that sin can not enter her.

The first Mass celebrating the Immaculate Conception will be Monday at 5:30 p.m. There will also be Masses Tuesday at 6:20, 8:15, 12:10, 5:30 and 7 p.m. It is such a special event that it is considered a Holy Day of Obligation.

Triduum Schedule

Reconciliation 
After today, there is no scheduled Reconciliation until after Easter Sunday. Today there is Reconciliation from 11:00 to noon and 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the church.

Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper
There is only one Mass on Holy Thursday and it is at 7 p.m. This Mass includes washing of the feet and ends with a procession to the Social Hall where the Eucharist will be placed in an Altar of Repose. Remembering Jesus praying in the Garden, you may come and pray with Him until midnight.

Stations of the Cross
Deacon Hill will lead Stations of the Cross in the church at noon on Good Friday.

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
There are two services on Good Friday - but no Mass. This service does include veneration of the cross. Fr Vogel will lead the 3 p.m. service chanting the Mass (recall that it was at 3:00 that Jesus died.) Fr. Steve will lead the 7 p.m. service.

Easter Vigil  
The Easter Vigil must begin not only after sunset, but after it is dark. In our diocese that is interpreted as after the "Civil Twilight." Our service will begin at 8:30 p.m. in the courtyard. There the new Easter Candle will be lit and lead us into the church. There will be baptisms and confirmation for those who are entering the Church this year.

Easter Sunday
6:00, 7:30, 9, 10:30 a.m. & 12 p.m. The first Mass is earlier than normal - at 6 a.m. Also note that there is NOT a 5 p.m. Mass on Easter Sunday.

Get Your Ashes, Post Your #ASHTAG

Wednesday Masses are at:
6:20, 8:15 a.m.,
 12:10, 5:30 & 7 p.m.

Observing the Practice of the Lenten Fast

The U.S. Catholic bishops call for all Catholics 14 years and older to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the Fridays of Lent. Catholics who are 18 to 59 years old are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting refers to the quantity of food eaten. Traditionally, fasting calls for refraining from eating between meals and consuming only one full meal per day.

The US Bishops are encouraging you

 to take a Selfie Wednesday:

Ascension Thursday is Sneaky

Thursday is a Holy Day that, as Fr Damian says, sneeks up on us. That may be even more true this year since it is the same week as Memorial Day.

The stained glass windows in our chapel (pictured above) remind of us of when Jesus, before he ascended, spoke the words which are the basis of our parish mission statement, "Go and Make Disciples."

There is an anticipatory Mass tonight at 5:30 to celebrate the Ascension of Jesus to heaven. The Masses Thursday for this Holy Day are:

6:20 a.m.

8:15 a.m.

12:10 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

Lenten Cleaning

Today the gravel and dirt is being 

swept up from the parking lots.

 The carpets in the church are also being shampooed.

Because of this, Masses at 5:30 this evening and 8:15 tomorrow morning will be held in the Social Level.

Ash Wednesday Tomorrow

There are Masses tomorrow at:
6:20, 8:15 a.m.,
 12:10, 5:30 & 7 p.m.

Observing the Practice of the Lenten Fast

The U.S. Catholic bishops call for all Catholics 14 years and older to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the Fridays of Lent. Catholics who are 18 to 59 years old are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting refers to the quantity of food eaten. Traditionally, fasting calls for refraining from eating between meals and consuming only one full meal per day.

Mary's Assumption

Today the strongest evidence for Mary's Assumption is, ironically, the complete lack of evidence.

No city ever claimed to have Mary's remains and no early Christian ever claimed to have a bodily relic of Mary. This is unlike the early veneration of the tombs of the Apostles and the other saints. Everyone knew that Peter and Paul's graves were in Rome, John and Timothy's graves were at Ephesus, Luke's grave Luke was in Greece, and Mark's grave was in Alexandria, Egypt and later moved to Venice. Furthermore, James' grave was in Jerusalem and Mary Magdalene's was in Marseille. The graves of the Old Testament saints were similarly venerated: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at Hebron; Rachel at Bethlehem (Matt 2:18), and in Jerusalem (Acts 2:29). The most logical reason to explain why NO early Christian ever spoke about a grave of the Virgin Mary was because there wasn't one.

It's also important to note that while Jesus ascended (it was His action) into heaven, Mary was assumed (God's action) into heaven.

Masses for this Holy Day of Obligation are:

Wednesday

5:30 p.m.

Thursday

6:20, 8:15 a.m., 12:10, 5:30 and 7:00 p.m.

Ash Wednesday Tomorrow

There are Masses tomorrow at:
6:20, 8:15 a.m.,
 12:10, 5:30 & 7 p.m.

Observing the Practice of the Lenten Fast

The U.S. Catholic bishops call for all Catholics 14 years and older to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the Fridays of Lent. Catholics who are 18 to 59 years old are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting refers to the quantity of food eaten. Traditionally, fasting calls for refraining from eating between meals and consuming only one full meal per day.

About the Immaculate Conception on Saturday

The Immaculate Conception is considered such a blessed event that it is considered a Holy Day of Obligation. Because the Immaculate Conception is the patron of the United States, this feast day (like Christmas) is an obligation even when it falls on a Saturday or Monday. However, the Saturday evening Masses (5 and 6:30 p.m.) celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent rather than the Immaculate Conception. As Fr. Steve says, you can't get a twofer by attending Saturday night.

When we celebrate the Immaculate Conception, it is a common mistake to think we are celebrating the Immaculate Conception of Jesus. At Mass on the Immaculate Conception the Gospel is always the Annunciation. Because the Archangel Gabrial appears to Mary to tell her about the child she would have, sometimes people think that is the conception which is called immaculate. But the Immaculate Conception is about her conception which prepared Mary for the Annunciation; the time where she would choose whether or not to participate in God's plan for salvation.

In the Gospel, the angel Gabriel says, "Hail Mary full of Grace." In Greek the word used, κεχαριτωμένη, is a perfect passive participle of χαριτοω meaning "to fill or endow with grace." The tense indicates that Mary was graced from the instant she first existed in her mother's (Anne's) womb (well before Gabriel visited) and ever since. It might be best understood as her being so full of grace that sin can not enter her.

The first Mass celebrating the Immaculate Conception will be Friday at 5:30 p.m. There will also be Masses Saturday at 6:20, 8:15, and 12:10 p.m.
Saturday night, starting at 8 p.m., there will be two hours of Eucharistic Adoration and prayer for the end of abortion as well.

Mary's Assumption

Today the strongest evidence for Mary's Assumption is, ironically, the complete lack of evidence.

No city ever claimed to have Mary's remains and no early Christian ever claimed to have a bodily relic of Mary. This is unlike the early veneration of the tombs of the Apostles and the other saints. Everyone knew that Peter and Paul's graves were in Rome, John and Timothy's graves were at Ephesus, Luke's grave Luke was in Greece, and Mark's grave was in Alexandria, Egypt and later moved to Venice. Furthermore, James' grave was in Jerusalem and Mary Magdalene's was in Marseille. The graves of the Old Testament saints were similarly venerated: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at Hebron; Rachel at Bethlehem (Matt 2:18), and in Jerusalem (Acts 2:29). The most logical reason to explain why NO early Christian ever spoke about a grave of the Virgin Mary was because there wasn't one.

It's also important to note that while Jesus ascended (it was His action) into heaven, Mary was assumed (God's action) into heaven.

Masses for this Holy Day of Obligation are:

Tuesday

5:30 p.m.

Wednesday

6:20, 8:15 a.m., 12:10, 5:30 and 7:00 p.m.

Ash Wednesday is Tomorrow

There are Masses tomorrow at: 6:20, 8:15 a.m., 12:10, 5:30 & 7 p.m.

Observing the Practice of the Lenten Fast

The U.S. Catholic bishops call for all Catholics 14 years and older to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the Fridays of Lent. Catholics who are 18 to 59 years old are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting refers to the quantity of food eaten. Traditionally, fasting calls for refraining from eating between meals and consuming only one full meal per day.

All Saint's Day

Today is a celebration of all

saints known and unknown.

Today in our Opening Prayer we pray:

God our Father,

source of all holiness,

the work of your hands is manifested in your saints,

the beauty of your truth is reflected in their faith.

May we who aspire to have part in their joy

be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives,

so that having shared their faith on earth

we may also know their peace in your kingdom.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Masses today are:

6:20 & 8:15 a.m., 12:10, 5:30 and 7 p.m.

Turn Away from Sin and be Faithful to the Gospel

There are Masses today at: 6:20, 8:15 a.m., 12:10, 5:30 & 7 p.m.

Observing the Practice of the Lenten Fast

The U.S. Catholic bishops call for all Catholics 14 years and older to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the Fridays of Lent. Catholics who are 18 to 59 years old are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting refers to the quantity of food eaten. Traditionally, fasting calls for refraining from eating between meals and consuming only one full meal per day.

Theotokos

Tomorrow is the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. For this Holy Day of obligation, we will have Masses:

Today: 5:30 & 11:00 p.m.

Friday: 7:30, 9:00 & 10:30 a.m.

After the 11:00 p.m. Vigil Mass tonight (which typically ends about 11:45) there is a New Year’s party in the Social Level. Everyone is invited to attend. Drinks to toast the New Year and refreshments are served.