Though you will probably never see it, I can tell you that the chapel for our retired priests at Fitzgerald Hall in Little Rock, as well as the priests' living quarters there, are nice, comfortable, and adequate for their needs. They have three meals cooked for them a day, while they enjoy each others' company in the dining room.
The ongoing support for these and other retired priests who live elsewhere (like Father Rossi in Hot Springs), as well as priests who are sick or in need of round the clock care at a skilled care institution, is made possible through the annual Christmas Collection that is taken up as the only collection at Christmas Masses throughout Arkansas. Your generosity is never taken for granted, and I know it is ALWAYS MUCH appreciated by the 17 priests who benefit from it now and others who will need it in the future.
How would you feel if your birthday fell on the day after Christmas? (At least six of our parishioners do). St. Stephen (the first martyr) knows, as his Feast Day is on December 26. Then there's St. John, the Apostle and Evangelist (on December 27), and The Holy Innocents (on December 28). These all fall during the Octave of Christmas (which is the first eight days of the Christmas season) and include the feast of The Holy Family (on December 29) and the Solemnity of Mary The Mother of God (on January 1). PLEASE consider making the Octave of Christmas special by participating in Mass for all or some of these celebrations. We WILL celebrate Mass on Saturday, December 28 (Holy Innocents) at 9:00 a.m.
The ongoing support for these and other retired priests who live elsewhere (like Father Rossi in Hot Springs), as well as priests who are sick or in need of round the clock care at a skilled care institution, is made possible through the annual Christmas Collection that is taken up as the only collection at Christmas Masses throughout Arkansas. Your generosity is never taken for granted, and I know it is ALWAYS MUCH appreciated by the 17 priests who benefit from it now and others who will need it in the future.
How would you feel if your birthday fell on the day after Christmas? (At least six of our parishioners do). St. Stephen (the first martyr) knows, as his Feast Day is on December 26. Then there's St. John, the Apostle and Evangelist (on December 27), and The Holy Innocents (on December 28). These all fall during the Octave of Christmas (which is the first eight days of the Christmas season) and include the feast of The Holy Family (on December 29) and the Solemnity of Mary The Mother of God (on January 1). PLEASE consider making the Octave of Christmas special by participating in Mass for all or some of these celebrations. We WILL celebrate Mass on Saturday, December 28 (Holy Innocents) at 9:00 a.m.
Most of us are aware of the campaign to "Keep Christ in Christmas" which is supported strongly by the Knights of Columbus through billboards and decals for the back of our cars. This effort is clearly pointed at the secularism of Christmas that can easily distract us from the main reason we have this holiday, to commemorate and celebrate Christ's birth.
In recent years I have tried to promote "Keeping Christ ON Christmas" by encouraging parishioners to put Christ FIRST ON Christmas by participating in one of the Masses on Christmas Day. Since we are NOT planning to have a midnight Mass this year, our Masses on Christmas Day will be at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.
Due to the advent of Christmas Vigil Masses on Christmas Eve, due in large part to the shortage of priests, has led to more and more people participating in Mass on Christmas Eve. In many churches there is now only one on Christmas morning (and often it is poorly attended). Unfortunately, I am not courageous enough to have all of our Christmas Masses on Christmas Day. You will, as usual, have the chance to participate in Mass at Sacred Heart on Christmas Eve at 4:00 p.m.
I challenge you to consider putting Christ FIRST ON Christmas Day by participating in one of our morning Masses (or a morning Mass wherever you will be for Christmas). It will put everything else you do on Christmas in proper perspective - as secondary to celebrating Christ's birth with fellow believers at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
In recent years I have tried to promote "Keeping Christ ON Christmas" by encouraging parishioners to put Christ FIRST ON Christmas by participating in one of the Masses on Christmas Day. Since we are NOT planning to have a midnight Mass this year, our Masses on Christmas Day will be at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.
Due to the advent of Christmas Vigil Masses on Christmas Eve, due in large part to the shortage of priests, has led to more and more people participating in Mass on Christmas Eve. In many churches there is now only one on Christmas morning (and often it is poorly attended). Unfortunately, I am not courageous enough to have all of our Christmas Masses on Christmas Day. You will, as usual, have the chance to participate in Mass at Sacred Heart on Christmas Eve at 4:00 p.m.
I challenge you to consider putting Christ FIRST ON Christmas Day by participating in one of our morning Masses (or a morning Mass wherever you will be for Christmas). It will put everything else you do on Christmas in proper perspective - as secondary to celebrating Christ's birth with fellow believers at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
The Ordo (Order of prayer in the Liturgy of the hours and the Eucharist) lists all the days of the Church year and indicates what is celebrated that day and has details that help priests in preparing for the liturgy of the hours and Mass that day. For this coming Monday, December 9, the Ordo lists this day as the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patronal Feast of the United States of America. Then, it has in parenthesis, "Not a holy day of obligation this year." I must say I was more than a little surprised that the bishops of the United States did not make this solemnity in which Catholics are obliged to participate in Mass that day.
When the bishops decided to make holy days that fall on a Monday or Saturday non-obligatory, they did so, I believe, primarily because of regularly scheduled Masses on Saturday and Sunday evening that are always celebrating the Mass of Sunday. Some parishes, given the size of the Church, may not be able to schedule enough Masses for the holy day when it falls on a Saturday or Monday, to care for the needs of the people AND have their regularly scheduled weekend Masses.
The bishops still ask us to STRONGLY encourage our people to participate in holy days that falls on a Monday or Saturday. I am going to do this verbally at Mass this weekend AND schedule two opportunities for our parishioners to attend Mass this Monday at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. PLEASE consider participating in the Solemnity NOT because you are obliged to do so (because you aren't this year), but becuse of your love for The Lord and His Mother, Mary, and her continuing intercession for our country. We certainly need her help.
When the bishops decided to make holy days that fall on a Monday or Saturday non-obligatory, they did so, I believe, primarily because of regularly scheduled Masses on Saturday and Sunday evening that are always celebrating the Mass of Sunday. Some parishes, given the size of the Church, may not be able to schedule enough Masses for the holy day when it falls on a Saturday or Monday, to care for the needs of the people AND have their regularly scheduled weekend Masses.
The bishops still ask us to STRONGLY encourage our people to participate in holy days that falls on a Monday or Saturday. I am going to do this verbally at Mass this weekend AND schedule two opportunities for our parishioners to attend Mass this Monday at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. PLEASE consider participating in the Solemnity NOT because you are obliged to do so (because you aren't this year), but becuse of your love for The Lord and His Mother, Mary, and her continuing intercession for our country. We certainly need her help.