Christmas Schedule:
Holy Rosary: 7:30 PM Christmas Eve, Dillingham, AK
Saint Theresa: 4:00 PM Christmas Eve, King Salmon/Naknek
Saint Peter: 11:00, Friday, Dec. 17, School, Clarks Point
No Mass at the above villages on Christmas Day
Prayers: Liz Gardener died Tuesday, November 30, 2010 in King Salmon, AK. Please keep Ed Fundeen, the Gardener family, and all Liz’s friends and family in your prayers.
Marriage/Convalidation: George and Ruth will be married in the church during the Mass on Sunday, December 12. There will be a potluck to follow. Congrats George and Ruth!
Nativity Narrative for Children: During Mass on Christmas Eve Bernina and gang will introduce a children’s narrative. If you have children between the ages of 3 and 8 years of age, please contact Bernina Venua.
Christmas Mass at Clarks Point: There will be a Christmas Mass Friday, the 17th of December at 11:00 AM at the school gym in Clarks Point.
Gospel: Please see the Homily below, which describes the Advent Wreath.
Hope you all had a pleasant and wonderful Thanksgiving. See you Sunday…Fr. Scott
HOMILY
2 Week Advent A Sun DLG 2010, Is11:1-10; Rom15:4-9; Mat 3:1-12
The first part of Advent (December 1 – 16) highlights his Second Coming at the end of time, and the second part (December 17 - 24) emphasizes his coming into human history at the time of his birth in Bethlehem. This liturgical season features joy, hope, repentance, expectation and preparation for the coming of Christ.
The coming of God's Son to earth is an event of such immensity that we need time to prepare for it…hence, we have the four weeks of Advent. During Advent season, our Catechism states, “God awakens in the hearts of those who don’t attend church and gives them an idea of how great the birth of Jesus is (Christmas).” It goes on to say that St. John the Baptist is the Lord's immediate forerunner, sent to prepare his way.
Our advent wreath is meant to remind us of the coming of Jesus. As a review I thought I would go over it again.
Purple/Violate: Purple signifies expectation, purification, and penance. A purple or violet color is to remind us that Advent is a season of preparation. We should be spiritually preparing our souls to receive Christ on Christmas.
Rose: Rose, only used the third Sunday of Advent, is symbolic of the Christmas joy. It means rejoice. Mixing violet with white makes the rose color.
Candles: The purple candles symbolize the prayer, penance, sacrifices, and goods works. The rose candle symbolizes an element of rejoicing in the midst of our penitential preparation.
Light: As candles are lit, the light increases. The birth of the Light of the World is coming closer. So may our souls grow brighter in their love for, and anticipation of, the Christ Child.
Circle: The wreath is always in the form of a circle. Circles have no beginning and no end. The circle of the wreath, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ…not a dead end.
Evergreens: Evergreens are “ever green” or “ever alive.” They symbolize Christ, who died, but is now alive, and who will never die again. Evergreens point to never ending life, strength, and healing. The Evergreens depicts the immortality of our soul and everlasting life promised to us through Christ.
Pinecones: Pinecones or nuts used to decorate the wreath symbolize life and resurrection.
Holly and Red Berries: The prickly leaves of Holly remind us of the crown of thorns. Red berries, entwined in the Holly symbolize the blood shed by Christ for all mankind.
Blue Bowls: The blue bowls to hold the candles are to remind us of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, who bore Jesus in her womb and brought Him forth into our world on Christmas.
Advent is about preparation…about reforming our lives so that we can live in God’s peace. By reforming our lives, we can let justice flourish.
Advent is about anticipation…about waiting for God to come into the world because he offers us peace, forgiveness, and healing.
Advent is about God comforting us and seeking out those who are lost or who have gone astray.
Advent is about patiently yet joyfully waiting of Jesus to save us (567 Words).
Why four weeks? Here’s a Question.
What do the for weeks of Advent Represent? Each week represents one thousand years: the 4,000 years from Adam and Eve until the Birth Jesus.
Isaiah 11: 1-10 - But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea. On that day, The root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, The Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.
Romans 15: 4-9 - For whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs, but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: "Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name."
Mat 3: 1-12 - In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'" John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
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