St. Joseph Home | Mass Intentions/Readings | Notices | From the Pastor's Desk | Prior Weeks' Bulletins
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Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." - Mk 1:2b-3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mass IntentionsSaturday December 3, 20114:30 p.m. Mass (Paul J. Dwyer)
Sunday December 4, 2011
Monday December 5, 2011
Tuesday December 6, 2011
Wednesday December 7, 2011
Immaculate Conception Thursday December 8, 2011
Friday December 9, 2011
Saturday December 10, 2011
Sunday December 11, 2011 CHRISTMAS FLOWERSThe Christmas Flowers envelope is now available at the doors of the church this weekend and can be found in your offertory envelopes packet for this month. Kindly take the time to remember your loved ones with memorial donations which will assist us with the beautiful flowers and decorations that embellish the worship space during the Christmas Season. Your assistance is very much appreciated, as always. |
WELCOME TO OUR NEW PASTOR!Our new pastor, Fr. Thomas Mahoney, officially starts this Thursday, December 8th . Fr. Thom will be celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception Masses, the annual Holy Day celebrating Our Lady as Patron Saint of the United States, at 9:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. and at all the December 10/11 weekend Masses. Please take a moment to give him a warm welcome after any one of these Masses.THANK YOUFor all of us who have admired the church and hall decorations at Christmas and Easter, especially, and throughout the entire year, it is time to say a sincere thank you to Sheila Finigan. After twenty-one years as Coordinator of the Arts and Environment Committee, Shelia is resigning as of January 1, 2012. With her loyal group, Sheila and the committee have served the parish by honoring God with their creative and organizational talents. St. Joseph’s needs a new Coordinator of the Arts and Environment Committee now so that the beautiful tradition of decorating the church to honor God continues without interruption. For additional information and to volunteer your talents, please contact Patty in the Parish Office.SPECIAL COLLECTIONThe red baskets will be at the doors of the church this weekend, December 3rd & 4th, to receive your kind donations for our parish’s monthly contribution to the Pine Street Inn in Boston. Thank you for your generosity. |
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St. Joseph Home | Mass Intentions/Readings | Notices | From the Pastor's Desk | n Prior Weeks' Bulletins
FAITH FORMATION CLASSES
GOT PRESCHOOLERS?Join us at Pray 'n Play for Advent crafts and stories. Come make nativity scenes, Advent wreaths, and hear the stories of Mary, Joseph, and the first Christmas. Pray 'n Play is our drop-in playgroup for children age 5 and under. Pray 'n Play meets from 4 - 5 pm on Monday afternoons and 10:30 - Noon on Wednesdays. Our wonderful playspace in the basement is complete with cars, trucks, Legos, cardboard bricks, blocks, books, puzzles, ride-on cars, and more! Contact Christa Lucas (clucas@stjoseph.belmont.ma.us) for more info about Pray 'n Play. Our Advent craft schedule includes:
CHRISTMAS MUSIC DAYAre you a Kindermusik or Music Together® family? You’ll love our Christmas Music Day on December 12th, 4 – 5 pm! Children ages 0 – 5 and their caregivers are invited to our first ever Christmas Music Day! Come sing Christmas music as we tell the story of Jesus’ Birth. This is an interactive day with song, dance, instruments, and more designed to benefit even the littlest babies. Every registered family receives a Christmas CD and Coloring Book! Limited to 20 children so register early by emailing clucas@stjoseph.belmont.ma.us.
What: Christmas Music Day
Where: St. Joseph Parish When: Monday, December 12th at 4 – 5 p.m. Cost: $8 offering per family suggested for materials WANTED: CHRISTMAS MUSICIANSMusic Ministry wants your help with the Christmas liturgies. Here are some ways you can help – or email us at music@stjoseph.belmont.ma.us for more information.
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WELCOME!Congratulations to Harper Hogan, Mark Hogan, and Charles Myes who were baptized this past weekend at St. Joseph. May God continue to bless these children, parents, godparents, and familiesPRAYER SHAWLUpcoming Prayer Shawl meeting dates are Dec 5th & 19th ; Jan. 9th & 23rd . Prayer Shawl meets at 10 a.m. in the Parish Library. Materials and instruction are provided. All are welcome.MONDAY MORNING MOVIE: THE FOURTH WISEMANJoin us on Monday December 5th at 10:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall for our monthly Monday Movie. A Magi named Artaban (Martin Sheen) sees a sign in the heavens that he hopes will lead him and his faithful servant to the Messiah. Artaban takes with him three precious gifts to present to the Messiah. For 33 years Artaban pursues Jesus, only to miss Him at every turn. A deeply moving experience examining what true faith really means. Starring Martin Sheen and Alan Arkin.ADVENT MONDAY MORNING PRAYERWe gather, we eat, we pray! Monday Morning Prayer is every Monday morning during the Season of Advent. Teens wake up early and head over to St. Joseph’s to share in prayer together. We gather, we eat, we pray! Bagels and coffee will be served.FAMILY PASTA DINNER: MONDAY, DECEMBER 5All families are invited to attend our monthly Parish Family Pasta Dinner on Monday, December 5, from 5:15 to 7:00 pm. Delicious pasta, meatballs, stuffed shells, sausage and peppers, and salads for all. Please bring a dessert to share. Cost is $8 per adult, $5 per child; children under three eat free.EVENING PRAYERThis Advent, join us for Evening Prayers each Monday night from 7:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the Church for a moment of quiet and contemplation as we await the joy of Christmas. Mondays, 12/5, 12/12, and 12/19.BREAKFAST WITH SAINT NICHOLASThe traditional pancake breakfast will be held on Sunday December 11th following the 10 a.m. Mass. As always, a picture opportunity with the big guy in red will be available. Bring your camera! Tickets for the breakfast are $5 each with a family “maximum” of $20. Advanced ticket sales will be held in the Parish Hall after the 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday December 4th for $4 each, family max of $15.ADVENT RECONCILIATION SERVICECollaborative Parishes Advent Reconciliation Service will take place this year at Saint Luke’s at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 11th . This is the one time during the Advent Season which allows us, as a Collaborative of Parishes, to come together and celebrate this wonderful season of Patient, Hope-filled Waiting for the Lord. Please join your brothers and sisters of Saint Luke, Saint Joseph, Saint Patrick and Sacred Heart in this beautiful prayer service of reconciliation. |
St. Joseph Home | Mass Intentions/Readings | Notices | From the Pastor's Desk| Prior Weeks' Bulletins
NEW ROMAN MISSAL - "AND WITH YOUR SPIRIT"We have been accustomed to replying to the priest with the phrase “And also with you” five times during the Mass. With the New Roman Missal, we now reply, “And with your spirit.” This is a literal translation of the Latin phrase, “et cum spiritu tuo.” This reply is found in the letters of St. Paul and was part of the Eucharistic celebration since the third century when the Mass was still celebrated mostly in Greek. The Greek phrase was eventually translated into the Latin Mass and now the English. Thus it is a very ancient prayer that we Christians have continued to use in several languages for almost 2000 years.It is important to realize that when the priest (or occasionally a deacon) says “The Lord be with you” at five important times during the Mass, it is not only a greeting but also a blessing, a calling down of the Holy Spirit upon the people of God so that they may be united to Christ our Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is used the five times during Mass when a new liturgical action begins: the beginning of Mass, the Gospel reading, beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, beginning of the Communion rite, and just before the final blessing and dismissal. Our response of, “And with your spirit,” is not only a polite response to the priest but also a profession of faith of what Christ does in the Eucharist through the priest. As Saint John Chrysostom in the fourth century explained in a Pentecost homily, “By this reply [And with your spirit] you are also reminded that he [the priest] who is there does nothing, and that the right offering of the gifts is not a work of human nature, but that the mystic sacrifice is brought about by the grace of the Holy Spirit and his hovering over all. For he [the priest] who is there is a man, it is God who works though him.” In other words, our response “And with your spirit” is both a prayer that the Holy Spirit more and more draw the priest closer to Christ and a profession that we believe that the priest, by the grace of sacred ordination, celebrates the Mass not by his own power and goodness but by the grace of the Holy Spirit. That is why we say the priest acts in persona Christi, in the person of Christ, when he celebrates the Mass or any of the sacraments. It is because it is Christ acting personally through the priest. We are truly blessed to be able to worship our God who gives us his very Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. The new translation of the Mass in English gives us a new opportunity to reflect on how Christ comes to meet us in the Blessed Sacrament and indeed in all the individual prayers of the Mass. Daniel Tesvich, SJ INTER FAITH YOUTH MISSION TRIP, FEBRUARY 17-25, 2012High school students: What are you planning to do this February vacation? You could be working with other Belmont high school students, repairing homes and restoring hope in a community that really needs your help. That is what 30 of your classmates will be doing this February vacation, as part of the Inter-faith Youth Mission Trip sponsored by the Belmont Religious Council. If you are a sophomore, junior or senior in high school, you could be part of this important work. This mission trip is held every other year, and many youth from St. Joseph's have participated in previous trips. You will work hard, have some fun, and know that you are doing something that will change the lives of others for the better. Birmingham, Alabama is a community devastated last spring by a series of tornadoes. Homes are now being rebuilt and repaired, and we will be part of that effort. The weather will be warm enough to work comfortably outdoors, as you work in teams with adult advisors from the Belmont area. And you will be able to experience the spirit of a city that played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement. Want to learn more? You and your parents are invited to an informational meeting on Sunday, December 11th at 7:30 p.m. It will be held at the Beth El Temple Center (corner of Concord Ave. and Blanchard Road). The trip organizers (including two parents from St. Joseph's) will be there to tell you about the experience, and answer any of your questions. You can also learn more, and download an application form, at the Belmont Religious Council website: www.belmontrc.org/mission.html. So think about this February vacation. Think about working with your friends, helping others. Would you want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime experience?NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFEThe Waltham-Watertown-Belmont Chapter of Mass. Citizens for Life is again chartering a bus for the 39th annual National March for Life in Washington D.C. January 23, 2012. Departure will be 8:00 p.m. Sunday, January 22nd and returning in the early hours of Tuesday morning, January 24th . If you would like to make the trip to Washington and witness to the sanctity and dignity of life, please contact Maryanne at 617-489-4298 for information and registration. Cost for adults is $35 and students $25. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Seating is limited, so sign up soon.WORLD RELIGIONS: JUDAISM DECEMBER 12THTravel the world with us as we discover more about Judaism and the foundations of Christianity. Almost four thousand years old, Judaism is among the world’s oldest surviving religions, and is one of the first religions to subscribe to monotheism. Comprised of a complex system of ethical codes and laws, Judaism provides its followers with way of life that is centered around the synagogue and the home where God, family and community are the focus. Judaism is a religion of many cultural practices, rituals and traditions. Join us at Noon or 7:30 p.m. |