Sunday within the Octave of Christmas
A ray of sunlight illuminates the incense on this very cold morning, while Fr. McGuire offers the first High Mass of the new year.
Our Altar, before Midnight Mass.
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Daily Sermons
December 18 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Antiphons, Little and Great
December 20 – Bp. Dolan – A Few Thoughts on the Annunciation
December 21 – Fr. Lehtoranta – St. Thomas
December 28 – Bp. Dolan – Evil and Good of Anger
December 29 – Bp. Dolan – Katie’s Funeral
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✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Friday’s snow turned Saturday into a lovely Christmas landscape. I hope no one will be inconven-ienced today. I think we missed a few faithful for Christmas due to weather, but it was a grand day for the Child’s Birthday. Thanks and congratulations all around. Blessed Christmas!
But if you did miss, the nice thing is that Christ-mas is an ongoing feast for its full forty days, and we’ve only just begun. But what a busy beginning, with Christmas Eve Sunday, “the day that has no end,” and then the nightwatch and the Pontifical Mass, the strings and more music to greet the dawn, and the final Mass and Vespers, with solitary Margaret to represent the faithful for the finale. Christmas week alternated rest and rejoicing, quiet prayer and increasing activity in view of Katie’s funeral.
The church was full on Friday for another Pontifical Mass, this one a Requiem to lay our dear friend and sacristan to rest. Her warm and friendly presence will be missed. Thanks to those who are stepping forward to help with the always heavy sacristy workload for a bishop and four priests, and all we do in the daily worship of Almighty God. Katie is buried next to her mother in Old St. Joseph Cemetery. She gave her all to God. May she rest in peace.
Our visiting French seminarian, Mr. Henry de la Chanonie, was happy with our Christmas snow after four balmy Florida Christmases. Thomas Simpson and our newest seminarian, Anthony Brueggemann, are now home for their Christmas vacation. A relatively new parishioner, Jack Beiting of Kentucky, tried out his vocation this Fall, entirely to his credit. Even to have lived in the seminary for a few months is a wonderful experience no Catholic young man will ever regret.
Today we have our Holy Innocents Blessing and a little party for our children. They are indeed our future, loaned not given to us by God. Parents, nourish, don’t blemish, their innocence by your good example. Your attitude towards Sunday and Holy Day Mass says it all. God is watching, and so are little eyes. Is it “get to” or “got to” in your house? Our visiting seminarian was impressed with the eagerness of our altar boys.
Our novena of Christmas Masses concludes on Tuesday, the Holy Name of Jesus. Our school starts up again on Wednesday. Epiphany falls on First Saturday, after the All Night Adoration. The special time of 8 AM will see the Epiphany Adoration end with a Solemn High Mass before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed. Afterwards, there’s breakfast for everybody in Helfta Hall.
And so we continue our Christmas at St. Gertrude the Great as we begin our 37th year, the oldest continuous true Catholic Church in the tristate area, with the unchanged Faith and the true Mass. Thanks be to God and St. Gertrude the Great.
Happy New Year,
Bishop Dolan