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When you enter St. Francis this Sunday, or watch Mass on livestream, you’ll see that we will still have our Christmas trees up.  Some people wonder, why are the Christmas decorations still up on January 9th?

Most of us know the song the 12 days of Christmas, with its list of strange Christmas gifts (who needs eight maids-a-milking???). The traditional 12 days of Christmas counted the days from Christmas to the Epiphany, which is traditionally celebrated on January 6th, even though in some countries, like the US, it is now celebrated on a Sunday.  These 12 days were the days of the Christmas season when the mystery of the incarnation was reflected upon and celebrated by the Church.

Today the Christmas season has been expanded.  It now extends from the evening of December 24th until the Sunday after the Epiphany.  The Sunday after Epiphany is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  This is why our Christmas decorations are still up and we are still celebrating Christmas on January 9th.

So what unifies the Christmas season?  The liturgy during this season celebrates everything from the birth of Christ, to the visit of the Magi, to the presentation of the Lord in the temple 40 days after His birth.  But it also celebrates the Baptism of Jesus when he was 30 years old.  How do all of these episodes of Jesus life fit together?

While December 25th definitely celebrates the birth of Jesus, the Christmas season really celebrates the identity of Jesus.  It celebrates who He is.  Jesus is the incarnate Son of God.  He is Emmanuel, God with us, in the flesh.  All of the Christmas feasts point to this reality.  The angels announced him as Lord, and Christ and shepherd at his birth.  The Magi recognize this and offer him gifts honoring him as King, and God and sacrifice.  Simeon and Anna recognize and proclaim who Jesus is at his Presentation in the Temple; and at His baptism, the voice of the Father reveals that Jesus is the Son of God. That is why this event from Jesus’ adult life is celebrated in the Christmas season.

Christmas is a season of revelation and epiphany.  It gives us an opportunity to reflect on the great event of the incarnation of God in history.  The many days of Christmas allow us to immerse ourselves in the great love God has for all of us.  One day is no where near enough time to take in the reality of what Christ’s birth means.  Maybe a lifetime is not enough time to take in just how much God loves us.

So Merry Christmas, again, yes, in January.

-Joseph Nuzzi
Director of Evangelization

The Christmas flowers and wreaths which adorn our church at Christmas are offered to honor the birth of Christ and to glorify God. Thank you to everyone who donated toward our Christmas decorations.

In Memory of:

Carlina Apolinaris Acevedo
Francisco Castro Astacio
Basso Family
Alfred Lee & Catherine Bowse
The Brown Family
Anthony Carbone
Angelina Carbone
Maria Carbone Muia
Nancy Carbone & Salvatore Carbone
Robert Carter
Patricia Ann Castro
The deceased members of the Cipriani Family
The deceased members of the Colozzi and DeLuca families
Gregory Paul Conyers
Bertha & Charles Degnan
In memory of parents Frank and Giovannina DiPaolo, Aunt Nunziata DiPaolo and grandparents Felice and Maria DiPaolo
Thomas & Theresa Dolan
James + Mary Dunleavy
Anna + Michael Dunleavy, Sr.
The Dunleavy Family
Caroline M. Fagan
Joseph Fagan
Fisco Family
Anthony M Galgano Jr.
Roberto Ghan, Grace Ghan Duroy, Henry Gahan, Rosario Peralta,
Joan Dorothy Gilbride
Thomas Aquinas Gilbride
Charles Francis Gilbride
Catherine Collins Gilbride
Ruth Anne Gilbride
Edmona Glasgow
Joseph A. Gorski, Sr., Irene J. Gorski
The deceased members of the Harlan and Lediger Family
Elizabeth Healy
Billy Heuser
The deceased Members of the Huston & Staub Families
Jane R. and Charles Janiak
M. Knowles, R. Knowles, E. Friend, R. Isaacs, S. Ross, M. Kuerzi
Deceased Memembers of the Le, Kane & McCarthy Families
James Lloyd
Edward Loftus
Mary Locz
Padre Santiago Mallen, CSSR
Alice McCormack
Helen McKeon
Joan Melone
In Memory of Michael Mitchell & Helen Bloomer
William “Bill” C. Morrisey
The deceased family members of Billy & Kim Morrisey
William C. Morrisey
William C. Morrisey
Lafacadio Molina
Rev. Paul Moore, Jr.
William C. Morrissey
William Morrisey
Juan Martin Peralta, Rosita Peralta Cayab Yab, Rufina Ghan
James and Fondine Petkins
Eric A. Rivera, Sr. Jo Laurienzo, SND, Corinne Garnek
Candida Rose and Gerchow Rose
In Memory of Stephen J. & Frances M. Rosty from the Rosty Family
Anne Marie Sargusingh
Tata Luz M. Perez Santiago
Joseph Serluco
Joan Sexton
George Soresco
Jessie Q. Sotto
Starzey Family
Isabel Tarud
Maria Lourdes Tarud
Gabriel Tarud
Humberto Tarud
Ruth and Larry Thorne
Roy and Evelyn Tucker, Eileen and Larry Boyd, Mollie Powell, All those I love
Members of the Valencerina Family
Celeste Vazzana
Dorothy Wendt
Jennie + Charles Wildes, Sr.

And for the special intentions of:

Leroy Potter Alphonso
Adrienne Augustin
Rev. John Beddingfield
Fr. Michael Carnevale, Fr. John Felice, Fr. David McBriar
Uchenna Chukwujekwu
Mazda  F.
Fr. Michael Falce
Michael Gilbride
Providencia Castro Apolinaris de Gilbride
Axel Molina Family
Joan Padgett
Dorothy Waleski
Elsa Young

(*names are listed in alphabetical order by the donor’s first name)

The Bread and Wine for the Christmas Masses were donated by:

Ndidi Chukuma
Valerie Justiniano
Shirish Sivaraj

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Dear parishioners, friends and visitors:

Out of an abundance of caution and to try our best to protect everyone’s health and safety during this current surge in the virus the staff has decided to continue to require masks during Mass and we are now asking people attending in person to present proof of vaccination for the Christmas eve and Christmas Day Masses. If the virus continues to surge and if these measures seem prudent we may continue them in the future also.

There will be security at the main 31st St. entrance and at the 32nd St entrance to the church. The side doors of the church will be available for exit only.

Masks:

Masks will continue to be required for everyone regardless of vaccination status.

Masks must completely cover your nose and your mouth.

We will continue to give communion in the hand only with the communicant wearing their mask until they step aside to consume the Blessed Sacrament.

We are asking for everyone’s cooperation in this effort to protect one another especially during this Christmas season so we can stay as safe and healthy as possible as we celebrate birth of Christ.