Advent and Christmas at St. Francis of Assisi
LO, HE COMES! ADVENT VESPERS
Thursday, December 5, 2019 • 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Solemn Sung Vespers is one of the pillars of the official prayer of the Church. Come and celebrate the holy season of Advent by chanting the psalms—the hymns of ancient Israel; by listening to the Advent message proclaimed in God’s Word; and by reflecting on that Word with the help of a homily and sacred silence.
AN ADVENT AFTERNOON OF PRAYER
Saturday, December 14, 2019
2:00 – 5:00 PM; San Damiano Hall • Fee: $20.00
The biblical stories of Advent and Christmas have inspired some of the world’s finest artists. Fr. Michael Reyes, O.F.M., a visual artist currently completing a Master of Fine Arts degree at New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture, will draw on his knowledge of art and the process of painting to help participants reflect on the characters and themes of Advent. The afternoon will include Fr. Michael’s presentations, communal prayer, time for quiet meditation and the opportunity to celebrate our parish’s 5:15 PM Vigil Mass for the Third Sunday of Advent.
Advent Novena of “Simbang Gabi” Masses
The traditional novena of Masses before Christmas (“Simbang Gabi Misa de Aguinaldo”) will be celebrated in the lower church on the following days:
Sunday, December 15, at 4:30 PM
Monday to Saturday, December 16-21, at 6:15 PM
Sunday, December 22, at 4:30 PM
Monday, December 23, at 6:15 PM
For more information and choir participation in these Masses, please email filipinoministry@stfrancisnyc.org.
Carols with the Choir: Sunday, December 15, 2019 at 3:00 PM
Join our choir and instrumentalists for beautiful music that celebrates the season of joy.
A free-will offering will be taken.
Christmas Eve: Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Vigil Masses of Christmas at 4:30 & 5:30 PM
Vigil Mass in Korean at 7:30 PM
Carol singing at 11:30 PM followed by
Mass at 12:00 Midnight
There will be no Confessions on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day: Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Masses at 8:00, 9:15 (Korean), 9:30 (Lower Church),
11:00 AM and 12:30 PM
There will be no Confessions.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Mass at 11:30 AM.
There will be no Confessions.
New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Vigil Masses at 4:30 & 5:30 PM
There will be no confessions.
New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Mass in Korean at 9:15 AM
Mass in English at 11:30 AM
There will be no Confessions.
Visit the St. Francis Christmas Market!
While you are St. Francis, stop by the lobby of the Parish House and take in all the Christmas items on sale. Most items come from countries that have Fair Trade policies. The craftsmanship in many of the items from Peru or Kenya or India is amazing. Some of the small nativities have details so small that you wonder how anyone could make these ornaments. The ornaments from Kenya are made from straw. There are different styles of nativity sets on display, but they are selling quickly since we have a limited supply.
The Christmas Market is open every day. Don’t miss out on this opportunity.
Stewardship: Collections for November 2019
Below is a table comparing November 2018 collections to our current November 2019 collections.
As you can see our collections have gone down and we are not making our budget.
We need everyone to do their part to keep St. Francis on firm financial ground. The best way to use this is to make your offering using our online giving system.
You can sign up for online giving HERE.
We ask all of our members and visitors to offer the equivalent of ONE HOUR of their weekly salary per week to support the mission of the church. This comes to a tithe of 2.5%
Advent Novena of “Simbang Gabi” Masses
The traditional novena of Masses before Christmas (“Simbang Gabi”) are celebrated in the Lower Church from Sunday, December 15 to Monday, December 23. The Masses are sponsored by the Ugnayan Filipino Ministry and Friends.
Everyone is invited!
Sunday, December 15, at 4:30 PM
Monday, December 16 to Saturday, December 21 at 6:15 PM
Sunday, December 22 at 4:30 PM
Monday, December 23, at 6:15 PM
Sunday, December 23 at 4:00 PM
Open Wide Our Hearts, A Pastoral Letter on Racism from the United States Catholic Bishops 11
Most people would not consider themselves to be racist. A person might admit to being prejudiced but certainly not racist. As Christians, we know it is our duty to love others. St. Paul reminds us that we live by the Spirit and the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” We must be honest with ourselves. Each of us should examine our conscience and ask if these fruits are really present in our attitudes about race. Or, rather, do our attitudes reflect mistrust, impatience, anger, distress, discomfort or rancor?
When we begin to separate people in our thoughts for unjust reasons, when we start to see some people as “them” and others as “us”, we fail love. Yet love is at the heart of the Christian life… This command of love can never be “live and let others be.” The command of love requires us to make room for others in our hearts. It means that we are indeed our brother’s keeper.
(to be continued)
The Pastor’s Corner – Sunday December 22, 2019
The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent begins: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.” Joseph is the hero of this section of Matthew’s Gospel. We do not know much about Joseph except for a few references to him in the Gospels, but what we read is amazing. This is not only a compassionate man, but a brave man who is willing take this pregnant woman as his wife. Everything in the culture of those times said: “She should be stoned. Stay away from that woman.” Joseph has a dream and is given an assurance that what his heart is telling him is what he will do. Although we may not have an angel appear in our dreams, many times we should listen to our hearts. They can draw us closer to others that we may not understand. Joseph is strong example for us to consider when we want to understand another person or situation.
I hope you attended the Carols with the Choir last Sunday. It was inspiring, moving, spirit filled. Congratulations to Meredith, the choir, our cantors, organists, and musicians for drawing us closer into the Advent/ Christmas spirit. We are blessed to have such talent here at St. Francis.
Check the schedule for our Christmas Masses!
-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.
Carols with the Choir Christmas Concert
Our Carols with the Choir Concert is one of the most exciting musical events at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi.
Join us Sunday, December 15th, at 3pm.
This beautiful afternoon includes performances from our music ministry, cantors, string quartet and more. Sing along with the choir to some of your favorite Christmas Carols. You don’t want to miss it!
Open Wide Our Hearts, A Pastoral Letter on Racism from the United States Catholic Bishops 10
… Experiencing racism is not limited to African or Native Americans. Many different groups have encountered “in varying degrees the evil of discrimination, racial prejudice, and oppression that endangers the very fabric of American society.”
… We would be remiss not to highlight the experience of Hispanics in our country. Since the Mexican-American War, Hispanics from various countries have experienced discrimination in housing, employment, healthcare, and education. Hispanics have been referred to by countless derogatory names, have encountered negative assumptions made about them because of their ethnicity, have suffered discrimination in applying for college, for housing, and in registering to vote…
Today, many Hispanics are often assumed to be in this country illegally. These attitudes of cultural superiority, indifference and racism need to be confronted; they are unworthy of any follower of Christ. After all, a large part of our nation consists of immigrants and their descendants.
(to be continued)
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