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Dec 2nd -- FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
That as we prepare for the coming of Christ in glory,
we might act justly,
and use the gifts of life which God has given us,
for the greater glory of his name;
We pray to the Lord:
Dec 9th -- SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
That through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
patroness of the United States of America,
we may defend all life from conception to natural death;
We pray to the Lord:
Dec 16th -- THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
For all mothers in this season of newborn joy,
that God may fill them with the joy of the Blessed Virgin,
the strength of Saint Joseph,
and the wisdom of the shepherds who adored the newborn Christ;
We pray to the Lord:
Dec 23rd -- FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
For all doctors and medical professionals,
but especially those who assist in the miraculous birth of children,
that through the intercession of the Mother of God and her most blessed spouse,
they may be rewarded for their work and their goodness;
We pray to the Lord:
Dec 30th -- THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH
For all families,
and especially for parents who have grown very old,
that they may be loved and cherished
by the children whom they have borne;
We pray to the Lord:
"Perhaps, more than in the past, modern man is consumed by material interests and concerns. He seeks security and often feels lonely and anxious. Then what can be said of the enigma of death? Mary's Assumption is an event that concerns us precisely because every human being is destined to die. But death is not the last word. Death - the mystery of the Virgin's Assumption assures us - is the passage to life, the encounter with Love. It is the passage to the eternal happiness in store for those who toil for truth and justice and do their utmost to follow Christ."
Bulletin Briefs
December 2001
May you have the two greatest gifts of all on these holidays: someone to love and someone who loves you.
Every human person-no matter how vulnerable or helpless, no matter how young or old, no matter how healthy, handicapped or sick, no matter how useful or productive for society-is a being of inestimable worth created in the image and likeness of God. This is the dignity of America, the reason she exists, the condition for her survival--yes, the ultimate test of her greatness: to respect every human person, especially the weakest and most defenseless ones, those as yet unborn.
We are always too busy for our children; we never give them the time or interest they deserve. We lavish gifts upon them; but the most precious gift, our personal association, which means so much to them, we give grudgingly.
The family is set at the very center of common good in its various dimensions, precisely because man is conceived and born in it. Everything possible must be done in order that this human being may be desired, awaited, experienced as a particular, unique and unrepeatable value, right from the beginning, from the moment of his conception. He must feel that he is important, useful, dear and of great value, even if infirm or handicapped; even dearer in fact for this reason.
When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?