Christmas Season
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Medita on: The Lord of all comes as a slave amidst poverty. “The huntsman has no wish to startle his prey.” Choosing for birthplace an unknown village in a remote province, he is born of a poor maiden and accepts all that poverty implies. If he had been born to high rank and amidst luxury, unbelievers would have said the world had been transformed by wealth. If he had chosen as his birthplace the great city of Rome, they would have thought the transforma on had been brought about by civil power. Suppose he had been the son of an emperor. They would have said: “How useful it is to be powerful!” Imagine him the son of a senator. It would have been: “Look what can be accomplished by legisla on!” But in fact, what did he do? He chose surroundings that were poor and simple, so ordinary as to be almost unno ced, so that people would know it was the Godhead alone that had changed the world. No one was afraid to approach Christ, over‐awed by his immense wealth; no one was kept from coming to him by the grandeur of his royal estate. No, he who was offering himself for the salva on of the world came as an ordinary worker. The Word of God in a human body was laid in a manger, so that all would have courage to share in the food of salva on. Perhaps this is what the prophet foretold when he said, speaking of the mystery of the manager: The ox knows its owner and the ass its master’s manger, but Israel does not know me; my people have not understood. He whose godhead made him rich became poor for our sake, so as to put salva on, within the reach of everyone. This was the teaching of Saint Paul when he said: He was rich, but for our sake he became poor, to make us rich through his poverty. St Theodotus of Ancyra, 4th century martyr “Non temete, ecco vi annunzio una grande
gioia, che sarà di tu o il popolo: oggi vi è nato nella ci à di
Davide un salvatore, che è il Cristo Signore. Questo per voi il
segno: troverete un bambino avvolto in fasce, che giace in
una mangiatoia”. Soltanto la contemplazione può
semplificare la nostra preghiera per arrivare a constatare la
profondità della scena e del segno che ci è dato. Una
mangiatoia, un bambino, Maria in contemplazione,
Giuseppe meditabondo: “Veramente tu sei un Dio
misterioso!”. Il Padre, il solo che conosce il Figlio, ci conceda
di riconoscerlo affinché l'amiamo e lo imi amo. Nessun
apparato esteriore, nessuna considerazione, nel villaggio
tu o è indifferente. Solo alcuni pastori, degli emargina
dalla società... E tu o questo è voluto: “Egli ha scelto la
povertà, la nudità. Ha disprezzato la considerazione degli
uomini, quella che proviene dalla ricchezza, dallo splendore,
dalla condizione sociale”. Nessun apparato, nessuno
splendore esteriore. Eppure egli è il Verbo che si è fa o
carne, la luce rives ta di un corpo. Egli si trova nel mondo
che egli stesso con nuamente crea.
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Rejoice! Our Saviour is Born!
Christmas Bake Sale Dec 21 The Mt Carmel Society will be holding a Bake Sale a er all the Masses, just in me for Christmas, while supplies last. Coffee & Goodies Come to the Hall a er the 10:30 Mass Dec 21 and enjoy some Starbucks coffee and delicious goodies while cha ng with fellow parishioners. Office Closed The parish office will be closed between Christmas and New Year’s, re‐opening Monday, Jan 5, 2015. Prison Ministry Christmas Cards and 2015 Calendar Drive Catholic Chari es Jus ce Services (CCJS) is seeking dona ons of your surplus unused Christmas Cards and 2015 Calendars for prisoners. Calendars may be wall, desk, or appointment style. Please ensure dona ons are of a modest theme, suitable for prison chapels. Collec on points: St. Mary's Chilliwack, Our Lady of Good Counsel Surrey, Christ the Redeemer West Vancouver, Holy Rosary Cathedral Vancouver, Immaculate Concep on Vancouver, St. Mark’s Vancouver. Items can also be mailed to CCJS Prison Ministry c/o St. Mary's Chilliwack, 8909 Mary Street, Chilliwack BC V2P 4J4. Deadline: Thursday, Jan 15. For more info, please contact Maureen Donegan at 604‐791‐1864 or Germaine Solaiman at gsolaiman@rcav.org. CHURCH CLEANING
Thank you for dedica on and faithful service!
Week of Dec 21 MT CARMEL SOCIETY: Santa Cuccione , Vi oria Ga Week of Dec 28 ST ANTONIO DE CICCIANO:
Maria Pollastre , Immacolata Lemmo, Emilia Ponto Week of Jan 4 M&M GROUP: Lina Bernardi, Giuseppina Di Tomaso, Margherita Cucca
A Message from the Pastor When Gabriel arrives to bring Mary the news that she will bear a child…she listens. When the angel tells Joseph in his dreams what is about to happen…he listens. The shepherds listen when the angel announces the “good news of great joy.” In the passage immediately following this, they go out and tell the world what they have seen. And the world listens. Two thousand years later, we confront this stunning message – “ dings of comfort and joy,” as the carol describes it – and our hearts swell with the sen ment of this holy season. We hear. But are we paying a en on? Are we listening? Christmas invites us to listen. To listen for God’s messengers. To listen for His good news: A Saviour is born to us…. Christ the Lord! Merry Christmas and Blessings to all our families here at St. Francis of Assisi. Father Eugenio Aloisio Christmas and New Year’s Mass Times The Mass mes for Christmas and New Year’s are: Dec 24 5 pm (Family Mass), 9 pm, Midnight Dec 25 9 am (Italian), 10:30 am Dec 31 8 am (weekday), 5 pm (an cipated) Jan 1 9 am (Italian), 10:30 am, 5 pm A reminder that Christmas and New Year’s are holy days of obliga on. The weekday Mass schedule will follow the regular schedule over the holidays. SFA School Bo le Drive Please save your emp es over the holidays and help support our bo le drive on Saturday, Jan 10. Drop off is from 10 am – 3 pm in the school parking lot. Please pre‐sort all the beverage containers and keep all pop cans and bo les in their cases, if possible. If you are a business owner and would like to donate your recyclables, call Debi at 604‐968‐2508. Thanks! Catholic Chari es Men’s Hostel needs Socks & Underwear
The Catholic Chari es Men’s Hostel is a 102‐bed shelter which provides safe refuge for des tute men in need in Vancouver. Please help our guests feel more comfortable with a new pair of socks and underwear, every size needed. Gloves, scarves, sweaters, and toques too. You can drop off items at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre, 150 Robson or contact the hostel at 604‐443‐3292 MensHostel@rcav.org Preschool Open House Our preschool is hos ng an Open House on Tuesday, Jan 27 from 11 am ‐ 4 pm. See the school, meet the teachers. For more info, call 604‐255‐9839. ONE Conference 2015 The Archdiocesan ONE Conference is back on February 14, 2015! Ignite your faith life and spread the good new! Come and Start Joy in your World by listening to great speakers, celebra ng Mass with Archbishop Miller and worshipping as ONE. Saturday, Feb 14, 2015 at the Vancouver Conven on Centre. Tickets and more informa on is available online at www.rcav.org/one Mass Inten ons and Parish Ac vi es
Sat Dec 20 5:00 pm
† Teodoro Pagliuso † Pietro Sudilo Sun Dec 21
9:00 am 10:30 am 12:00 pm
† Crescenzo family † Zenaide Vetere † Domenico Di Tomaso † Domenico Compeol † Antonio Verga Bap sm ‐ Welcome to Veronika
Walec
Bap sm ‐ Welcome to Stella &
Simone Crescenzo‐Hodgkins
† Luigi & Michelina Morena 1:00 pm
5:00pm
Mon Dec 22 8:00 am † Ermina Salvino 7:00 pm Funeral Prayers ‐ Lepore
Tue Dec 23 9:30 am
7:00 pm
Funeral for Carmela Lepore
Perpetual Novena ‐ St Francis
Wed Dec 24 8:00 am 5:00 pm 9:00 pm 12:00 am
Virgin Mary & Baby Jesus † Tony Verga † Silvio Bevacqua All Parishioners Thu Dec 25 9:00 am † Serafina & Raffaele Torchia † Giuseppe Franciosi 10:30 am † Serina Ferrara † Tony Verga
Fri Dec 26 8:00 am
† Luigi Salvino
St Stephen Sat Dec 27 St John 9:00 am † Rosina Funaro † Pasquale Faugno 5:00 pm † Giuseppe & Vincenza Morena Special Inten on Gubiani family Sun Dec 28
9:00 am 10:30 am 12:00 pm
5:00pm
† Pagliuso family † Joe Di Lorenzo † Luigi Bernardi & family † Giovanni & Maria Assalone Bap sm ‐ Welcome to Joshua
Neese † All Deceased Parishioners Mon Dec 29 8:00 am
All Saints Tue Dec 30 7:00 pm
Perpetual Novena ‐ St Anthony Wed Dec 31 8:00 am † All Souls in Purgatory 5:00 pm SFA Parish & School Thu Jan 1 Mary, Holy Mother 9:00 am All Priests 10:30 am † Anh Truc Ho 5:00 pm All Parishioners Fri Jan 2 8:00 am
† Fr Angelo DePompa Sts Basil & Gregory Sat Jan 3 9:00 am † Cataldo family † Giuseppe & Maria Masi 5:00 pm † Teresa Mazzei Sun Jan 4
9:00 am 10:30 am 5:00pm
† Domenico Biton † Antonio Dela Figliola † Pietro & Anna Ferrucci † Luis & Precy Abundo related to today’s Readings
notes from Fr. Boniface
To the shepherds, the angel announced the birth of Jesus as the Messiah promised to Israel: “To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” From the beginning he was “the one whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world”, conceived as “holy” in Mary’s virginal womb. God called Joseph to “take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit”, so that Jesus, “who is called Christ”, should be born of Joseph’s spouse into the messianic lineage of David. CCC
#437 Jesus was born in a humble stable, into a poor family. Simple shepherds were the first witnesses to this event. In this poverty heaven’s glory was made manifest. The Church never res of singing the glory of this night: The Virgin today brings into the world the Eternal and the earth offers a cave to the Inaccessible. The angels and shepherds praise him and the magi advance with the star, for you are born for us, Li le Child, God eternal! CCC #525
For this reason the apostles confess Jesus to be the Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”; as “the image of the invisible God”; as the “radiance of the glory of God and the very stamp of his nature”. CCC #241 Our founding pastor, Fr Boniface Heidmeier OFM,
documented the humble beginnings of St. Francis
of Assisi Parish. He describes their efforts in fixing
up the basement to become more of a parish hall.
In 1939, St. Patrick’s Day fell as usual on the 17th of March, and we felt that an obliga on to put on a concert. There was talent aplenty in the parish for a performance that would do St. Patrick and all the Irish a really great honour. The place chosen for this enterprise was the basement beneath our church. Consequently it had to be fixed up. A thin cement floor already covered the space; but it was necessary to cover it with wooden floor on account of the humidity. Mr. Jim Grant, who built the church, had an es mate for the lumber ‐ $60.00 – and the work began. A stage, too, was set up, and we had our first St. Patrick Concert. It was so good and so well patronized that it brought in the fabulous sum of $46.75! Now, that unexpected financial success went straight to our heads and we decided to finish the rest of the basement though it meant spending $103.00! I got a number of boys together and set to work, and in less than no me the hardwood floor was nailed down; perhaps I should use the technical term and say: was laid down; but we nailed it. When the stage had been completed, Sister Philippa, superior of St. Pauls’ Hospital, sent a professional scenery painter to decorate the stage. These murals were seen un l 1953, when the en re basement was pulled to pieces for a new arrangement. Durante il doloroso esilio a Babilonia, l'inviato di Dio porta parole di consolazione al popolo, come se l'esilio fosse concluso. Già vede la carovana degli esilia verso Gerusalemme, preceduta da un messaggero che corre come avesse le ali ai piedi per dare la no zia dell'arrivo dei deporta . Il profeta contempla la scena dall'alto del monte di Gerusalemme: vede il messaggero, in ci à esplode la gioia, le sen nelle dalle mura scrutano lontano, gli esilia ritornano da Babilonia e in testa li guida il Signore! Ezechiele aveva visto la gloria del Signore allontanarsi dalla ci à santa distru a e seguire il suo popolo in esilio. Ora ritornano insieme. La schiavitù è finita. La realtà fu diversa. All'arrivo a Gerusalemme il gruppo di esilia non trovò nessuna esplosione di gioia, ma un'accoglienza fredda, con contras fra i residen e i nuovi arriva . Il profeta si era illuso? Il popolo cominciò a capire: il ritorno da Babilonia era solo l'immagine di un'altra liberazione che Dio aveva in mente. Bisognava aspe are Gesù. E Giovanni, nel Prologo compone un inno sublime che con ene il seme di tu o lo sviluppo: Gesù inviato del Padre, sorgente di vita, luce del mondo, pieno di grazia e di verità, Unigenito nel quale si rivela la gloria del Padre. . Nella prima strofa Gesù è la Sapienza di Dio, che pianta la tenda in mezzo a noi, che rivela agli uomini il volto di Dio. Egli è la Parola ul ma di Dio, la stessa che ha creato il mondo. Questa Parola nel mondo divide la storia in tenebre e luce (dove c'è lui), come una spada. Alla fine la luce avrà la meglio. La seconda strofa è sulla figura del Ba sta, vero tes mone della luce perché ha saputo riconoscerla e indicarla. La terza strofa mostra Cristo luce auten ca, che conosce il rifiuto e la chiusura. Gli uomini ‐ persino la sua gente ‐ preferiscono l'oscurità. Gesù stesso si meraviglierà dell'incredulità dei suoi conterranei. Significa che la luce non s'impone, lascia liberi di scegliere fra benedizione e maledizione. Chi crede nella luce gioisce e diventa figlio di Dio, un diri o inaudito. La quarta strofa è il culmine del prologo; parole che oggi ascolteremo in ginocchio, stupi di fronte a Dio che per amore si spoglia della sua gloria e prende la nostra carne, diviene uno di noi. La quinta strofa ripresenta il Ba sta che grida in favore di Gesù. La sesta strofa è il canto di gioia a Dio per il dono incredibile e inarrivabile. Ora per conoscere il Messia basta contemplare Gesù in quello che fa', che insegna. Sopra u o nel momento più alto della "gloria", sulla croce. In quella il Padre ha de o tu o.