ST. MARY’S PARISH COMMUNITY
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Dear Parishioners,
I guess we are all pleased when our boss agrees
with us. That is why I was so happy to read the
sermon Pope Francis gave last Sunday in Rome on
the subject of Christian joy. Of course, as I
mentioned in my homily last Sunday, joy is an
essential part of Christianity. It is a virtue that Jesus
wants each of us to experience and to show to
others by the way we live.
With my prayers,
Fr. Conley
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear brothers and sisters, dear children and young
people, good day.
For the last two weeks, the season of Advent has
invited us to spiritual vigilance so as to prepare the
way of the Lord, the Lord who comes. On this third
Sunday, the liturgy proposes to us another interior
attitude for living this awaiting of the Lord, that is,
joy. As this sign says [indicating a sign in the
crowd: "Con Gesù la gioia è di casa"]: With Jesus,
joy is part of the home. That proposes to us the joy
of Jesus.
The heart of man desires joy. All of us aspire to joy.
Every family, every people aspires to happiness.
But what is the joy to which the Christian is called
to live and to give witness? It is that that comes
from the closeness of God, of his presence in our
lives. Since Jesus entered history, with his birth in
Bethlehem, humanity has received the seed of the
Kingdom of God, as the earth receives a seed, the
promise of a future harvest. We don't need to look
elsewhere. Jesus came to bring joy to everyone and
forever.
It is not a joy that is merely anticipated or set in
paradise -- "here on earth we are sad but in paradise,
we'll be happy." No. It's not that. Rather, [it is] a joy
that is already real and that can be felt now, because
Jesus himself is our joy, is our home.
As that sign of yours says, "With Jesus, joy part of
the home," let us repeat this again, "With Jesus, joy
is part of the home." And without Jesus, is their
joy? No. Jesus is alive. He is the risen one and he
works in us, especially with his word and the
sacraments.
BRYANTOWN
All of us who are baptized, the children of the
Church, are called to welcome ever again the
presence of God in our midst and to help others to
discover it, or to rediscover it if we've forgotten it.
It is a beautiful mission, similar to that of John the
Baptist: to point people toward Christ -- not to
ourselves -- because He is the final goal toward
which the human heart reaches when it seeks joy
and happiness.
Again St. Paul in today's liturgy indicates for us the
conditions for being a "missionary of joy": to pray
with perseverance, to always give thanks to God, to
follow his Spirit, to seek the good and avoid evil. If
this would be our style of life, then the Good News
could enter into so many houses and help people
and families to discover that salvation is in Jesus. In
Him, it is possible to find interior peace and the
strength to face daily the various situations of life,
even the most difficult and costly.
A sad saint or a saint with a face of mourning was
never heard of. It's never been heard of. It would be
a contradiction.
The Christian is a person who has his heart full of
peace, because he knows how to place his joy in the
Lord, even when the difficult moments of life arise.
To have faith does not mean to not have difficult
moments, but to have the strength to face them,
knowing we are not alone. And this is the Peace that
God gives to his children.
With eyes set on Christmas, which is approaching,
the Church invites us to give witness that Jesus is
not a figure from the past. He is the word of God
who today continues illuminating the path of man.
His actions, the sacraments, are the manifestations
of the tenderness, of the consolation, of the love of
the Father for each human being. The Virgin Mary,
"cause of our joy" always brings us back to joy in
the Lord, who comes to free us from so many
interior and exterior slaveries.
- Pope Francis
Penance Service
This Sunday, December 21 at 4pm - St. Peter’s.
Ten priests will be on hand to hear Confessions.
Come & prepare yourself for a truly joyful
Christmas!
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Schedule for Christmas
Christmas Eve, Wednesday,
4:00pm Children’s Mass
7:30pm Choral Prelude
8:00pm Mass
Christmas Day, Thursday,
Masses are at 8:00 & 10:00 am
Confessions
Regularly Scheduled Confession Times
Monday & Tuesday 7:30-7:50am
Wednesday, December 24th 10:00-11:30am
KNOW OF PARISHIONERS WHO ARE
HOMEBOUND? Please contact Fr. Conley or Sister
Theresa at the rectory so we can minister to the spiritual
needs. Sr. Theresa can be reached at 301-870-2220 ext16
VOLUNTEER TEACHERS/FAITH MENTORS
NEEDED
St. Mary’s religious Education Program has a few
students with different learning styles and is in need
of a faith formation teacher and teen faith mentor to
help a middle school student with special needs.
Dynamic new resources are available and training
and support will be provided by the Archdiocese of
Washington’s Department of Special Needs
Ministries. This is a wonderful opportunity to help
others encounter Christ in a new and meaningful
way. No previous experience is required, though
teachers, health care professionals and imaginative
teen and adults are most welcome to be a part of the
team. Please contact Ms. Sue Wolfe at 301-2743800, ext. 15 or smcffp@comcast.net.
************
Please mark your calendars for a special
presentation on the Shroud of Turin, to take place
at St. Joseph Church in Pomfret on Wednesday,
January 14, 2015 at 7pm. The special presentation
will include a full size replica of the Shroud, which
is considered one of the world's greatest mysteries.
Is this the face of Jesus? Come listen and see.
Admission is free. For more information on the
shroud, see www.shroudtalks.com. St. Joseph's is
located at 3590 St. Joseph Way, immediately off of
Route 227, just a few miles west of Route 301.
MANY
THANKS to
all
who
helped
with DINNERFEST last month. After expenses the
net profit for the parish was $4264.53.
DECEMBER 21, 2014
SHOPPING CARD PROGRAM
Mass Sales: $3,570.00 = total sales, $142.76 = earned
for the parish.
The RELIGIOUS STORE RAFFLE was won by
Remedios Bugtong. Congratulations! Thanks to all
for supporting.
CONGRATULATIONS WINNER!!!
Congratulations to Patricia Thomas for winning
$4,500 at our Christmas Bazaar! There are still 13
more drawings and $49,500 left in the raffle.
Purchase your ticket to get in on the winnings. Our
next drawing is 1/23/15.
SCHOOL NEWS!!!
St. Mary’s Bryantown
Catholic School is currently scheduling tours for the
2015-2016 school year for PreK – 8th grade. Spaces
are limited for some grades. Tours and shadow
days are by appointment only. Check out the school
website at www.bryantown.org or call 301-9326883 or 301-843-3387 for more information.
PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR DAILY
PRAYERS: Mel Adkins, Prudente F. Baysic, Jose’
Beder, Ruth Booth, John Buchnam, Joseph
Chapman, Tucker Connick, David Fiske, David
Ford, Arlene Gandolfi, Gardner family, Loretta
Hurysh, John Jedrlinic, JoAnn Jenifer, Jim Kehres,
Regina Kijesky, Mary Knobel, Lillian Komar, M.L.
McHugh, Mary Emma Middleton, Cecelia Milstead,
Henry Mudd, Mary Nelson, Lenora Proctor,
Teresita Proctor, June Snellings, Teresa Soares,
Helen Welch.
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THIS WEEK:
SUN: 8am Cinnamon Lewis, 10am Enoch Booth
Abell, 12n Parishioners, MON: O Linda Wheatley,
TUES: Anne C. Tennison, WED: 4pm Janine
Burch, 8pm Jimmy Estep, THURS: 8am Paul
Therres, 10am Mary Kay Estep, FRI: 9:30am Mary
Ethel Barrows, SAT: 9am George A. Beuchert, Sr.,
4pm Ann Patricia Butler.
*~* PARISH AND SCHOOL NEWS *~*
Offertory Collection from Last Weekend:
$7133.00. Of the 709 registered households in the
parish we received donations from 257 identifiable
contributors (36% of the parish) using envelopes or
checks. Their average donation was $27.75. The
unidentified donations totaled 492.00. We received
$85.00 for our Religious Ed/School support.
ST. MARY’S PARISH COMMUNITY
BRYANTOWN