ST. ROSALIE CATHOLIC CHURCH
HARVEY, LOUISIANA
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the new
liturgical year which extends through the Feast of Christ the King
in November of 2011.
In today’s first reading Isaiah speaks of the days to come when
the Lord’s house shall be established and peace shall reign. St.
Paul, in the second reading, speaks to the Romans of the need to
‘throw off the works of darkness’ and be prepared for the Lord’s
coming at the end of time. The gospel reading tells of Jesus’
message to the disciples regarding their preparation for His second
coming.
In all of these readings the theme is ‘be prepared, be ready,’ for
no one knows when that time might be. Advent is the season of
preparation for the coming of Jesus in human form as the Savior of
the world. Father Richard Veras wrote, in Magnificat, 12/2007,
that Jesus left heaven and His Father to enter into all the difficulty
and drama of human life because He loves us and is attracted to us.
He desires us to be with Him and does not want to love us from
afar.
One of the best ways for us to prepare our hearts for the infant
Jesus is to make a thorough examination of conscience and a
heartfelt confession of our sins and omissions during Advent. It is
a time to consider the things which separate us from God and to
loosen their hold on us. As we prepare for the celebration of Our
Lord’s coming into the world (His incarnation), may we wait with
joyful hope.
Today’s Scriptures: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44
BLESSED MOTHER’S LAMP will burn in memory of
Josephine, Vincent, Sr. & Jr. Destefano.
FLOWERS: Today’s Offertory arrangement, Main Altar
arrangement and Blessed Mother’s arrangements are given in
memory of Joan Martin.
SANCTUARY COMMITTEE: Julie Hemenway, Danna Russo,
Judy Baldassaro, Melissa Dugas.
SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
CHINA DOLL
November 28, 2010
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27
4:00p.m. Lucille & Eno Hebert
6:00p.m. Leola Theriot, Salvadore Rotolo, Bert & Josephine LeBlanc,
Sr., Claude Zeringue & Verine Zeringue, Malcolm “Buck”
Cortez, Jr., Paul & Betty Territo, Noble Kindler, Carmen
Austin, Harold & Grayce Thiaville, Hilton Lirette, Dudley &
Danny LeBlanc, Ruby & James Arcement, Gloria Bergeron,
Josie Palermo, Becnel, Sazdoff & West Families Deceased
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28
8:00a.m. For our living and deceased parishioners
11:00a.m. Adams, Baye & Schouest Families Deceased, Edward & Kevin
Barrilleaux, Marion Saladino, For Favors Granted, Camille
Paul Bourg, Floyd Belsome, Ray Comeaux, Sr. Mildred
Cheramie, D.C., Lorita Williams, Gary LeLeaux,
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29
7:00a.m. Steve Tassin
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30
7:00a.m. Jake Savona, Frank Savona, Edward Melancon Sr., Beverly
McDonald
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1
7:00a.m. Abel J. Hunter
8:20a.m. Wesley Fabre
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2
7:00a.m. Mae Belle Marie Mitchell
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3
7:00a.m. Maria Ana Gongora
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4
7:00a.m. Fr. Jon Parks, S.D.B.
4:00p.m. Avie & Lorena Legendre
6:00p.m. Troy Dean Williams, Sidney Rotolo, Sylvia Hanks, Carmen
Austin, Julie P. Ranatza, Connie Busby, Grayce Thiaville,
Dudley & Danny LeBlanc, Hilton Lirette, Ruby & James
Arcement, Joseph Manganaro
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5
8:00a.m. For our living and deceased parishioners
11:00a.m. Angelina & Billy Shrader, John D. Parks, Sr., For Favors
Granted, Heloise Richoux, Camille P. Bourg, Floyd Belsome,
Warren J. McEvers, Sr. Mildred Cheramie, D.C.
ALTAR SERVERS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4
4:00p.m Carson F., Scott V., Hunter H.
6:00p.m. Lauren L., Sammy M.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5
8:00a.m Jacob V., Collin T.
11:00a.m. Darren J., Austin C.
LITURGY OF THE WORD AND EUCHARIST
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4
MASS
COMMENTATOR LECTOR COMMUNION M.
4:00p.m. Ginger G.
Marnie L. Tony V.
6:00p.m. Gerald D.
Bert L.
Leslie B., Phil R.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5
8:00a.m. Janys C.
Jim S.
Mary L., Janet C.
11:00a.m. Ann W.
Raylyn S. Kathleen L., Elaine L.,
Ann W., Patti M.
First Sunday of Advent
1. Advent: Sunday, November 28th is the first day of Advent.
Advent is the season of expectation of the Lord’s coming. It’s
also a season of penance. May Advent 2010 be a time of
spiritual renewal for each of us.
2. Advent Prayer Tree: Everyone, including the children, is
invited to participate in writing petitions for the Advent Tree.
If you did not receive an ornament last weekend, please take
one from the basket at each entrance to the church. After
writing your prayer, hang it on the tree. These prayers will be
remembered during the season of Advent.
3. Communal Anointing of the Sick: The sacrament of the sick
will be administered to anyone who wishes to receive it on
Thursday, December 2nd at the 7:00a.m. Mass. He will offer
this sacrament every month on the Thursday before Adoration.
4. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Friday, December 3rd is
the first Friday of the month. Adoration begins at 7:30a.m.
and concludes with benediction at 12:00 noon. We encourage
you to spend at least thirty minutes, especially during this
season of Advent, before the Blessed Sacrament.
5. Christmas Flower Fund: The Christmas flower fund is now
open. Use the pink envelope from your weekly envelopes or
use an envelope of your own. Mark it Christmas flowers, drop
it in the collection, bring or mail it to the Parish Center.
Contributing to the Christmas Flower Fund is a great means to
remember loved ones or for a special intention. Be sure to
include your loved one’s name and/or intention. Your gift will
also help defray the expense for the poinsettias.
6. St. Rosalie P.R.E.P.: Please pray and consider volunteering
your time and talent as a teacher in our Parish Religious
Education Program. Teachers are urgently needed for this
vibrant program. Free training will be provided. If you are a
qualified parishioner who would be interested in sharing the
Good News and could offer up a small amount of time per
month, please contact Shay LeBlanc at 347-6397 for more
information.
7. P.R.E.P. Class: Saturday, December 4th 2:00 - 4:00p.m.
Children attend the 4:00p.m. Mass.
8. Seminarian of the Week: In the kindness of your prayers
please remember Novice Marc Stockhausen, who is in
residence at Port Chester, New York. “O Father, raise up
abundant and holy vocations to the priesthood, who keep the
faith alive and guard the blessed memory of your Son Jesus
through the preaching of His word and the administration of
the Sacraments, through which You continually renew Your
faithful. Amen.” For vocation information:
www.salesianvocation.com.
9. School Board Meeting: Thursday, December 2nd 6:00p.m. in
the Gathering Room.
10. Altar Society/Women’s Club Christmas Social: Friday,
December 3, 6:30p.m. at Mandina’s Restaurant. Your dinner
reservation and money ($27.00) are due immediately. Please
bring it to the Parish Center.
11. Pet/Children Photos: Don’t forget to have your children/pet
photographed next weekend, Sunday, December 5 th 1:005:00p.m. in the Parish Center.
Dear Parishioners,
We begin our new liturgical year with the celebration of
the Advent Season. You will notice that the vestments have
changed color; we now wear blue as a preparation time for the
coming of the Lord. Everyone is expecting to see a violet cloth on
the altar, let me explain, while violet is the official color for
Advent, it is permissible to use blue to distinguish between this
season of Advent and the specifically penitential season of Lent. I
hope this clarifies for everyone the use of blue during this Advent
Season. We remove the joyful ‘Gloria’ from the Mass and place a
somber tone on our prayers, anticipating the coming of the Lord,
and with His arrival a renewal of our lives as Christians.
I want to again encourage you, as you prepare for the
feast of the Christ Child, that we can do things that express our
faith, simple things, like buying RELIGIOUS Christmas cards and
if we choose to send a keepsake picture of our family, place it
inside. Decorate our homes with an Advent wreath, and each night
light the candle(s) and pray for the coming of the Lord in our
hearts. When we decorate our tree, use religious symbols and even
Christmas cards we have received from the year before, to remind
us of the Nativity. Use wrapping paper on gifts that announces the
season, hard at times to find, but certainly worth the search! One
last thought…in each of our Christmas gifts, place a holy card or a
medal for the recipient, a finger rosary or regular one. These
simple things help us to remind others that ‘Jesus is the Reason for
the Season.
Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I pray it was
another opportunity to share food and friendship and to give thanks
to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon each and
every one of us. Once again I thank so many of you for your
kindness to St. Rosalie, especially as we prepared food baskets for
so many, that helped make their holiday special. I also want to
thank the Italian American Society of Jefferson, once again their
very generous contribution, deposited in our St. Vincent DePaul
Society, and for these I pray God will bless you a hundred, threehundred and five-hundred fold. It is amazing how funds come in
and requests come in as well, to help with a variety of needs.
Several plain envelopes have appeared in the collection basket
with the note ‘For the Poor.’ I promise our silent benefactors that
the money is going to good use. Each year, as part of
accountability on my part, members of the finance committee
review all of these.
May the preparations for the feast of Christmas remind us
of His generous love for each one of us! May we all be blessed
with the peace of Jesus, the Christ!
I will be on my best behavior for the Holiday Season due
to my parents (Josephine and Joe) visiting. It will be a challenge
for me to be good. I’ll try!!
And lastly “Migs” will be leaving shortly for obedience
school. She will return in a month. Hopefully she will return as a
“proper Southern Belle.”
Blessings and prayers,
Father John