Our Lady of the Advent, Pray for Us!: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saturday, December 12, 2020

 

J.M.J.

Third Sunday of Advent, December 13^th. The Virtue of Humility was deeply rooted in the soul of Saint John the Baptist. He understood and embraced what God wanted of him. Do we? [Pray three Hail Marys for an increase in the Virtue of Humility.]

 

Saint John of the Cross, Monday, December 14^th. A faithful priest and religious . . . a scholar of the first rank and a dedicated servant of God and son of Mary, this Spaniard was all of these. He ardently loved the Lord with his entire mind and heart. [Ask God to transform you into the person whom He desires you to be.]

 

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent, December 15^th. Who is next to be infected by COVID-19? Who will die from it? Each day, many become ill, and many succumb. Let us never forget our union with them. [Give some material relief to one who is needy.]

 

Blessed Mary of the Angels, Wednesday, December 16^th. Described as a “client of Saint Joseph,” this Discalced Carmelite Nun was responsible for the building of a beautiful Basilica in honor of Our Blessed Lady. What good can you achieve today? [Ask Saint Joseph to guide you along the path to God.]

 

Thursday of the Third Week of Advent, December 17^th. Some believe that loneliness, especially among our youth, is at an all-time high. Fear and lack of respect for themselves are often the culprits. Pray that these young people may receive the Child Who was born in Bethlehem. [Send a Christmas card to an elderly person or shut-in.]

 

Friday of the Third Week of Advent, December 18^th. With one week before Christmas Day, is there anything that is preventing you from welcoming Jesus with joy? What would you like for Him to do for you? [Practice some self-denial today.]

 

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent, December 19^th. Our unrestful society cries out for comprehension and the Truth. We look no further than Our Lady, who understands and who knows the Truth. She is the pattern of what the Church will be in Heaven. [Offer the Most Holy Rosary for those who reject the Truth revealed by Almighty God.]

 

The Priests who are Living who have Served our Parishes

 

The Rev. Dana R. Christensen                             

The Rev. Jerome M. Ranek

The Reverend Thomas R. Clement

The Reverend Edward J. Pierce

The Reverend Jonathan M. Venner

The Rev. Paul Nereparampil

The Rev. David Garza

The Rev. David L. Roehrich

---

The Most Rev. Donald E. DeGrood, D.D., The Bishop of Sioux Falls

The Rev. Kenneth D. Lulf

The Most Rev. Paul J. Swain, D.D., The Bishop Emeritus of Sioux Falls

The Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson, D.D., The Archbishop Emeritus of Saint Louis

       V. Saint Joseph, Terror of Demons. R. Pray for Us.

Saint Mary of Mercy Poinsettia Donations: Anyone interested in making a donation for poinsettias in memory of your loved one(s) can put the donation in a separate envelope with the name(s) of those to be remembered. Please place the envelope in the Sunday collection. A list of names will be published in a later Bulletin. 

 

A Message from Bishop DeGrood: On December 12^th, Bishop DeGrood will be privately offering prayers of deliverance from evil over everyone and everything in our Diocese so that any evil influence will be removed and everyone and every place in our Diocese can live in the freedom of God’s grace and love. On the same day, in the Cathedral of Saint Joseph during the 4:00 p.m. Mass, the Bishop will consecrate our Diocese to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Joseph because as our Spiritual Mother, she is the Patroness of the Americas, and Saint Joseph, as a Spiritual Father, is the Patron of our Diocese and the Universal Church. By consecrating our Diocese to these two amazing spiritual Advocates, Protectors and Intercessors, we can be assured of great spiritual fruitfulness in our Diocese and in souls who are open to the amazing transformational love of God. 

 

The K-8 C.R.E. students in Alexandria will have their Christmas "send-off" at 4:15 p.m. this Wednesday in the Hall. All parents, siblings, grandparents and relatives are invited. 

 

 

Help Us, O Mother, Near the Throne of Your Son!: Our Lady of Loreto, Thursday, December 10, 2020

 

J.M.J.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

“John answered them, ‘I baptize with water; but there is One among you Whom you do not recognize, the One Who is coming after me, Whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.’” 

Saint John the Baptist knew well his identity—his “standing”—before Our Lord. Where do I stand before Jesus the Messiah? Where do you stand before Christ?

   *Such happy news from Tuesday, the Feast of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception: Pope Francis has declared this Year the Year of Saint Joseph. The Foster-father of Jesus, the Chaste Spouse of Mary and the Patron of the Universal Church, Saint Joseph is our spiritual father, friend and inspiration. Saint Joseph, pray for us!

   *Let us pray for +Karolyn Kirchgesler, +Lucille Von Wald, +Anton Materi, +Jerry Martin, +Dallas Gefre, Donna Squires, Dennis Maiers, Kathy Engerbrecht, Teresa Louise, Ione Allerdings, G. W. Rutler, Gertrude Therese Margaret, Heather Marie, Ashley Gonzalez, Maureen Donohue, Father David Janes, Father Dana Christensen, Father Antonio Ramos and Father Charles Duman.   

   *The use of masks during Mass is highly recommended as a safety measure for oneself and for those who are nearby.

   *Please take advantage this week of the opportunity for Confession and Mass. It is a huge blessing and a great grace to go to Confession before Christmas Day. If the times for Confession do not work for you, then please call Monsignor Mangan (605 521-0175).

   

“What is Your Question?”

By Father Ben Miriam

 

Q. When did the Season of Advent first appear on the Liturgical Calendar?

A. The Reverend Francis Mershman (1852-1916) wrote: “It cannot be determined with any degree of certainty when the celebration of Advent was first introduced into the Church. The preparation for the feast of the Nativity of Our Lord was not held before the feast itself existed, and of this we find no evidence before the end of the fourth century, when, according to Duchesne [Christian Worship (London, 1904), 260], it was celebrated throughout the whole Church, by some on 25 December, by others on 6 January. Of such a preparation we read in the Acts of a synod held at Saragossa in 380, whose fourth canon prescribes that from the seventeenth of December to the feast of the Epiphany no one should be permitted to absent himself from church.”

 

---

 

Monday, December 14^th

Confessions, 6:30-7:15 p.m., Saint Stephen Church, Bridgewater

 

Wednesday, December 16^th

Confessions, 5:45-6:15 p.m., Saint Mary of Mercy Church, Alexandria

The Recitation of the Most Holy Rosary, 6:30 p.m., Saint Mary of Mercy Church, Alexandria

Thursday, December 17th

Confessions, 6:30-7:15 p.m., Saint Martin of Tours Church, Emery

 

Sunday, December 19^th

9:15 a.m. Confessions, Saint Martin of Tours Church, Emery

3:15 p.m. Monastery, per usual 

O Mother, Lead Us Through Advent: First Saturday, December 5, 2020

 

J.M.J.

Advent Meditations 2020

 

Second Sunday of Advent, December 6^th. The days of Advent march along . . . but not without much fruit, including that of conversion. Conversion to Christ is our lofty goal, inspired by the Holy Spirit. [Ask God, by praying the Our Father, to bless Pope Francis and Bishop DeGrood.]

 

Saint Ambrose, Monday, December 7^th. Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, was a striking combination of piety and scholarship. He prayed and studied. His example stirs us to do likewise. [Read Saint Luke 1:26-38 and marvel at God.]

 

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8^th. Our Lady is, according to William Wordsworth, “Our nature’s solitary boast.” She is the most perfect human person, thanks to the privilege of her Immaculate Conception. [Pray the Memorare for those suffering in Purgatory.]

 

Saint Juan Diego, Wednesday, December 9^th. At Guadalupe in 1531, the Ever-Virgin asked Juan, an unlettered peasant: “Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection?” Let us have more trust in the Hearts of JESUS and MARY. [Reach out to someone in need.]

 

Our Lady of Loreto, Thursday, December 10^th. The Holy House of Loreto located on the eastern coast of Italy has long been honored as the House where Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived. Let us thanks God for our homes! [Pray the Angel of God for those without lodging.]

 

Saint Damasus, Friday, December 11^th. Saint Damasus, Pope, personally venerated the Martyrs and taught his flock to do the same. How many Martyrs can we name? [Abstain from meat or something that you can live without.]

 

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saturday, December 12^th. Our Lady appeared at Guadalupe as a pregnant woman. What can we do to assist those considering abortion? [Offer the Most Holy Rosary for parents and children.]

 

The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception

 

On September 8, 1953, Pope Venerable Pius XII (1939-1958) issued his Encyclical Fulgens Corona (On the Marian Year and the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception). The Holy Father’s letter not only anticipated the upcoming Marian Year (December 8, 1953-December 8, 1954) but also commemorated the first centenary of the solemn definition by Pope Blessed Pius IX (1846-1878) on December 8, 1854 of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

Each year on December 8^th, the Church liturgically celebrates this dogma of the Catholic Faith. Might we learn something from the teaching of Pope Pius XII?

 

The “foundation” of the dogma is located in Genesis 3:15 (“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed”) and Saint Luke 1:28 (“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”). The Vicar of Christ contended that “if at any time the Blessed Mary were destitute of Divine grace even for the briefest moment, because of contamination in her conception by the hereditary stain of sin, there would not have come between her and the serpent that perpetual enmity spoken of from earliest tradition down to the time of the solemn definition of the Immaculate Conception, but rather a certain subjection.” (7)

 

It is no wonder, then, that because of their acceptance of this doctrine, the Fathers of the Church lavished praise upon the Ever-Virgin, using an array of vivid and informative titles to describe the sinless Mother of God: “Lily Among Thorns; Land Wholly Intact; Immaculate; Always Blessed; Free From All Contagion Of Sin; Unfading Tree; Fountain Ever Clear; The One And Only Daughter Not Of Death But Of Life; Offspring Not Of Wrath But Of Grace; Unimpaired And Ever Unimpaired; Holy And Stranger To All Stain Of Sin; More Comely Than Comeliness Itself; More Holy Than Sanctity; Alone, Holy Who, Excepting God, Is Higher Than All; By Nature More Beautiful, More Graceful And More Holy Than The Cherubim And Seraphim Themselves And The Whole Hosts Of Angels.” (9)

 

It only seems right and just that the Savior of the universe would have for His Mother one who was entirely pure and devoid of sin. Jesus “really redeemed His Mother, since it was by virtue of His merits that she was preserved by God immune from all stain of Original Sin.” (14)

 

True devotion to Mary takes away nothing from the adoration we owe to the Most Blessed Trinity. Rather, “any honor and veneration which we may give to our Heavenly Mother undoubtedly rebounds to the glory of her Divine Son, not only because all graces and all gifts, even the highest, flow from Him as from their primary source, but also because ‘The glory of children are their fathers’ [Book of Proverbs, XVII 6].” (15)

 

As Our Blessed Lady told Saint Marie Bernardette Soubirous (1844-1879) within the cave at Massabielle near Lourdes, France in 1858, Mary is the Immaculate Conception. The Almighty never allowed the disobedience of Adam and Eve to disgrace her immortal soul. The Universal Church fittingly honors her for her singular role in our redemption and, especially on December 8^th, begs Our Lady’s earnest prayers on our behalf.

 

“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!”

 

 

TOTA PULCHRA ES, MARIA

YOU ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL, MARY

O Mary, Your Heart and That of Your Son--Our Model and Inspiration!: First Friday, Saint John Damascene, December 4, 2020

 

J.M.J.

Dear Friends in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary near Saint Joseph, 

“'One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of His sandals. I have baptized you with water; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’” These words of Saint John the Baptist exhibit the magnificence of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity Who became man for us. Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of Mary. He is, as the contemporary saying goes, “The Reason for the Season.”

   *May the Soul of Judy Waldera rest in peace. Divine comfort to Richard and Family.

   *This Tuesday, December 8^th, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, which is a Holy Day of Obligation. Please see above the schedule of Masses for this Holy Day. “V. O Mary, conceived without Original Sin. R. Pray for us.”

    *Let us pray for +Pierre Clermont, +Alexis Robinault, +Richard Kiley, Donna Squires, Dennis Maiers, Kathy Engerbrecht, Teresa Louise, Ione Allerdings, Jeff and Karla Ball, Joe Jarding, Claire Kayser, G. W. Rutler, Michael Grove, Joseph Grove, Therese Grove, Gertrude Therese Margaret, Heather Marie, Kenny Kayser, Sue Bullard, Peter and Lydia Adcock, Ashley Gonzalez, Maureen Donohue, Deacon Jerry Wathen, Father David Janes, Father Dana Christensen and Father Charles Duman.   

   *The use of masks during Mass is highly recommended as a safety measure for oneself and for those who are nearby.

   

     

“What is Your Question?”

By Father Ben Miriam

 

Q. How is the Immaculate Conception summarized?

A. The Reverend Frederick George Holweck (1856- 1927) quoted Pope Blessed Pius IX: “In the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December, 1854, Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary ‘in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain original sin.’”

 

---

 

Monday, December 7^th

7:30 a.m. Mass Carmelite Monastery

7:30 p.m. Holy Day Mass Bridgewater

 

Tuesday, December 8^th

7:30 a.m. Holy Day Mass Carmelite Monastery

5:30 p.m. Holy Day Mass Emery

7:30 p.m. Holy Day Mass Alexandria

 

Wednesday, December 9^th

The Recitation of the Most Holy Rosary at 6:30 p.m., Saint Mary of Mercy Church

 

Sunday, December 13^th

9:00 a.m. Confessions, Saint Mary of Mercy

3:15 p.m. Monastery, per usual 

 

 

Saint Mary of Mercy Poinsettia Donations: Anyone interested in making a donation for poinsettias in memory of your loved one(s) can put the donation in a separate envelope with the name(s) of those to be remembered. Please place the envelope in the Sunday collection. A list of names will be published in a later Bulletin.

 

 

From the Catholic Community Foundation: Due to the success of our recent #GivingTuesday Appeal, we now have additional money available to distribute from the COVID-19 Relief Fund. For information, please contact Monsignor Mangan (605 521-0175).

 

 

Thank You: Many thanks for the generous financial gifts that we have received from you, the parishioners, during the last weeks. We strive to be responsible with your donations and have made the attempt, and continue, to cut expenses in our three Churches and Rectories. We depend on your goodness!

 

 

 

O Mary, Please Sustain Us During this Advent: Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2020

 

J.M.J.

First Sunday of Advent, November 29^th. “Come, Lord JESUS. Do not delay. Free Your People from their sins.” Advent is a once-in-a-year experience. We meditate on life without JESUS, which was true before He came more than 2,000 years ago. What utter emptiness and despair. But now, Christ is with us! We ask God Our Father to make us more thankful for His Son, JESUS. [Pray one Hail, Mary for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.]

 

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle, Monday, November 30^th. Saint Andrew, according to tradition, was crucified on a X cross rather than a + cross. Andrew means “manhood” or “valor.” He was the brother of Saint Peter and worked as a fisherman. Saint Andrew is especially venerated in Greece, Russia and Scotland. [Call or write to someone who has COVID-19.]

 

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent, December 1^st. The Most Holy Name of JESUS brings us peace, drives away demons and temptations and assures us of His love. In an age where blasphemy is rampant, be the solution to the problem. Always use God’s Holy Name as He desires. [Plan now to assist a poor person sometime during Advent.]

 

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent, December 2^nd. During Advent, the Holy Trinity, the Holy Family and Saint John the Baptist rightly receive much attention. Each of us has a proper place in the Kingdom of God. What is yours? [Pray the Glory Be three times in adoration of the Most Blessed Trinity.]

 

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest, Thursday, December 3^rd. Father Antonio Astrain, S.J.: “It is truly a matter of wonder that one man in the short space of ten years (6 May, 1542 - 2 December, 1552) could have visited so many countries, traversed so many seas, preached the Gospel to so many nations, and converted so many infidels.” [Pray the Our Father so that our priests may be courageous as was this Saint.]

 

Friday of the First Week of Advent (First Friday; Saint John Damascene), December 4^th. “O Sacred Heart of JESUS, We implore, O make us love Thee more and more.” Devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of JESUS leads to increased love for the Most Blessed Sacrament. JESUS is present in that Sacrament of love. Come, let us adore Him. [Pray “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us” thirty-three times.]

 

Saturday of the First Week of Advent (First Saturday), December 5^th. “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” These were Our Lady’s words at Fatima, Portugal. We have total confidence in her intercession, she who is the Mother of Our Lord and Our Mother, too. [Offer the Most Holy Rosary for your family, living and deceased.]

 

The Son and His Mother during Advent

 

The Church’s extraordinary wisdom is illustrated in numerous ways, one being the very existence of Advent. The Faithful are granted several weeks to make ready for the Solemnity of the Birth of Christ so that December 25^th will not be just another day but rather a joyful, authentic commemoration of the first coming of Jesus over 2,000 years ago.

Mothers could tell us much about preparation. The period of pregnancy helps mothers—and fathers and siblings—to adjust for and anticipate the arrival of the newborn.

The Blessed Virgin Mary experienced the first Advent. She knew, thanks to the Archangel Gabriel, that the holy Child within her was “the Son of the Most High.” The long anticipation of the people of Israel rested with Mary.

 Our Lady’s pining for the Birth of the Savior is the pattern for us. We desperately need Jesus. He wants to be with us in our joys and sorrows. We commit ourselves to an Advent, in the spirit of Mary, filled with prayer, self-denial and service.

 Prayer. Advent calls forth our prayer by reminding us that Jesus, Who came to redeem us from Original Sin, desires that we pray because He knows how our relationship with Him, His Father and Their Holy Spirit needs to be nourished.

+Spend extra time in personal prayer; read Chapters 1 and 2 from the Holy Gospels according to Saints Matthew and Luke; pray Our Lady’s Most Holy Rosary; go to Confession; receive the Most Holy Eucharist often and worthily.

Self-denial. Any solid mortification that we practice is valuable to our souls. We are to be fortified in order to welcome Jesus again at Christmas. Self-denial effects our detachment from the things of the world.

+Deny yourself some legitimate pleasure; mortify your anger; stem your curiosity.

Service. The Birth of Jesus was about obeying His Father and serving us. Christ undertook His mission as the Suffering Servant Who selflessly laid down His life in adoration of His Father and in service of His brothers and sisters.

 +Visit an elderly person in a retirement home; extend kindness to a pregnant woman; offer some alms to a soup kitchen.

Mary did not merely wait for the Birth of Jesus. Instead, she actively prepared for His coming. The spiritual fruits we enjoy this Christmas will be in direct proportion to how we, endowed with divine grace, prepared this Advent to greet Jesus.

O Lady, Please Help Your Sons and Daughters: Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Wednesday, November 25, 2020

 

J.M.J.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

“What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” 

On this First Sunday of Advent, the theme of the End Times continues. Our Lord Jesus Christ is under no illusion, and neither should we be​, about the value of being prepared​. The time of the death of each of us and the time of Our Lord’s Second Coming are unknown. Therefore, “Watch!”

   *Let us pray for +​Janice Schoenfelder, ​Janette Quail, +Jerry Weber, Judy Waldera, Donna Squires, Dennis Maiers, Kathy Engerbrecht, Teresa Louise​,​ Mary Wilcox, Ione Allerdings, Jeff and Karla Ball, Jamie Smith, Mollie Grove, Joseph Grove, Jane Lynch, Heather Marie, Leona Cowles, Sue Bullard, Peter and Lydia Adcock, Deacon Jerry Wathen, Father David Janes, Father Dana Christensen, Father Andrew Thuringer, Father Charles Duman, Father Jordan Samson, Father William Osborn and Father Jerome Kopel.   

   *​Should masks be worn when attending Mass? The use of masks is highly recommended as a safety measure for oneself and for those nearby.​

   *​Please pray for our Discalced Carmelite Sisters who will elect their Prioress this Monday, November 30^th—the Feast of Saint Andrew​.

   *​Let us take advantage of the incredible spiritual riches that the Church through our Parishes affords us this Advent!​

   *Thank you to all who worked at the Fatima Family Shrine last Saturday.

     

“What is Your Question?”

By Father Ben Miriam

 

Q. How ​might we think of Advent​?

A. The word Advent is from the Latin ad-venio, “to come to.” The Reverend Father Francis Mershman, O.S.B. (1852-1916) wrote: “ . . . Advent is a period beginning with the Sunday nearest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (30 November) and embracing four Sundays. The first Sunday may be as early as 27 November, and then Advent has twenty-eight days, or as late as 3 December, giving the season only twenty-one days. With Advent the ecclesiastical year begins in the Western churches. During this time the faithful are admonished: to prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the​ ​​anniversary​ of the Lord’s coming into the world as the incarnate​ ​​God of love, thus to make their​ souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in​ ​​Holy Communion and through​ ​​grace, and thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as Judge, at death and at the end of the world.​”​

 ​​---

 Wednesday, ​December 2^nd

The Recitation of the Most Holy Rosary at 6:30 p.m., Saint Mary of Mercy Church

Sunday, ​December  ​6​^th

9:15 a.m. Confessions, ​Bridgewater​

3:15 p.m. Monastery, per usual 

 

O Mother, Please Present Me to Our Lord!: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple, Saturday, November 21, 2020

 

J.M.J. 

Dear Friends in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary near Saint Joseph, 

“‘When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit upon His glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before Him.’”

Jesus Christ is Our Lord and King. He is a gentle, gracious, loving and merciful Sovereign. Yet, He commands us to love and to obey Him, knowing that this is what is best for us. May we resist Him no longer. Let us cry: “Come and reign over us, Christ Our King!” 

   *Let us pray for +Delbert Weber, +Tami Jill Zerr, Judy Waldera, Donna Squires, Dennis Maiers, Janice Schoenfelder, Kathy Engerbrecht, Teresa Louise, Ayden Hruby, Mary Wilcox, Ione Allerdings, Jeff and Karla Ball, Jamie Smith, Don and Pam Wenande, Jane Lynch, Heather Marie, Leona Cowles, Sue Bullard, Peter and Lydia Adcock, Deacon Jerry Wathen, Father Dana Christensen, Father Andrew Thuringer, Father Charles Duman, Father Jordan Samson, Father Richard Fox, Father Edward Pierce, Father William Osborn and Father Jerome Kopel.   

    *A blessed Feast today of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, and a Happy Thanksgiving Day this Thursday, November 26^th. In addition to the usual 7:30 a.m. in the Chapel of the Carmelite Monastery on Thanksgiving Day, we will also have Mass at 10:00 a.m. in Saint Mary of Mercy Church. All are warmly invited to come to thank Our Lord!  

   *There will be no C.R.E. classes this Wednesday, November 25^th.

    *Gratitude is expressed to so many who have recently given very generous financial gifts to our Parishes, including: Saint Martin Cemetery--Delores Leitheiser, Patrick Jung; The Fatima Family Shrine--Dan and Betty Soller.

  *Thank you to all who have painted the Rectory in Alexandria as well as all who have moved possessions out of and into the Rectory. May God reward you through Our Lady.

     

“What is Your Question?”

By Father Ben Miriam

 

Q. How is thankfulness or gratitude defined?

A. The Catholic Culture Website offers a helpful definition of thankfulness or gratitude. “The virtue by which a person acknowledges, interiorly and exteriorly, gifts received and seeks to make at least some return for the gift conferred. Essentially gratitude consists of an interior disposition, a grateful heart, but when genuine it tries somehow to express itself in words and deeds. Consequently it includes three elements: acknowledgment that a gift has been received, appreciation expressed in thankfulness, and as far as possible some return for what has been freely given with no obligation on the donor’s part.”

---

 

Sunday, November 22nd 

7:00 p.m. ZOOM meeting, Parents of the Second Grade C.R.E. Students

Wednesday, November 25^th

6:00-6:30 p.m. Confessions, Saint Mary of Mercy

The Recitation of the Most Holy Rosary at 6:30 p.m., Saint Mary of Mercy Church

 

Thursday, November 26^th

10:00 a.m. Thanksgiving Day Mass, Saint Mary of Mercy 

  

Sunday, November 29^th:

9:00 a.m. Confessions, Alexandria

3:15 p.m.--Monastery, as usual 

 

O Woman of the Eucharist, Help Us to Love Our Eucharistic Lord: Sunday, November 15, 2020

 

J.M.J.

 

1. Attend Holy Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, even daily if possible.

 

2. Prepare well for every Mass by: abstaining from food and drink (medicine and water may be taken) for at least one hour before receiving Holy Communion; going to Confession to a priest and stating any and all mortal sins that you have not confessed before (a mortal sin is a thought, word, desire or action that concerns grave matter carried out with sufficient reflection and full consent of the will); praying before Holy Mass and performing acts of charity and self-denial. Furthermore, only those persons who are practicing Catholics, who believe as the Church does regarding the Most Holy Eucharist and whose marriages are recognized as valid by the Holy Catholic Church may receive Holy Communion.

 

3. Genuflect when entering and leaving the Church and whenever passing before the Tabernacle or the Altar on which the Body and Blood of Christ rest. Dress modestly—avoiding revealing and sloppy clothes—and do not chew gum. Speak accurately about the Most Holy Eucharist, never referring to It as “bread and wine.” And if you assist with the sacred music in your parish, do all you can to ensure that the texts reflect the truth about the Real Presence.

 

4. Refrain from useless chattering before the Tabernacle before, during and after the Holy Mass in order to adore Him and to concentrate attention on the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. Talking unnecessarily in the holy presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament destroys a golden occasion to learn at the Feet of the Master.

 

5. Receive Holy Communion with joy and fervor. We receive Jesus on our tongues or, in a country where it is permitted by the Episcopal Conference, in our hands (a profound bow before receiving Holy Communion is very appropriate). When we receive Jesus on our tongues, we simply say “Amen” and permit the priest, deacon or installed acolyte to place Christ there. If we receive in the hand, then we make a throne for the Lord, placing our “stronger” hand on the bottom and our “weaker” hand on top. Proclaiming “Amen,” we receive the Host (rather than lunging for It), take a step to the side, stop and place the Host in our mouth using the stronger hand underneath. We must never receive the Sacred Host “on the run.” Parents who carry children and who cannot extend both hands receive the Sacred Host on the tongue.

 

6. Pass time with the Eucharistic Jesus outside of the Holy Mass. The Most Holy Eucharist is always to be adored—before, during and after the Mass, whether exposed in the Monstrance or reposed in the Tabernacle.

 

7. Make frequent Spiritual Communions in which we invite the Lord into our souls in a similar manner as when we sacramentally receive Holy Communion. These may be made anytime and anywhere.

 

8. Cultivate a special relationship with Mary, the Woman of the Eucharist. Pray her Most Holy Rosary. Wear her Brown Scapular and her Miraculous Medal. Ask her for the virtue of chastity for yourself and in all your dealings with your neighbors. Purity is vital. If you fall grievously, go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion.

 

9. Develop a friendship with the Saints who are remembered for their incredible love for the Holy Eucharist. To become aware of their affection for Holy Communion stimulates our capacity to develop in love for and adoration of Our Eucharistic Jesus.

 

10. Request the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to be offered for the living and the dead. There is no gift more beautiful and effective than the Holy Mass.

 

“O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine,

All Praise and All Thanksgiving Be Every Moment Thine.”

O Mother, Help Us to Share Our Master's Joy!: Our Blessed Lady, Saturday, November 14, 2020

J.M.J.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

“‘Come, share your master’s joy.’” 

Imagine hearing Jesus say those words to you. Is that possible? Yes! Christ wants us to be in Heaven more than we ourselves desire this Gift. By receiving the Church’s Sacraments worthily and often, we proceed along the path to Paradise. V. O Ever-Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and earth. R. Pray for us.

   

*Let us pray for +Monsignor James Reinert, +Clarence Hite, +Allen Gates, +Dayvon Bennett, +Steve Adubato, + Anne Barbeau Gardiner, +Marilyn Carrels, +Charles Moffenbier, Judy Waldera, Donna Squires, Teresa Louise, Kathy Engerbrecht, Ione Allerdings, Jamie Smith, Jane Lynch, Heather Marie, Sue Bullard, Deacon Jerry Wathen, Father Dana Christensen, Father Charles Duman and Father Richard Fox.

   

*Congratulations to Chloe Jean, the daughter of Chris and Emily Ruden, who was baptized into Christ last Sunday.

   

*Many thanks to all those who have submitted the names of their loved ones to be   remembered during the Month of November. Please be assured that these Souls will be prayed for and sacrificed for during these thirty days.

   

*Please call Monsignor Mangan (605 521-0175) if you need any special assistance during this period of COVID-19.

   

*We continue to pray for all those who serve and who served in the military.

  

“What is Your Question?”

By Father Ben Miriam

 

Q. What is the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple?

A. This ancient Feast, according to the Reverend Father Frederick George Holweck (+1927), refers to the tradition “that Mary, at the age of three, was brought by her parents to the Temple, in fulfillment of a vow, there to be educated.” Our Blessed Lady was presented to God in this way, thereby preparing her for her later duties as the Mother of God and the Virgin-Spouse to the chaste Saint Joseph. The Feast is celebrated annually on November 21^st.

 

---

 

 

Tuesday, November 17^th

Saint Stephen Church

 

6:15 p.m. Confessions

7:00 p.m. Mass in Thanksgiving for the Harvest

 

Wednesday, November 18^th

 

5:45-6:15 p.m. Confessions, Saint Mary of Mercy

The Recitation of the Most Holy Rosary at 6:30 p.m., Saint Mary of Mercy Church

 

 

Sunday, November 22^nd:

 

9:00 a.m. Confessions, Alexandria

 

3:15 p.m.--Monastery, as usual