From Dom Guéranger’s The Liturgical Year:
"THIS is the only day within the Christmas Octave which is not a Saint’s Feast. During the Octaves of the Epiphany, Easter and Pentecost, the Church is so absorbed in the respective mysteries that she puts off everything that could share her attention; whereas during this of Christmas, there is only one day which does not celebrate the memory of some glorious Saint, and our Infant Jesus is surrounded by a choir of heroes who loved and served him. Thus the Church, or, more correctly, God—for God is the first author of the cycle of the year—shows us how the Incarnate Word, who came to save mankind, desires to give mankind confidence by this his adorable familiarity.
Dec. 31:
It is traditional on New Year’s Eve to sing the song of praise and thanksgiving, Te Deum Laudamus, the solemn, traditional form of giving thanks to God for great things, such as priestly ordinations, and wedding anniversaries. A plenary indulgence may be obtained for praying the Te Deum Laudamus on the last day of the year, along with Communion, confession, and prayers for the Pope’s intentions (the usual conditions). You are invited to recite this prayer after the 7:10 am Mass and to sing it after the 6:30 pm Mass on Dec. 31.
Jan. 1:
Likewise, at the beginning of the year, the Church encourages us to begin but invoking the Holy Ghost and asking God to bless our work, therefore she grants another plenary indulgence for reciting the Veni Creator on Jan. 1. We will do this before each Mass.
Driver for Epiphany Blessing:
The priests would be able to visit more homes if they could be driven from home to home by a father-son team, with the father driving and the son dressed in cassock and surplice assisting the priest for the blessings. If a father and son are able to volunteer for this duty, please email epiphanyblessing@stlawrence.cc. and indicate what day (or days) you would be able to help.
March for Life:
St. Lawrence Parish will be renting a charter bus to attend the March for Life on Friday, January 21, 2022 in Washington D.C. The bus will leave the Harrisburg East Mall Parking lot at 8:30am and will return at approximately 5:30pm. The cost is $25 for adults, $10 for children, and $50 for a family of four or more. To reserve your seat, contact prolife@stlawrence.cc
Dec. 27: Blessing of Wine
On Monday, Dec. 27, the feast of St. John the Evangelist, the Church provides a special blessing for wine in honor of this apostle. If you would like to benefit from this blessing, bring to Mass on Monday your bottles and place them in the place designated. They will be blessed immediately following the Last Gospel. Please remove your bottles right away, or no doubt someone else will drink them. The text of the blessing is as follows: "Bless and consecrate, O Lord God, this chalice of wine (or any other beverage) through the merits of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. Bestow benediction and protection upon all who drink of this cup. For as the blessed John partook of the poisoned potion without any hurt, so may all who on this day drink of the blessed wine to the honor of St. John, by him be freed from poisoning and similar harmful things. And as they offer themselves soul and body to thee, O Lord God, give them absolution and pardon. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Bless, O Lord, this draught that it be a helpful medicine to all who drink it; and grant by thy grace that all who taste thereof may enjoy bodily and spiritual health in calling upon thy holy name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit come upon this wine and remain constantly. Amen."
Regarding the obligation to attend Mass on Jan. 1, the Octave Day of Christmas — Normally, the 1st day of the year is a Holy Day of Obligation, as it is the Octave Day of Christmas. However, the bishops of the United States have the authority (with the permission of the Holy See) to suppress some Holy Days, which they have decided to do when this Holy Day falls on a Saturday or Monday, as it does this year. All of this is to say that technically we are not bound by law, under punishment of mortal sin, to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Jan. 1, 2022, since it falls on a Saturday. However, I believe that most of you do not do things primarily for law but for love. Therefore, we will still keep the schedule of Jan. 1 as if it were a Holy Day, so that we will have enough Masses to fit everyone, lest we discourage you from attending. Further, we will offer a High Mass at noon that day in recognition of its importance.
Blessings of Homes for Epiphany:
The priests will visit homes of the Faithful to give the traditional home blessing with the Epiphany water created in a special ceremony on the vigil of the Epiphany (Jan. 5). The priests will organize their visits so that they will spend about 15-to 30-minutes at each home, which will include: blessing each room (or each room you would like to be blessed) with incense (in remembrance of the gift of frankincense from the Magi) and Epiphany water (in remembrance of the baptism of Our Lord, also commemorated at the Feast of the Epiphany), then using the chalk blessed on the Epiphany, they will mark the main door of the house with the symbol 20C + M + B +22. This home blessing, one of the most beautiful sacramentals the Church provides, will be done during the octave of the Epiphany (Jan. 6 to 13) on a first-come, first-served basis for those who request it. For those who cannot be accommodated this year, we will put them first on the list for next year. If you would like to avail yourselves of this tradition, make your request by sending a message to epiphanyblessing@stlawrence.cc. All requests must be made before Jan. 1.
Openings in the Choir at St. Lawrence:
The choir has openings for additional dedicated volunteers and three qualified section leaders. Members are expected to be available for Thursday evening rehearsals, Sunday 11 am Masses throughout the year, and for other important Feast Days as notified. Volunteers with previous choral experience are preferred, but those with strong desire may be considered at the discretion of the Music Director. Section Leader positions are available for Soprano, Alto, and Tenor; all applicants must audition and demonstrate strong vocal musicianship. Inquiries can be directed to Paul Thomas May at music@stlawrence.cc
HNS Membership Drive:
Catholic men 18 years of age and older are invited to join the St. Lawrence Holy Name Society. Information about this traditional confraternity can be found at www.nahns.com. There will be a new member induction ceremony in early January and all eligible males are encouraged to consider this spiritual and social opportunity. To seek enrollment or for additional information about the specific activities of the Holy Name Society at St. Lawrence, please contact Anthony Patterson at holyname@stlawrence.cc.
STARTING JANUARY 2:
We will begin our Sunday Socials after the 9am and11am Mass. The goal is to have many volunteers so that volunteers only have to do their duty once every month or two, and volunteers are needed.
Calling More Altar Boys:
All boys of St. Lawrence who have received their 1st Holy Communion are invited to become altar boys starting January 2. We will have new altar boys start as torch bearers for the Sunday High Masses, then as they learn their responses and server rubrics, they will be given a chance to start serving Low Masses. For more information, please email altarboys@stlawrence.cc
Tuesday Adorer needed:
We are in need of an Adorer for the 8am Adoration on Tuesdays. Please contact Amanda Healy at tuesdayadoration@stlawrence.cc you are able to spend an hour with our Lord.