SIGNUP FOR EPIPHANY HOME BLESSINGS:
We are happy to offer again the possibility of having your home blessed with Epiphany water, incense, and chalk. To request this blessing during the time of Epiphany (on the days of Jan. 9 through 12), please sign up here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YTQ63KB
When visiting your home, the priest will sprinkle and incense your house, and mark the front door (or doors) with chalk. This tradition commemorates the visitation of the three Magi to the Holy Family in Bethlehem. A priest visits the home, blessing each room (or at least, whichever rooms you would like him to bless) with Epiphany water and incense. The main entrance of the home is then marked with the initials of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, and a code of the current year (2023) connected with crosses: 20+C+M+B+23. The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi; and second, they abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat; “May Christ bless the house.” Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request for Christ to bless the home, and that He abide with all those who dwell therein throughout the year.
The Epiphany home blessing is a treasured Catholic tradition throughout the world, and a great practice whereby we dedicate our year to God from its very outset; asking His blessing on our homes and on all who live, work, or visit them there. Practicing traditions such as the Epiphany home blessing helps us live our Faith more concretely and serves as an outward sign of our dedication to the Lord.
Our homes are the place where many of us will make the greatest strides in our spiritual growth, through observance of daily prayer, spiritual reading, and work offered as an oblation to God. This blessing encourages all of us to dedicate our life at home to God. Seeing the symbols over our doors can help remind us, while passing in and out on our daily routines, that our homes and all those who dwell there belong to Christ. This beautiful tradition serves as a reminder of the welcoming that the Magi gave to Jesus. We should strive to be as welcoming to all who come to our homes to visit us!
Parish Christmas Party at 112 State Street!:
Please use the links below to RSVP and volunteer:
PUBLICATION OF THE PARISH OFFICE HOURS
Effective in the new year, the parish office hours will be as follows:
During this time, you are invited to stop by the parish office, now located in the Parish Center at 112 State Street, and speak with Marcella de Freitas, the parish secretary, Mary Ann Vigilante, the parish bookkeeper, Paul Thomas May, the parish music director, or one of the priests. Each person has a different schedule (Fr. Smith has his day off normally on Mondays, and Fr. Cortes on Thursdays), but the goal is that that during these times, you should be able to find someone by ringing the doorbell at either the front or rear of 112 State Street.
O Antiphons at Vespers, 5pm this week:
Ember Saturday, Dec. 17 to Friday, Dec. 23 (except Thursday Dec. 22). The Magnificat antiphons at Vespers will be marked with O and these different titles of our Lord: Sapientiae, Adonai, Radix, Clavis, Oriens, Rex, Emmanuel, the translations of which are Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Radiant Dawn, King, and Emmanuel respectively. When the first letters of the Latin titles are taken from last to first, it makes the phrase Ero Cras which translates to Tomorrow, I will come. These antiphons are also the inspiration for the famous chant/hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel. The faithful are invited to assist at public Vespers this week each night at 5pm except Thursday Dec. 22 which will be prayed in private.
Parish Christmas Party Slide Show—Photos of parish events wanted:
We are creating a slideshow of the many important events that have taken place in our Parish this year. If you have photos of any parish events, including First Communion, Confirmation, Chant Camp, our Parish & All Saints Day Picnics, Youth Group, YAG, Sports, etc., please send them to: historian@stlawrence.cc, no later than Tuesday, Dec. 27.
Girls Sodality:
We will start a Girls Sodality for girls ages 8-14, here at the parish. The group will meet from 10-11am the second Saturday monthly after the 9am Mass. Our Girls Sodality will be part of the greater Congregation of the Children of Mary which is a lay Organization for children, and co-sponsored by the Universal Archconfraternity of St. Philomena and the Universal Living Rosary Association. If you would like more information about these associations, please visit: mychildrenofmary.com. The purpose of the Girls Sodality will be to foster an extraordinary devotion to the Mother of God through prayer and instruction, as well as give young girls the opportunity to make lasting friendships with each other. If your daughters between the ages of 8-14 would like to join the Sodality, please sign up at: girlssodality@stlawrence.cc. We will have our first meeting on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023 so please sign up before Jan, 1, 2023.
2023 Basketball Tournament:
Team Captains for the 2023 Basketball Tournament have been selected and teams have been drafted. The 2023 Basketball Tournament will take place in the East Shore YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 14th from 1pm-5pm. Everyone is welcome to come and cheer on the teams. If you have signed up for the Tournament please pay $10 by placing your money in an envelope marked with your name and stating “for the basketball tournament”. You may either: (a) put your envelope in the Sunday collection, (b) drop off your envelope in the wall box at the church or the parish office, or (c) hand your envelope directly to Fr. Cortes.
Legion of Mary—meeting time change effective Jan. 2023:
In an effort to meet the needs of the active members who regularly attend its weekly Tuesday evening meetings, the Mater Dei Praesidium of the Legion of Mary will begin meeting at 6:30pm after the change of the year. We will also be moving our meeting location from the Church’s Social Hall to our 112 State Street Parish Center. Guests are always welcome!
FSSP 2023 Liturgical Calendars are now available for purchase @ $17 each; please place your donations in the black metal box after purchasing one.
CHURCH OPEN FOR PRAYER—Also effective in the new year, we announce that the church will be open for prayer (through the front door) every day until 12:15 pm. This will allow you to come for private prayer in the church at your own
schedule, and to assist at the Divine Office, the schedule for which was published last week. We know that the opportunity to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament is very important and helpful for prayer, so we have long wanted to make this possible. Now that our parish owns this church, and we have been able to install some security cameras and other devices, we are able to do this.
Holy Name Society—New Members Welcome!— Catholic men 18 years old and older, are invited to join the St. Lawrence Holy Name Society. Information about this traditional
confraternity can be found at www.nahns.com. All eligible men are encouraged to consider this spiritual and social opportunity. Persons interested in enrolling, or who need additional
information about the specific activities of the Holy Name
Society at Mater Dei, please see one of our members who will be available at tables located in the Narthex after all Sunday Masses today. The Society will host a new member induction ceremony after the 11am Mass on Sunday, Jan.8, 2023. If you have any questions, you may also email Mr. William Gabig at:
willgabig@comcast.net.
Epiphany Blessing of Gold, Incense, Myrrh; and Chalk
Friday, Jan. 6— Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh-—-The Three Magi presented the Divine Infant with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gift of gold acknowledged His royal lineage and kingship over all creation. The gift of frankincense professed that this Child truly is the only begotten Son of God, born of the
Father, before all ages, God of God: Light of Light: true God of true God; begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were made. The gift of myrrh prophesied that this little Child would one day suffer a painful death as the
complete and perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men. The Church gives us the privilege to bless these three articles so that they may be for us constant reminders of Our Lord’s Kingship, Divinity, and sorrowful Passion. Chalk—It is a tradition for priests to bless chalk for each family so that they may mark the names of the three Magi over their doors, in the blessing of homes as a witness of their faith and protection against evil. The chalk is a type of memento mori or literally, Memento homo image (Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return. Gen. 3:19), a
reminder of the dust of the earth from which man was made.