November 26, 2023
Solemnity of Christ the King
by Fr. Boniface Endorf, OP
Dear St. Joseph Parish Family,
We are coming to the end of the liturgical calendar—next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year. Advent is the time when we await the coming of Christ at Christmas, reliving that period before the Incarnation when humanity still awaited the coming of salvation. It’s customary to take on some penance for Advent, some way of helping us spiritually prepare for Christmas. It is usually something smaller than a Lenten penance, but still enough to have spiritual import. Perhaps limit social media or screen time in order to focus more intensely on the spiritual, rather than commercial, meaning of Advent. There are a lot of graces given during Advent: make sure to take advantage of them!
God Bless,
Fr. Boniface
Mass Tidbit:
Continuing with the 2nd list of names in the Eucharistic prayer, we have:
Agatha: A Sicilian noblewoman, she was martyred in the year 251 AD. She is one of the most venerated virgin martyrs from the early Church who died under the persecution of the Roman Emperor Decius. When young she undertook a vow of virginity; however, a powerful Roman prefect, Quintianus, sought to marry her and have her deny her vow. She refused his many advances, and so Quintianus had her arrested for being a Christian. She suffered horrific tortures but refused to deny the Faith, and she eventually died from the many tortures. She is an especially important saint in Malta, and her feast day is February 5th.
Lucy: Another Sicilian noblewoman, who was martyred in 304 AD under the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of the Church. She also is a virgin martyr, having taken a vow of virginity when young. When she refused a suitor, she too was denounced by the suitor for being a Christian, and was also tortured and martyred as a result. She is often depicted holding her eyes because her eyes were gouged out during torture. She is now the patron saint of those suffering from eye illnesses.
