December 3, 2023

First Sunday of Advent

by Fr. Boniface Endorf, OP

Dear St. Joseph Parish Family,

Now we enter the Advent Season—and the beginning of a new liturgical year. Today we begin our preparations for Our Lord’s coming at Christmas. It’s good to have a spiritual plan in place—more prayer, fasting, etc., to help keep focused on what matters most this season. Also, this Advent will be the shortest possible because Christmas falls on a Monday this year, so Advent is really only about three weeks long. Use that time wisely—God gives many graces this season, take advantage of them. 

This Friday is a Holy Day of Obligation: The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Everyone is required to attend Mass either on the Vigil (Thursday night) or day of (Friday). We’ll have a vigil Mass Thursday night at 7pm, and Masses on Friday at 12:10pm and 7pm.

This year Christmas is on a Monday. On the Saturday just before Christmas we’ll have our normal 5:30pm Vigil Mass for the 4th Sunday of Advent. On Sunday, Christmas Eve, we’ll have our normal 9am and 11:30am Masses for the 4th Sunday of Advent, and that Sunday evening we’ll have a 5pm Christmas Vigil Mass and a 10pm Christmas Night Mass. On Christmas day, Monday, we’ll have a 9am Christmas Morning Mass and a 11:30am Christmas Day Mass. 

Catholics are obliged to attend Mass for the 4th Sunday of Advent and for Christmas. The Saturday 4th Sunday of Advent Vigil Mass and the Sunday 9am or 11:30am Mass count for that obligation. The Sunday evening, Christmas Eve Masses, at 5pm and 10pm can count for Sunday or Christmas, but not both. The Christmas Day Masses, on Monday, count for the Christmas obligation. The bottom line: attend 2 Masses.

God Bless,

Fr. Boniface

Mass Tidbit:

Concluding the 2nd list of names in the Eucharistic prayer, we have:

Agnes: One of the most popular saints of the early Church, she died a martyr when only 12 years old. She took a vow a virginity and thus died a virgin martyr. She was beheaded in 304 AD under the persecution of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. 

Cecilia: She is the patron saint of musicians and is usually shown with a musical instrument. Not much is known about her, but she died a martyr, most likely around 230 AD under the persecution of the Roman Emperor Severus. 

Anastasia: Under the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian, Anastasia was tortured and martyred with her husband Publius on Christmas day 304 AD. Not much is known about her life.