The Solemnities of
Mary, The Holy Mother of God
and
The Epiphany of the Lord
"Madonna and Child" (Bernadette Carstensen, 2021)
Dear Friends in Christ,
This has been my second Christmas with our amazing parishes and as this first year goes by, I take stock and realize how grateful I am to be assigned here to you, and how blessed I am to minister to such good Catholic people. If not for your choice to be a committed disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ, expressed in so many works of charity, our community would be a much colder, darker place.
I’m unable to write to each of you personally, but I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank you for your kindness and support in this holy season and throughout the year. I’ve been the recipient of so many personal good wishes and prayers, so many cards of encouragement and countless thoughtful gifts (which, truth be told, I haven't had a chance to even open yet - will get to them this week). With our beautiful Catholic faith under siege culturally, politically, socially and morally in so many ways, it is edifying that despite the challenges, including the last two years of this pandemic, so many of you have remained loyal and steadfast. “Lord, to whom shall we go?”, St. Peter once told the Lord when others had abandoned him, “You have the words of eternal life.” By your words and deeds, you have done the same, and God will reward you.
We have plenty of work to do in 2022 to maintain our parishes, and most importantly, attract new faithful, and evangelize our peers for the love of God. I know you will continue in your generous service to our parish toward this end. Do not be afraid! Talk to your peers about your faith. Invite them to Holy Mass. Nudge them toward the confessional. There’s no one else to do this but you! May the Christ child reveal his Holy Face to you and smile upon you in this New Year. You are all in my heart at the holy altar!
A Very Happy Christmas and a Blessed Christmastide to all of you and all of your families!
Fr. Justin
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Weekly Schedule
"The Nativity" (Arthur Hughes, 1858)
Mary, the Holy Mother of God (S)
Fri, Dec 31 @ 5pm
Jean Shannon †
(req. John & Joyce Shannon)
Lector: Maureen O'Connor
The Epiphany of the Lord (S)
Sun, Jan 2 @ 11am
Living & Deceased Members of the Knights of Columbus †
(req. KoC)
Lector: Jacques Lambier
Tues, Jan 4 @ 7pm
Chris Blastorah †
(req. Louise Simons)
Thur, Jan 6 @ 9am
Marc MacDonald
(req. Clarita Zantua)
St. André Bessette, Religious (M)
Fri, Jan 7 @ 9am
Jean Shannon †
(req. Charlotte Lahey)
First Friday
Fri, Jan 7 @ 9:30-10:30am
** HOLY HOUR! **
Sacred Heart of Mary
Weekly Schedule
Mary, the Holy Mother of God (S)
Sat, Jan 1 @ 10am
For Those in Palliative Care
(req. SHM CWL)
Lector: Cathy Mouck
The Epiphany of the Lord (S)
Sun, Jan 2 @ 9am
Pro Populo
Lector: Don Bailey
The Solemnity of the Epiphany is one of the richest and most complex feasts in the Christian liturgy, and for this reason, it is also among the most misunderstood. The Greek word which we translate epiphany simply means “appearance” or “manifestation”, and in the Western liturgical tradition the Epiphany is linked most strongly to the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child. But in the Eastern liturgies, the celebration on January 6th is not restricted to the visit of the Magi; rather, the Epiphany celebrates every event by which Christ is revealed to the world as the Messiah: his birth, the visit of the Magi, his presentation in the Temple, and his early life including instructing the elders in the Temple, his Baptism in the Jordan, and the miracle at the wedding feast of Cana where the Lord Jesus first revealed His glory to the Twelve. For this reason, ancient liturgies refer to the Epiphany as a festival of illumination, declaration, and theophany, and in many Eastern Christian Churches, January 6th is the primary or only celebration of the Birth of Jesus, not December 25th. This helps us understand the profound link between the Western feasts of Christmas and Epiphany and why this celebration is the traditional Twelfth Day of Christmas.
Wed, Jan 5 @ 9am
Intentions of the Dawson Family)
(req. John & Maria Dawson)
If you'd like to schedule a Mass intention, fill out one of the envelopes at the entrance of the church or contact our secretary Pauline Davis at the parish office @ 613.472.2220 or rcmarmoramadoc@gmail.com
SHJ is quickly running short on new masses. So there's lots of dates available if you want a mass request. After all, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the greatest of Gifts. When one receives a Mass Card for their intentions, for their anniversary, their birthday, graduation, or a special occasion, it is a source of comfort to know that one is being remembered at the holy altar. When the family of a deceased friend or relative receives a condolence card announcing that a Mass will be offered for the soul of the departed, it certainly provides more comfort than flowers. Please encourage your family and friends to request our Masses and Mass Cards too.
Random Thoughts, Links & Recommendations
- Wisdom from St. Thomas
- So cute.
- Now this is how to do grace before meals!
The Christ-Child stood at Mary’s knee,
His hair was like a crown,
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down.~ G.K. Chesterton
- Msgr. Ronald Knox had some good, simple and challenging advice about resolutions. First decide what changes you would make in your life if you knew that you had only one more year to live; and then make those changes now.
MARKING THE LINTEL ABOVE THE DOORS OF YOUR HOME WITH BLESSED CHALK: On Sunday, don't forget to take home with you a piece of chalk. “Chalking the door” is a way to celebrate and literally mark the occasion of the Epiphany and God’s blessing of our lives and home. It’s an invitation of our Blessed Lord to be a daily guest in our home, our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows. With time the chalk will fade. As it does we let the meaning of the symbols written sink into the depth of our heart and be manifest in our words and deeds.
Take (blessed) chalk and mark on the lintel of your front door
20 + C + M + B + 22
while saying:
The three Wise Men,
C Caspar,
M Melchior,
B and Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became human
20 two thousand
22 and twenty-two years ago,
+ May Christ bless our home & remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.
The letters C, M, B have two meanings: they are the initials of the traditional names of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar; they also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat which means, “May Christ bless this house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 2022 is the year.
- (Don't) read it and weep.
- A few times over the holidays, because the Starbucks drive-thru was too long, I had to go inside to place the order for my friends (I'm a McDonald's coffee guy so haven't been to a Starbucks years). It was a surreal experience - while the staff was very friendly, the amount of woke propaganda coming from every corner of the store is really something to behold. It's truly cultish. I encourage you to check it out sometime and see for yourselves the kind of luxury beliefs we Christians are up against. (The coffee was good though, LOL!)
- awwwwwww.... and this!
- A few of you have gently questioned my oft-used abbreviation "Xmas" and urged me to "keep Christ in Christmas" and spell it all out "Christmas". While I really do appreciate the fraternal correction, and don't doubt the sincerity of your religious sisters who pooh-poohed it, there really is a venerable tradition of using Xmas. Nevertheless, I'll do my best to use Christmas, since I think you're right and it is better.
- Good article.
A great little clip with Dr. Ralph Martin of Renewal Ministries
Ways to Give at SHJ & SHM & St. Bernadette's. Your offering is always greatly needed and much appreciated and even more so during this time of pandemic when fewer people are attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Omicron and the brutal freezing rain on Christmas Day kept many people away unfortunately.
shjpayments@gmail.com (SHJ)
shmpayments@gmail.com (SHM)
[Please note that when donations are made by e-transfer, it is received at the bank as a Sunday weekly offering, so it would be helpful for you to use your blue envelopes when making other donations.]
2) Write a cheque and send it to Sacred Heart of Mary or Sacred Heart of Jesus, c/o 38 Bursthall Street, PO BOX 104, Marmora, ON K0K 2M0.
3) Drop off your contribution in one of our secure mailboxes outside the rectory garage (SHJ) or O'Neill Parish Hall (SHM)
Support of SHJ & SHM & St. Bernadette's is sustained by the generosity of our parishioners.
Don't forget that online resources are available to every member of our parish including books, movies, podcasts and more at Formed.org. To gain access to all of FORMED’s content, follow these simple steps:
- Go to https://signup.formed.org
- Enter our parish’s postal code (K0K 2M0)
- Enter your name and your email address
SHM looked beautiful as usual this Christmas.
I know many of you have carved out a little room in your home as a prayer niche or home chapel, which is laudable. Here's a great piece in the NYT's about those who have done the same. Just before Christmas, I too commissioned Josef Rebestijn, an ecclesiastical artist who has done work in most of the churches in our diocese (including our own) to improve my own home basement chapel where I celebrate Mass on my day off (below). Here he is, with his carpenter partner Gerald, in front of the new oak backdrop.
Wise guidance from St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) for this New Year
Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear. Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise, God to whom you belong, will in his love enable you to profit by them.
He has guided you thus far in life. Do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all trials. Whenever you cannot stand, He will carry you lovingly in his arms.
Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same Eternal Father who takes care of you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every day of your life. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace then, and put aside all useless thoughts, all vain dreads and all anxious imaginations.
Eight days ago we celebrated the Birth of Jesus Christ, and we read in the Gospel of St. Luke that “When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2.21) Saturday is, therefore, the Eighth Day or Octave of the Birth of the Lord Jesus, and so we commemorate the naming and circumcision of Christ on this day. In fact, for many centuries this liturgical celebration was called “The Circumcision of the Lord and the Octave of the Nativity,” and it is still called that in the Christian East among both Catholics and Orthodox. In 1969, however, the name and focus of this feast was changed to its present title of “Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.” This change restored the name of the celebration as it had been observed in Rome since at least the seventh century, and in 1974, St. Pope Paul VI explained the reason for the change in an encyclical letter called Marialis Cultus. Pope Paul wrote that “this celebration, assigned to January 1 in conformity with the ancient liturgy of the city of Rome, is meant to commemorate the part played by Mary in this mystery of salvation. It is meant also to exalt the singular dignity which this mystery brings to the holy Mother ... through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life. It is likewise a fitting occasion of renewed adoration of the newborn Prince of Peace, for listening once more to the glad tidings of the angels, and for imploring from God, through the Queen of Peace, the supreme gift of peace. For this reason ... we have instituted the World Day of Peace.”
So, now we have four titles for one day in the liturgical calendar: the Octave of the Nativity; the Circumcision of the Lord; the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God; and the World Day of Peace. Each of these titles reveals a different facet of one mystery of faith, and each is worthy of our meditation.
"There were three things prefigured and promised concerning the Child who received the gifts; that He should be crowned like a king; that He should be worshipped like a God; and that He should die like a man; and these would sound like Eastern flattery, were it not for the third."
