Pastor’s Corner . . . Here are two short patristic meditations answering the question why God became a man at Christmas:
 “It is not enough to say that our Lord, Son of the Virgin Mary, is true and perfect man; we must also believe that he is, as the Gospels tell us, a man of very specific human lineage.
 “Matthew speaks of ‘the family record of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham,’ and follows the line of generations down to Saint Joseph, to whom the Lord’s Mother was married. Luke, on the other hand, works backward to the origin of the human race in order to show that the first and second Adams share a common human nature.
 “When he decided to teach and justify mankind, the almighty Son of God could, of course, have manifested himself in the same way as he did to the patriarchs and prophets, that is, by assuming a human appearance, as when he entered into a wrestling match with Jacob or engaged in conversation with Abraham or accepted his hospitality and even ate the food offered to him. But these feigned human appearances were only the prefigurations of the truth. To accomplish the mystery of our reconciliation, anticipatory figures were not enough. The Holy Spirit had to come upon the Virgin and the power of the Most High had to overshadow her so that Wisdom might build itself a house and the Word [the Eternal Son of God] might become flesh. The estate of God and the estate of a servant had to be united in one person, and the Creator of time had to be born within time; he through whom all things have their being had to be begotten amid all these created things.
 “Unless a new man, formed ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh,’ took our broken nature upon himself and condescended, while consubstantial with the Father, to be consubstantial with us as well and, as the only sinless man, to make our human nature his own, mankind would have remained enslaved to Satan and sin. Nor would his triumphal victory profit us if he did not share our condition.
 “Through this wonderful sharing, [God sharing our humanity; mankind sharing God’s divinity] the mystery of regeneration has been accomplished, for the Spirit whose power gave Christ a human conception and birth, has given spiritual rebirth to us.” [Pope Leo the Great, Letter 31]

 “God is man’s glory; man is the recipient of God’s wise and powerful action. As a physician’s skill is tested by the sick, so God manifests himself in needy mankind.   Mankind, sick by disobedience and sin, had lost blessed immortality but then received the mercy of adoptive sonship in Christ.
 “THE man who glories in God and in his creation, and abides in love of him and thankful submissiveness to him will himself receive ever greater glory as he becomes more like him who died for mankind. The Redeemer took ‘the likeness of sinful flesh’ in order to condemn sin and to cast if forth from man’s nature and to rouse men to imitate him. He gave himself to mankind as a patter for the vision of God and union with the Father, for he is the Word of God who dwelt as a man among men in order to accustom men to knowing God and to accustom God to dwelling among men.
 “The Lord himself, therefore, gave us a sign of salvation—Emmanuel: God-with-us—who was born of the Virgin. For men could not save themselves. As Saint Paul asks, ‘Wretched man that I am, who will save me from this body doomed to death?’ But Paul knows what will save him: the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ. . . Our salvation is not from ourselves but from God.” [St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, III]
 --Msgr. DiGiovanni

Please pray for the sick…  Phillip Renard, John Castellano, Anthony Sansone, Paul Cavallo, Kathy Hennesey, Ruth Coyle, Lily Rice, Mildred Fiore, Catherine & Jay Olnek, Ryan Santolo, Michael Mammone, Mary Bozek, Marjorie Just, Jerry Gerardi,

Please pray for those who have recently died. . . Vito Melfi,  Arthur Capalbo, Avery Cardinal Dulles, Laurie, Jeannette Augustine, Vivian E. Torres, Margie Nicholson, Ed “Red” Baker, Katherine Harten, Pauline Weeks, Jennifer Tomasello, Vincent Dangi, Deborah (Brennan) Stowell,

Monthly Collection . . . The second collection today will be the monthly collection for the parish.  Your generosity is appreciated.

2009 Calendars . . . 2009 St. John’s Catholic calendars are available free and can be picked up at all the entrances and exits of the church.  Please take one home per household.

Religion Classes for Adults. . . Catholics who have not yet received Holy Communion or Confirmation, and for non-Catholics who wish to join the Church, every Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the rectory.  The class is on a 7 week cycle:  If you miss one, we repeat it.  Interested?  Please contact Providencia at (203¬) 324 -1553 ext. 21.

Parish Women’s Society. . . We would like to begin a parish society for the spiritual growth of women.  Please contact Monsignor if you are interested:  Ext. 11.

The Latin reading group is translating St. Augustine’s Confessions…and meets every Wednesday in the rectory at 6:15 p.m.  High school Latin is all that’s needed.  Just walk in. We will NOT meet Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.

Introduction to New Testament Greek Class . . . meets every Thursday evening in the rectory at 7:30 p.m.  This is an introductory class:  All are welcome. We will NOT meet on Christmas or New Year’s Day. Please join us.

St. John’s Bible Study…We are using The Bible Timeline Series every Thursday in the rectory at 7:30 p.m.  Join us. We will NOT meet on Christmas or New Year’s Day.

Religious Education Classes…There will NO Religious Education Classes on December 21st and December 28th.   Classes will resume on January 4, 2009.

Year of Saint Paul . . . a Plenary Indulgence is offered the faithful through June 29th: by visiting the adoration chapel at Saint John Fisher Seminary Residence on Newfield Avenue: the chapel is open Monday through Thursday, 6:00 a.m.—11:00 p.m., and from Friday at 6:00 a.m. until Sunday 11:00 p.m.  The usual conditions apply: sacramental confession and communion, praying one Our Father and Hail Mary for the intentions of Pope Benedict XVI apply.
CHRISTMAS CONFESSION SCHEDULE:
December 24th:  3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.;
December 25th:  7:00 am-7:30 a.m.; 9:30 - 10:00 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon.
CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE:
Christmas Eve: 4:00 p.m. and MIDNIGHT Solemn Mass with Choir [11:30: choir concert];
Christmas Day: 7:30 a.m.  & 10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon Solemn Mass with Choir; 6:00 p.m. Haitian Mass.

Christmas Day Collection…The Christmas second collection will be for emergency electrical repairs.

Sunday, December 14, 2008      $ 12,505.10

Sunday, December 16, 2007       $ 9,118.16
I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving to God, but do not give your leftovers.”---Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Sunday Readings for Dec. 28:   Gn. 15: 1-6, 21: 1-3; Hb. 11:8, 11-12, 17-19 Lk. 2:22-40

Hymns for this weekend . . . (1) 8   (2) 155. The Creed for the Noon Mass may be found in the hymnal at No. 289.

Choral Music for the 12:00 Noon Mass . . . Mass Ordinary: Kyrie XVII (10th century) – Graduale Romanum; Sanctus & Agnus Dei from Missa de feria – Orlando di Lasso, 1532-1594. Offertory motet: The Angel Gabriel – Trad. Basque, arr. David Willcocks (The text may be found in the hymnal at No. 36.). Communion motet: Rorate cœli (The Advent Prose – Traditional Roman Chant (The text may be found in the hymnal at No. 305.). The Gregorian chants proper to this Sunday are: Introit Rorate coeli (Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness.  Let the earth open and bring forth a Saviour. [Is. 45] The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handywork. [Ps. 19]); Alleluia Veni, Domine (Come Lord! do not delay. Pardon the sins of your people.); Offertory Ave Maria (Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. [Luke 1:28]); Communion Ecce virgo concipiet (Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His Name shall be called Emmanuel. [Isaiah 7:14]).

As part of your Advent preparation for Christmas, you might consider going to Confession, especially if you haven’t been in a while. Confessions are heard daily:  Monday—Friday, 7:30-7:50 a.m. and 11:30-12:00 noon; Saturday, 3:00-4:00 p.m.; Sundays, 7:00-7:30 a.m.; 9:30-10:00 a.m.; 11:30-12:00 noon.  Take advantage of God’s generosity.

St. Monica Institute for Patristic Studies . . . Will next meet on January 7th to begin studying St. Gregory the Great’s Four Books of Dialogues.   Join us each Wednesday evening in the rectory at 7:30 p.m.

St. Maria Goretti Society . . . For the spiritual formation of young ladies from 8th - 12th grades. Questions, please contact Rosa Marchetti at (203) 348-0232.

St. Dominic Savio Society…For the spiritual formation of young men from 8th – 12th grades. Questions, please contact Frank Marchetti at (203) 434-4734.

Coffee and refreshments… PLEASE NOTE:  There is NO coffee hour today Sunday December 21st and December 28th due to Christmas and New Years respectively.

St. John’s in The  Advocate . . .
   . . . 100 years ago, or so:

December 25, 1863 “In the Roman Catholic Church, there will be Mass at quarter to six A. M., and the usual Christmas services at 11.”

 December 23, 1870: Ball. “St. Patrick’s T.A.B. Society is to give a grand Ball in Seely’s Hall, Friday evening, Dec. 30. Miller’s quadrille band of New York is engaged.”

 December 25, 1914:  “St. John’s Catholic Church was trimmed with holly and evergreens, and the “Manger Scene” also was depicted here. Mass was held at 5 a. m.; solemn high mass at 7:30; masses at 9 and 9:30 and solemn high mass again at 10:30.”

December 24, 1917: “In this age of heroics, when so many false prophets “strut their hour in the limelight and are soon forgotten”, it is a pleasure to know that there are some real prophets – big, brave, brainy, busy, good and kindly men – who go about day after day, quietly and unselfishly, doing things for their community, their State of their Nation and never seeking reward except such as comes from doing of the good deed. Every community has its men – and its women – of this type. They are never too busy to comfort the sorrowing, never too proud or so heartless as to withhold a cheering word or a helping hand from such as need them. They go serenely along scattering sunshine and serving their God and their fellow-man, exemplars of the teaching of Him whose birthday the Christian world is on the eve of celebrating. Of such is Rev. James C. O’Brien, pastor of St. John’s Catholic Church, who, yesterday, celebrated the fortieth anniversary of his ordination as a priest of the church, and who, tomorrow, celebrates the sixty-fifth anniversary of his birthday. Thanks to the generosity of his people, Father O’Brien this morning celebrated mass in a church free of debt, a check for $2,800, to pay off the indebtedness, having been presented to him last night.”

December 26, 1924: HUNDREDS UNABLE TO GET IN CHURCHES. Celebrations of Midnight Mass Fill Catholic Edifices Here to the Overflowing Point. “Midnight mass was celebrated, Christmas Eve, in all the local Catholic Churches and, in each church, the crowd of people who desired to attend the celebration of the mass was so great that there was not room enough for them. Hundreds of people went away from the churches unable to gain entrance. In St. John’s Catholic Church, the crowd filled the nave, galleries and the lobby, at the entrance to the church, and hundreds more came and then went away. The Rev. James Ledwich celebrated the high mass at St. John’s Church with the Rev. James J. O’Brien, pastor of the church, as deacon, and the Rev. Henry Callahan, sub-deacon.”

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St. Anne Family Society . . . Meets the first Saturday of each month 5:00 p.m. in the church and parish hall.  Meetings include Eucharistic Adoration in church; a potluck supper and a spiritual conference in the parish hall.  All families—including children—are invited.   Next meeting will be January 3rd.

Moms & Tots . . . a group of moms and children meet with Fr. Walsh each first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. in church for Eucharistic adoration, followed by snacks in the parish hall. Please join us.  Our next meeting will be on January 6th.

Healing Mass. . . .  Thursday, January 8th, at 7:30 p.m. at Saint Philip’s Church, Fr. Conlon Drive, Norwalk.  Join us.

Mass Intentions

Saturday, December 20
4:00 +Vincent Freccia req. Wife Dolores
Sunday, December 21
  7:30 +Jayson Jarrett req. Norma Jarrett
10:00 Special Intention Joseph H. Kim req. Joseph & Mary Kim
12:00 +Alfredo Escobedo req. Wife & Daughters
  6:00 +Patrick Kane & Family req. Estate of Catherine Kane & Family
Monday, December 22
  8:00 +Carrigan /Zabatta Families req. Carrigan Family
12:10 +Irma Isaziga req. Fabiola Contreras
 Tuesday, December 23
  8:00 +John Maloney req. Mary Maloney
12:10 +Charles & Florence De Silva req. Daughter & Family
Wednesday, December 24
  8:00 In Honor of The Blessed Virgin Mary
12:10 Christina req. Aunt Josephine
  4:00 People of the Parish
 12:00    Midnight – Special Intention Skidd Family
Thursday, December 25
7:30 Special Intention Parish Priest req. Millie
10:00 All Souls in Purgatory req. Maria
12:00 +Anne Augustine Penta 12-year remembrance req. Armelle
 6:00 Joseph, Mary, Eleanor Theresa & Richard Paul req. Mary & Joseph Kim
Friday, December 26
  8:00 +William Borkowski req. Michael & Ann Borkowski
12:10 +Stephen & Nicholas Churley & Eva, Charles, Nicholas, Anne, Joseph & Charles Kronk, Jr. req. Mary Churley
Saturday, December 27
  8:00 +Nang Nguyen req. Thang Nguyen
12:10    Thanksgiving Wm Kenneth McGraw req. William & Josephine McGraw

Miraculous Medal Novena: Mondays, 8:30 a.m.

Pray for an end to abortion every Wednesday, 7:00 - 10:30 a.m., at Planned Parenthood, 1039 East Main St, Stamford. 

Eucharistic Adoration:  Fridays, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon.

Are you a registered parishioner? … If not, please visit the parish office Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call the office for more information [ext 21 or 17].

Sponsor Certificates for Baptism or Confirmation…Are happily given to parishioners of St. John’s, i.e. Those who are registered members; those whose regular Mass attendance is known to the priests, or whose parish membership can be verified by the records of the weekly offertory (envelopes).        

Holy Name Society . . . For all men of the parish: the rectory every Friday morning for coffee, Eucharistic adoration benediction & prayer, from 7:00 - 8:00 a.m.

Credit Card Offertory…Make weekly or monthly donations by credit card. You can set up recurring credit card donations with the church secretary.  She can take your information over the telephone.  Call (203) 324-1553 x21.


The Garment
                                                                  (Part I)                                   - Fr. Terry Walsh
 The Book of Genesis concludes with the great Patriarch Jacob (whose new name is Israel) blessing his 12 sons. He blesses Judah, his 4th son, and gives him primacy because of Judah’s fidelity to God. His will be the Royal House - the House of David through which the Messiah will come. “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Binding his foal to the vine and his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes; his eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk”(Genesis 49: 10-12). And what do these words reveal to us about Christ? Reflecting on this passage of Genesis, Hippolytus commented: “Here Christ has mystically indicated his baptism. After he had come up from the Jordan and had purified the waters (by plunging in them), he received the grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Mt3:13-17)…And since by hanging on the Cross he was like a bunch of ripe grapes, after His side was pierced he emitted blood and water (Jn 19:34); the former for the bath (baptism), the latter for the ransom (redemption), the prophet (Jacob) rightly said, ‘He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of ripe grapes.’” And Novatian adds, “…in order to wash the garment (our flesh), (Jesus) wore the garment. Accordingly he is declared to be man by that substance which was assumed that it might be washed, just as he who washed it is shown to be God, by the authority of the Word”(On the Trinity 21.12-16).
 Already in the Book of Genesis we are given a glimpse into the Sacrifice of the Messiah who will come through the House of David, the house of Judah. We are given a glimpse into His Passion. We are able to ponder His love. St. Ambrose said, “‘He will wash His robe in wine.’ The good robe is the flesh of Christ, which has covered the sins of all people, taken up the offenses of all, concealed the misdeeds of all – the good robe which has clothed all people with the garment of rejoicing.” And Rufinus adds, “Christ’s robe washed in wine is interpreted with good reason as the Church, which he himself has purified in his blood and is spotless and faultless…The garment appears to be a more intimate cloth, which is closer to the body than the robe. Those who, after they had been washed with the bath and had become his robe, reached the sacrament of the blood of grapes, that is, a more intimate and more secret mystery; they in a sense participate in his garment. In fact, the soul is washed in the blood of grapes, when it has begun to grasp the meaning of that sacrament. After perceiving and comprehending the virtue of the blood of the Word of God, the soul will become more receptive as it is purer. Each day it is washed in order to improve in its knowledge.” What a beautiful reflection on Holy Eucharist, the fruit of the Sacrifice bringing new life in abundance: Divine Life.
 St. Paul teaches us about our new life in Christ – putting on the “New Man”- putting on the new garment through Baptism. In his Letter to the Ephesians, Paul explains: “In (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us. For he has made know to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth”(1:7-10). Next week, I will consider the “inner garment” in Paul’s Letter, (Eph. 3 and 4).