Christmas Masses 2015

We invite you to join us:

Thursday, December 24th
   4:00 pm  (with Children's Pageant 15 minutes prior)
   10:00 pm (music begins one-half hour prior)

Friday, December 25th
   10:00 am
   11:30 am

St. Benedict's is located at the corner of Main Street and Eggert Road, Amherst, NY.

It's Not Over: Christmas Season

The Christmas season is NOT over.

The Holy Family, Nave Window
St. Benedict's, Amherst NY

It is very tempting to let the secular world determine when Christmas starts and ends.  But that is not the Catholic understanding.  For us the liturgical season of Christmas BEGINS on Christmas Eve and ENDS with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

We must be careful not to let the world of commerce usurp our sense of sacred time.  Businesses use our holy days to make money, and while it is certainly admirable for people to earn an honest living, we must not let consumerism determine Christmas.  For too many Christians, that is exactly what happens.

Please keep your Creche scene on display throughout the liturgical season of Christmas. Click HERE for details about Christmas and the Creche scene. Understandably, our trees may need to come down earlier, but don't let that determine the end of Christmas! Become aware of how the Church's celebration and the secular world's celebration of Christmas differ.  Keep Christ in Christmas for His entire season of grace.

Nave Window
St. Benedict's, Amherst NY

Here is how the Christmas Season unfolds for believers:
Christmas celebrates the mystery of the Incarnation - God became man or to put it in biblical terms: "The Word became flesh."  Jesus is truly God and truly man.

Dec. 26 - we recall the first person to die for the Christian Faith - the deacon and first martyr, Saint Stephen.  This day reminds us of the seriousness of our Faith. This is also true of the feast of the Holy Innocents on the 28th of December.

The Feast of the Holy Family reminds us how important the family is.  Jesus was truly like all of us.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph are highlighted as a group.



click image for details

January 1st we observe the most ancient feast day of Mary - Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos). This reminds us of Mary's unique, mysterious and wonderful role in salvation history.

Epiphany is celebrated to remind us that Jesus is Christ for ALL people.  The magi represent all people, all nations, recognizing Jesus as Lord and Messiah.

*****

There is an ancient hymn used by the Church in the Office of Readings (Matins).  It is particularly appropriate for Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord:



Te Deum - Ancient Hymn

God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!

You, the Father, the eternal –

all the earth venerates you.

All the angels, all the heavens, every power –

The cherubim, the seraphim –

unceasingly, they cry:

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:

heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”

The glorious choir of Apostles –

The noble ranks of prophets –

The shining army of martyrs –

all praise you.

Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.

– Father of immeasurable majesty,

– True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,

– Holy Spirit, our Advocate.

You, Christ:

– You are the king of glory.

– You are the Father’s eternal Son.

– You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.

– You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven
    to those who believe in you.

– You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.

– You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.

And so we ask of you:
give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.

Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.

MUSIC NOTES FOR CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY

       In one of his best-known sermons, Howard Thurman wrote: “When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart.” The message of justice which we heard proclaimed in the scripture and psalms of Advent continues into the liturgies of Christmas in Psalms 96, 97 and 98: “The Lord has made salvation known, his justice revealed to all.” The same theme is taken up in Psalm 72 for Epiphany: “He shall rescue the poor when they cry out, and the afflicted when they have no one to help them. He shall have pity on the lowly and the poor.”

       From Mary’s point of view, the entire story was “the mystery hidden for many ages” which we heard about on the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Romans 16:25). The puzzle emerged piece by piece in her life and her son’s, beginning with Gabriel’s appearance, the visit to Elizabeth, the journey to Bethlehem and the events surround-ing Jesus’ birth. Then the prophecies of Simeon and Anna, the hurried escape into Egypt and eventual return to Nazareth, family life as “the child grew in size and strength, filled with wisdom,” the visit to the temple in Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve, and the wedding feast at Cana. 

      The gospel passage for January 1 tells us that Mary “treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Of this passage, Elizabeth O’Connor writes, in The Eighth Day of Creation: “Every child’s life gives forth hints and signs of the way he is to go. The parent that knows how to meditate stores these hints and signs away and ponders over them.  We are to treasure the intimations of the future that the life of every child gives to us so that, instead of unconsciously putting blocks in his way, we help him to fulfill his destiny. This is not an easy way to follow. Instead of telling our children what they should do and become, we must be humble before their wisdom, believing that in them and not in us is the secret that they need to discover.” As church, it is our mission to “listen for the signs and hints in other lives in the very same way that we listen to them in our own,” as we explore the mystery of our own baptism during the Epiphany season.

Christmas Masses 2011

Christmas Masses
St. Benedict's Church
Main Street & Eggert Road
Amherst NY

PLEASE JOIN US FOR:
Christmas Eve Vigil Mass (services)*
4:00 p.m. Mass (preceded by a children's pageant at 3:45 p.m.)
8:00 pm Mass
12:00 Midnight Mass

Christmas Day Mass  (services)*
10:00 a.m. Mass
11:30 a.m. Mass


*FYI - the most important form of Catholic worship is called the Mass.  This is a celebration of the Word becoming flesh for us. It is a single act of worship comprised of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  Other Christians will sometimes use the word "service" or "services."  For Catholics, however, "service" is a general term for religious activity other than Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, or the sacraments.

Directions and more information available on our website - http://www.saintbenedicts.com/.

Parish Nativity Scene

Our new Outdoor Nativity Scene is now up!  It is located on Main Street between the church and the school. It looks beautiful!

A special thanks to all our donors for their generosity.  Our gratitude also to those who built the stable so quickly and so well!

Stop by and say a prayer to the Holy Family.  The Nativity Scene will remain up throughout the Christmas Season (January 9th is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and the end of the Christmas Season). For more details on the basics of Christmas, see http://bit.ly/tXuXmY

Infant Jesus





The Blessed Virgin Mary

 

St. Joseph

The Magi

A couple of lambs.

Christmas Wafers - Oplatki

This weekend many of our parishioners received their OPLATKI in the back of our church. One wafer is called OPLATEK; more than one wafer, OPLATKI.  [The "L" is pronounced like a "W."]  We invite all parishioners and visitors to partake of this ancient Christmas tradition even if your family is not of Slavic heritage.

Here is a brief explanation of the Oplatki tradition...

For centuries on Christmas Eve, families in Poland, Lithuania, the Czech and [Slovak] Republics have practiced a beautiful tradition. It is the breaking and sharing of the Oplatek - Christmas Wafer.

Oplatek, taken from the Latin word oblatum, meaning Sacred Bread, has been the symbol of Christianity and Jesus Christ our bread of life since the Last Supper.

On [Christmas Eve] a festive 12 course meatless dinner is prepared for the gathered family and friends. An extra setting is placed for a beggar (our Lord) who may come to the door, or a poor family (the Holy Family) looking for a place to stay. The host or hostess leads in a special prayer and distributes an oplatek to the participants. Each person breaks off a piece of the other’s oplatek and continues until they have exchanged good wishes and blessings with everyone.

Traditionally at midnight the head of the household takes the pink oplatek and shares it with the animals on his farm or at his home. This custom brings us back to that Holy Night when even animals were able to speak, and to remind us that we are all God’s creatures.

[source - Church Supply Warehouse, http://www.churchsupplywarehouse.com/ ]

Christmas basics

Here is a list of some of the basic words, images, facts, and practices of Advent and Christmas.

*the word "Christmas" is a combination of two words "Christ" and "Mass."

*the word "Nativity" is often used at this time of year.  It means "birth" and refers to the Birth of Jesus.

*the word "incarnation" is used to describe the fundamental Christian belief that the Son of God (the second Person of the Trinity) became a man. John's Gospel begins with a beautiful prologue that tells us that "the Word became flesh."

*Advent is the preparation period before Christmas.  We prepare for the coming of Jesus 1) in time, 2) at the end of time, and 3) into our hearts here and now.

*the four Sundays of Advent are marked by an Advent Wreath.  It is common in the United States to have three purple candles and one pink candle.  The pink candle is lit on the 3rd Sunday of Advent. The 3rd Sunday of Advent is sometimes called Gaudete Sunday which means "rejoice" Sunday.

*Jesus (a form of the name Joshua) means "savior."

*Messiah is a Hebrew title meaning "anointed one."  The Greek title for "anointed one" is CHRIST.  It is NOT Jesus' last name.

*a commonly used title for Jesus during Advent is "emmanuel."  This means God-with-us in Hebrew.

*the stories about the birth of Jesus are found in two Gospels - Matthew and Luke. These are sometimes called the "infancy narratives." We encourage you to read the first two chapters of Matthew and the first two chapters of Luke.

*in ancient Nativity icons, like the one above, Mary is often shown with three stars on her clothing (her two shoulders and her head). These stars symbolize her perpetual virginity. She was, by God's grace, a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus.

*the Eucharist figures in the stories of Jesus' birth.  He was born in Bethlehem which means "house of bread;" He was placed in a manger which is the feeding place for cattle.  He is our Bread of Life.

*a 14 point silver star now marks the spot where Jesus was believed to have been born.  It is in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The number 14 is "David's number."  That is why 14 is mentioned so often in the beginning of Matthew's Gospel.

*the swaddling clothes of Jesus at the beginning of His earthly life are meant to prefigure His burial garments at the end of His earthly life.

*the Bible never says how many Magi visited Jesus and Mary. Traditionally, since three gifts are mentioned in Matthew's Gospel, three Magi are shown in art. They were later given the names Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. Catholics will sometimes mark their doorways on the Feast of the Epiphany (when the visit of the Magi is celebrated) with the year and the Magi initials.  Here's an example:  20+C+M+B+15.

*Although the Feast of the Epiphany is now celebrated on a Sunday in the Christmas Season, formerly it was fixed on 6 January.  From Christmas to Epiphany was called the "Twelve Days of Christmas."

*the Gospels do not call the Magi "kings."  The notion of calling them "kings" comes from Psalm 72:10.

*gold symbolizes the kingship of Jesus, frankincense symbolizes the divinity of Jesus, and myrrh symbolizes the death of Jesus.

*to show that the Magi represent all people coming to Christ, artists and creche figurines often show the Magi as men of different races. Another way of showing this "universality" is to show one magus with a long beard (old), one with a short beard (middle aged) and one without a beard (young).

Children's Pageant at St. Benedict's
Christmas Eve, 2014

*since the time of St. Francis of Assisi, we often combine the two Gospel stories (Matthew and Luke) into a creche scene.  Sometimes these creche scenes are live ("Living Nativity Scenes"), with children playing the roles of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, etc.  Note, for example, that only Luke's Gospel mentions shepherds and only Matthew's Gospel mentions the Magi.

*often, many types of animals are included in creche scenes; however, two animals are symbolically important and should never be absent from a creche scene - the ox and the donkey.  They are included because of a prophetic verse in the Book of Isaiah (1:3): The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.

*the Christmas Season ends at the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

MUSIC NOTES FOR DECEMBER 11

Every year, the challenge of the third Sunday of Advent is to rejoice. Such is the exhortation of today’s entrance antiphon, which we sing as a traditional round, and of the letter to the Thessalonians. As in last week’s scripture, joy springs from a commitment to justice: lifting up the poor, healing the depressed, liberating hostages, ministering to the imprisoned, assuring all that God has not abandoned them. We might even sum it all up as “making spirits bright,” but for the fact that that phrase has been co-opted for commercial ends. All of this arises from a hearty sense of joy in God, rejoicing that runs deep in the soul. Today’s psalm, the Magnificat, applies as much to the mission of John the Baptist as to Mary, and the same is true of the passage from Isaiah. His picture of one “clothed in a robe of salvation, wrapped in a mantle of justice, adorned . . . , bedecked . . .,” evokes the image of Mary as she appeared at Guadalupe, and we celebrate that feast on Monday. We will sing the blue-sheet “Song to Our lady of Guadalupe” as we did for the holy day last week. Also repeated will be “Canticle of the Turning,” based on the Magnificat, and at 10:00 “Days of Elijah,” with its references to today’s gospel. And again, we go out of church to the Baptist’s cry, “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”

       The deep joy described by Paul and Isaiah stand in counterpoint to the frenetic partying and compulsive shopping that sneak up on us in the run-up to Christmas. Real joy requires us to slow down ands take the time to be in touch with what see and hear: the sight of a cardinal or a bluejay in the backyard. Besides prayer and thanksgiving, Paul advises us to have a keen ear for prophecy, to test everything, to discern the good from the bad. We must take care not to stifle the spirit, and that implies giving worship the time it needs, especially with our revised liturgy, not rushing through the prayers or songs, paying attention, listening closely. In contrast to the instant gratification of the commercial Christmas, Advent demands waiting, patience and time. We are given “time-outs” during this busy season, like the holy day last week, and Monday’s feast of Guadalupe. These are heaven-sent opportunities to “smell the roses” — or to “wake up and smell the coffee,” as the case may be!

       We need to appreciate what a precious gift time is. Someone attributed to Thomas Merton the saying: “Life and time are our only real possessions.” Death is no respecter of seasons. My father’s cousin was a Trappist monk at Our Lady of the Genesee Abbey. Br. Henry died on December 1, “a good day to die,” said the abbot in his eulogy. He baked Monk’s Bread, kept the bees that provided the honey, and, true to his roots, if not to Trappist spirituality, collected stuff. As Christmas approaches, some of our families will lose a loved one. The antidote to our loss, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of our joy is the bottomless generosity of our parishioners, who manage to provide the requests from two Giving Trees and bags and bags of groceries for local food pantries.

ADVENT 101 - Preparing for the Birth of our Savior

Christmas Thoughts - Dn. Bill+

Merry Christmas!

As you know, because of the Incarnational accent in my preaching, I often quote the Prologue of St. John's Gospel - "The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us." 

That is Christmas in a nutshell. How appropriate that John's Prologue is read at Christmas morning Mass.

The Son of God, the Eternal Word, took flesh.  He became one of us.  He is like us in all things except sin. Jesus is truly God and truly man! He is God Incarnate.

I have been meditating and reading on this topic during Advent. I have been drawn particularly to understanding the Mass - Christ's Mass - in this regard.

At every Mass, the Word becomes Flesh and dwells among us.  Christ's Mass is here all the time.  All the worldly celebrations of Christmas pale in comparison to the Liturgy. Christ DOES come to us. It is all happening now.  Christmas is not an historical celebration for us. Liturgy is our way of seeing as God sees.

The older I get and the more seriously I reflect on my faith, the more impressed I am with the depth of our Catholic Faith. Again and again I see that we Catholics do not just "talk" about Christ, but really see Him. 

His Presence is not just a "feeling" in us (though it can be that too!), but real, true, and substantial in the Eucharist.  I am understanding the essential unity of Bethlehem and Calvary, not to mention the essential unity of the liturgical year. This unity makes eternity more approachable for me.

After five years with you at St. Benedict's, I am grateful for all you have done for me. But one thing tops the list - You have helped me see Jesus in new ways.

I am reminded of a line by my favorite poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins.  He wrote:
...Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men's faces.

Like the star of Bethlehem, you have brought me to Jesus.
I am honored to be your servant.

A Merry and Blessed Christ-mass to all!
deacon bill+