The first week of Ordinary Time begins today, January 10, 2017 with green as the seasonal color. Ordinary Time is the only liturgical season that is celebrated in two phases.  This is the first phase of Ordinary Time, which will last until the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday (this year, March 1, 2017).  The second phase of Ordinary Time begins the day after  Pentecost Sunday (this year,  June 5, 2017) and lasts until the First Sunday of Advent (this year, December 2, 2017).

There is nothing ordinary about Ordinary Time!  Ordinary Time gets its title from the word “ordinal” which means “numbered.”  Ordinary Time means that it is “numbered time.” It wasn’t meant to refer to this period in the liturgical calendar as being run of the mill or average.

This is a time set aside to reflect on our call to follow Jesus Christ on a daily basis – nothing ordinary about that!

The liturgical season of Christmas began with the vigil Mass on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which this liturgical year falls on Monday, January 9, 2017.

But, remember:

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the 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 people,
To make music in the heart.

Howard Thurman (1899-1981)

This is an ancient blessing in the Catholic tradition that transcends cultures and continents.  Legend holds that the letters correspond to the initials for the names of the Three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.  More importantly, these letters abbreviate the Latin phrase “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” – “May Christ bless this house”.

The year “2017” is divided by this phrase as a reminder to keep Jesus at the center of our lives and our relationships, wherever we go.  The four crosses signify the four corners of the world to which we the Baptized are commissioned to proclaim the Gospel.  The crosses also remind us that in the Year of Faith that we are called to:

• grow in faith
• witness to our faith
• share our faith
• be transformed in faith

Traditionally this blessing is done on Epiphany but it can be done at any time. The chalking ritual below is as a way to encourage every household of faith to begin the New Year in faith.  This is a simple and versatile way to include family members of varied Christian denominations.  The short prayer that follows can be shared at the main entrance of the home.

Chalking Entranceway Prayer

Begin by singing a refrain of familiar a Christmas song (e.g. “What Child is This?”)

Leader:  The Lord be with you;
ALL:  And with your spirit.

Leader: May Christ dwell in this house and bestow peace to all its inhabitants!
ALL: And all who enter it!

Leader: Let us pray.  O God, you once used a star to lead wise ones and all people of good will to your Son.  May the light of Christ guide us to recognize him in the epiphanies of our lives, each and every day.  As we cross this threshold each day for work, study or play remind us of our true purpose – to love your people, do your will and lead others to you just as did the wise men of old.  May all who enter here find your gracious hospitality in our company and may all who dwell here seek you in the face of every guest.
ALL:  Christ bless this house.

Invite each person present to chalk the door way with the phrase: 20  + C + M + B +  17.  Provide a step ladder and assistance so that younger family members can participate.  If possible, conclude by singing another song (“O Come All Ye Faithful” or “We Three Kings”)

Leader:  May Christ dwell with us, keep us from harm and make us one in mind and heart, now and forever We pray for this and all good things in the name of your son, Jesus Christ.
ALL:  Come, Lord Jesus, into our homes and our hearts and remain with us now and always.

Today is the feast day of Philadelphia’s own St. John Neumann.

Born in  Prachatitz, Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) on March 28, 1811, Father Neumann was ordained a priest on June 25, 1836, for the Diocese of New York. He was assigned to the “Niagara Area” of upstate New York.  On January 16, 1842, Father Neumann became the first Redemptorist to profess vows in the United States. His first assignment was in Baltimore, Maryland; then on to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Father Neumann became an American citizen on February 10, 1848.

On his 41st birthday on March 28, 1852, Father Neumann was consecrated the 4th Bishop of Philadelphia.  He established the first diocesan school system and a diocesan schedule for the 40 Hours Devotion. Under his leadership, many schools and churches were built.

On January 5, 1860, Bishop Neumann collapsed and died on a Philadelphia street while running errands.  At his own request, Bishop Neumann was buried in a basement crypt in St. Peter the Apostle Church, Philadelphia, where he would be with his Redemptorist confreres.  He was declared “Blessed” on October 13, 1963 by Pope Paul VI and was canonized a saint by the same pope on June 19, 1977.

The National Shrine of St. John Neumann is located in the lower church of St. Peter the Apostle Church at 1019 North 5th Street in Philadelphia. The body of the saint lies in a glass-enclosed reliquary under the main altar.  It is dressed in episcopal vestments with a mask covering his face.  Adjoining the lower church is a small museum, which displays exhibits related to the life of the saint.  The National Shrine of St. John Neumann and St. Peter’s Church remain under the care of the Redemptorists.

For further information concerning this great saint and the beautiful shrine (including hours of the shrine, museum and gift shop), visit the shrine’s website: www.stjohnneumann.org.

Today is the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.  The following excerpt is from Pope Francis’ first Angelus message of the new year:

Thank you, Holy Mother of the Son of God, Jesus!
Thank you for your humility that attracted the eyes of God;
thank you for the faith with which you have welcomed His Word;
thanks for the courage with which you said “Here I am”,
forgetting about yourself, fascinated by Holy Love,
becoming one with His hope.
Thank you, Holy Mother of the Son of God, Jesus!
Pray for us, pilgrims in time;
help us to walk the path of peace.
Amen.

Today is also the 2017 World Day of Peace.  The following is an excerpt from Pope Francis’ message for this day:

“All of us want peace. Many people build it day by day through small gestures and acts; many of them are suffering, yet patiently persevere in their efforts to be peacemakers.  In 2017, may we dedicate ourselves prayerfully and actively to banishing violence from our hearts, words and deeds, and to becoming nonviolent people and to building nonviolent communities that care for our common home. Nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer. Everyone can be an artisan of peace.”

And finally, today is New Year’s Day.  Are you making any New Year Resolutions?  If so, be sure to check out today’s Sunday bulletin for quotes from Pope Francis that you can use as a basis for your resolutions.

Wishing you a healthy, peaceful and happy 2017!  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

This Sunday, December 11, 2016, the following video will be shown in the Parish Community Room after the 10am Mass:

On January 6, 1937, the death of a humble doorkeeper for a boys’ college drew over a million people to Montreal for his funeral. For forty years, Brother André Bessette of the Congregation of Holy Cross welcomed people at the door and became known as a miraculous healer. God’s Doorkeeper looks at the heart and legacy of Brother André–as a man of prayer, of hospitality, and of compassion, a man who draws people in to experience a God who is love. Brother Andre also had a tremendous devotion to St. Joseph that he shared with all who came in contact with him.

On October 17, 2010, Brother André became the first Canadian-born male saint. He is living proof that “it is with the smallest brushes that the divine artist paints the most beautiful pictures.”

The film features interviews with people who knew him and others who continue Brother André’s work today.

Beginning on St. Andrew the Apostle’s feast day, November 30, the following prayer is traditionally recited fifteen times a day until Christmas. This is a very meditative prayer that helps us increase our awareness of the real focus of Christmas and helps us prepare ourselves spiritually for His coming.

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
In which the Son of God was born
Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
[here mention your request]
through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.

We set aside this day to thank God for all the blessings that He has bestowed on us, our family and our country.

GEORGE WASHINGTON’S THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION
City of New York, October 3, 1789

WHEREAS it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and

WHEREAS both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me: “to recommend to people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many single favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

NOW THEREFORE I do recommend and assign Thursday, the twenty-sixth day of November next, to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.

Father Emil Kapuan, who served as a U.S. Army chaplain during the Korean War, celebrates Mass in the field. Fr. Kapuan later died in a Korean P.O.W. camp and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery there.  U.S. Government photo.

The annual observance of Veterans Day in the United States on November 11th  has it roots in the the armistice that ended World War I hostilities in 1918. The armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed thereafter that November 11 be observed as “Armistice Day.”  In 1954, Congress passed legislation that  renamed the federal holiday “Veterans Day,” in recognition of the service of veterans of all U.S. Wars.

Help us, dear God, to see Your face in every Veteran we encounter. Guide us as we imagine new ways to support Veterans and their families. Bring healing and peace to all who have been wounded physically, mentally and spiritually during wartime. Help us bring Your saving grace to heal the invisible wounds of war. We ask this in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. has written a number of columns recently on a variety of recent events.  The Archbishop’s columns can be found at CatholicPhilly.com.  Here are a sample:

Reaction concerning the anti-Catholic e-mails released this week by WikiLeaks.

Personal comments concerning the upcoming Presidential election.

Jesse Dean is a recently discharged soldier who had a rough upbringing, but because of his wife, found God and now is totally devoted to his faith.

He and wife move to Philadelphia so he can take a new job as an outreach leader at an old church whose membership has been declining. As everything is going well and as he starts connecting to the community, he discovers there’s an abortion clinic directly across the street from the church.

He goes to the pastor and to several others in the church and tries to get their help to no avail. One day something tragic and personal happens to him while he’s going about his everyday routine. He comes to the point that he begins to take action himself. He gets involved but the more involved he gets, the more resistance he gets from those in church and community. His wife, who thinks his actions will get him fired or land him in jail, also comes against him.

Finally, it comes down to him having to make a choice: is he going to take the easy way out and back off, which is what everyone wants him to do, or will he face a major confrontation which will require him to put everything on the line…not just his job, but his freedom and marriage as well.

This film encourages people to stand up for what they know is right, particularly as it pertains to taking God’s truths into society to address social issues. It addresses the spirit of retreat as it pertains to engaging the culture that has developed within the Church.

Rated PG-13.  See it at the Riverview Plaza, 1400 S Christopher Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19147

The Catholic bishops of the United States are pleased to offer once again to the Catholic faithful Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (en Español), their  teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics. This statement represents the bishops’  guidance for Catholics in the exercise of their rights and duties as participants in our democracy. The bishops’ urge our pastors, lay and religious faithful, and all people of good will to use this statement to help form their consciences; to teach those entrusted to their care; to contribute to civil and respectful public dialogue; and to shape political choices in the coming election in light of Catholic teaching. The statement lifts up our dual heritage as both faithful Catholics and American citizens with rights and duties as participants in the civil order.