St. John the Evangelist

20 Church Street Hopkinton, MA 01748 SUNDAY MASSES: Saturday 5:00 PM Telephone: 508-435-3313 Sunday 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 6:30 PM for all parish offices Fax: 508-435-5651 WEEKDAY MASSES: Monday through Friday at 9:00 AM E-Mail: [email protected] Saturday 8:00 AM Web Page: www.stjohnhopkinton.com HOLY DAY MASSES: See inside bulletin for Holy Day Mass schedule WELCOME TO NEW PARISHIONERS Please introduce yourselves. We hope to know and SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: serve you. We hope you become an active part of our Saturday 8:30-9:15 AM in the lower church Parish Community. SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: PASTOR Second and fourth Sundays of the month at 11:30 AM Rev. Richard E. Cannon Please call for information 508-435-3313x201 [email protected] SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE: Arranged at least 6 months in advance DEACON Deacon Anthony C. Sicuso ORGANIST 508-435-3313x206 Bernadette Nadeau

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

508-435-3313x208 PARISH "NEWS" DEADLINE Mary Pawela, 1-6 All copy must be submitted in writing no later than Debbie Lysik, 7-10 Monday noon. (Holiday weeks may require a longer Ken Lysik, 9 & 10 lead time.)

PARISH CENTER ST. JOHN'S ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY Maureen Belger, Manager For those that need a little help, 508-435-3313x210 please call: 508-435-3313x207 ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST HOPKINTON Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, HOLIDAY MASS SCHEDULE you will conceive in CHRISTMAS EVE: (Thurs. 12/24) 3PM, 5PM & 6:30 PM your womb and bear CHRISTMAS DAY: (Friday 12/25) 8 &10AM a son, and you shall MARY, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD: name him Jesus. He Thursday 12/31 at 4PM and Friday 1/1/2021 at 10AM will be great and will Our Christmas Mass schedule has changed for this year. We be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will have added extra Masses on Christmas Eve afternoon for give him the throne of David his father.” - Lk 1:30-32 your convenience. Please make a reservation on our website (stjohnhopkinton.com) to guarantee a seat at Readings for NEXT Sunday, December 27, 2020: Mass. You will not need to arrive early this year as you will Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3/ Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 [7a, 8a]/ have a reservation. Please note that there will be no Col 3:12-17/ Lk 2:22, 39-40 Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Our 3PM and 5PM Masses will be livestreamed on HCAM. If you have any questions, please call or email the parish office (508-435- 3313x203, [email protected]). SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 5:00 PM Paul and Marie Campbell PLEASE NOTE: Face masks are required to be worn SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 during Mass at St. John’s except in the case of a medical 8:00 AM Mary and Eugene N. Daly, Jr. exemption. We thank you for your cooperation in following 10:00 AM Joseph and Agnes Campbell the guidelines and in helping to make everyone feel safe and 6:30 PM Parishioners of St. John welcome at Mass. MONDAY, DECEMBER 21 9:00 AM Sally Campbell CONFESSION TIMES FOR ADVENT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22 During the penitential season of Advent, extra times of parish 9:00 AM All living and deceased members confessions will be made available. In addition to Saturday of the clergy mornings at 8:30-9:15AM, confessions will be offered WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23 THIS Monday, December 21, from 7-8PM in the parish 9:00 AM Special Intention center which has been set up for social distancing. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24 9:00 AM Special Intention CatholicTV Christmas Mass Schedule SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26 Christmas Eve: 8:00 AM All the Holy Souls in Purgatory 8PM Midnight Mass from St. Peter’s with Pope Francis (CatholicTV) 5:00 PM Sheba and Concon (living) 11PM Christmas Mass from Bethlehem (CatholicTV) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27 Midnight Mass, Cardinal Sean at the Cathedral (CatholicTV) 8:00 AM The Soligon Family Christmas Day: 10:00 AM Catherine Angermann 8AM Christmas Mass with Cardinal Sean - WLVI-TV 6:30 PM Parishioners of St. John 9:30AM Christmas Mass with Cardinal Sean - CatholicTV 12PM Christmas Mass with Cardinal Sean - WHDH-TV, Ch 7 Winter Weather Notice: Please note that if Hopkin- 5PM Christmas Mass from the National Shrine - CatholicTV ton schools are canceled or delayed due to the weather, 5:30PM La Santa Misa (Spanish Christmas Mass)- CatholicTV there will be no morning daily Mass. See the full schedule of Christmas programming at CatholicTV.com/schedule or watch Christmas Mass at Holy Hour for Conversion of Sinners WatchtheMass.com. There will be a holy hour here at St. John’s parish for the conversion of sinners on Thursdays at 6:30PM in the lower CHRISTMAS FLOWERS church. For those parishioners on our offertory envelope system, you will notice a Flower Offering envelope in your packet. (Flower Divine Mercy Prayer Group envelopes are also available at the back of the church.) There will be a holy hour of Divine Mercy every Monday These envelopes provide an opportunity to donate to the from 6:30-7:30PM in the lower church. All are welcome. flower costs and other altar supplies during the upcoming Advent and Christmas Seasons. These donations can be made in memory of loved ones. They can be put in the regular collection or sent to the parish office anytime before Christmas. Thank you.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

REMINDERS: Next Grade 10 Confirmation Zoom meeting: If you are new to the Parish, please introduce yourself. We Sunday, January 10, 2021, 5PM-5:40PM want to know and serve you. We hope you will support your parish with your prayers, your presence and your talents. Next Grade 9 Confirmation Zoom meeting: Please call the Parish Office (435-3313x203) to register. Monday, January 4, 7PM-7:40PM

Next Grade 2 Parent Zoom meeting: Please Remember in Prayer Sunday, January 3, 2021 at 11:30AM All confined, all in need of healing…Please pray for all deceased and their families…Our servicemen and women, Consecration to the Holy Family and their families, and all who suffer in embattled countries. The Knights of Columbus invite all families to come togeth- er to consecrate themselves under the protection of the Ho- ly Family. In conjunction with the Feast of the Holy Family on December 27, the Knights of Columbus would like all families to say a prayer to ask for aid or intercession of the perfect son Jesus Christ, Mary, the perfect mother, and Jo- seph, who is a model for every father. Prayer cards will be available in the back of the church and also on our Face- book page (www.facebook.com/KofC4822/). The Knights Media Kiosk ask that we all prepare by praying together as families, We have restocked our media kiosk in the Parish Center. practicing discipline in our minds, and by going to confes- Please stop by and take a look. This week we are featuring sion. Each family is then encouraged to consecrate them- The Mystery of Christmas - God Becomes Man by Fr. Larry selves on December 27 by reading the prayer together as a Richards. In this inspiring talk, renowned preacher and family and dedicating yourselves to be a beacon of God’s retreat master Fr. Larry Richards illuminates how the true joy love through His Church. To learn more about the Knights of Christmas is found in the greatest gift ever given – the gift of Columbus please contact Chris Alicandro of Jesus Christ to the whole world. With humor, compassion, ([email protected] or 1-617-335-6688). and clarity, Fr. Larry gets to the heart of the true meaning of Christmas and helps us to better appreciate the immensity of God's love for us as His children. St. John’s Bible Study Because of the Covid 19 restrictions regarding social gath- erings, our Parish Bible Study has gone virtual. We meet every Tuesday evening at 7:30PM for one hour via Zoom. We are studying the Sunday readings under the direction of Fr. Conrad. Come and join us. If you wish to receive the link and be on our participant list, send your email request to [email protected].

YEAR OUT...YEAR IN

Come join us here at Saint John’s in the lower church on May God be with you at Christmastime and keep Thursday, December 31, from 11PM to Friday, January you in His care, God grant you peace and 1, 1AM to thank our Father for His many graces, blessings and constant love on us throughout 2020, and for our Fa- happiness and answer every prayer, God fill each ther’s continued love, strength and nearness to us in 2021. day ahead for you with blessings from above, So you will know, your whole life through, Saint John’s Entrustment Prayer to Divine Mercy Most blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we the the fullness of His love. people of Saint John the Evangelist Church, entrust our Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! families, our young and old, our needs and concerns, our From Fr. Cannon and the staff at St. Johns sick and dying, and all our brothers and sisters in Purgatory to Your Divine Will. With great confidence we give our- selves to Your Most Holy Will which is Love and Mercy it- self. Amen. (This prayer is said every Monday night before the Divine Mercy holy hour here at St. John’s.) —Sponsored by the Divine Mercy Prayer Group. 2021 calendars are available at the back of the church. DECEMBER 20, 2020 CROSS ROADS By Deacon Tony 2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16; Psalm 89: 2-5, 27, 29; Romans 16: 25-27; Luke 1: 26-38 In a pivotal moment of salvation history, Samuel reveals to King David God’s promise, God’s covenant with David, that an heir in David’s line of succession would be raised up to be King, whose kingdom would endure forever. It was promised that God would be a father to this new King, and that the new King would be a Son to God. Another, and perhaps more pivotal moment in sal- vation history is the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, and her Fiat in response. When he first greets Mary, Gabriel does not call her Mary: “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled by the greeting. To quote Stephen Beale who wrote about the meaning of those words, Mary was …”so full of grace that…it has become more who she is…even her very name.” Amazingly, Gabri- el, an Archangel, was venerating a human being, because Mary was born without original sin and so full of God’s grace that it defined her as a person who, by the grace of God, was living a sinless life worthy to be the human vessel through which God would become man, live among us, and bring Light to a dark world. The fulfillment of God’s cove- nant with David, and the beginning of the new covenant would be embodied in Jesus Christ. Mary’s Fiat was her “YES” to God’s plan. Fiat is a Latin word used in Saint Jerome’s Vulgate (the early trans- lation of the scriptures from Greek to Latin). It means ‘let it be done.” In Genesis God says, “Fiat lux”, that is, “Let there be light.” Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive and bear the Son of God, and Gabriel revealed how it would be accomplished. In faith and trust Mary answered, “May it be done to me according to your word.” By her Fiat, Mary would participate in the Light of God being made flesh to live among us. Let us follow Mary’s example. By the grace of God may we say yes to the promptings of the Spirit of God and assist in bringing the Light of God, Jesus Christ, to a very dark world. It is the last week of Advent and “…the day draws near. Let us cast off the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 12:16). That Light may be needed now more than ever before!