Church of St. Theresa A Caring Community Reaching Out To One Another in Christ 2855 St. Theresa Avenue, Bronx, New York SUNDAY MASSES Saturday at 5:00pm, 6:30pm (Spanish) Sunday at 7:30am, 9:00am(Italian), 10:30am(Family Mass) 12:15pm & 5:00pm WEEKDAY MASSES Monday thru Saturday 8:00am & 9:00am DEVOTIONS Miraculous Medal & St. Theresa Novenas after Monday morning Masses St. Anthony Novena after Tuesday morning Masses Thursday 12 Noon Mass & Eucharistic Adoration Exposition & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament First Friday 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by silent adoration until 9:00pm. CONFESSION Saturdays from 4:00pm to 5:00pm and by appointment BAPTISMS Baptisms take place most Sundays after the 12:15pm Mass. We ask parents to attend the Baptism preparation meeting. Register at the Rectory for the meeting. The date of the Baptism will be discussed at the Baptism meeting. MARRIAGES Call the Rectory at least six months in advance of the wedding date to make an appointment with parish clergy. Rev. Msgr. Thomas Derivan, Pastor Rev. Joseph Ligory, Parochial Vicar Mrs. Josephine Fanelli, Principal Rev. Thomas D’Angelo, In Residence Mrs. Marie McCarrick, Dir. of Religious Education Rev. Robert Imbelli, Weekend Associate Dr. Liya Petrides, Music Director Deacon Anthony P. Cassaneto RECTORY: 718-892-1900/1901 WEBSITE: www.sttheresaschoolbronx.org SCHOOL: 718-792-3688 FAX: 718-892-1146 E-MAIL: [email protected] RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: 718-792-8434 CHURCH OF S T. T HERESA , B RONX DECEMBER 14, 2014 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT FROM THE DESK OF FATHER DERIVAN: Today our Advent celebration takes on a new color. Two times during the year, the priest wears the rose-colored vestments at Mass. One is in the middle of Lent. The other, today, is at the midpoint of Advent. The reason is simple: it is the Church’s visible reminder to us that already the purple of our Advent preparation is mixed with the whiteness of our expected joy at Christmas. The rose or pink color is a glimpse of the feast that is ahead. It is a reminder to us that Advent quickly goes by and that Christmas is near. But there is something more here. The rose-color of the priest’s vestments and the pink candle of the Advent Wreath remind us of something else, or shall we say, someone else. For pink is for a lady and our pink candle and vestments honor Our Lady, Mary Mother of Jesus, Mary our Mother too. She is here at the middle of Advent . She is always in the middle of our Christian lives. We can say quite truly that Advent belongs to Mary. She knew Advent better than anyone else. She was Advent, for “Advent” means coming and the one whom the Lord chose to be the instrument for His coming to us was Mary His Mother. When our refined, Holy Father, Pope Benedict, spoke in Cologne, Germany, he spoke of the Magi, the Wise Men who came to Jesus on the first Christmas. And he said these words, “When the Magi came to Bethlehem, the gospel says, ‘going into the house they saw the child with Mary His Mother and they fell down and worshiped Him.’ Here at long last was the long awaited moment-their encounter with Jesus. ‘Going into the house’ represents the Church. In order to find the Savior, one has to enter the house which is the Church. One must come to sense that the Church is his or her home inasmuch as it is the home of Christ where Mary His Mother dwells.” The Pope is telling us that the Church is where we find Jesus in the arms of His Mother Mary. To use the Pope’s words, “It is Mary who shows us Jesus her Son. She introduces every person and enables every person to see and touch Jesus and to take Him into his arms. Mary teaches us to contemplate Jesus with the eyes of the heart and to make Jesus our very life.” “It is Mary who shows us Jesus. She teaches us to make Jesus our very life.” Is there anything more beautiful that we can say about Our Blessed Mother than that? It is Mary who shows us Jesus. That is what she has been doing for two thousand years-showing Jesus. She showed the Infant Jesus to simple shepherds and kingly wise men who came on bended knee to the manger of Bethlehem. But she did not stop showing Jesus when the first Christmas was over. For two thousand years, she has shown Jesus to every person whose heart is filled with faith and love. As you will recall, just this past Friday we celebrated the Feast of Our Lady’s appearance to St. Juan Diego at Guadalupe in Mexico almost five hundred years ago. You remember how Our Blessed Mother, Patroness of the Americas, showed herself to St. Juan, but in the process showed herself to all of us, her American children. She literally imprinted her love on the tilma or cloak of Juan Diego, a symbol of her love for us. But there is more here. Our Lady appeared wearing a black band around her waist, a sign worn by a pregnant mother to show that she was carrying a new -b orn child in her womb. Therefore Mary appeared to Juan and to us as the Mother, in Pope Benedict’s words, “who shows us Jesus.” She continually brings Jesus into the world and into our own lives. She never keeps our love or our prayers to herself. She never centers our attention on herself. She always points us to Jesus her Son. Again in Pope Benedict’s words, “she teaches us to make Jesus our very life.” In these final weeks of Advent, turn to Mary. Remember that during the first Advent, two thousand years ago, Mary was literally traveling to Bethlehem. She was traveling to the first Christmas. Do you want to prepare for Christmas? Then travel with Mary. She that will never let you down. She said to Juan Diego at Guadalupe, “Do not be afraid. Am I not here, I who am your Mother?” Sh e says to us during this Advent. She says that to us during every day of life. She will say that to us when we go to heaven’s door. “Do not be afraid. Am I not here, I who am your Mother?” Father Thomas B. Derivan We thank Bonavita Key Food for their generous donation of turkeys for our Thanksgiving Food Pantry. They are always very St. Theresa School is still accepting ink cartridges to be recycled. giving and always there for our parish and school. Please feel free to drop them off at the school. We are also God bless them and their families this holiday season. collecting Box Tops for Education. For every box top we send in They are in our prayers. Thank You once again. we are given 10 cents. Please place box tops in an envelope and you may leave them at the school or the rectory. We are always looking for ways to offset the cost to our parents. THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Thank you for always helping us! THIRD S UNDAY OF ADVENT WE PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN THE ARMED FORCES BLESSED MARY FRANCES SCHERVIER Our parish would like to have a visible reminder of all our DECEMBER 15 parishioners and friends or relatives of our parishioners who are (1819-1876) in the Armed Forces. These names will be placed on a prayer list next to the Shrine of Our Blessed Mother in our church. If you have someone to remember, please fill out the form below and This woman who once wanted to become a Trappistine nun was give it to an usher at Mass or drop it off at the Rectory as soon as instead led by God to establish a community of sisters who care possible. for the sick and aged in the United States and throughout the ——————————————————————————- world. Born into a distinguished family in Aix-la-Chapelle, France, Frances ran the household after her mother’s death and For Prayer List For Those Serving In The Armed Forces Of established a reputation for generosity to the poor. In 1844 she Our Country: became a Secular Franciscan. The next year she and four Name of Person to be remembered companions established a religious community devoted to caring for the poor. In 1851 the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis were approved by the local bishop; the community soon spread. The ______________________________ first U.S. foundation was made in 1858. Mother Frances visited the United States in 1863 and helped her sisters nurse soldiers wounded in the Civil War. She visited the Branch of Service ______________________________ United States again in 1868. When Philip Hoever was establishing the Brothers of the Poor of St. Francis, she encouraged him. When Mother Frances died, there were 2,500 members of her Requested by __________________________________ community worldwide. The number has kept growing. They are still engaged in operating hospitals and homes for the aged. Mother Mary Frances was beatified in 1974. The sick, the poor and the aged are constantly in danger of ST. THERESA OUTREACH PROGRAM being considered “useless” members of society and therefore ignored-or worse. Women and men motivated by the ideals of Mother Frances are needed if the God given dignity and destiny of all people are to be respected. In 1868, Mother Frances wrote to all her sisters, reminding them of Jesus’ words: “You are my friends if you do what I command you …I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.” She continued: “If we do this faithfully and zealously, we will experience the truth of the words of our father St.