FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT December 23, 2018 Our Parish Mission: “Everyday we reach to restore all things in Jesus Christ” 3010 Chili Avenue | Rochester, NY 14624 | (585) 247-2566 | www.saintpiustenth.org PARISH CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE SUNDAY, December 23 Monday, December 24 Children's Liturgy of the Word 10:30AM Mass 4:00 pm Youth Nite No Session 6:00 pm MONDAY, December 24 11:00 pm Christmas Children's Mass 4PM Christmas Children's Mass 6PM Tuesday, December 25 Christmas Midnight Mass 11PM 9:30 am TUESDAY, December 25 Christmas Mass 9:30AM SOLEMNITY OF MARY Mass Schedule WEDNESDAY, December 26 Choir Practice 7:00PM Church Monday, December 31, 2018 Parish Council 7:00PM Luke 5:30 PM THURSDAY, December 27 Tuesday, January 1, 2019 9:30 AM Children’s Choir 4:30 PM Church Knights of Columbus Meeting 7:00PM Pius 1 The St. Pius Tenth FRIDAY, December 28 staff would like to wish you and your SATURDAY, December 29 families a Confessions 3:30PM4:30 PM Blessed and Merry Christmas! SUNDAY, December 30 Children's Liturgy of the Word 10:30AM Mass Anointing of the Sick 11:30AM12:00PM SEASONED PEOPLE MEETING Youth Nite No Session The Jan. meeng of the Seasoned People will be held on Friday, Jan. 4, 2019 at 10:30 am at the Chili Senior Center. Our speaker will be Chris Marn, the Training Director of the Rochester Emergency Communicaons Department (911). Please join us for our first meeng of the new year and bring quesons for Chris. We offer a $3 lunch to follow the speaker. PARISH OFFICE HOLIDAY HOURS Bunco Christmas Eve R Closed Saturday February 9 2019 R Christmas Day Closed New Years Eve R Closed Details to follow New Years Day R Closed You Can Play an Important Role in Our Stephen Ministry . Because you may know of a friend, neighbor, coRworker, or relave who is going through a difficult me and who could benefit from the focused care, encouragement, and support of a Stephen Minister. If you know of someone who is hurng, talk with one of our Stephen Leaders: Emily (224R6296) or Dick (469R0615). They can talk with you about how we can connect the person you know with one of our Stephen Ministers. It’s a great way for you to show how much you care! A MOMENT WITH TODAY’S SCRIPTURES PARISH COUNCIL CORNER FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT As we mark the 4th weekend of Advent, we pass through Here we are, mere days from Christmas, and we hear a the darkest day on the calendar and gradually move toward Gospel ancipang the birth of another child. Mary has more light with each successive day. Appropriate that, a er received word that her cousin Elizabeth is with child. Pregnant lighng the 4th candle this weekend, Advent ushers in Christmas as she is, Mary "set out and traveled to the hill country in Day. The beloved disciple John reminds us that "...this life was haste." She has recently received the greatest news of her life the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and R that she is to be mother to the Messiah by the power of the Holy Spirit R but her concern is for her cousin in need. Through the darkness has not overcome it." God's grace, Elizabeth turns it into an opportunity to honor December 23rd, the 4th Sunday of Advent this year, marks the coming Christ. "Blessed are you among women, and the feast day of Saint Thorlak of Iceland. His example exemplifies blessed is the fruit of your womb." Yet Mary's example of the light of the Beatudes. selflessness should inspire us. Poor in spirit: St. Thorlak, you were blessed with a keen As Christmas draws near, there is plenty of goodness to intellect, and rose to the heights of the bishopric; yet whatever ancipate for many of us. We'll reunite with family and friends, uphold meRhonored tradions, swap stories old and office you held, you sought out the lowliest and served God with new, exchange gi s, and welcome Jesus at the Christmas a grateful heart. Pray for us! liturgy. These are wonderful things! Of course, they probably Those who mourn: St. Thorlak, you endured the breakup of all come with their own toRdo list. Shop for lastRminute gi s, your family due to financial concern as a young boy and pick up recipe ingredients, ready the guest room, or pack your separaon from them as you were educated overseas. Pray for own bags. Mary probably had things to do as well. She had a us! lot to consider, for one thing. How do you plan to tell your The meek: St. Thorlak, your benefactors provided material parents you're pregnant, but no man was involved? When Joseph finds out, who will care for the praccal needs of you support for your rise in the Church, yet at the pinnacle of your and your child? Into what may have been a chaos of quesons, presge you would return to your homeland as a humble priest. Mary receives news that someone is in need. She goes Pray for us! immediately. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: St. Thorlak, In these final days before Christmas, stay watchful and you strove with all your heart to feed and clothe those who awake! You never know when God might invite you to could not pay you back, the model of a humble servant. Pray for welcome, hospitality, and compassion. It might be tempng to reject the opportunity for your own needs. Follow the us! example of Mary! If God is providing you an opportunity to The merciful: St. Thorlak, when mercy was not readily love, He will provide the means to associated with the Catholic Church, you took it upon yourself to accomplish all your other tasks. bear the burden of the penances of sinners who came to you in This Christmas season, may you too Confession, even seeking on your deathbed those separated hear, "Blessed are you who themselves from the Church, showing Divine Mercy by providing believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." a path back into the flock. Pray for us! The clean of heart: St. Thorlak, you ordered your life faithfully around prayer, conforming to the rule of St. Augusne, INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK affirming the virtue of priestly celibacy at a me when cultural Life is o en unfair. Sadly, life's inequity usually occurs at norms encouraged the opposite. Pray for us! our hands. The world's systems R economic, polical, and The peacemakers: St. Thorlak, you baled rival chie ains environmental R do not always serve the best interests of who sought to undercut the authority of the Church, fighng the people. We create situaons that p the scales by with reason and love to change hearts. Your disarming honesty profing a few and reducing the quality of life for many. and dialeccal reasoning fostered peaceful relaons between We look at all of the injusces in our world, people being many bier rivals. Pray for us! hurt and exploited, and wonder why God has abandoned Those persecuted for the sake of righteousness: St. Thorlak, us or why He won't fix what is happening. God did fix it. you were called a fool for adhering to the laws of Christ's He sent his Son into the world as our just ruler and the Church; the chie ains sought to end your life, only, as the one who will bring peace. The problem is we sll turn Psalmist wrote, to fall in the pit themselves. Pray for us! away and think that we can do beer. The Son of Jusce On December 23, 1193, Thorlak Thorhallson entered into has come into the world. We can work for change and eternal rest. His mission connues as we ask his intercession for be the voice of jusce. We can dream and do things us. differently. Blessed are you who believe that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. Michael O’Connell Parish Council ST. PIUS TENTH CHURCH www.saintpiustenth.org PAGE 3 St. Pius X School Daniel Pitnell, Principal 585R247R5650 email: [email protected] Christmas Reflection By: Daniel Pitnell As I reflect on this season of gratude and our school events. I am also humbled by the trust you thankfulness, I recognize how uniquely blessed both have in us. I know it is no small thing to trust us with my school and I are as a part of this community. Being the children of the community, and to believe in us to a part of this proud and strong parish, I recognize we uphold the missions of catholic schools. This is not a have so many things to be thankful for. thing that I take lightly, and it is a challenge that I strive to rise to every day. I am grateful for the students we have. As the I wish every one of you all the best as you celebrate Principal of our school, I take on a lot of Christmas. I hope this is a rejuvenang and enriching responsibilies, which can be daunng at mes. me for all of you, and I look forward to the year However, I can always rely on the great students of ahead with all of you as this school year connues this school to help li my spirits. I am consistently impressed by thoughulness and caring of our students.