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JUNE 9, 2020
I thank all of you for sending prayers and good wishes for my 20th anniversary of priesthood ordination. It has been a pleasure bringing you the sacraments and serving you all!
There has been a lot going on in these last few weeks, with calls for respect and justice in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Thank you to Mrs. Paradiso for her idea of a "Signs of Peace" art project, and for all the students for doing such fine art work. It is at times like these that we remember our Catholic principles of how each human person is created in the image and likeness of God, and to act accordingly. We must always call to mind the dignity of the human person, which comes from God. When we violate that dignity through abortion, murder, injustice, hatred, and violence we have to repent and ask God for a conversion of heart. This conversion of heart will lead us closer to Him, and to see God's image in one another more.
MAY 27, 2020
The link below connects you to an explanantion for the feast of Pentecost, which we will celebrate this Sunday, May 31st. It has activities for different grade levels and for the family. I would recommend you take a look.
The feast of Pentecost is also a feast celebrated by the Jews. If you notice in our first reading for the feast from the Acts of the Apostles we are told there are many people gathered in Jerusalem for the "feast." What "feast"? The feast of shavuot or weeks, which happens 50 days after Passover (so, for this year the feast is from May 28 - May 30). In Greek, the fifty days is translated into the word, "Pentecost." For the Jewish people, still today, this feast celebrates the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The people celebrate the giving of God's law to lead and guide them.
With the coming of the promised Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles reading, a "new" Pentecost has occured. A new creation has taken place with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Much like the spirit or breath of God made all of creation as we read in the Book of Genesis, so at the new Pentecost the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, comes to re-create us in the image and likeness of God. And like the giving of the Torah, the gift of the Holy Spirit enlivens us to follow the law of God, who wishes to guide and lead us. With this re-creation we are to renew the earth with God's word, truth, consolation, and witness. Take a look at the link below:
https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/sunday-connection/pentecost-sunday-cycle-a-sunday-connection/
MAY 20, 2020
I celebrate an anniversary today. On May 20, 2000 I was ordained a priest at St. Patrick's Cathedral with four other men for the Archdiocese of New York. You may not believe this now as students, but time moves very quickly. I think you may see that as you grow older. It is hard to believe that twenty years have passed. In those 20 years I haven't had a lot of assignments: St. Patrick, Yorktown Heights (2000-2004), Our Lady Star of the Sea, Staten Island (2004-2008), St. Christopher (2008-2014), and now St. Christopher and St. Margaret Mary (2014- ). Each assignment has been a blessing for me, especially here. Who knows where God will have me twenty years from now, but we just take one day at a time, walking with God's power, protection, and grace.
Speaking of walking with God, tomorrow (May 21st) is the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. The Gospel passage for the day is the end of St. Matthew's Gospel. The final line is Jesus speaking to his disciples before he ascends into heaven. Jesus says, "I am with you always until the end of the age." He hasn't left us orphans or abandoned. He is still with us because He is the Head of the Body, the Church. He is our Head, and will be with us always, even through all we are going through now. Continue to pray to Jesus.
Ten days after the Ascension we celebrate the Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. It is a good time to pray to the Holy Spirit in preparation for Pentecost. Starting on Friday, May 22nd, pray the Litany of the Holy Spirit each day until Pentecost. You can find it, as well as other spiritual resources, on the parish website, www.stcstmmsi.org. The direct link to the Litany is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhrdBjFwYDU&t=9s.
MAY 14, 2020
Today is the feastday of St. Matthias, apostle who replaced Judas Iscariot. We read in the Acts of the Apostles 1:15-26 how St. Peter explained the need for someone to replace Judas. It had to be someone who was a witness to Jesus' ministry and his resurrection. St. Peter and the other apostles narrowed down the choice to two men, Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias. They then prayed and drew lots to choose Matthias. It is a reminder to us to pray always making a decision.
A big decision that needs prayer is what to do in life. Today is the priesthood anniversary of Fr. Brendan Gormley. You may not have heard of Fr. Gormley, but he is the parochial vicar of St. Clare's parish here on Staten Island. I mention him because Fr. Gormley grew up in St. Christopher's and graduated from St. Christopher School in 1977. He later became a lawyer, and after working as a lawyer decided to enter the seminary. He was ordained in St. Patrick's Cathedral on this day in 2007. Making a decison like that involved a lot of prayer!
He is not the only graduate of St. Christopher School to become a priest. Some of the others are Fr. Dennis Billy, Class of 1967, Fr. Francis Clooney, Class of 1963, and Fr. Santino Titta, Class of 1940! Maybe some of you are called to be a priest? Yes, I think so. Pray on it!
MAY 12, 2020 (part 2 - for May 13)
I forgt to post this request to pray the Rosary especially tomorrow, May 13th, on the feastday of Our Lady of Fatima. Fr. Jeff Pomeisl, the chaplain and a teacher at Msgr. Farrell High School, has been praying the Rosary every weeknight at 7pm on his YouTube channel. He is inviting all Catholics on Staten Island to pray with him especially tomorrow night. Here is his email describing it please read to the end:On May 1 of this year Bishops of the U.S. joined Bishops of Canada in renewing the consecrations of the two nations to the care of our Blessed Mother.
The Catholic school chaplains will join Fr. Pomeisl at Our Lady Help of Christians church on May 13th, 7pm to pray the rosary and crown the Blessed Mother.
This dedication of our nation reminded Father Jeffrey Pomeisl of Father Patrick Peyton (also known as the Rosary Priest) who traveled around the nation and organized mass rosary rallies as part of his Family Rosary Crusade. Father Peyton is remembered as having popularized the phrases "The family that prays together stays together" and "A world at prayer is a world at peace."
Father Pomeisl’s recollection of Father Peyton’s work inspired him to set a goal of having 1 million people pray the rosary together Wednesday, May 13, 7 PM Eastern time. In father Pomeisl’s words, “When we pray together in the same place at the same time it adds power to our prayers.” You can watch Father Pomeisl briefly explain his inspiration for this mass praying of the Rosary.
Please join in this wonderful experience by following these simple steps:
- Sign this online petition which has a goal of 1,000,000 signatures
- Spread the word by using #millionrosarymay13th on social media
- Remove all addresses from this email and forward it to all your fellow Catholics
And most important…
- Join Father Pomeisl on his "Pomcast" YouTube channel to pray the Rosary Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 7PM Eastern time
May God bless you and keep you well
MAY 12, 2020
Today is the feast of Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, Roman martyrs from the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian around 303 A.D. They were soldiers in the Roman army who converted to Christianity from paganism. They were buried in the Catacombs of Domitilla in Rome, and a large basilica was built over their tombs. You can visit the basilica and the catacombs still in Rome, and I had the chance to do that a couple of years ago. Named after the family of Flavia Domitilla, they are the largest of the catacombs in Rome, stretching underground for 7.4 miles with four levels and over 26,000 tombs (now empty), dating from the 2nd century to the 5th century A.D. It began as a burial place for the Flavian family and then was opened to all, pagan and Christian, for the next few hundred years. You can't visit all of it, but the tour allows you to look at the long tunnels, the basilica, and the ancient artwork, both pagan and Christian. Some of the earliest Christian artwork depicting Jesus, the apostles, and Christian symbols are here. The photo below is the basilica of Sts. Nereus and Achilleus (it's underground!)
MAY 8, 2020
Today is the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, "Victory in Europe" Day, or V-E Day. For us World War II is something we learn about in history books, or from a documentary, or perhaps even from a good movie. Maybe some of us adults have parents or grandparents who served in the armed forces during World War II. Veterans of WWII now have to be at least in their 90's, and so it is not as immediate to us. However, we still remember the sacrifices those veterans gave, the sacrifices the people at home made, and the sacrifices that helped us as a country to keep going during that difficult time. Maybe some lessons in that for us now, too. Pray today for our deceased veterans, all who served in the armed forces, whether in Europe, the Pacific, or at home during World War II, and all who did the hard work of support.
Just for your information, there are memorials on Staten Island for those who fought in all our wars, and so in WWII. There is an impressive memorial in Wolfe's Pond Park, Huguenot, to those who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, one of the last big battles of the war, fought from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945. The battle was fought over the Belgian and French borders. There were many Americans who fought in that battle. For more information on the battle, visit the History Channel, https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge.
Also, this Sunday, as you know, is Mother's Day. We give thanks to God for our mothers, living or deceased, and so say a Hail Mary for them especially on Sunday. Do something nice for them, like making them breakfast in bed! Here is a prayer to Mary for our mothers:
Mary, on this day when we honor all mothers, we turn to you. We thank the Lord whom you serve for the great gift of motherhood. Never has it been known that anyone who sought your intercession was left unaided by grace. Dear Mother, thank you for your "Yes" to the invitation of the angel which brought heaven to earth and changed human history. You opened yourself to God's word and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Dear mother, intercede for all of our mothers. Ask your Divine Son to give them the grace of surrendered love so that they could join with you in giving their own "Yes." May they find daily strength to say yes to the call to the sacrificial love- the very heart of the vocation of motherhood. May their love and witness be a source of great inspiration for all of us called to follow your Son.
On this Mothers Day, Mother of the Word Incarnate, pray for us who have recourse to you, and intercede for all those mothers who have gone before us in death.
MAY 7, 2020
For our 1st Communion students, I am sorry that we could not yet celebrate a First Holy Communion Mass. However, Jesus is waiting for you, and it will be so special when that day comes. Right now, no one is able to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, and so everyone is waiting, too. There is a prayer that people say when they cannot receive Jesus' Body and Blood, and it is called a prayer of spiritual communion. It asks for Jesus to come into their hearts although He cannot come into their bodies. I will print the prayer below. I also will print another form of the prayer for you First Holy Communion students which you can pray to prepare for that special day.AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire You in my soul.Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though You were already there, I embrace You and unite myself wholly to You; permit not that I should ever be separated from You. Amen.
AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION FOR YOUNG STUDENTS
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire You in my soul. As I prepare to receive You for the first time in Holy Communion, come into my heart so that I may love you more and more. Amen.
MAY 1, 2020
Today is the feast day of St. Joseph under the title of St. Joseph the Worker. The older feast day for St. Joseph is March 19th (which is also Fathers' Day in Italy, asking for St. Joseph's intercessions for fathers). Today's feast day was institued in 1955 by Pope Pius XII to honor the dignity of the worker in true terms in an effort to counter the May Day celebrations of communist countries, which was very prevalent at the time. In the Litany of St. Joseph, we pray "St. Joseph, Model of Workmen, pray for us." The opening prayer for the Mass of St. Joseph the Worker is:
God our Father, creator and ruler of the universe, in every age you call man to develop and use his gifts for the good of others. With St. Joseph as our example and guide, help us to do the work you have asked and come to the rewards you have promised. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
With St. Joseph to guide and inspire, keep up the good work!
APRIL 23, 2020
Please click the letter below for a notice regarding this year's Holy Communion ceremonies. Thank you.
2020 First Holy Communion Letter to Parents
APRIL 21, 2020
Today is the feast day of St. Anselm. When you google his name you might be connected to a restaurant in Brooklyn. I didn't know there was a restaurant in Brooklyn named after him, although there is a parish in Brooklyn named after him. Skip the restaurant for now, in order to know about this saint who lived in France and England in the 11th century. He was born in northern Italy in 1033. He eventually became a Benedctine monk at a monastery in Bec, France, then archbishop of Canterbury, England. He was a theologian, spiritual writer, abbot, and bishop, whose writings have influenced Catholics to this day. He died in 1109.
St. Anslem had an expression that sums up an important part of faith and our understanding of the Faith. It is "faith seeking understanding" (in Latin, fides quarem intellectum). One of the ways to understanding this expression is that faith comes first, before understanding. We don't have to understand God entirely before we can believe. I think this is the mistake of many people who look at God as a puzzle to be solved, and then once He has been "solved" He is worthy of trust and belief. If He is not "solved" then we don't need to believe. A good example of this is the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. St. Peter and St. John and St. Mary Magdalene went to the tomb on Easter Sunday morning. They found the tomb empty, but they did not understand everything that happened. However, we read in St. John's Gospel, that they "saw and believed" (John 20:8). Their lack of understanding did not keep them from having faith. Their faith allowed them to trust in Jesus, and then come to a better understanding of Him.
Another way to understand "faith seeking understanding" is that our faith demands of us to understand more about God. We can't only say I believe in God and then learn no more about Him. It is faith seeking understanding. Learning about the Faith should not end in the classroom or with graduation. This seeking to understand our Faith is a lifelong task. So we ask ourselves: Do I want to learn more about the Faith? Do I read the Bible? Do I pray? Do I look into the teachings of the Church about certain topics? Do I want to seek God's ways in my life?
St. Anselm, pray for us.
God bless you.
APRIL 20, 2020
Welcome "back"! Blessed Easter to All. Our Easter Season will last until Pentecost Sunday, which this year will be May 30th.
Yesterday was Divine Mercy Sunday, a day dedicated to forgiveness and the power of Jesus' Mercy for us. It is a very popular devotion, which has a prayer called a "chaplet" which is prayed on regular Rosary Beads. Below is some information. For more information visit, www.thedivinemercy.org.The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion
The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And, He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.
The Divine Mercy message is one we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC:
A - Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.B - Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.
C - Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.
This message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God's mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.How to Recite the Chaplet
The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing prayer.
1. Make the Sign of the CrossIn the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. Optional Opening Prayers
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
(Repeat three times)
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!3. Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.
4. Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
5. The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
6. The Eternal Father
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
7. On the 10 Small Beads of Each Decade
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
8. Repeat for the remaining decades
Saying the "Eternal Father" (6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.
9. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
10. Optional Closing Prayer
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
APRIL 9 - 10, 2020
Today is Holy Thursday. Today is the day we celebrate Jesus' gifts of His Body and Blood in the Eucharist, and of the priesthood. It is a special day especially for priests as we celebrate these great gifts for the Church and for us personally.
This evening we begin the Triduum, or the Holy Three Days. People sometimes ask how do we figure the three days if we begin on Thursday? Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - that's four days! Actually we begin on the evening of Thursday. Back in Jesus' time, and even among Jews today, feasts begin in the evening. So, counting from the evening, we count Holy Thursday evening as the first day, Good Friday evening as the second day, and Holy Saturday night into Sunday as the thiurd day.
April 10th is Good Friday. Mrs. Principe, our 1st grade teacher who was in St. Christopher's for 49 years when she died in 2013, used to call this day the "Happy / Sad" Day. Sad, for we see Jesus' Passion and Death, but happy for by that passion and death, Jesus saves us.
APRIL 8, 2020
Today is Wednesday of Holy Week. Sometimes people refer to this day as "Spy Wednesday." That is because the Gospel reading for the daily Mass has the passage in St. Matthew's Gospel where Judas betrays Jesus. The passage tells us that after Judas was paid the thirty pieces of silver, "he looked for an opportunity to hand him [Jesus] over." In other words, he "spied" on Jesus to find the time to hand him over. Read the passage at Matthew 26:14-25, which also describes the beginning of the Passover meal Jesus would celebrate with his disciples.
The betrayal of Judas is not an easy thing to hear. Betrayals happen in life, and sometimes among friends. Unlike Judas, who despaired after his betrayal, when we betray someone or are betrayed by someone, we need to turn to Jesus and ask for mercy, forgiveness, and trust. The hurt will stay for a while, but with Jesus' mercy we can be healed.
APRIL 7, 2020
Today is Tuesday of Holy Week. In a typical Holy Week, the priests from the archdiocese would gather at St. Patrick's Cathedral with Cardinal Dolan to celebrate the Chrism Mass. Chrism is the name of one of the oils used for the sacrmaments. The oils are: oil of catechumens, which is used to anoint someone who will be baptized (whether a baby, child or adult); oil of the sick, to be used in the sacrament of the anointing of the sick; and the oil of Chrism, which is used at baptisms, confirmations (as our Confirmation class found out on February 22nd), and at ordinations of men to the priesthood and to the episcopate as a bishop. At this Mass Cardinal Dolan would bless the oils for all the parishes. After the Mass each parish gets it containers of blessed oils.
The Mass is called the "Chrism Mass" because of the use of chrism oil at ordinations. Chrism is blessed olive oil mixed with balsam to give it the "aroma of Christ." It is a Mass when a bishop can gather with his priests and deacons of the diocese to renew their commitment to their priestly duties of sanctifying, teaching, and serving. The Mass in some dioceses is celebrated on the morning of Holy Thursday, a day when we remember the Jesus' gift of the priesthood and the Eucharist. For many dioceses it is not possible to gather all the priests in one place on Holy Thursday because of the responsibilities priests have in their own parishes on Holy Thursday. Either way, this Mass is a special time for the priests. Usually after the Mass, priests will go out for dinner and share time together. Sadly, this too, will not happen during Holy Week. However, Cardinal Dolan would like to reschedule this Mass for another time, perhaps in late June. When that time comes, we continue to use the oils we have until we can get the new oils.
In the photos below, on the left, a bishop is pouring the balsam into the olive oil before blessing it as chrism oil. On the right, Pope Francis is breathing into the container of chrism oil. The Pope (and any bishop who blesses it) does this to consecrate the chrism oil. This breathing is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, who blew over the face of the waters before creation (Gen 1, 2b), and of the risen Jesus, who appeared to his disciples and breathed on them saying “Receive the Holy Spirit…”(John 20, 22-23).
APRIL 6, 2020
Check out our parish website, www.stcstmmsi.org, especially the FORMED section on the right side of the homepage. This has some great things on Holy Week for you and for your family. Below the FORMED section there is a box advertising family movies for Holy Week.
Today, on the Monday of Holy Week, we normally would have reconciliation Monday, hearing confessions for hours. Although we cannot do that now, we remember that Jesus died and rose for us to set us free from sin and to give us eternal life. The mercy we celebrate in the sacrament of reconciliation is the same mercy Jesus offered on the Cross.
APRIL 5, 2020
Today is Palm Sunday, and the beginning of Holy Week. It would be good to read today's Passion account from St. Matthew 26:14 - 27:66. When you do so, put yourself in as one of the characters and imagine how you would react. For example, how would you feel if you were Jesus, Mary, St. Peter, one of the other apostles, Simon of Cyrene, Pontius Pilate (also Pilate's wife, who only makes an appearance in St. Matthew's Passion), Caiaphas, a member of the crowd, etc.? The account will call up many different emotions and it is good to read the BIble using our imagination to help us enter into the reading. We might gain some insights we didn't have before on how Jesus' sacrifice and love saved the world.
APRIL 1, 2020
It was good to speak a bit to the faculty yesterday.
Today is the anniversary of Msgr. Gerathy's death, in 2013. Hard to believe it was that long ago. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace, and may his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. This short prayer is one that many Catholics used to know by heart. It is a good prayer to pray for those who have died asking for God's light to be upon them forever. One day, after Kobe Bryant died, I was in with the 8th grade and we prayed it. If you can, commit it to memory.Today is also known as April Fools' Day. Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France (and most of the Catholic world) switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes. March 25, Annunciation Day, was previously to be considered the New Years' Day in the Christian calendar.
MARCH 28, 2020
I know today is Saturday, and that many of you will not look on this today, but I want to put out a link for resources for children. There are many links for all grade levels. It is put out by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and there might be some activites that are helpful. Here is the link:
https://vencuentro.org/resources-for-children/
MARCH 25, 2020
Happy Feastday of the Annunciation!
We celebrate this day Mary's "yes" to God in consenting to be the Mother of God. Mary said "yes" to God not knowing how His plan was going to work in her life. She trusted. We are being asked to trust in God too. Mary learned how to trust because she was a woman of prayer. In many of the representations in art of the Annunciation, Mary is in a seated position of receptivity. She is willing to listen and to receive what the Angel Gabriel tells her, even if she does not yet understand what it will all mean. She can do that because she was a woman of prayer who reflected on God in her life. In many of those same art works of the Annunciation Mary is often pictured reading a Bible or with a Bible. The meaning of this is that Mary was someone who thought about the Word of God, pondered it, prayed with it. She was someone who thought about the Word of God before she conceived the Eternal Word, Jesus, into her womb (see the painting below, which is at the Cloisters Museum here in New York). So pray the Angelus today! Ask for Mary's help always!
Today is also only the 2nd day in the Church's calendar when, at Mass, we can genuflect at the words of the Creed, "...and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man." Do you know the other day?
Nine months later, at the birth of Jesus, on Christmas.
Also, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, asks us to pray an Our Father today. He has asked all Christian communities to pray the Our Father for an end to the coronavirus.
MARCH 23, 2020
Don't forget to pray the Angelus! Normally you pray it at the end of the school day. It can be prayed also at 12Noon, which is a traditional time for the prayer, as well as in the morning and evening (6am, 9am, or 6pm). Many people pray it three times a day. The Angelus is a prayer celebrating the Annunciation, the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary. It is a powerful prayer, and has inspired many, many, many beautiful works of art. It is one of my favorite images in art. This one by Fra Angelico is well known:
The feast of the Annunciation is celebrated in the Church on March 25th. Here is the prayer in case you need it:The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary . . .
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary . . .
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
MARCH 21, 2020
Be assured of my prayers for you. Here is a new update:
ALL HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SUNDAY MASSES AND LITURGIES WILL NOT BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.- Even though all these Masses and Liturgies of Holy Week are not open to the public, please know that we are offering Mass each day for the announced intentions and that we are specifically praying for you at each Mass.
DUE TO GOVERNOR CUOMO’S EXECUTIVE ORDER CONCERNING NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES / SERVICES:
- Our office will NOT BE OPEN for regular business. You may call to speak to one of the priests and to leave a message.
- St. Christopher Church will be open daily for private prayer and devotion from 7:30am to 4:30pm. However, we WILL NO LONGER have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. On Sundays, St. Margaret Mary Church will be open from 7:30am to 11:30am.
- We are not permitted to have “congregant services” i.e. any liturgy or devotion that gathers people together. As a result, no public Stations of the Cross, no exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, no funerals or weddings or baptisms until further notice. Baptism may be celebrated in cases of emergencies.
WHERE YOU CAN WATCH HOLY MASS:
EWTN Mass at 8:00am, 12Noon
Spectrum channel 460
Verizon Fios channel 285
Catholic Faith Network - www.Catholicfaithnetwork.org has Masses at different
times of the day from different churches.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral - visit website of the Archdiocese of New York, www.archny.org and
link on the Cathedral site.
NET (Diocese of Brooklyn) Mass at 8:00am, 12Noon M-F
11:00am Sunday
Spectrum channel 97
Verizon Fios channel 48
Optimum channel 30
Word on Fire - www.wordonfire.org
ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION:
It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion, which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot receive Him in sacramental Communion. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily. Find out more about the beautiful Catholic practice of Spiritual Communion in this excellent article at the following link.Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,
Come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already there
And unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you.
Amen.
KEEP IN TOUCH!
Our parish website (www.stcstmmsi.org) and FlockNotes are the best ways to get
current information and to stay connected as a parish family – please spread the word! To register for FlockNotes, please see the website.
MARCH 20, 2020
Hello Everyone,
I am grateful to Mrs. Falabella and Ms. Christina, to be able to have my own "class" page to keep in touch. One of the hard things about difficult times like these is not being able to be in contact. With other hardships, we can usually gather in church, or with loved ones and friends to help us through. This situation with the COVID-19 is different as we have to keep our distance from one another, and this is hard and painful. Be assured of my prayers and rememberances in my Masses for you.
I have included today an update I sent through the parish website and FlockNote which I share with you. I sent this out on Tuesday and, as you know, things are moving quickly and restrictions can change at a moment's notice. Let us keep one another in prayer. - Fr. Joe
UPDATE #1: 3/17/2020
A few clarifications about how things will be at St. Christopher and St. Margaret Mary for the time being:- Even though Masses are not open to the public, please know that we are offering Mass each day for the announced intentions and that we are specifically praying for you at each Mass.
- St. Christopher Church will be open daily for private prayer and devotion from 7:30am to 4:30pm. We WILL have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, as usual. On Sundays, St. Margaret Mary Church will be open from 8:00am to 11:30am.
- When you enter either church you may wash your hands in the bathroom in the vestibule.
- For now, our parish office is open as usual (and closed for St. Patrick’s Day).
- PLEASE DO NOT ENTER ANY OF OUR BUILDINGS IF YOU FEEL ILL. This is a matter of love for one another.
- Public Stations of the Cross are cancelled, but you can always pray them on your own at St. Christopher’s. We will leave the booklets out.
- We do not have information now as to how current restrictions will affect First Holy Communion, Holy Week and Easter. We will share information as it becomes available from the Archdiocese.
- Right now we will have baptisms with only a very limited number of immediate family members permitted to attend.
- In the event of the death of a loved one, for the time being it would be best to have the burial now and plan a memorial Mass for the future. When this is not possible, attendance at the funeral will be limited to immediate family (of everything I’m listing here, this is the most heartbreaking).
- Confessions will continue as scheduled: Saturdays 1:30-2:30pm at St. Christopher. We would ask that people not stand so close to one another when waiting on line.
- Your priests are available if you need to talk, either by phone or in person.
- If someone is dying, please call the parish immediately so a priest can administer the sacraments.
- Please continue to support your parish by mailing in your offering envelopes or by enrolling in Parish Pay (click the “donate” tab at the top of the website or call the parish office for help). We are always grateful for your generosity and support of the parish.
- Our parish website (www.stcstmmsi.org) and FlockNotes (sent to you by email or by text) are the best ways to get current information and to stay connected as a parish family – please spread the word! To register for FlockNotes, please see the website.
Mary, Health of the Sick, pray for us.
St. Christopher, pray for us.
St. Margaret Mary, pray for us.
