It's hard to believe that the year 2009 is here. In some ways this is a year marking interesting and significant milstones.

I can remember when 1999 dawned and I was serenely happy as pastor of Mary, Mother of God, in Hempstead. The Diocese had begun the process of merging the parishes of Hempstead and Prairie View and it was becoming evident that the merger needed someone who could come in new and not be partial to either camp. There was also the unavoidable fact that I had been in Hempstead for over 13 years and was a little overdue to be moved. I remember looking around and discovered that Plantersville was in need of a permanent pastor. Fr. Burke, a Holy Ghost Father, had recently retired due to both age and medical reasons. I really prayed hard asking the Holy Spirit to guide my decision and put the whole affair in God's hands. I mentioned to a member of the Personnel Borad that I was interested in being assigned to Plantersville/Stoneham. His response was rather lukewarm and I had this fear that I might have to go back into Houston. Even some of my priest friends were amused and negative of my not only staying outside Houston, but going to such a small, really country parish. At least Hempstead was more of a town, I was told..ha. To my relief and surprise, I was notified I would be assigned to St. Mary's in Plantersville and St. Joseph, its mission, in Stoneham. The assignment was to take effect on July 1, 1999.

Some may remember that first weekend. The news/gossip was that the new pastor was tall and thin. For many, that's all that was known about him. Saturday evening a car glides into the priest's driveway at St. Mary's and out steps a rather heftly priest using a cane and smiling broadly. As is his custom, he was playing the scene for all its worth. Not until he begins the Mass does he introduce himself as "not the new pastor'. The name of that rent-a-Priest that first weekend, taking my place, was......Fr. William Kelly. Isn't it funy how things come full circle? Fr. Kelly would be a regular rent-a-priest around here for about a year and a half until he (against all my advice) accepted an assignment as pastor of St. Anthony Church in Danbury. I did finally show up the next weekend. I was on a Polka Cruise to Alaska with the Vrazel Polka Band. (I can hear some grumbling that I've not changed a bit in almost ten years....sill going on cruises...ha....).

I have never regretted not only my decision but what I feel was the guidance of the Holy Spirit in sending me here as your pastor. It seems almost impossible that I am in my tenth year, July 1, 2009 beginning my eleventh. God is good. I've not only seen our Community of Faith grow in population, but grow united in witnessing to Christ in this out-of-the-way-corner of Texas. I myself have deepened my faith and commitment to my Priesthood because of the tremendous support and prayers that flow from you each Sunday. Your kindness and encouragement in those few moments of stress that come with life is appreciated and make each day a day I am thankful for being here with you, working together for the honor and glory of God. I am looking forward to being with you for many years to come. I am hoping that the year 2009 will find us all enjoying and thankful for the wonderful faith family with which God has gifted us. It is a gift. Let's take care that we treasure it properly. United in faith and love 2009 is going to be terrific!

2009 marks the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the church of St. Joseph in what-was-then the flourishing small town of Stoneham. Until that year, the Polish community worshiped either with St. Mary in Plantersville or St. Stanislaus in Anderson. With the building of a church structure in 1909 the Polish community in the area began what is now one hundred years of witness to the Gospel which calls us to be Christ's light of peace to the world of which we are a part. Though the town of Stoneham has all but disappeared, the church structure is still a testimony to the sacrifice and determination of its early families. Originally, the mission of St. Joseph was care for by the pastor of St. Stanislaus. In 1972, the pastor of St. Mary was entrusted with the care and nourishment of the faith of the Community.

Throughout this year of 2009 we will be celebrating one hundred years with a variety of special Masses, dinners and mementos, begining with the Centennial Cookbook put together by the Altar Society of St. Joseph. As the year progresses, stay tuned for the opportunities of gathering together and thanking God for these one hundred years of witness.

Hopefully you came forward and spent some moments in prayer and reflection at the crib of both our churches. The manger scene of St. Mary is an old German set that was made probably sometime after the second World War. It was most likely purchased by St. Mary in the 50's or early 60's. Each year, when setting out the figures for the Christmas Celebration, the figures were a little more damaged. One year, we lost the Baby Jesus! There was a time when buying a 'new' antique set was looked into but there are just not a whole lot out there. We discovered that our set is very collectible and very expensive. We've added some sheep trough the years which looked mismatched.

Ms. Donell Hill, the artist and restorationist who has done all the work at both St. Mary and St. Joseph has completely repaired, restored and repainted all the figurines in time for our Christmas Celebration this year. Special boxes are being build to house each figurine for storage in the future. We have learned a valuable lesson: don't take for granted what you have (it's more valuable than you think) and take care of what you have so that it can be enjoyed and treasured for generations to come.

The Three Epiphanies:
Manifestation of His Birth in Bethlehem
Manifestation to the Wise Men
Manifestation at the Jordan

(Did you see the connection at the Manger Scene at St. Mary?)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2009: 4:00pm Church Cleaning & 6:00 PM Monthly Meeting

Come help us clean church then plan for our SPAGHETTI DINNER Fund Raiser which is coming up next month.

Monthly Meeting Hostesses: Stella Yorek, Micki Kroeker, Lucy Lewis, Zina Ulicnik

FEBRUARY, 2009

MONTHLY MEETING -- TUES., FEBRUARY 10, 2009 -- 6:00 PM AT ST. MARY'S HALL

SMAS Spaghetti Dinner--Sun., Feb. 22 after 10:30am mass--to go plates available after 9am mass

Meeting Hostesses: Lorraine Nilson, Janet Nolan, Annette Freund, Patti Kalich

Important Dates to Remember

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2009
Members will gather at 4:00pm to clean the church.
Afterward, the regular monthly meeting will begin at 6:00pm to plan for February's Spaghetti Dinner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2009
The Altar Society will host a SPAGHETTI DINNER after 10:30am mass.
To go boxes will be available after the 9:00am mass.

The St. Joseph's Altar Society will meet this month at the hall after the 9:00am mass on January 13, 2009.

A Family Blessing Of The Home & Marking Of The Home's Lintel

It is an ancient and venerable custom to gather as a family, bless one's home and mark the entrance lintel during the Christmas Season, especially on the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated this year on January 7th. It's really simple. The family gathers for God to bless the New Year and all those who live in and come to visit this home.

+In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Father, we bless Your name for sending Your own Incarnate Son to become part of a family, so that, as He lived His life, He would experience our worries and our joys.

We ask You, Father, to protect and watch over our family this year of 2007 so that in the strength of Your grace we may enjoy prosperity, possess the priceless gift of Your peace, and, as the Church alive in our home, bear witness in this world to Your glory. May all who visit here find a warm welcome and feel the presence of God alive in these wall and in our hearts.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. [All] Amen.

Then, over the entrance lintel [the crossbeam of the door] one of the family members marks with the blessed chalk [given out on the Feast of the Epiphany after the Masses]:
20 + C + M + B +09
[Century] + [Caspas] + [Melchior] + [Baltazar] + [Year]

The 'C' 'M' 'B' are the initials of the traditional names of the Three Wise Men Or, another interpretation, the beginning letter of each of the word in the phrase Christus Mansionem Benedicat [May Christ Bless This House]

All then pray together The Our Father, The Hail Mary, and ending with:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen.

All exchange a sign of Christ's peace.

Thank you fellow St. Mary's parishioners for your generous support of my Eagle Scout project. I want to extend a special thank you to Miss Mel Campbell, Mrs. Lisa Atkinson, Mrs. Jamie Riley, Mrs. Melissa Severino and Mrs. Sherri Welsh for their help with the set up and preparation for the Gabriel Project Baby Shower. Thank you Gail for helping me with the bulletin announcements. Thank you, Father Ed, for support of my project and filling out all of that paperwork you were sent! Last, but certainly not least, thanks to Mrs. Wanda O'Brien. You are a constant source of inspiration. All of you helped me to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.

Joshua Welsh

IT'S CEMETERY CLEANUP TIME AGAIN!!

February 28th is Cemetery Cleanup Day.

All old flowers and worn items will be removed from the graves. If you have any items that are sentimental to you, please remove them from your loved one's gravesite. Items not allowed in the Cemetery have been placed under the tree outside the cemetery gate. Items not picked up will be discarded on cleanup day.

The next cleanup day will be Saturday, October 3rd.

Anyone and everyone is invited to gather at 9:00am to begin cleanup.
~~Bring a lunch to share to make a fun day for all.~~

Don't forget the Guardian Angels Monthly Officers' meeting on Tuesday, January 6, 10:00am in the SM FLC.

Also... it's GAME DAY this month ... come join us on Thursday, January 15, 2008 in the SM Hall from 10:00am--2:00pm for good food, good company and plenty of fun!

Did you put on a few extra pounds over the holidays? If you're like most--the answer's yes. So, why don't you start off the new year right and take them off with TOPS? TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly, and that's exactly what has made us the weight loss program support group choice for thousands! No matter what your goals are, TOPS is here for you. It's for people of all ages--men, women, and children.

There's no cost for the first meeting you attend. The Plantersville TOPS chapter meets weekly--every Thursday evening in the Family Life Center at St. Mary's. Weigh-in is from 6-6:30, and the meeting begins at 6:30. Come soar to new heights with TOPS. For more information, please contact Mildred Rosenberg at 936-873-2579.

We are always happy to welcome new members to our St. Vincent de Paul conference. We meet once a month, and our purpose is to reach out to those in need while working to improve our own spirituality. If you are interested in learning more about our work, please contact our president, C. J. LeBlanc at (936) 597-7924.

NEXT MEETING: JANUARY 15--3:30PM--SM HALL

Help Us Please!
Since our food pantry is getting low on non-perishable foods, we are
asking each family to bring a donation of food each week. A few canned goods from each family add up to a parish family reaching out, sharing and living the teachings of the gospel and St. Vincent de Paul. Large wicker baskets are provided in the foyer of St. Mary's Hall and St. Joseph's Hall to accept your offerings.

Thank you!!

St. Vincent de Paul has a new contact phone number.

For assistance, call 936-894-2362.

We Announce the Rite of Institution as Reader for Walter Busa

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston formally announces that
Walter Busa, a candidate for the order of deacon will be instituted into the stable Ministry of Reader on January 17, 2009 at a Mass to be celebrated by Bishop Vincent Rizzotto. If any person knows of a serious reason why this candidate to the diaconate should not be called to this ministry or continue to ordination to the diaconate, please notify Deacon Gerald DuPont, Director of the Office of the Diaconate, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston at 281-703-0227 or at gerald@gwdupont.com. Please keep Walter in your prayers as he is instituted in to the ministry of reader. May he always be faithful to the Word which he believes, reads and proclaims.

This announcement is in compliance with Canon 1051,2o of the Code of Canon Law.

There will be changes in our hall rental policy effective January 1, 2009. Before scheduling any event, please stop by the office and pick up a set of new instructions.

Thank you to everyone who made the Parish Christmas Party such a great success. It all began with a lot of planning and many, many volunteers. A big thank you to the decorating crew who made the hall look so festive for this special occasion. Thank you to all the CCE classes who made and decorated the Christmas tree. Many, many thanks to all the ladies who baked the turkeys and dressing, and to the kitchen crew who made the potatoes and gravy and did all the set-up and then served. Another big thank you to the two ladies who made the beautiful and delicious cakes. The Ways and Means committee did a great job with the raffle. Many thanks go to the Altar Society members who donated the items and to the ladies who worked the raffle. We appreciate and thank our entertainment -- the St. Mary's Choristers, St. Nicholas and our artist member who lovingly decorated the children's Christmas gift bags. Thank you to the Men's Club and all who helped with the clean up. And last, but not least, thank you St. Mary's Parishioners for coming, bringing your fellowship and a dish to share and in turn supporting the Altar Society.

Ann Lambert

. . . will be holding their monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will follow at 7:00 p.m. in the SM Hall.

Mark Your Calendars Now!

St. Mary's Men's Club Blood Drive with Breakfast

Sunday, FEBRUARY 15 from 8AM-1pm
In St. Mary's Parish Hall.

For more information,
Call neil Rosenberg
At 936-873-2579

"Super Bowl Party"
Third Annual Parish Dance
Sponsored by The St. Mary's Men's Club

Date: January 31, 2009
Time: 7:00pm until 11:00pm

Dinner, Drinks & Setups Provided--BYOB

Admission Price:
Sack of Groceries for St. Joseph's Table Dinner

Hope everyone had a great Christmas season and enjoyed the snow. Winter is well on it's way. Not much going on in the garden? How are your vegetables doing? You can still plant more, such as mustards, turnips, sugar snow peas, spinach, lettuce collards, beet, carrots, garlic and onions.

I'm still enjoying the bright yellow flowers on my Cassia Senna. They are about the size of a crepe myrtle and have leaves opposite each other which close up at dusk. They start blooming in November and continue to early January. The leaves are used for medicinal purposes but the pod is preferred in making laxatives. They are not to be confused with the Biblical Cassia Senna (Cinnamomum) Kash'-a, two Hebrew words: 1) quiddah, along with myrrh, cinnamon, calamus and olive oil, as one of the ingredient of the "holy anointing oil." 2) qetsi'oth, referring to strips of bark with a cinnamon fragrance.

Other winter bloomers such as Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox var. luteus) also make yellow blooms. It is a large shrub and the bright yellow blooms appear before the leaves in Jan and have a wonderful fragrance. In the fall the leaves turn a soft lemon color. The rest of the year the shrub doesn't do much so you could plant a vine such as Clematis next to it. The Clematis will bloom in the summer. Come fall just cut back the vine and it will reappear come spring. Witch-hazel (Hamamelis) is also colorful in the winter. The name Witch has it's origin from Old English, wice, meaning "pliant" or "bendable." Hazel is derived from the use of twigs as divining rods. It's fruit, flowers and next years leaf buds all appear on the branch at the same time, which is rare for a tree. The flowers, yellow in color, sometime appear on leafless stems in the winter, thus one alternate name for the plant, "Winterbloom."

Bundle up and stay warm. Keep a blanket and some water in your vehicle. Slow down in bad weather. God Bless you and the ground he walked upon.

Send your gardening ideas to: rjbochat@netzero.net. Subject: God's Garden

St. Mary's 1st Annual Wine Tasting Event
~Featured winery is Bernhardt~

Come spend Valentine's Day with your special Valentine and friends of St. Mary's at our 1st Annual Wine Tasting Event at the Parish Hall.

When: February 14, 2009
Time: 6:30 PM, Dinner served at 7 PM
Cost: $25.00 per person pre-sale or $30.00
per person at the door (seating is limited)

Avoid the restaurants! Come join the fun!
Relax with family and friends and help critique the wine!

More details to follow!

4 Sessions will be offered beginning in June through July 3.
Cost: $400 per weekly session
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Camp Kappe is looking for a responsible high school or college student (must be 18 years or older) to complete ropes certification and work at the camp during the June / July timeframe.
Call Paula Whiteley for details at 281-650-0204
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Information about the upcoming Summer Camp, contact
Camp Kappe at 936-894-2141

All parishioners extend congratulations to...Stephen Paul Bishop...for being received into full communion of the Roman Catholic Church
on Sunday, December 7, 2008, at the 10:30 Mass.

Kayla blummer, becky Hebert, linda Hubert, wes Hubert, and Linda wobbe...for participating in the Rite of Welcoming of Candidates (previously baptized Christians) on Sunday, December 14, 2008, at the 10:30 Mass.

How long did you date your beloved? If married, how long were you engaged? If parishioners were asked these questions, answers would vary greatly. So when individuals decide to get to know God and develop an intimate relationship with Him, who are we to know His time-schedule? Each person's journey is based on God's time and God's grace, rather than on our parish calendar and a published RCIA "program."

The Rite itself implores us to respect the individuality of each person's journey: "The rite of initiation is suited to a spiritual journey of adults that varies according to the many forms of God's grace, the free cooperation of the individuals, the action of the Church, and the circumstances of time and place" (RCIA, #5).

Your St. Mary's/St. Joseph's RCIA Team is attempting to meet the needs of all inquirers. While we've begun informal discussions over the phone with people and in the FLC on Sundays, we welcome anyone at any time throughout the year. We urge all parishioners to recognize their Baptismal promise of fulfilling their own Catholic identity by evangelizing to non-Catholics. YOU, too, are a member of our initiation ministry! Please do your part by encouraging others to join our discussions of faith. Check out our Sunday topics, and join us yourself to continue your lifelong catechesis of Catholicism. All are welcome!!!!!

(Dr. Sharon Skeans, RCIA Director; contact her at skeans@consolidated.net)

THE PARISH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON NEW YEAR’S DAY THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, AND MONDAY, JANUARY 19 IN OBSERVANCE OF THE BIRTHDAY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

While all of our presenters for RCIA formation sessions are fabulous, you may want to mark your calendar for two special guest presenters:

January 25 -- Father Ed -- "History of the Catholic Church"

February 1 -- Linda Cussen (Associate Director for the Archdiocesan Office of Continuing Christian Education) -- "What Catholics Need to Know about Judaism"

Join us in the Family Life Center for one or both sessions from 11:00 am --12:30 pm.

The liturgical year of the Catholic Church with its cycle of winter birth (Advent/Christmas) and spring re-birth (Good Friday/Easter) are gradually unfolding before our eyes. After experiencing the season of Advent, the words "COME! COME! COME!" echo in my ears. You know the feeling we all have when a new baby will soon be born. Then, we realize: new beginnings, parenting, fatherhood, motherhood.

I love the fact that our parish feast day is on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Being a member of the Catholic community of St. Mary's, we all begin each day with birthing: Mary's Birth, Jesus' Birth, Jesus' Baptism, our Birth, our Rebirth in Baptism, the birth of our children and grandchildren, Eternal Life each time we are fed by the Eucharist. Just by saying YES to God, Eternal Life is ever becoming anew.

Believe it or not, the Church asks us to begin each year focusing on Mary, the Mother of God on New Year's Day. The day is called the Solemnity of the Mother of God. This solemnity's date was changed after the Vatican Council. The old feast day of Mary, the Mother of God, used to be on October 11 each year. Pope John XXIII chose October 11 to begin a "new birth" in the Church and, thus, convened Vatican Council II on that date. The Council closed on August 15, the feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. All of this was done intentionally because of the pope's conviction that Mary is the Mother of the Church who gave human form to Jesus and brought us God. She is the Queen Mother of Heaven and Earth.

Our current pope, Benedict XVI, inspires me as he wrote and reflected on Mary:

If Mary is really the one giving birth to God, if she bears him who is the death of death and is life in the full sense of the word, this being the Mother of God is really a "new birth" (nova nativitas): a new way of giving birth inserted into the old way, just as Mary is the New Covenant in the midst of the Old Covenant, even as a member of the Old Covenant. This birth is no dying, but only a becoming, a bursting forth of life that casts off dying and leaves it behind once and for all. The title "Mother of God" points, on the one hand, back to the Virgin: this life is not received through the everyday dying and becoming but is pure beginning. On the other hand, the title points to the Assumption: from this birth comes only life, no death. This new "generation" does not demand the surrender of the old self as its sine qua non, rather it effects the ultimate validation of the whole.

(Benedictus: Day by Day with Pope Benedict XVI, Ignatius Press, 2006, p. 14)

So take joy and celebrate in 2009! As a possible New Year's resolution, begin keeping a gratitude journal. Each day write down 5 new things you are thankful for and see how your life begins to take on birth, rebirth, new beginnings, and a new kind of celebration. More importantly, say YES to the will of God in your life as Mary said YES before the Angel Gabriel. We can give birth to God by our YES! Let's all begin anew. Happy New Year!

Class
Regular classes will resume January 7th and ISPClasses will begin at noon on January 11th.

Volunteers Needed

We are in need of a volunteer to replace one of our 7th Grade Catechists, who will no longer be able to teach because of a change in work schedule. The Catechist who is still in this class is doing an excellent job, but could really use some 'back-up'! If you can help us out, or know of someone who can, call the church office (936-894-2223) and leave the information or stop by the C.C.E. Office on Wednesday night. We could also use a few folks to help the students on craft nights. These are not every week and so it would not be a weekly commitment.

Students of the Month - November

Congratulations to the following students who received the award for November!

K - Max O'Brien
1st - Logan Ramirez
2nd - Sofia Celaya
3rd - Ashley Penshorn
4th - Luke Moy
5th - Payten Day
6th -Jennifer Du
7th -Gracie Mock
8th - Maddie O'Brien
Level I - Megan Molina
Level II - Andrea Thibodaux

Wishes for a Happy
and
Blessed New Year!

Get ready to put on that pretty face and S M I L E !

The photographer will be coming in March to take your family photo for the new pictorial directory.

St. Mary's Choristers is a group of 20 children who have dedicated themselves to learning the music of the Church and practicing and performing that music for the enhancement of the liturgy. This group is a member of Pueri Cantores, an international federation of Catholic youth choirs.

The stated purpose of the American Pueri Cantores is to bring together choirs of boys and girls throughout the United Stated to sing the Peace of God. The group is dedicated to enhancing the spiritual well-being of young singers through the performance of sacred, spiritual, folk, and patriotic music; to developing cultural compassion through travel and the building of national and international friendships; to elevating education in the arts resulting in choral excellence, spiritual growth, and academic achievement.

To achieve these goals, Pueri Cantores sponsors trips around the world for thousands of choristers from every continent. On January 1, 2011, many of these young people will sing at St. Peter's Basilica at a Mass presided over by Pope Benedict XVI. Our St. Mary's Choristers hope to be among that group!

On May 30, 2009, the Choristers will participate in a regional festival at St. Cecilia Parish in Houston, with Cardinal DiNardo saying the Mass. The music they will sing ranges from Gregorian chant and polyphony to twenty-first century music.

The Choristers rehearse every Wednesday evening, sing at Mass at least once each month, and also sing on special days, such as Christmas and Easter. You will be seeing a lot of them.

Of course, nothing is free, as we all know. The Choristers Booster Club will be sponsoring ongoing fund-raisers to pay for their trip to Rome.

Our immediate need is for individual sponsors so that we can buy vestments for the children. A cassock and surplice costs $75; we need 20 of them. If you sponsor a chorister, you will be that child's sponsor for the duration of his time in the group. He will send you updates about the group's activities, let you know how our trip plans are going, maybe even send you pictures and notes from Rome! If you can help, please put your sponsor donation of $75 in an envelope and into the collection basket in church, or send to the church office. You can also give any donations to Linda Armstrong at any time.

This experience -- the dedication, the preparation and hard work, the knowledge they will gain about the history of church music and music in general -- will last for their lifetimes. Please be as generous as you can in supporting the children, either by your financial support or your spiritual support. Jubilate Deo!

On Sunday, January 10, the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. St. Mary's will celebrate the first birthday of all who have been baptized during the last year at St. Mary's and St. Joseph's.

There will be a special blessing for these new Christians at the 10:30 Mass on Sunday, January 10, with a birthday reception following in St. Mary's Hall.

Mark your calendars and plan to attend this special birthday celebration with our entire community.

On the 4th Tuesday of every month at 7:00pm In the St. Mary's Family Life Center.

January 1st
MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
For all mothers who will give birth today:
that their love and care
will inspire all people to a deeper appreciation
of the beauty of life;
We pray to the Lord:

January 4th
EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
That as a star guided the wise men to the author of life,
the Church might be the light in the darkness of a culture of death;
We pray to the Lord:

January 11th
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
For every little child:
that as we celebrate the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan,
they might be led through the waters of Baptism
to a life of holiness and love through him;
We pray to the Lord:

January 18th
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
For our new President and all Members of Congress:
that a respect for the life of every human being
might be foremost in all their decisions;
We pray to the Lord:

January 22nd
A DAY OF PRAYER AND PENANCE FOR LIFE
For all who are wounded by the sin of abortion:
for the child, the parent, the doctor
and all who have abetted this sin,
for repentance, mercy, and peace;
We pray to the Lord:

January 25th
THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
For medical researchers:
that their work might be inspired by a love for the truth
and a respect for each human person;
We pray to the Lord:

BAPTISM PREPARATION CLASSES Scheduled for
Saturday, January 3rd @ St. Mary's
from 9-12 in the Family Life Center
with Baptisms to follow Jan. 11th

Preparation classes for baptism are a requirement for parents or expectant parents of children up to 7 years old and are generally held every other month.

Godparents are encouraged to attend as well.

We invite you to call early in your pregnancy to register for a class. Call: Francell Busa (936) 870-4145 (fbusa@embarqmail.com),
or
Gaby Tryon (936) 448-1342,
Anita Thornton (936) 582-2618
or
En espanol: Maria Pena, (936) 588-4765

Wednesday, December 24th, Christmas Vigil Masses
4:00pm, 4:15pm/Hall, 6:00pm, 12 midnight @ St. Mary's
9:30pm @ St. Joseph's

Thursday, December 25th, Christmas Mass
9:00am @ St. Mary's

Friday, December 26th
No Mass

Wednesday, December 31st, New Year's Day Vigil Mass
5:30pm @ St. Mary's

Thursday, January 1st, New Year's Day Mass
7:30am @ St. Joseph's
9:00am @ St. Mary's

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Holy Day of Obligation)
Monday, December 8, 2008

Mass Schedule
9:00am @ St. Mary's
5:30pm @ St. Mary's

Monday, December 15, 2008
6:30 p.m. ~ SM Parish Hall
Dinner, Wise Men Skit, Accordian Player,lots and lots of fun and fellowship for members and their families.

(Hosted by St. Mary's Altar Society)
Sunday, December 7, 2009
After 10:30am mass In the Parish Hall
Come Out and Enjoy a "Covered Dish" Affair! Each family is asked to bring your favorite side dish or two to go with the turkey and ham provided.

~~ Raffle with 5 wonderful prizes ~~
~~ Entertainment by St. Mary's Children's Choir ~~
~~ Appearance by St. Nicholas ~~

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Mark Your Calendars Now!

St. mary's Men's Club Blood Drive with Breakfast

Sunday, December 14
from 8AM-1pm
In St. Mary's Parish Hall.

For more information,
Call neil Rosenberg
At 936-873-2579

Wed., December 17
5:00-7:00pm

(Another confessor will be present, in addition to Fr. Ed)

Update on Heating and Cooling Issues in St. Mary's Church

During 2005 renovation of the church was completed and the pipe organ was installed in the newly rebuilt choir loft. Since that time we have had continuing issues with maintaining a balance of heat between the choir loft and the main level of the church.

The problem is one of simple physics. Hot air rises, and the choir loft sits very close to the church ceiling. For example, if the thermostat is set for heating to 72 degrees in the main church area, it will reach 88 degrees in the choir loft. In addition to discomfort to choir members, the sudden change in temperature damages the pipe organ, necessitating costly repairs.

In the meantime, we have considered many different solutions. Each fall, as cold weather approaches, the air registers above the choir loft are closed. Because the heating capacity of the church greatly exceeds our needs, we shut down one side of the heaters. These changes have failed to deal with the problem.

We will soon be installing a "ductless split system" to in effect cool off the choir loft while the remainder of the church is heated. This will require the expenditure of about $4,000. However, we are hopeful this will allow us to increase the heat on the lower level while attaining a tolerable temperature in the choir loft.

Contractors have submitted bids to have the church windows at St. Mary's re-leaded and the sashes repaired as needed. The windows are leaky and in great need of repair. No change to the glass in the windows will occur. We hope to get underway by mid-December. The likely process will be to have a few windows removed at a time and temporarily replaced by solid panes of Lexan plastic. When the re-leaded and repaired windows are returned after a few days, the Lexan sheets will move on to the next few windows and the process will be repeated. We will manage the effort so that at Christmas there will be a construction hiatus so the church looks normal at that time. Construction will then resume after Christmas and be finished by the end of January, 2009. The good ladies of St. Mary's Altar Society have agreed to fund the lion's share (though not all) of the costs for the window repairs.

Store Hours:

Saturdays: Open after 5:30 p.m. Mass
Sundays: Open 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Mon thru Fri: Stop by the Parish Office
between 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. for Assistance

~~New Merchandise~~
Do your Christmas Shopping
With Us!!

Gift Certificates ~ Gift Registry
Religious Articles ~ Prayer Books
Bibles ~ Rosaries
Children & Adult Books
Baptism Gifts & many other Gift Items.

St. Mary's Corner Shoppe is featuring Willow Tree's "The Christmas Story"

Only $179.95

We also have: Advent Candles, Advent Wreaths, Sunday Missals, Christmas Cards & Wafers and many well-priced Christmas gifts!

Our Lady of Guadalupe One-Week Novena Schedule:

December: St. Mary's
January: St. Joseph's
February: St. Mary's
March: St. Joseph's

A simple one week Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Have her blessed picture in your home and honor her with a daily rosary and your petitions.

St. Mary's: A sign up sheet is available in the parish hall.

St. Joseph's: A sign up sheet is available in the church entry.

The picture of Our Lady is to be returned at the end of the week.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008. Please contact Pam Alexander for more information.

Choir Practice is every Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.

Call Linda Armstrong for more information.

Join us for Advent and Christmas.

Don't forget the Guardian Angels Monthly Officers' meeting on Tuesday, December 2, 10:00am in the SM FLC.

Also... it's BINGO this month ... come join us on Thursday, December 18, 2008 in the SM Hall for our Christmas party from 10:00am--2:00pm for good food, good company and plenty of fun!

Sat., December 13, 2008
6:30 p.m. ~ SM FLC

Everyone in the music ministry is invited to attend as well as their families.

On the 4th Tuesday of every month at 7:00pm In the St. Mary's Family Life Center..

We are always happy to welcome new members to our St. Vincent de Paul conference. We meet once a month, and our purpose is to reach out to those in need while working to improve our own spirituality. If you are interested in learning more about our work, please contact our president, C. J. LeBlanc at (936) 597-7924.

THERE WILL BE NO DECEMBER MEETING.

St. Vincent de Paul has a new contact phone number.
For assistance, call 936-894-2362.

Help Us Please!
Since our food pantry is getting low on non-perishable foods, we are asking each family to bring a donation of food each week. A few canned goods from each family add up to a parish family reaching out, sharing and living the teachings of the gospel and St. Vincent de Paul. Large wicker baskets are provided in the foyer of St. Mary's Hall and St. Joseph's Hall to accept your offerings. Thank you!!

Kids! KIDS! KIDS!

December 6th & 7th is candy cane weekend!

We're Celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas, which will be on
December 6th. Come on down for your candy cane!

St. Nicholas is scheduled to be here!!

Third Annual Parish Dance
Sponsored by The St. Mary's Men's Club

Date: January 31, 2009
Time: 7:00pm until 11:00pm

Dinner, Drinks & Setups Provided--BYOB

Admission Price:Sack of Groceries for St. Joseph's Table Dinner

4 Sessions will be offered beginning in June through July 3.
Cost: $400 per weekly session
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Camp Kappe is looking for a responsible high school or college student (must be 18 years or older)to complete ropes certification and work at the camp during the June / July time frame.
Call Paula Whiteley for details at281-650-0204
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Information about the upcoming Summer Camp, contact Camp Kappe at 936-894-2141

~Featured winery is Bernhardt~

Come spend Valentine's Day with your special Valentine and friends of St. Mary's at our 1st
Annual Wine Tasting Event at the Parish Hall.

When: February 14, 2009 Time: 6:30 PM, Dinner served at 7 PM
Cost: $25.00 per person pre-sale or $30.00per person at the door (seating is limited)

Avoid the restaurants! Come join the fun!Relax with family and friends and help
critique the wine!

More details to follow!

I was finally able to enjoy my satsuma. So sweet and juicy. Patience does payoff. I'm so excited about the Christmas Season. It seems to me people are more "Christ Like" at this time of year. I say bring it on!

I love poinsettias. Euphorbiaceae: meaning very beautiful! They grow as a shrub that can get 10 feet in height. Some think are poisonous. They ooze a milky white sap that can irritate the skin and if consumed can upset the stomach but are not poisonous. Dec 12 is National Poinsettia Day. The date marks the death of Joel Robert Poinsett. He is credited for introducing the native Mexican plant to the United States.

There are over 100 varieties of the poinsettia.It is the most popular Christmas plant. 220 million dollars worth of poinsettias are sold over the holiday period of about six weeks. They can be planted in the ground but must be protected from freezes. A fresh poinsettia is one which little or no yellow pollen is showing on the flower clusters in the center of the bracts. Plants that have shed their pollen will soon drop their colorful bracts.

The Aztecs made a reddish purple dye from the bracts. Chile and Peru called the poinsettia the "Crown of the Andes." An NCCA Bowl game in San Diego is named the Poinsettia Bowl. And to think we just enjoy them at Christmas.

For your other plants such as alyssum, dianthus and especially pansies, they should be fertilized every 4-6 weeks. Water everything well before a freeze but avoid over watering. You can transplant bare root and container grown roses, shrubs, vines, and groundcover so they can get established before the warmth of the summer. Compost beds for spring and get soil tested. Keep stock piling your leaves.

Now is a good time to run your yard power tools dry and drain and change oil. Get repairs done before it's time to use them again. Clean and oil all your tools. This will make them last longer. Watch those houseplants for scale, mealy bugs and spider mites.

Here are some seeds you can plant: Sweet Peas, Poppy, Nasturtium, Larkspur, Gayfeather, Cornflower and bluebonnet.

Just remember plants and gardening gifts are ideal for Christmas. Hope you enjoy the celebration of Christ Birthday as much as I do. God bless you and the ground he walked upon! Merry Christmas!

Send your gardening ideas to: rjbochat@netzero.net. Subject: God's Garden

How long did you date your beloved? If married, how long were you engaged? If parishioners were asked these questions, answers would vary greatly. So when individuals decide to get to know God and develop an intimate relationship with Him, who are we to know His time-schedule? Each person's journey is based on God's time and God's grace, rather than on our parish calendar and a published RCIA "program."

The Rite itself implores us to respect the individuality of each person's journey: "The rite of initiation is suited to a spiritual journey of adults that varies according to the many forms of God's grace, the free cooperation of the individuals, the action of the Church, and the circumstances of time and place" (RCIA, #5).

Your St. Mary's/St. Joseph's RCIA Team is attempting to meet the needs of all inquirers. While we've begun informal discussions over the phone with people and in the FLC on Sundays, we welcome anyone at any time throughout the year. We urge all parishioners to recognize their Baptismal promise of fulfilling their own Catholic identity by evangelizing to non-Catholics. YOU, too, are a member of our initiation ministry! Please do your part by encouraging others to join our discussions of faith. Check out our Sunday topics, and join us yourself to continue your lifelong catechesis of Catholicism. All are welcome!!!!!

(Dr. Sharon Skeans, RCIA Director; contact her at skeans@consolidated.net)

SPECIAL ENVELOPES WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE PEWS FOR CHRISTMAS FLOWER CONTRIBUTIONS.

TRYING TO MAKE THE CHURCH BEAUTIFUL DURING THE HOLIDAYS IS VERY COSTLY.

PLEASE CONSIDER GIVING A DONATION TO OFFSET THE COST OF FLOWERS DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

THE PARISH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 8 IN OBSERVANCE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
AND

DECEMBER 25 & 26 IN OBSERVANCE OF THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS!

(Arthur Plessala -- December, 2008)

December is the season of the Advent of our Savior---a visit by our God who wants to enter our lives and turn toward us.

I have a secret I want to share with you. From my youngest years living at home with my mother and father, three things remain etched in my memory: (1) the family kneeling around my mother and father's bed each evening reciting the rosary, (2) my father reading his daily prayers all alone at the kitchen table before dawn, and (3) my mother reading from her Bible and from the children's Bible history book, the stories of which still fascinate me to this day.

I've thought a lot lately about the third memory, especially during this, the Year of the Bible. When I got older and left home after my father died, my mother and I would speak by phone almost daily, and she would always share what she had read from the Bible that morning. We would discuss it like people discuss the news of the day. The Word of God was really "good news" to her. She would always tell me how powerful the "Word of God" was. She would say that God's Word was to be trusted and was filled with God's Spirit and that we were made in the image and likeness of God. She hoped each one of us kids would really get to know and love Jesus, His Father and listen to the Holy Spirit.

What did my mother and father give to me? They gave me God, the same gift that Jesus gave me and to all Christians.

St. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." My mom helped me to be a part of that new creation. She was filled with the Spirit who had guided her on her 80 year + 9 day journey home. By the time mom went home to Heaven, she had worn out nine Bibles leaving each of us eight kids a personally worn Bible. All were literally falling apart, yet cherished by me and my siblings. My mentally-challenged brother Michael was given the children's Bible history book...or our "Bible book" as he called it. We have all been blessed with a true treasure beyond description.

While speaking of the new temple, Ezekiel's final words from the book of Ezekiel are: "The name of the city shall henceforth be "The Lord is here" (Ez 48:35). As we enter the Advent season, let us not forget that the Lord is here and that we are children of God. We are the new temples of the Holy Spirit. Tell the children: God is with us! Our children deserve to know about the treasure Of God's presence. Knowing the Bible and recognizing that God loves them is the most important gift we can give our children. Teach them to read the Gospels of the story of Jesus and the New Testament first. Get them a Bible history book. Tell them these stories...for they are precious and endearing...and need to be shared with future generations.

Emmanuel, God is here. God's advent is ever coming again. God is always calling us to himself. We must let the entire world in on this secret. Wear out your Bible. Let the Word of God fill you with love.

Volunteers Needed

We are in need of a volunteer to replace one of our 7 th Grade Catechists, who will no longer be able to teach because of a change in work schedule. The Catechist who is still in this class is doing an excellent job, but could really use some 'back-up'! If you can help us out, or know of someone who can, call the church office (936-894-2223) and leave the information or stop by the C.C.E. Office on Wednesday night. We could also use a few folks to help the students on craft nights. These are not every week and so it would not be a weekly commitment.

Parking

Parents, when dropping off your students please do not park along the side of the drive . It obstructs the flow of traffic. Drop off your student and then go park in the lot somewhere (if you do not leave) until time to line back up to pick up your students. Please do not form the pick-up line before 7:15 p.m.

Holidays

There will be no C.C.E. Classes on December 24 th or December 31 st in observance of Christmas and New Year's Day. Classes will resume on January 7 th . Happy Holidays!

Students of the Month--October

Congratulations to the following students who received the award for October!

K--Lacy Chilek 6th--Andrew Penshorn
1st--Brittany Kimich 7th--Sarah Darling
2nd--Kevin Presley 8th--Julia Stelly
3rd--Jessica McFarland CI--Steven Klawinsky
4th--Amber Diehl CII--Reese Reissig
5th--Mickie Olivieri

St. Mary's/ St. Joseph 's C.C.E. Program
Presents:

"One Night in Bethlehem "

Wednesday, December 17th @ 7:30 PM
In the Hall

ALL ARE INVITED!

Plan now to join us for the Social Event of the Season!

Friday, December 12th - 6:00pm

All men and women of both churches are invited to share in our
Christmas Party at St. Joseph's Parish Hall

Each person is to bring a $10.00 minimum gift (wrapped) and
a covered dish.

We will eat, drink and be merry. Mixers will be available

~~Stories & Especially Pictures Needed ~~

There is still time to get YOUR family into St. Joseph's 100-Year Book.

If any of these are in your family tree, (even on a mother's or grandmother's side), your info belongs also. Write down what you know:

your mother's parents and brothers and sisters, their birthdays? who they married? when and where? your dad's siblings? who fought where in which war? Do you remember your grandparents? Have a picture? We will come to your house to scan pictures, or they can be LENT to us. All pictures will be returned and you will also be given a cleaned up 4x6 copy to share.

If your ancestor, OR your child, is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery, your info belongs in this book. Don't be the only family missing when we go to press. HURRY--TIME IS DRAWING NEAR TO GO TO PRESS!!!

DEMNY, CHLEBOWSKI, FILIPAK (Phillips), GRACZYK (Grochett), JAGODZINSKI (Yargo), KLAWINSKI, KUTA, NASKRENT (Noski, Naski), NISZLKEWSKI, NOAK (Nowak), PAWLACK (Pavlock), PIECZYNSKI, SHECHINSKI (Sicinski), SZMIT (Smith, Schmidt), SYMANSKI, TOMKIEVITZ (Tomkivits), URBANOSK (Ubanoski), WIETZYKOLE, WINKLER, WITUCKI (Wetuski), YOREK.

If you are not sure, turn in your info anyway! The program we are using will sort it out. Each person has part of the picture, and when it all fits, it will be a beautiful resource for our descendants in the NEXT 100 years. Send info to or call:

Nance Shaw ~ nance7@embarqmail.com
16911 Lone Star Road ~ Navasota, Texas 77868 ~ 936-894-2512

IF YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR NAME OR YOUR ANCESTORS' NAMES IN THIS BOOK, PLEASE CONTACT NANCE AND LET HER KNOW IN WRITING.

THE GABRIEL PROJECT will be selling Christmas Cards during late November and early December. Look for them for sale after Mass and use them when you send out your Christmas Cards this year. Help be a part of this wonderful witness to the pro-life message.

There are now over 540 babies and mothers saved from abortion during this past 40 Days for Life - that we know of. And one clinic (Orange Co, FL - I think) closed it's doors and the building is for sale! See details at http://snipurl.com/55w2r

Wonderful Diaper and Formula collection! Pat yourselves on the back! On Wednesday, we delivered 62 pkgs of diapers, 37 pkgs wipes, 17 cans of formula, and assorted other stuff; OVER $1,000 worth of items from the 4 churches - 2 Baptist and 2 Catholic who chose to participate.)

The following are from the BIG Pro-Life Conference on where do we go from here. It was very upbeat. If you want to listen to the recording (2 hours) here is the free link:http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=4819845.

1. We must not become a subset of the Republican Party! We must be a definitive part of EACH/EVERY political party. Start NOW to change hearts and minds, one citizen at a time. Stories seem to work very well in this effort. Five more Pro-Life Democrats were elected to Congress on Tuesday, making 31 Pro-Life Democrats in all.

2. Youth are are not only our hope, youth leaders today ARE leading us! www.standtrue.com.

3. 254 new college campus groups Students for Life this past year (or two?) Forty-five percent of all abortions are on college women! Thirty-six percent on African-American women! Check out: www.studentsforlife.com.

4. Importance of prayer and fasting. God has us in the School of Prayer. www.boundforlife.com.

5. Become a steady drum-beat for life in our country.

6. And last, but NOT least, sidewalk counsel, talk to your friends, make abortion the UNTHINKABLE. Then Planned Parenthood's millions will dry up and there will be no reason for politicians to court them!!!

(We were warned to be careful to NOT judge women having or who have had abortions because, as I have said often, women don't CHOOSE abortions, they have abortions because they do not see any other choice!)

Several of you have written that you DO still want to be involved, I have forwarded info on sidewalk counseling to several, but NO ONE has answered my questions!!!

What do we need to do MORE of? What do we need to do LESS of?
What do we need to STOP doing? What do we need to START doing?

To my friends at St. Mary's and St. Joseph's:

I want to Thank all of you who attended the mission I preached last week. I hope you all like the Mass booklet: The Word Among Us. On behalf of my Passionist Community, Thank-you very much for the $3,800 that was so generously donated to us. In addition you purchased another $2,500 in books and C.D.'s. Your offerings and purchases help us live our religious life and help me proclaim the Gospel. Be sure I am praying for you as you read my books. Your bookstore now has all the titles and Rosary CD.

To order more teachings log on to: www.frcedric.org Remember my TV program "Live with Passion!" on channel 55 Sunday's at 6:30 am. It was a joy meeting you all. Hope to see you at Holy Name Retreat Center for a retreat soon.
Sincerely, Fr. Cedric, C.P.

The Catholic Church teaches that by God's design, sexual love possesses a life-giving nature. This life-giving nature is intentionally separated from the act of intercourse by use of artificial contraceptives. Contraception destroys the full meaning of sexual love as intended by God.

BAPTISM PREPARATION CLASSES
Scheduled for Saturday, January 3rd @ St. Mary's from 9-12 in the Family Life Center with Baptisms to follow Jan. 11th

Preparation classes for baptism are a requirement for parents or expectant parents of children up to 7 years old and are generally held every other month.

Godparents are encouraged to attend as well.

We invite you to call early in your pregnancy to register for a class. Call: Francell Busa (936) 870-4145 fbusa@embarqmail.com),
or
Gaby Tryon (936) 448-1342,
Anita Thornton (936) 582-2618
or
En espanol: Maria Pena, (936) 588-4765

DECEMBER, 2008

Nov 30, 2008 First Sunday of Advent: Is 63:16b-17,19b;64:2-7 * Ps 80:2-3,15-16,18-19 * 1 Cor 1:3-9 * Mk 13:33-37

Dec 1: Is 2:1-5 * Ps 122: 1-2,3-4,4-5,6-7,8-9 1 * Mt 8:5-11
Dec 2: Is 11:1-10 * Ps 72:1-2,7-8,12-13,17 * Lk 10:21-24
Dec 3 St. Francis Xavier: Is 25:6-10a * Ps 23:1-3,3-4,5,6 * Mt 15:29-37
Dec 4 [St. John of Damascus ] : Is 26:1-6 * Ps 118:1,8-9,19-21,25-27 * Mt 7:21,24-27
Dec 5: Is 29:17-24 * Ps 27:1,4,13-14 * Mt 9:27-31
Dec 6 [St. Nicholas] : Is 30:19-21,23-26 * Ps 147:1-2,3-4,5-6 * Mt 9:35--10:1,5a,6-8

Dec 7 Second Sunday of Advent: Is 40:1-5,9-11* Ps 85:9-10,11-12,13-14 * Pt 3:8-14 * Mk 1:1-8

Dec 8 The Immaculate Conception: Gn 3:9-15,20 * Ps 98:1,2-3,3-4 * Eph 1:3-6,11-12 * Lk 1:26-38

Dec 9 [St. Juan Diego] : Is 40:1-11 * Ps 96:1-2,3,10,11-12,13 * Mt 18:12-14
Dec 10: Is 40:25-31 * Ps 103:1-2,3-4,8,10 * Mt 11:28-30
Dec 11 [St. Damasus I] : Is 41:13-20 * Ps 145:1,9,10-11,12-13 * Mt 11:11-15
Dec 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe: Zec 2:14-17 * Jdt 13:18,19 * Lk 1:26-38 2
Dec 13 St. Lucy: Sir 48:1-4,9-11 * Ps 80:2-3,15-16,18-19 * Mt 17:9a, 10-13

Dec 14 Third Sunday of Advent: Is 61:1-2a,10-11 * Lk 1:46-48,49-50,53-54 * 1 Thes 5:16-24 * Jn 1:6-8,19-28

Dec 15: Nm 24:2-7,15-17a * Ps 25:4-5,6-7,8-9 * Mt 21:23-27
Dec 16: Zep 3:1-2,9-13 * Ps 34:2-3,6-7,17-18,19,23 * Mt 21:28-32
Dec 17: Gn 49:2,8-10 * Ps 72:1-2,3-4,7-8,17 * Mt 1:1-17
Dec 18: Jer 23:5-8 * Ps 72:1-2,12-13,18-19 * Mt 1:18-25
Dec 19: Jgs 13:2-7,24-25a * Ps 71:3-4,5-6,16-17 * Lk 1:5-25
Dec 20: Is 7:10-14 * Ps 24:1-2,3-4,5-6 * Lk 1:26-38

Dec 21 Fourth Sunday of Advent: 2 Sm 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16 * Ps 89:2-3,4-5,27,29 * Rom 16:25-27 * Lk 1:26-38

Dec 22: 1 Sm 1:24-28 * 1 Sm 2:1,4-5,6-7,8 * Lk 1:46-56
Dec 23 [ St. John of Kanty]: Mal 3:1-4,23-24 * Ps 25:4-5,8-9,10,14 * Lk 1:57-66
Dec 24: 2 Sm 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16 * Ps 89:2-3,4-5,27,29 * Lk 1:67-79

Christmas Season

Dec 25 Christmas, The Nativity of the Lord: Is 9:1-6 * Ps 96:1-2,2-3,11-12,13 * Ti 2:11-14 * Lk 2:1-14 3

Dec 26 St. Stephen: Acts 6:8-10,7:54-59 * Ps 31:3-4,6,8,16-17 * Mt 10:17-22
Dec 27 St. John , Evangelist: 1 Jn 1:1-4 * Ps 97:1-2,5-6,11-12 * Jn 20:1a,2-8
Dec 28 The Holy Family: Sir3:2-6,12-14 * Ps 128:1-2,3,4-5 * Col 3:12-21 * Lk 2:22-40
Dec 29 [ St. Thomas Becket]: 1 Jn 2:3-11 * Ps 96:1-2,2-3,5-6 * Lk 2:22-35
Dec 30:1 Jn 2:12-17 * Ps 96:7-8,8-9,10 * Lk 2:36-40
Dec 31 [St. Sylvester I]: 1 Jn 2:18-21 * Ps 96:1-2,11-12,13 * Jn 1:1-18