Merry Christmas! A Blessed Christmas! A Happy Christmas! A Holy Christmas! – to you!! No, I didn’t write “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” for a particular purpose, because that’s not how Christians greet one another during this time of the year. Even my non-Christian friends know that. The other greetings are the appropriate ones for clergy and non-clergy alike. So, when you go your merry way today and the next few weeks, greet your neighbors and friends with the appropriate Christian greeting, and may the sound of that greeting in your ears give the reason for the season. Keep Christ in Christmas, and don’t let the Grinch steal it from us.

Thank you to our Knights of Columbus who sponsored the parish event Friday a week ago that helps fund the tuition in our school for the children of the late John Krolikowski, our first Parish Manager. As you know, the Lord came and took him to Himself (for reasons that we probably won’t know in this life), and changed the plans that John had to give his children the Catholic education he cherished. Thanks be to our brother Knights and their helpers, we came together as a parish family to help realize that dream, and help those plans of John’s come to fulfillment. That’s why I invest a lot of my time and energy into the Knights’ organization, for they epitomize what their founder, the Venerable Father Michael McGivney, wanted the men to be: men who exemplify the virtues of charity, unity and fraternity. May God bless them and their supportive families!

New Year begins on Sunday, January 1st, with the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. Our Mass schedule next weekend, therefore, follows the Christmas Day Mass schedule, with NO Sunday evening Mass at 5:30 PM! Please be advised of this special schedule, as the obligation to observe this Solemnity falls on a day of the regular Sunday obligation (which doesn’t hold if it falls on a Saturday or a Monday).

Father Danis and I have noted how many involved parishioners of our parish have been in the hospital during these past two weeks (or family members of our involved parishioners). It seems that we have been running the gamut of hospitals in south Palm Beach County, not only our own local Bethesda. In most instances, these patients will return to their families; but in some cases, they are preparing to return to the Lord. Hopefully, in each instance their stay, it’s been a chance to be open to the spirit of this holy season, even with the possibility of saying to the Lord, face-to-face, “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” When He finally does come, may they be happy to celebrate Christmas with Him in heaven. In the meantime, may you and your family enjoy the peace, joy and hope of this Christmas season. May you not lose its flavor long after the Christmas season has closed on January 10th, and the trees and decorations have been taken down.

“Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays…” goes a popular song of the season. But for many people, the tune can have many different takes. “Home” could be anywhere in this country, or abroad, or as distant as heaven itself. Some people long to be with loved ones who have gone before us in the hope of the resurrection. For whatever reason, they’re celebrating Christmas here, though saddened they may be. For others, it means travelling to or from here to be with the loved ones. Wherever you may find yourself this Christmas, may you be filled with much peace!

Very Rev. Canon Tom

WOW! Christmas is almost here! We’ve been observing the Advent season to prepare for the coming of Christ - into our lives – not just at Christmas, but when He will call each of us either to be with Him for all eternity– or NOT. Sometimes we realize that our own disposition toward Him has not been the best, and that we have put a priority on things as more important than God. Our failure to keep HOLY His day and worship Him each week on HIS day is only one of the ways in which we seriously offend Him, and this is by neglect. There are many willful ways in which we set Him aside and put something or someone ahead of Him. We’re not asked to have a “I’m going to be good and do good because God has a reward for those who do so,” approach to curry favor with God that should motivate the goodness of our lives, but a returning love for all that He has first given us. Each day should be like a Christmas, because it’s each day God is lavishing His love upon us – gifts galore…that we often ignore or don’t consider. And if each day is like Christmas in the gift-giving sense, then how do we express our gratitude? How often do we actually stop to think about and thank God for these gifts? What gift shall we bring Him for His birthday? We need to recall this when people wish us “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays” type of greeting, throwing a “damper” on the joyful spirit that these coming feasts in the next few weeks should really exude. Don’t throw away your tree and decorations before the season has ended on January 9th!

Sadly, This Advent season, Planned Parenthood president, Cecile Richards, has penned a letter to her supporters proclaiming: “Choice on Earth.” Emanating from the head of the world’s largest abortion chain, Planned Parenthood’s “Choice on Earth” stands in direct opposition to the song that burst forth from heaven at the birth of the Christ Child: “Peace on Earth.”

Admitting in her letter that Planned Parenthood has never had such a year as this one, she refers to so-called “relentless attacks on Planned Parenthood and women's health,” while daring to make an appeal for more money for her billion dollar-a-year “killing machine” in order to continue her relentless attacks on the preborn. Her appeal for Christmastime donations for the nation’s largest abortion chain reflects a coldness of heart that can only manifest when one is wedded to the “Father of all lies.”

While we continue to pray for the conversion of all those who support and work at Planned Parenthood, we pledge to do our best to bring “peace” on earth by eliminating the abortion business known as Planned Parenthood. Doing so will be a huge step toward bringing peace on earth to all people of good will. This Tuesday, December 20th at 7:00 in the evening, we’ll have an opportunity to express our sorrow for not always appreciating the gifts that God bestows upon us. We’ll have a community celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. There will be about 10 priests available for Confession, so please use this opportunity before Christmas to be reconciled to the Lord and His people. In that way you can present yourself to the Lord as a pleasing gift for Christmas, and avoid the last moment Confession and its long line on Friday morning after Mass.

On Monday, December 19th, after the 8:30 A.M. Mass, we’ll decorate our church for the season of Christmas. I welcome all people “of good will” who wish to join in decorating to do so; and we will provide a lunch for those who stay to help.

Our Middle School pre-teens and teens from our “EDGE” program will present their annual “LIVE NATIVITY” on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 24th) from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. outside our church by the 10 Commandments monument. This is their unique way of showing their own appreciation of the birth of the Savior. May God bless them for their wonderful presentation!

Please note that there will be NO 5:30 p.m. Life Teen Mass on Christmas Day. The same will apply for New Year’s Day, the following Sunday. We do have the extra Mass on Saturday, Christmas Eve, at 9:00 P.M. (our substitute for Midnight Mass). On Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, therefore, we have the regular 4 morning Masses, but not any in the late afternoon.

Since Christmas falls on Sunday this year (as does New Year’s Day the following weekend), we have only the 1 (Christmas) collection. So, we lose out on our regular Sunday collection. If your generosity would allow it, your “little extra” donation in that Christmas collection envelope will help us manage the costs to maintain our parish. This weekend, we set aside an envelope for Christmas flowers and decorations for church. The donation in that envelope never really fills the gap left by a “lost Sunday” collection, so your extra at Christmas will surely be a blessing. Thank you very much.

Father Danis, Monsignor Anderson, Deacons Lee Levenson, Rusty Skinner, Bruce Turnbull and I wish you and your family all the choicest of blessings for the Christmas season (which begins December 25th and concludes on January 9th, the Baptism of the Lord). May the true spirit of this season be a lasting source of grace and consolation to all who have need of them.

May you enjoy a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Very Rev. Canon Tom

This weekend after all the Masses, we will have our Christian friends from the Holy Land exhibiting their beautiful hand-crafted olive wood figures from Bethlehem. You have heard them and me before, as we spoke of the plight of the dwindling Christian community in Israel and surrounding countries of the Middle East. What was once a strong, vibrant Catholic and other Christian population has dropped to around two percent of the population. These Palestinian Catholics count on your support of their artistry to help them and their families survive in the midst of all that anti-Christian, anti-Western turmoil. This is an excellent opportunity to come and see their work, to speak with them about their delicate spiritual, economic and political situation, and take the opportunity to purchase those beautiful items for your Christmas gift needs. You will be uplifted in hearing their commentaries on their endurance and suffering in a manner not unlike the first Christians of the Holy Land. Come to Kellaghan Hall after Mass.

Our award-winning parish school will host an “OPEN HOUSE” for all our parishioners this Sunday, following the 10:00 AM Mass, and we invite you to take a look at the many excellent programs and facilities that help our students excel in so many areas of spiritual, academic, athletic and service achievements. Our Principal, Mrs. Vikki Delgado, her staff and teachers will welcome you, especially prospective parents of future students. You even have a chance to win the raffle that will assist you in tuition payments for next year. So come, and have a great visit!

We are delighted to learn that the following students from our parish (most of them graduates of our parish school, attained the following academic honors for the first quarter at Pope John Paul II High School. Principal’s List: Lauren Browning, Alena Costanian, Travis Hughes, Nicholas McNamara, and Emily Sama. First Honors: Clare Brinkman, Ariel Chandler, Erin English, Monica Espinel, Natalie Irving, Emily Kowalik, Hunter Maxwell, Victoria Mazzeo, Emma McNamara, Meghan Mendez, Abigail O’Malley, Katherine Roussin, Alexandria Shumway, Alyssa Skehan, Holly Stryjek, Gina Tenore, Sarah Transleau, Gerald Williston, Sara Wohlfarth, and Katherine Youngross. We offer them our congratulations and hope they continue to use their God-given talents in various good ways.

On this Third Sunday of Advent, the Readings highlight two figures that had a pre-eminent role in the preparation of Jesus Christ’s entering into history: the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist. The Gospel of Mark focuses precisely on the latter and describes the personality and mission of the Precursor of Christ. Beginning with externals, John is presented as a very ascetic figure: he is clothed in camel skins, he eats locusts and wild honey and he lives in the wilderness of Judea. Jesus once contrasted him with those “who live in the palaces of kings” and “wear soft garments.” John the Baptist’s style should recall all Christians to choose a more sober lifestyle, especially in preparation for the feast of Christmas, in which Jesus, as St. Paul says: “although He was rich, became poor for your sake, that you might become rich through his poverty.”

John’s mission was an extraordinary call to conversion: his baptism “is connected to a call to a new way of thinking and acting but, above all, with the proclamation of God’s judgment.” and of the imminent appearance of the Messiah. John’s message goes further and deeper than a more sober way of life: it calls us to interior change, beginning with the acknowledgement and confession of our sins. As we prepare ourselves for Christmas, it is important that we look within ourselves and we sincerely reflect on our life. We must let ourselves be illumined by the ray of light that comes from Bethlehem, the light of Him who is “the greater one” and made himself small, the “strongest one” and made himself weak.

Very Rev. Canon Tom

With some fear and trepidation, we seem to have made it beyond the “stage fright” of adapting to the New Roman Missal in English. Thanks to the preparations made over the past two months by Father Driscoll and Father Khanh, and our Parish Director of Liturgical Music, Bill Stafford and other staff members, we were able to ride the crest of the wave of fear to make the necessary changes, and came out safely. We still have some “kinks” to iron out but, all in all, we’ve done quite well. It will still take patience to learn the new responses of the Mass, especially the easiest (but maybe the trickiest) one, “And with your spirit.” So, by Christmas time, we should be able to appreciate another one of the preparations of this Advent season, and move on to the New Year with a greater sense of the sublime beauty of the Mass.

That Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass is the action of Christ and of God’s people, in which the human race adores the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit. Here, the faithful join themselves to Christ in giving thanks and in acknowledging the great things God has done. The Mass is the ‘sacrament of unity” in which the faithful are nourished from the table of God’s Word and of Christ’s Body. This unity is expressed particularly in common posture, in communal singing, reverential silence, and in sharing together of the one bread and one cup. Ideally, the assumption of the Roman Missal is that every Sunday and feast day, the Eucharistic liturgy will be celebrated with song, with a cantor, with one or two readers, and with other assisting ministers. Actually, though, we have to deal with the reality of our human limitations that are constantly buoyed up by our loving God.

How wonderful it was, this past Wednesday, to have two dozen volunteers (most of these are women with children in our school) help our parish secretarial staff with the annual Christmas mailings to nearly 3,000 homes and families. In a slight take from the famous words of Julius Caesar, “Veni, vidi, vici,” they came, saw and conquered! In a matter of a few brief hours, they were able to set up an efficient assembly line, enjoy some “goodies,” and busy themselves in a beautiful effort of volunteerism. What a great Advent example for all! A big THANK YOU to: Deacon Bruce Turnbull, Karen Turnbull, Mimi Meister, Carla Zorovich, Mary Louise Finneran, Carolyn Roehm, Susie Rona, Colleen Schuhmann, Michele Harrington, Amy Fairchild, Flor Heaney, Martha Mirenda, Liz Sumi, Sue Perez, Tabitha Robbins, Tricia Wohlfarth, Kim Weber, Amy Vilcnik, Stephanie McInerney, Alexandra Raciunas, Donna Rizzo, Lucia Merchant, Maria Howard and Linda Flood.

Very Rev. Canon Tom

It's good to be back after a two-month sabbatical. I'm ever grateful to Father Michael Driscoll for "holding down the fort" while I was gone, and for his willingness to do so immediately after having just "retired" from his own previous pastorate. I'm also grateful to you and all of our fine staff, including Father Ridore, who welcomed Father Driscoll and worked along with him and his ever-fluctuating personal schedule. I sure appreciate the fine pastoral care and weekly liturgical information that he expertly provided us. I'm also grateful for your warm welcome upon my return home. You have been in my thoughts and prayers constantly. Since we are entering a new liturgical year with the beginning of another Advent, it's a good time for me to be returning home to our parish.

From our earliest training in the teachings of our Catholic Faith, we know that Advent is a time of waiting and a time of welcoming. First of all, we await the coming of Christmas, and the coming of Christ - both now, and at the moment of our passing from this life. The most recent readings of the Sunday Masses have been focused on this aspect of the life to come. Will it be a life with Christ or without Him? The answer will be indicated by the way we have been living out our life on earth. Some people have been so focused on anything other than Christ that it will almost take a miracle to bring them back to the reality of why they exist in this life in the first place. Maybe that miracle will be brought about by the way we live out our Faith in their presence. Many such miracles have been recorded that have occurred in a similar fashion. Surely, we can make the difference in the lives of others just as Christ has made a difference in our life. Advent should help us to refocus our attention on Christ and His coming into the world, both in past history and in the time yet to come. It challenges us, once again, to place ourselves in loving proximity to His call to return to Him and adhere to His message. That's why this is a season to prepare for Christmas, to prepare for the coming of Christ, and not to follow the secular and commercial messages of celebrating Christ's birth before its proper time. We live in joyful anticipation of His coming, and when He does come, we will be ready to meet Him. But Satan will subtly be pushing us in a contradictory vein, with anything and everything he has, to avoid the true spirit of Advent preparation, and to go "gung-ho" into the Christmas season without contemplating the real reason that Christ has come into our world: to save us --from ourselves, and from the power of the Evil One! This year, we also welcome the new updates in the English translations of the liturgy applicable to the Catholic Church in our country. We hope that, with due patience and an openness to the changes that are taking place this weekend, we will experience an uplifting of our spirits and minds to the Lord in the Eucharistic celebrations that are to come. Change is not always easy nor agreeable to our comfortable system of living out our daily activity. That's why we need patience in implementing any new changes, including those in the Liturgy. The best way to accept needed changes is with an openness to the possibilities for the good it can produce that will be beneficial to our entire person (or at least a good part of it!). Fighting the inevitable will sap us of the energy we need to make needed transitions.

As Father Driscoll wrote in his column, these liturgical changes will affect the priest celebrant far more than the members of the congregation. So, I've been using some of my sabbatical time to study these changes, and hope to bring about as smooth a transition as possible; that's why I mentioned that we need patience and openness. It will also continue to require of all of us greater attention to the roles we now have, and the increased participation we must undertake to bring about the best liturgies possible. That's no small task on your part or that of the priest-celebrant. Hopefully, the musical and textual adaptations will appear on our "drop-down" screens with few, if any, glitches. Again, patience will be required. Likewise, the new missalettes should prove to be an additional aid to our learning process.

Finally, I ask you to keep Father Driscoll in your prayers, for he recently received word that the cancer he had overcome on one side of his face a few years ago has now occurred on the other, and he will be undergoing treatments again with his previous specialists in Boston. With the continued shortage of good priests in this country, we need to beseech the Lord not only to send out more good laborers to His harvest, but also to preserve the good ones He has. So continue to ask the Lord to strengthen the shepherds He has sent to care for His flock, in numbers, health and leadership qualities. God bless you!

Very Rev. Canon Tom

We begin the Liturgy of the Eucharist with an introductory period. Bread and wine are brought forth to be placed on the altar. Along with these offertory gifts we also bring up our sacrificial offering, our tithe for the maintenance of our parish and for the needs of others. In the early days of the Church, the Eucharistic banquet was celebrated in the context of a meal. Jesus had instituted the Eucharist at a meal called the Last Supper and told his followers to do what he was doing in memory of him. So they had a full meal during which bread was blessed and at the end of this meal a cup of wine was blessed. This Eucharistic Memorial was celebrated with a full meal. In time the Christian community realized that what was most important at this meal was the bread and wine that was offered so the meal aspect was dropped and instead of bringing all the ingredients for a meal, they brought a monetary contribution to the assembly. We continue this practice.

The bringing up of the bread and wine and the collection is more properly called the Preparation of the Gifts. These are God’s gifts to us and our gifts to God. Even though we call this the “offertory procession” it is basically just a preparation rite for the actual offertory which is the Eucharistic Prayer. When the priest offers up this bread and wine to God the Father, we should be so united with this offering that we place ourselves, as it were, on the paten (dish) that contains the bread and wine. We offer ourselves, our hurts and pains, our thanks and adoration to God for all that God has done for us through his Son Jesus.

Along with prayers, the basic pattern of the Eucharist consists of four parts in imitation of what Jesus did; Jesus took bread and wine; said a prayer to bless these gifts; broke the bread; and then gave the broken bread and the cup to his disciples to eat and drink.

With the invocation of the Holy Spirit to change these gifts into the Body and Blood of Christ and the narrative of the Institution at the Last Supper, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. It is our faith that believes this because we believe in the words that Jesus used at the Last Supper. We pray to the Holy Spirit that we will become more united with God and with one another.

It is the Eucharist that unites us, makes us a communion, a common union. It is the Eucharist that converts us to a deeper life with God. St. Paul tells us (1 Corinthians 10:17) “because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”

After the prayers that the priest/celebrant makes on our behalf, we prepare ourselves to eat and drink in obedience to Jesus command at the Last Supper. We prepare for this by using the words that Jesus taught us, the Our Father. It teaches us to call God our father. Our God is the God of all of us so we should respect each other as members of God’s family. We pray for our daily bread, the Eucharist, that sustains us. We beg forgiveness from God as we pledge that we will be as forgiving. We exchange some sign of peace as an act of reconciliation, love and friendship with all our brothers and sister in the Church.

As Jesus gave the consecrated bread and wine to his disciples, we have our communion rite where we receive the consecrated “fruit of the earth,” and “fruit of the vine and work of human hands.” The actual breaking of bread is seen most visibly when the priest and deacon break bread consecrated at that particular Mass. Since Jesus told us to eat and drink, the restoration of the cup is made available as often as possible and we are invited to partake from the chalice. At most meals we eat and drink, so too at the Eucharistic meal we should eat and drink even though we believe that the “totus Christus” (the whole Christ) is contained under either species of bread and wine.

The documents coming from the US Bishop’s Office of Liturgy, over the years, are very explicit in recommending communion under both forms: The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) 1970 & 1975 emphasizes in paragraph (#56): “It is most important that the faithful should receive the body of the Lord in hosts consecrated at the same Mass and should share the cup when it is permitted. Communion is thus a clearer sign of sharing in the sacrifice which is actually taking place.” With this one cup and one bread concept always before our mind, we need to look at receiving the consecrated wine that has become the real sacramental Jesus on our altars. The GIRM tells us: “Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it is distributed under both kinds. For in this form the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clear expression is given to the divine will by which the new and external Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord, as also the relationship between the Eucharistic banquet and the heavenly banquet in the Father’s Kingdom” (GIRM no. 281, see also Norms, #20.2).

The Bishops urge us to receive from the cup so more ministers of Holy Communion are needed for this to take place. The majority of congregants will not receive from the cup but why deprive those who want to partake of the chalice? Is God calling you to be a Eucharistic Minister? Why not accept this ministry?

After a communion song and/or a period of silence to commune with the Lord, the communion rite concludes with a prayer and a dismissal rite. Before the community disperses brief announcements and community business can be brought to the attention of the congregation. We are then sent forth to bring the Christ we have received to the waiting world. As Blessed Pope John Paul II said: “The dismissal at the end of each Mass is a charge given to Christians, inviting them to work for the spread of the gospel and the imbuing of society with Christian values.”

Very Rev. Michael T. Driscoll, O. Carm.
Administrator Pro-Tem

The U.S. Bishops have urged priests and deacons to use the time prior to the introduction of the new wording in the liturgy and the time immediately after to reacquaint parishioners with some of the theology behind our celebration of the Eucharist. All of us need reminders from time to time about what we are doing when we come to Mass and why. It is especially important for those who have not had much religious instruction or have forgotten what they learned years ago. People need to keep abreast of new ways of doing things whether that person is a professional or an ordinary citizen. Lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, clergy, etc. need to keep up with new things or else they will fall behind in their profession. The average person needs to know the best products to choose from in the grocery store, appliance store or hardware shop. In the same way we need to keep up-to-date in our religious life and now is the time to learn more about the celebration of the Eucharist.

Our Mass is divided into four parts, The two main parts are the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Each of these two main parts has an introductory part. The introductory rite before the Liturgy of the Word starts off with an entrance hymn or antiphon. The entrance hymn is meant to create a celebratory mood and usually does not stop when the priest/celebrant and deacon reach the presider’s chair. The hymn can be as long as necessary to create that celebratory atmosphere. The priest and deacon reverence the altar as a symbol of Christ with a kiss and make their way to the presider’s chair. Together all make the sign of the cross, the symbol of our salvation and the priest greets the people with the words used by St. Paul when he began his epistles. The priest then gives some introductory remarks about this particular celebration and he concludes his remarks by inviting all for the moment of silent recollection of who we are and who we are called to be as members of the Body of Christ. We reflect on our faults and ask God to forgive our failures for not living up to our Christian calling. The penitential act follows
where we praise God for His mercy and the priest proclaims an absolution. Since it is not the absolution given in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance), we do not make the sign of the cross at this time.

At Sunday Mass, the ancient hymn, the Gloria, is sung or recited. Since it is a hymn, the preference is to sing the Gloria. It is an acclamation of God the Father and of his Christ present among us who are members of his body. Its opening line recalls the Christmas story of the angels announcing peace at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:14). The Introductory Rite concludes with the collect or opening prayer. This is the highlight of this part of the Mass. It collects our individual prayers into one as we find ourselves together as a community. The main purpose of the introductory rite is to form a worshipping community. With the words of the collect we prepare ourselves to hear the Word of God and get a sense of what to listen for in the words to come. Since the Liturgy of the Word is a vital part of our Mass celebration we should all be on time to listen to God speaking to us in scripture.

On weekends, we traditionally have three readings plus a psalm which is a response to the Word of God by using the Word of God. Normally, the first reading and the Gospel are related in theme. The second reading is usually not connected to the other readings in theme. Its introduction in the Mass was a way of exposing more Scripture to Roman Catholics. We call this part of the Mass the Word because it is God’s Word addressed to us by God himself. God is speaking to us and hopefully we get that
message. The scriptures are the written record of and reflection on the acts of God in the past whether it be found in the Exodus story or in Jesus. It is in the homily that the homilist tries to point out how God still acts and still speaks to us today. This is why the Church urges the homilist and people to be silent after the homily for a few moments to reflect on the meaning of Scripture in our world today. Silence is also urged after each reading as well as after the homily. Before we come to the next part of Mass we have the Creed (on Sundays and feasts) and the intercessions. In the new translation, the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed both have word changes that we will have to get used to. The Nicene Creed (Council of Nicea) developed out of the baptismal formula used in the early centuries in the Christian community at Jerusalem. The Apostles Creed is the old baptismal formula used in Rome. The Creed is used as an affirmation of faith in all God has done, is doing, and will yet do. The Prayer of the Faithful, or bidding prayers or general intercessions that follow are acts of the whole community praying for the world which the community is sent to serve. These prayers are meant to be global, universal or truly catholic even though they can also be local and parochial. Even when we pray for ourselves we pray for the larger world and the needs of all.

The question arises about using a missal or missalette to follow the readings. Many bishops and priests have said that the Word of the Lord is meant to be listened to not read while the lector or priest/deacon reads to us. While we can debate this forever, the general preference is to discourage the use of reading the texts at Mass by following along in a missalette.

In 1998 the liturgy committee of the U.S. bishops’ conference issued an excellent set of “Guidelines for the Publication of Participation Aids.” With respect to the Liturgy of the Word, it said: “It is clearly preferable that the Word of God be clearly heard by all who participate in the liturgy, for ‘In the hearing of God’s Word the Church is built up and grows’ (GILFM 7). For this reason, the printing of readings and presidential prayers in participation aids is discouraged, unless other circumstances make it impossible for the word to be effectively proclaimed. Even in these instances, however, it is preferable that steps be taken to assure the effective proclamation of the Scriptures rather than resorting to providing a ‘read along’ text to the members of the assembly. Therefore, the ideal is to participate by an attentive external and inner listening to the proclamation of God’s Word and to the presidential prayers at Mass, rather than simply reading along with them.

The missalettes will not go away and can be used prior to Mass or during the week to prepare for Sunday Mass. With good readers and good audio equipment, many parishioners now put down their reading material at Mass and listen attentively to the proclamation of the Word.

Very Rev. Michael T. Driscoll, O. Carm.
Administrator Pro-Tem

In a recently published book entitled “The American Catholic Revolution: How the ‘60’s changed the church forever” (2010), Fr. Mark Massa, S.J. writes that the “American Catholic Sixties” began on the first Sunday of Advent, 1964, with the revised order of the Mass. In Fr. Massa’s words “many Catholics in 1964 lived in a hermetically sealed universe when it came to their faith and religious practices…” They did not know or believe that religious practices could change: “This is the way it was and this is the way it will always be!” Fr. Massa asserts that the liturgical reform mandated by the Vatican Council II altered the allegedly changeless ritual of the Mass. For centuries Roman Catholics believed that everything liturgical came from the earliest apostolic days of the church and remained unaltered throughout the history of the Church. It was only after World War II and the 1950’s especially, that scholars started to look into liturgical history in depth and found that the practices and customs dealing with the sacraments had varied greatly over the centuries. They were not always unchangeable. This theological science called liturgical theology examined these ageless practices and customs and gave us insight as to what could be changed in the way we celebrate the sacraments. So Catholics now realized if the Church could change the ways we had been celebrating the sacraments (including using the vernacular languages instead of Latin), it was evident that changes could come in the future. For four hundred years, the Mass texts (completed after the Council of Trent, the Post-Reformation Council) were prayed in Latin. As the “new Mass” of the 1960’s changed what was being done since Trent, Catholics began to conceive that there could be changes in the Mass for English speakers in 2011 starting with the first Sunday of Advent when we begin our new liturgical year.

There is no problem in critiquing the new translation of the Mass texts. We should be free to give our opinion even though the books are already printed and mailed to parishes and religious institutions. Some of the new translations will please us; others may have us puzzled as to the meaning of some of the new wording. We have to live with it and see if the new translation “grows on us.”

Younger Catholics grew up in a world that had plenty of music in worship as well as outside the assembly. Older Catholics grew up often attending “low” Mass where music was never used. They had “solemn” Masses with plenty of music but “low” Mass was quite popular. After Vatican II this older generation paid attention to the statements in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (1963) which told us that participation in the liturgy can never be “full, conscious, and active” unless it is also musical. Music has a ministerial role. It helps us make worship more noble and solemn and music is one of the ways we pray, one of the ways we praise God. Praising God as a community is public worship. It is “Jesus and us” not just “Jesus and me.” It is a fact that music or certain types of Church music rub some Catholics the wrong way. Some would like Mass to be silent. But the documents for the past forty years tell us that music is the norm for worship; that having music is the normal way we celebrate Mass. Liturgical guidelines for example, even say if we do not sing the “Alleluia” at Mass we do not have to say it. That statement tells us in a positive way to sing the “Alleluia” if at all possible. Never the less, practically every Catholic parish with multiple Masses, has one celebration without music. Sometimes the reason may be a lack of musicians; sometimes to please those who do not like music. Parishes try to keep everyone happy!

The most recently issued document from the U.S. Bishops’ Conference dealing with music, Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship states in #124: “Music does what words alone cannot do. It is capable of expressing a dimension of meaning and feeling that words alone cannot convey. While this dimension of an individual composition is often difficult to describe, its affective power should be carefully considered along with its textual components.”

Throughout the United States and other English speaking countries gifted musicians have composed or are currently composing new musical settings for the Mass. One year ago there were over ninety new Mass settings composed for parishes in the United States. There may be hundreds more by now. Musicians have been commissioned to write new compositions to go along with the new words in the various parts of the Mass. Patching “old wine skins onto new wine skins” will not work. Musicians will be composing new settings and not revised settings. Creativity will blossom in our Catholic Church! The result of these new compositions is the knowledge that there are many gifted musicians in our world who want to enhance our Mass with beauty. Choirs and congregations will be learning new rhythms that embrace the new texts of familiar prayers. Hopefully, the new music will help us learn the new words and prayerfully bring us closer to God.

Very Rev. Michael T. Driscoll, O. Carm.
Administrator Pro-Tem

The new translation of the Mass texts will bring about the most significant change in the way English speakers have been experiencing Mass for the past 45 years. Those who were born after Vatican Council II (1962-1965) may find this is the first new translation for them. But those born before the 1960’s may say “here we go again”. Hopefully we will be comfortable with most of the new translation. Some new words will jar us as we try to understand the reasons for the changes. There is no harm in questioning the reason why. While the spoken parts for the congregation may be minimal, all of us will see that most of the prayers recited by the priest have a new translation. Some of these prayers are very lengthy as we will readily notice. In the initial months of the implementation of the new Roman Missal most Catholics will no longer be able to walk into their parish church on Sundays and other days and automatically recite the Gloria, the Creed and other parts of the Mass from memory. Unless they can instantly memorize the new words they will need a guide to help them become accustomed to the new translation of these prayers. So parishes will have pew cards, missalettes with the new translation and moving screens with printed texts etc. to guide us through the initial introductory period.

Active participation in the liturgy which is listening and praying the prayers of Mass requires some work. When the priest says to all of us “let us pray” he is not saying “just listen”; he is saying let us all pray and make this prayer our own. We have an important and often quoted theological principle from the early days of the Church expressed in Latin “lex orandi statuat legem credendi” (the law of prayer is the law of belief) or in more understandable English “the way we pray shows the way we believe”, which is applicable today as it was in ancient times. This principle reminds us that what we say in prayer and how we pray expresses what we believe. If we do not partake of the reception of the Eucharist; if we do not avail ourselves of the sacrament of reconciliation by going to confession from time to time, we show a certain lack of belief in these sacraments. When we come to Mass, we do not just listen to the words of Scripture, the dogmas of our faith expressed in the Creed and other prayers but we try our best, despite the distractions we all have, to unite ourselves with Christ and pour out our praise, our thanks, our hurts, our disappointments, our needs, etc. It is communicating with God. It is expressing what is in our heart and on our mind hoping that God’s will is the same as ours. We must be confident that when we communicate with God, God is listening. Our external participation in the liturgy whether sung or spoken in prayer, active and attentive listening, our gestures and our postures, our silent prayer telling God what is in our heart are the ways we encounter God in the liturgy. Even though some liturgical minister in or near the sanctuary may be doing some work for us assembled, each of us has a role. We all pray together and encourage one another by participating actively. It means opening our mouths to say responses. It means singing along with the cantor, the choir and fellow members of the congregation as best we can. Some have been blessed with wonderful singing voices and great musical ability but all of us have been given the gift of speech. If people let the choir, cantor and those with the best singing voices do all the work we fail in charity by not supporting them in sung or spoken word. God loves the worst singers as well as the best singers. God loves those with radio announcer voices as well as those with “frogs” in their throats!

The words expressed throughout the Mass communicate God’s message to the assembly. The words in song or spoken form that we use express our prayers and praise to God. There is a dialogue going on at Mass not a monologue. There is a dialogue going on between the priest and the people. There is also a dialogue going on between God and his people gathered in worship. We express our thanks and our praise to God for the blessings we have been given; we express our needs to God when we beg God’s help for the blessings we yearn for and feel we need; we express our sorrow for our failings and beg forgiveness from God and our resolution to be a better Christian in what we say and do. Through the words of scripture we hear God’s message not just for people thousands of years ago, but God’s message for us here and now as we try to understand how it applies to us in today’s world. God speaks to us in order to teach us, form us, encourage us and forgive us. Throughout the Mass there are many sentiments expressed. It is the fond wish of the Church that the new translation will help all of us to pray the best we can.

Let us hear the words of the document Liturgiam Authenticam which gave the principles for the new translation and the reasons for the new wording:

“By means of words of praise and adoration that foster reverence and gratitude in the face of God’s majesty, His power, His mercy and His transcendent nature, the translations will respond to the hunger and thirst for the living God that is experienced by the people of our own time.” (#25).

Very Rev. Michael T. Driscoll, O. Carm.
Administrator Pro-Tem

We have about one month before we start the new responses in the new Roman Missal which will commence on November 27th, the first Sunday of Advent. Congregations are becoming more used to the fact that there will be changes in the wording of Mass responses. Since there will be worship aids in the pews and in the missalettes, these will guide the members of the congregation in making the proper responses. As has been emphasized, the more we sing parts of the Mass the easier it will be when we say the responses during the week instead of singing. As a member of the praying community, the priest presider has to be confident in the changes to the Gloria; the Sanctus (Holy, Holy); the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God); the memorial acclamations after the consecration; and the Creed. The documents dealing with the new wording advise the priest presiding at Mass to sing according to his capability. Even if the priest cannot sing well, at least he should try to sing. It is a positive statement encouraging singing so the congregation would be “merciful” if the priest does not have the best voice but tries his best.

The U.S. Bishops produced another document a few years back about the place of music in the Mass. Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship reminds the priest about his role in singing the Mass in #19:

The importance of the priest’s participation in the Liturgy, especially by singing, cannot be overemphasized. The priest sings the presidential prayers and dialogues of the Liturgy according to his capabilities, and he encourages sung participation in the Liturgy by his own example, joining in the congregational song. “If however…the priest or minister does not possess a voice suitable for the proper execution of the singing, he can render without singing one or more of the more difficult parts which concern him, reciting them in a loud and distinct voice. However, this must not be done merely for the convenience of the priest or minister.”

The GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) gives priests, musicians and all involved in the liturgical celebration the guidelines for singing. In #40, the GIRM says, “In choosing of the parts actually to be sung,… preference should be given to those that are of greater importance and especially to those to be sung by the priest or the deacon or the lector, with the people responding, or by the priest and people together.” Both Sing to the Lord and the GIRM emphasize singing the more significant parts of the Mass if we limit ourselves only to these parts. The emphasis is on singing the parts of the Mass. Too many parishes only sing traditionally four hymns (entrance, offertory, communion and recessional hymns) and the Church urges us to go beyond these and sing the common parts of the Mass which are present at every Mass. So we are urged to sing not just the four hymns but as much as possible the common parts.

The first document issued by Vatican II was the (CSL) Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (1963). It had a much quoted statement (#14) that said that the full, conscious and active participation of the people is their right and obligation as the priestly people of God (1 Pt. 2:9). This document called for a participation in Mass that was not only “active”, but also “full” and “conscious.” So active participation meant to respond to the words of Mass and perhaps take part in some ministry at each celebration. The CSL gave examples for more participation through acclamations, responses, psalms, antiphons, hymns, gestures, movement of the body by kneeling, standing, sitting, giving the sign of peace, etc. There was a call for both external and internal participation. Fr. Paul Turner, a Missouri pastor and liturgical writer states that our Catholic “Sunday obligation” according to the Code of Canon Law goes beyond our placing ourselves in Church on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation but also participating as much as possible at Mass on these days. “The obligation is more than just being there. It is to sing and respond from the heart.” He states “as a result, when you come to Mass you have words to say, songs to sing, gestures to make, and postures to assume. But all these external actions should be supported by an internal sense that gives them deliberate meaning.”

Once we have put our actions into place and our heart and mind behind all these ways of participating we receive the Lord in the Eucharist and then bring the Christ we have received to the waiting world which needs the Savior of all. Since we celebrate “Mission Sunday” this weekend it is important to realize that our Christian life extends beyond the doors of the Church. We must permeate our community with the example of good Christian lives that assert we have been commissioned to spread the good news by the lives we live outside the doors of the Church. The new dismissal or final words that the priest or deacon will use in the near future tell us about the work all of us have to do. The priest or deacon may say “Go forth, the Mass is ended,” or “Go in peace”, but our mission outside the doors of the church is seen explicitly in the two other dismissal options. “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” We enter the waiting world with a mission.

Very Rev. Michael T. Driscoll, O. Carm.
Administrator Pro-Tem

Since the U.S. bishops at their June, 2011 meeting gave permission for the Mass settings (music) to begin, some parishes are getting a head start in using or at least practicing these musical settings to familiarize themselves with the new words and melodies before the actual implementation in Advent. One of three more difficult pieces to learn will be the Gloria because it is not used during Advent, but will start on Christmas (The one time during Advent the Gloria will be sung or recited is on December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and its Vigil, December 7th). The Bishops have urged choirs and congregations to start learning the new Gloria during October and November so they will have the music on their ear and the new wording in their minds somewhat ready for Christmas. Since most congregations double their size at Christmas and Easter, things will appear quite foreign to those who only attend Mass on those holy days. If the regular church-going congregation knows a new Gloria melody and other musical settings we will not have such mute congregants on these solemnities. The new Roman Missal stresses singing the parts of the Mass more than ever before. The priests will have to tone up their vocal cords if they have been gifted with some musical ability!

If possible, priests have been urged to sing the Preface at Sunday Masses, but now they are urged to sing the Dialogue preceding the Preface vig. “The Lord be with You…etc”. Since during Mass the new response to the “Lord be with you” will be “And with your spirit” if we sing it from the very beginning of the wording changes, we will be more apt to remember the new response when we say it at all the Masses we attend. We can say or sing the response “and with your spirit” as much as five times during Mass so the more we sing that response, musicians say the more easily we will remember it. It will take time and patience and mistakes will be made by all of us so we have to be more tolerant. Most parishes will have the new wording printed on cards inserted in the pews and they will be printed in new Missalettes and new personal missals that parishioners have.

In the new wording for the Creed, whether the Nicene Creed, which we ordinarily use on Sundays and holy days or the Apostles Creed used on certain occasions, we begin by saying “I believe” instead of “We believe” and we will say “I believe” four times during the Creed(s). This again is a more accurate translation of “Credo”. Having a laminated pew card or missalette in front of us will have us use the new translation. By saying “I believe” each individual now personally asserts his or her belief in all the dogmas of our Christian faith.

Another noticeable change will be in the acclamation after the narrative of institution (Consecration). The priest will say, “The Mystery of Faith” instead of “Let us proclaim the Mystery of Faith” Why this change? The priest has made an announcement about our faith and the congregation makes an acclamation. It is the faith for us to affirm. People will notice that the most popular American proclamation “Christ Has Died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again”, has been eliminated. The U.S. Bishops debated over this response for years. They felt it was not an acclamation, but a theological proclamation or statement. The new wording for the three possible responses proclaim what Jesus has done for us by His Cross and Resurrection. These responses resemble the ones we know well, but their deeper meaning is revealed in the new wording.

New compositions and revised settings have been prepared by various musicians for this new translation. Through them you will sing your praise to Christ in a new way.

We welcome Father Jay Haskin to St. Vincent Ferrer Parish for the next few months. Father Jay Haskin comes to us from the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont and will return to his diocese in mid-December in time to start shoveling snow! We also welcome back Father Paul Hervey from the Diocese of Venice, Florida who will help out with Masses at St. Vincent. We thank them for their service here in our parish.

Very Rev. Michael T. Driscoll, O. Carm.
Administrator Pro-Tem

Attitude toward change will be most important for all involved in the liturgy. If we have a positive attitude, the transition in learning new responses and the reasons for change will be well received. If we are negative about the changes, it will be obvious in how we respond or do not respond. The 11 English speaking Conferences of Bishops in various countries have struggled a long time in making the language more accurate and hopefully better. It was not done overnight and it may not be perfect, but it is what we have and we all should try to adjust when these word changes are introduced at the beginning of Advent.

For the past 40 years or so, the official English language prayer book that the priest used for Mass was called the Sacramentary. The Latin Roman Missal, source of these prayers, came out in various editions in English in 1974 and 1985. In 2001, in preparation for the third edition of the Roman Missal, the Vatican presented translating guidelines in an instruction known by its Latin name Liturgiam Authenticam. What was the goal of this document in translating texts? It stated in #20: “…. While it is permissible to arrange the wording, the syntax and the style in such a way as to prepare a flowing vernacular text suitable to the rhythm of popular prayer, the original text in so far as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without paraphrases or glosses.”

Liturgiam Authenticam points to this priority: “So that the content of the original texts may be evident and comprehensible even to the faithful who lack any special intellectual formation, the translations should be characterized by a kind of language which is easily understandable, yet which at the same time preserves these texts’ dignity, beauty, and doctrinal precision” (#25).

In addition, translators strive to perceive and render accurately the words and phrases that are drawn from the Scripture and from other ancient sources, such as the writings of the Church Fathers and early liturgical texts.

What was the guiding principle of the previous Sacramentary that we have been using for the past 40 years? The translation principle was called “dynamic equivalence.” This meant one translated from the official Latin basic thoughts rather than words. The translators task was to take into account the meaning each word and phrase and translate what it means into the new language. Its intention was to help us understand what the meaning is behind this particular word or phrase while trying to be faithful to the original Latin. So the translators took freedom with the structure and content of the Latin text. This translation helped our Englishspeaking communities to jump from praying Mass in Latin to praying in English. The translations sacrificed some of the nuances and exactness of the original Latin to give us, as was thought, a better understanding of the faith. It laid a foundation for what will now be coming this Advent. After this lengthy time, Rome wanted the translation to reflect the theological depth of the original Latin.

The new principle, formulated in Liturgiam Authenticam (LA), is called “formal equivalence”. This principal means that words and phrases in Latin are translated literally and exactly into the vernacular. According to LA, exactitude is important with emphasis on faithful and literal adherence to the original Latin text in the Roman Missal of 2002. So this new translation will be more formal and not what we are used to in ordinary conversation. Many sentences are longer so the priest celebrant of Mass will have to take deeper breaths to finish some of these sentences. Previously, the Sacramentary translation had the long sentences broken up in the English translation. As of October 1, 2001, the new book will be sent to parishes that have ordered copies and the priests have lots of homework ahead of them.

Very Rev. Michael T. Driscoll, O. Carm.
Pastor Pro-Tem

Changes can be difficult for many people. The older we get the more we generally do not like change. We get used to a routine and get comfortable and when that way of doing things is disrupted, then most of us get upset and sometimes angry. The average person who goes to church on a regular basis sits in the same pew every time. Right? Ask that person to move to another part of the church and there might be a lot of dissatisfaction to say it mildly. We get comfortable and our prayer life and the way we worship give us a certain amount of security and calm that we find necessary. Over 40 years ago the Roman Catholic Church made many changes in its liturgical services that upset many people and made others very happy. Most eventually embraced the liturgical changes and said to themselves, “This is the way it is and I just have to get used to it.” Changing from the Mass in Latin to the Mass in various vernacular languages helped most people in their prayer life. It helped them to come closer to Jesus Christ through the liturgy. Now we are going to have some more changes in our liturgical life which are relatively minor compared to what happened in the late 1960’s. Most Catholics born after 1970 never experienced the “old way” of doing things so these changes about to begin in the English speaking world will be the first test of their ability to be comfortable with change.

What started all the changes in the post Vatican II Church was the decree “Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy” on December 4, 1963. This was the mandate of the Vatican II Council:

In order that the Christian people may more certainly derive an abundance of graces from the sacred liturgy, holy Mother Church desires to undertake with great care a general restoration of the liturgy itself. For the liturgy is made up of immutable elements divinely instituted, and of elements subject to change. These not only may but ought to be changed with the passage of time if they have suffered from the intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of the liturgy or have become unsuited to it. In this restoration, both texts and rites should be drawn up so that they express more clearly the holy things which they signify; the Christian people, so far as possible, should be enabled to understand them with ease and to take part in them fully, actively, and as befits a community.

There is not going to be a big upheaval in the Mass this coming November 27th, on the first Sunday of Advent. There will be some changes of words that will affect the persons in the pew, but mainly the wording changes will affect the priest celebrants. Some people question the wisdom of changing these words. Some say the new translations are “too wordy” and may not be the English we are used to hearing. It will take time to see if we achieve the goal which is to provide a more beautiful and more exact language of prayer. Time will tell. If the church is always re-forming itself then future changes can always come to be.

(The next bulletin will discuss more of the changes in the new Roman Missal.)

Very Rev. Michael T. Driscoll, O. Carm.
Pastor Pro-Tem

We welcome Father Michael Driscoll to our parish to administer it in my absence. As I mentioned last week, this fine priest comes to us as the recently retired pastor of St. Jude Parish in Boca Raton, and has served our diocese and his Carmelite community very, very well for many years.

Last week, while we were basking in the lovely celebration of Deacon Rusty Skinner’s Ordination, I had forgotten to mention that another fine man from our parish had been ordained a permanent Deacon for service to our diocese; but because of his Spanish-speaking capabilities, he has been assigned to service at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in western Delray Beach. We congratulate Deacon Antonio Mares and his wife, Mary, who have been members, and often have been seen worshipping here at SVF when not tied to duties at O.L. Queen of Peace. May God grant them many years of faithful service to His people, and the health to accomplish all that will be asked of them. Again, I extend my apologies if I was too caught up on my sabbatical to make proper notice to you about Deacon Mares.

For those who listen to NPR (National Public Radio), the name Garrison Keeler should be a familiar one. As part of his hour-long variety show program, he narrates a story each time about a mythical town in Minnesota he calls “Lake Woe-Be-Gone.” It contains a lot of humor and is often centered on the town’s mostly Lutheran populace (although the Catholic minority is also featured from time-to-time). It’s done so well that you can almost picture yourself there, replete with freezing winters, brief but very glorious springs, sultry summers and magnificent autumns. But its almost idyllic setting is fraught with the discovery of one problem occurring after another. Yet, the end of the story usually bodes well for the town (with a few exceptions). Then the recurring “Well that’s the way it is in Lake Woe-Be-Gone….”

I could almost adapt some of those stories to our Delray setting, and say “Well, that’s the way it is in Delray Beach….” We’ve been blessed, since the beginning of July, with the assignment of Father Khanh Hoang as Parochial Vicar at our parish. He arrived from Hawaii to see if he could survive in our climate, after experiencing severe allergies due to climactic conditions affected by volcanic activities. Delray Beach always seems to be an idyllic place (as does Hawaii) for many tourists to vacation here, enjoying lovely sandy beaches, blue waters and a lot of sunshine. But this year, the pollen activity went “off the charts” in some areas of our state because of the fires, long periods without sufficient rainfall and the continual introduction of non-native plant species with their pollen. As a result, in our version of Lake Woe-Be-Gone, Father Khanh’s allergies only worsened instead of getting better. So, sad to say, he is returning to Hawaii next week to assume, as yet, an unnamed position there, which hopefully will not exacerbate his physical condition. You can be sure that Father Danis and I truly will miss his friendship here and his service to our parish; and I believe that the number of people he has already so positively affected will be as disappointed, as I am. But, we have to take into first consideration his health, and I surely will take consolation that whenever I will visit my cousins in Oahu, I will have the opportunity to share again in his friendship and our priestly fraternity. Aloha and God-speed, Father Khanh! We will miss you!

Next Sunday, (October 2nd) we celebrate Respect Life Sunday. Though I cannot be physically with you, I’m sure that Fathers Driscoll, Danis and Khanh and our Deacons will try to join you for an hour of prayer and signbearing witness to the sanctity of life from 2 to 3 p.m. at the intersection of Linton Boulevard and Federal Highway. It’s a sacrifice of only one hour, but aren’t we always talking about our love for life? Now we can “walk the talk.” I will be praying at that time for you and hope to participate in the same activity near where I’ll be staying. Bring your children with you, as well as a head-covering (the sun is always bright) and a bottle of water. Sun-block for your skin is highly recommended. The special signs will be provided, and Dan & Debbie Holthouse, who serve wonderfully as heads of our Respect Life Ministry in the parish, will distribute them when you arrive at the northeast corner of that intersection. I do thank them for their stewardship of time, talent and energy (also treasure)in their efforts to lead us to a much greater love for and action in living out the Gospel of Life.

There seems to have been a bit of a mix-up in the Sunday envelope arrangements in the last mailing sent to our parishioners. An envelope for the “Mission Co-Op” Sunday came in now (the same time as when we had it last year). Our actual Mission Co-Op Collection will be on the weekend of November 19 and 20. But if you’ve filled out your envelope for the collection now and are turning it in, we will gladly put it aside for that November weekend in which the collection (and preaching) actually takes place.

I’m enjoying the beginning days of my sabbatical, and loving the time afforded me to read and travel and pray. During this time, Father Michael Driscoll, Parish Administrator Pro-Tem, will be enlightening us on the upcoming changes in the liturgy. You are in my prayers each day as I ask God to watch over and protect you and your family.

Very Rev. Canon Tom

What a joy it was to participate in the Ordination of our parishioner, Keith “Rusty” Skinner, as a Deacon, at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola this past Saturday morning. Along with six classmates, Deacon Rusty entered into the ancient Holy Order of service to the Church. He now joins Deacon Lee Levenson and Deacon Bruce Turnbull in service to our parish. With Deacon Lee, he has been assisting in the preparation of adults for full reception into the Catholic Faith through the RCIA program, of which he was once a student. He will now take even a greater role of leadership in teaching, preaching and baptizing in our midst and leading people closer to the Lord. He has been preparing for this role through arduous study and a “hands on” practical application of all that he studied in the courses. On behalf of the entire Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer, I extend our congratulations to Deacon Rusty and his family!

Kit Johansen, a long-time active member of our parish and an employee of the Diocese of Palm Beach, (heading the Protecting God’s Children program) has graciously been serving as coordinator for our Religious Education program with our students attending non-Catholic schools. More recently, she has been assisting Sister Maria Gruszka in setting up this year’s PREP program, of which Sister Maria is the new coordinator. I’m grateful to Kit for all that she does in her volunteer work as teacher and coordinator of our Confirmation program for PREP, and I express my gratitude and that of many parents and students for all her work.

Thank you to all those parishioners who gave up last Monday night’s football game and also braved the rain to take part in our annual Blue Mass, honoring the deceased victims of that tragedy and the current men and women who serve out city in the face of danger every day. Thank you to our parish volunteers who prepared the Mass and the lovely reception that followed for those men and women. You understand the meaning of loyalty, service and devotion to one’s vocation to assist those in need.

Don’t forget that RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY is only 2 weekends away. I count on your support and participation for one hour of prayer and/or placard carrying from 2 to 3 that afternoon (October 2nd) on the corner of Linton Blvd. and Federal Highway. Help us to let people know that ALL life is precious, especially the life of pre-born children who need us to be their advocates.

Beginning this Sunday (September 18th), I will embark upon a long-awaited and well-earned two-month sabbatical (that does not include some vacation time that is still allotted me). Normally, such a sabbatical entails a time of study combined with rest. I’ve recently concluded the study program (approved and sponsored by our bishop), and will enjoy the “rest” part of my hiatus, travel (visit my uncle for his 95th birthday, briefly assist a bishop-friend, in need of some priestly manpower, spend time with a dying cousin), write, and read –things that seem to elude me in time while running a busy parish.

While rumors of this impending sabbatical were circulating for some time (as we had planned the possibility of a sabbatical before I celebrated my ruby jubilee in the Priesthood), it was only recently that our Bishop and I were able to firm up a time-frame and bring in a suitable two-month replacement.

During this time that I’ll be away, the Very Rev. Michael Driscoll, O Carm., a wonderful Carmelite working for many years in this diocese (and recently retired from pastoring St. Jude Parish in Boca Raton), will be the Administrator pro-tem (in charge) of our parish. He will be assisted by our capable Fathers Danis Ridore and Khanh Hoang, as well as Fathers Paul Hervey (a friend of mine who will be visiting from the west coast of our Sunshine State), and Jay Haskin (recently retired from the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont). Our three deacons will also assist as much as they can. Father Driscoll has just received a letter from our Bishop that appoints him to this post, with full faculties of a pastor here. He was gracious enough to accept this role so shortly after retiring from leadership of St. Jude’s Parish.

The rumors circulating before this announcement included commentary on the presumed state of my health and other ramblings that ran the gamut from A to Z. It’s amazing to see how many “physicians” (obviously unlicensed) we have in this area, whose musings on the state of my health were made without the usual diagnoses that generally precede such prognostications. My own physician says that I’m in excellent health and have good stamina for a person of my age; and I’m grateful for his capable assistance in keeping it so. I’m also grateful to the fine staff of our parish (church and school), who continue to work with such great diligence to ease the burdens that a twenty-first century pastor must shoulder in a dynamic parish such as ours. May God bless them and give them strength.

Very Rev. Canon Tom

Please take note of four special announcements in our bulletin this coming week: The message of the restructuring of the St. Vincent de Paul Society; the Blue Mass this Monday evening; the 40 Days for Life program with a sign-up this weekend; and the Memorial Mass for John Krolikowski next Thursday (along with the Krolikowski Children’s Scholarship Fund).

This weekend marks an awesome anniversary in the life and history of our country. Many of our youngsters only know about it by what they read or hear or watch in the television news clips or some other form of the media. We who still remember intensely from ten years ago have visions (or even nightmares) of that horrible day we refer to as “9-11.” We also remember the heroism and bravery of the men and women who thought first of “others” before their own safety (a very Christian attitude), and whose lives were cut short in their efforts to “love their neighbor.” These are the men and women we honor this weekend, along with our living men and women of police and fire/rescue companies that are serving us at present. All of these will be honored on Monday in our annual “Blue Mass,” when representatives of those companies will be at the 7:00 PM Mass commemorating “9-11.” Our school children are making special mementoes for those men and women serving our community. We will present these mementoes at this Mass and bless our officers at that time. I really hope that you and your family would attend this Mass with its unique opportunity to honor the living and deceased members who serve us in the USA domestic scene.

Many of our parishioners volunteer in so many ways to assist us in carrying out all the many programs that we have. Their ability to use their God-given gifts of time, talent and treasure are examples of Christian stewardship that help pave the way for the numerous events taking place in our parish and its school. Still, there are many more parishioners who can share their talents in other ways, whether being an usher/greeter in church, a reader, or an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (once incorrectly referred to as Eucharistic Ministers). If, for some strange reason, you feel your efforts are not needed, and would rather not help us shoulder the burden, then the following story may have meaning for you.

A mouse looked thru a crack in the wall of a farmhouse to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What might it contain? The mouse was aghast to discover that it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed a warning to all the animals: “There’s a mouse trap in the farm house – a mouse trap.

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Excuse me, Mouse. I can tell this is of grave concern to you, but no consequence to me. I can’t be bothered by it.” Then the mouse turned to the pig, who somewhat sympathized with the mouse, saying, “I’m sorry but can’t do anything about it. I will pray for you; be assured that you are in my prayers.” The cow said, “Like wow, Mouse! A MOUSE trap! Duh! Like I’m in great danger; NOT!” So the mouse returned back to the farmhouse, head down, dejected, to face the farmer’s mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard -- like a trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife ran to see what was caught. In the darkness, she didn’t see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. It bit the farmer’s wife. He rushed her to the hospital for a serum. She returned home with a fever, and everyone knows you treat a fever with chicken soup. So he took the hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. The wife’s sickness continued, however, so that neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. His wife didn’t recover, so she died. Many people came to her funeral, so the farmer slaughtered the cow to provide food for them all to eat.

So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it doesn’t concern you, remember that “when there’s a mousetrap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.” If we are to continue to strive as family in building up Christ’s Body in our midst, then we must walk the talk and expend much effort in the process. Learning from Christ’s example of love on the Cross, we see that there are no shortcuts in the Christian way. We’re all needed to work together to build up the Body of Christ in our midst.

Very Rev. Canon Tom

During weekend Masses beginning in September, we will be introducing certain revisions in the sung parts of the Mass as prescribed by the New Roman Missal, most notably the changes in the wording of the Gloria. It will give us a“heads‐up” on more of the changes (not too many, thank God) that will take place mostly beginning with the First Sunday of Advent (November, 26‐27). Father Khanh wrote more about these changes in a recent article in our bulletin while I was away.

The new Roman Missal resulted from years of work by the Vatican and bishops in the United States, Canada, England and other English‐speaking countries. The Vatican’s Vox Clara Committee and the International Commission on English in the Liturgy also worked on the new texts.

The words Christians pray, and how they pray, shape their beliefs and how they live out those beliefs. Those words will now change in Catholic parishes across the United States with the implementation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, set to take place on Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent. The new translation of the Mass is an opportunity for a new Eucharistic catechesis. It promises to help Catholics enter more deeply into the mystery of the faith in a way that continues the Second Vatican Council’s liturgical renewal. The change gives Catholics the chance to “reflect more deeply” on the meaning of Christian worship.

We become what we pray; the prayer of our Eucharistic worship is meant to make us become more like Jesus Christ. In our Eucharistic worship, we join our own sacrifices to Christ’s. We make our lives a prayer of self‐offering — as He did on the cross. In union with Jesus, we offer ourselves to the Father as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

The new translation restores the beauty of the original Latin, and lets Catholics hear the many Scriptural allusions that are woven into the fabric of the Mass. The new missal will mean Catholics will learn together how to pray our familiar prayers in a new way, using new language. Some of the changes include when the priest says “The Lord be with you,” the congregation presently responds “And also with you.” Under the new version, they will reply “And with your spirit.”

At the Communion time, currently the priest says, “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper.” This will be replaced by “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” In response, instead of “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,” the congregation will say “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.” This is a more explicit reference to the words of the centurion in Luke 7.

The translators did a beautiful job. They have given us prayers that will help us to lift up our hearts and minds to give glory and praise to God in language that is reverent and inspiring. Hopefully, it will help unite worship on earth to the liturgy of heaven.

For further information, the U.S. Bishops’ Conference has created a special website for the new missal for you to visit at Roman Missal.

Next weekend, we will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the infamous “911” tragedy that shook our country’s spirit, but strengthened its resolve to stand strong and united in the face of any tragedy or attack on our nation. Our Masses will contain prayers in the petitions to remember those innocent victims who died that day, and we will ring our church bells at 1:00 PM, at the request of the U.S. Senate, for a Moment of Remembrance. We also pray that those families in our midst who suffered the loss of a loved one will be consoled that we will not forget them and will pray for them.

Please keep in your prayers, too, our little 1st Grader, Kendall Gillis, who is still struggling to fully recover from her brain seizure. Her Mom, Dad and brother thank you for the many cards, greetings and wishes sent from our parish family, and are encouraged by your prayerful support of them.

Thank you to thirty‐five special women who helped stuff envelopes this past week in preparation for this year’s upcoming Auction to be held November 5th for the benefit of the school. They are Moms who somehow find time to volunteer despite their own hectic schedule. God bless them all!!

This coming Saturday morning (Sept. 10th) at 10:30, we will have a special Mass and Anointing of the Sick for those who are ill or not in good physical health due to the usual aging process. Then we will proceed to Kellaghan Hall for a luncheon in honor of our anointed and the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose birthday is September 8th. Special thanks to Karen Turnbull of our Women’s and Family Life Ministries, along with her husband and our Parish Manager, Deacon Bruce, for arranging this event.

Finally, I would like to remind our parishioners how important it is to use your weekly Sunday Offering envelopes. If you happen to forget yours on any given weekend, we have additional ones available at the church doors (or just ask one of our ushers). This is a principal way we have of keeping track of your annual contributions for tax purposes, as well as attendance when you seek letters of permission to be a sponsor at Baptism and Confirmation of a friend or relative. Without some real proof of your regular attendance, it is most difficult(if not impossible) to issue a “letter of good standing” for the above stated purposes. Thank you for your cooperation.

Very Rev. Canon Tom

A Memorial Mass for our late, beloved Parish Manager, John Krolikowski, will be offered on Thursday evening, September 15th, in our church. A light dessert reception will follow in Kellaghan Hall. John’s sudden passing has stunned his own family and our parish family, as well. In his memory, we have established the KROLIKOWSKI CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP FUND, to assist his family in trying to give his children his desire of a Catholic education in our school. Your kind response to this fund-raising will more than be appreciated, and a Mass will be celebrated for all donors to this fund. Please see another article in this bulletin for more information on how you can help.

Mr. Keith “Rusty” Skinner, a very active member of our parish, will be ordained a Permanent Deacon on Saturday, September 17th in the Cathedral. Though seating there will be rather limited, his wife (Wanda) and his daughters (Gwendolyn, Amy and Cynthia), who are as excited as we are about his ordination, invite you to a parish reception for him the next day (September 18th) in our Parish Center after the 11:30 A.M Mass.

Last July 21, the health news site Natural Society featured these breaking news headlines: “Newer Birth Control Pill Linked to Higher Risk of Blood Clots”; “Birth Control Increases Risk of Contracting, Transmitting HIV”; and finally, “Medical Panel Pushes for Free Birth Control for Women.” One might ask, “Who was on this medical panel - Dr. Kevorkian?” But no, it was the Institute of Medicine, advising the Department of Health and Human Services on “preventive services for women” to mandate in virtually all private health plans under the new health care reform act.

HHS says it delegated this task to the IOM so that people would see the outcome as based on “science” rather than politics. But IOM’s report seems based less on science than on the ideology of authors who share Planned Parenthood’s view of sex and procreation, several of whom have served on the boards of PP affiliates and other pro-abortion organizations. The report says enhanced access to contraception will reduce abortions, though there is ample evidence against that claim.

In fact, the panel recommends that health plans must cover all drugs approved by the FDA as prescription contraceptives – including the newly approved “emergency contraceptive” called Ella, which, like RU-486 can cause an abortion weeks into pregnancy. When asked about a conscience exemption for those who have a moral or religious objection to this, an IOM spokesperson said it wasn’t her panel’s job to take account of other people’s personal “feelings.” Many people fear HHS will take the same approach.

Secular news media – Time, U.S. News, USA Today, and LA Times – obediently repeated the panel’s public relations message that it is offering “free” birth control for women. That message is nonsense! Currently, women who want birth control coverage pay for it through their premiums, and sometimes also have a co-pay or out-of-pocket expense. Under the new mandate they will still pay for it, but the cost will be buried in the overall premium – and everyone else, including churches and other religious employers as well as individual Catholics, will be forced to pay for it in their premiums too, so payments coerced from those who object will make birth control coverage a bit cheaper for those who want it.

And what about the “cost” in women’s lives from those blood clots and cases of AIDS? Researchers have known about both problems for years. In 2005, for example, a study funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control noted: “The positive link between pill use and HIV infection was… supported by a meta-analysis of 28 studies, including seven prospective studies.” Most American women haven’t been told this! Ironically, other “preventive services” recommended by the IOM include screening for sexually transmitted diseases. But why would you mandate something that can cause what the other services on your list seek to prevent?

The other big “cost,” of course, is the cost to freedom of religion and respect for conscience. Though not alone in its view, the Catholic Church has been prophetic and counter-cultural in warning that artificial contraception and sterilization do not enhance women’s well-being. No American, of course, is required by law to believe that teaching. But should the government, in the name of all Americans, now be allowed to coerce even the Church’s institutions into acting on the opposite view, when the evidence supporting its message is stronger than ever?

According to the recently appointed Archbishop of my home town of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, the media do not “provide trustworthy information about religious faith.” His comments were made during an address on religious freedom before some 10,000 English- speaking pilgrims at the World Youth Day in Madrid.

The Archbishop told the group of young Catholics that, “In the U.S., our battles over abortion, family life, same-sex ‘marriage,’ and other sensitive issues have led to ferocious public smears and legal threats not only against Catholics, but also against Mormons, evangelicals, and other religious believers. With relatively few exceptions, the mass media tend to cover these disputed issues with a combination of ignorance, laziness, and bias against traditional Christian belief.”

He added: “We make a very serious mistake if we rely on media like the New York Times, Newsweek, CNN, or MSNBC for reliable news about religion. These news media simply don’t provide trustworthy information about religious faith — and sometimes they can’t provide it, either, because of limited resources or because of their own editorial prejudices.” These are secular operations focused on making a profit. They have very little sympathy for the Catholic faith, and quite a lot of aggressive skepticism toward any religious community that claims to preach and teach God’s truth.”

Archbishop Chaput noted that the media gave a lot of coverage to the so-called “Arab Spring,” that involved civil unrest in Middle Eastern countries, like Syria, Iraq, Tunisia, and Pakistan. “But very little of that coverage has mentioned that the turmoil in Muslim countries has also created a very dangerous situation for Christians and other religious minorities across North Africa and the Middle East.” There “Christians face frequent discrimination, slander, beatings and even murder.” He especially criticized the lack of media coverage for widespread anti-Christian violence in Egypt. “In Egypt, angry mobs have attacked Christian churches and monasteries, burning them to the ground and murdering the people inside.”

He warned that it is dangerous when democracies attempt to erase religion from the public arena: “Forcing religious faith out of a nation’s public square and out of a country’s public debates does not serve democracy,” he said. “It doesn’t serve real tolerance or pluralism. What it does do is impose a kind of unofficial state atheism. To put it another way, if we ban Christian Churches or other religious communities from taking an active role in our nation’s civic life, we’re really just enforcing a new kind of state-sponsored intolerance — a religion without God.”

Very Rev. Canon Tom