December 17, 2023
Gaudete Sunday, Third Sunday of Advent
by Fr. Boniface Endorf, OP
Dear St. Joseph Parish Family,
We have only one week of Advent left because Christmas is next Monday. Make sure to intensify your spiritual preparations for our Lord’s coming this Christmas—there’s still a lot of grace for us who await Christ’s coming.
This year Christmas is on a Monday. On the Saturday just before Christmas we’ll have our normal 5:30pm Vigil Mass for the 4th Sunday of Advent. On Sunday, Christmas Eve, we’ll have our normal 9am and 11:30am Masses for the 4th Sunday of Advent, and that Sunday evening we’ll have a 5pm Christmas Vigil Mass and a 10pm Christmas Night Mass. On Christmas day, Monday, we’ll have a 9am Christmas Morning Mass and a 11:30am Christmas Day Mass.
Catholics are obliged to attend Mass for the 4th Sunday of Advent and for Christmas. The Saturday 4th Sunday of Advent Vigil Mass and the Sunday 9am or 11:30am Mass count for that obligation. The Sunday evening, Christmas Eve Masses, at 5pm and 10pm can count for Sunday or Christmas, but not both. The Christmas Day Masses, on Monday, count for the Christmas obligation. The bottom line: attend 2 Masses.
God Bless,
Fr. Boniface
Mass Tidbit:
We now reach the end of the Eucharistic Prayer as the priest lifts the paten and chalice, holding up the Body and Blood of our Lord, and chants: “Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.” Everyone then responds “Amen.” Here we proclaim the fulfillment of the sacrifice of the mass—through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, united to Him through the Holy Spirit, we offer to God the Father the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf. All honor and glory is God’s because He is the one who created and saved us. We here offer the sacrifice of praise—praising God for all He has given us and offering back to Him not only ourselves, but Christ who offered Himself for us. Here we sum up the entire Mass in praise of God.
