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CATHOLIC FAITH AT HOME RESOURCES
for our STELLA MARIS
Family of Parishes
including:
St. Thomas More, St. Bernadette,
St. Mary & St. Peter
December 24
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STELLA MARIS MASS SCHEDULES
Advent will be observed on
Saturday evening, December 23,
and Sunday morning, December 24, 2023.
Christmas is to be observed Sunday,
late afternoon, December 24
and Monday, morning, December 25, 2023.
“There is an obligation to participate at Mass for
both the Fourth Sunday of Advent and for Christmas."
Attendance at one Mass does not fulfill both obligations.
(Office of Divine Worship and the Sacraments)
The Feast of the Holy Family will be celebrated the weekend of December 30/31, 2023.
Monday, January 1, 2024, Mary, the Holy Mother of God,
remains a holy day, but this year it is not a holy day of obligation.
Click the link below to be directed to the parish of your choice:
DISCOVER MASS
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CHRISTMAS ON
FORMED.ORG!!!
Combining the German traditions from her heritage
and the Mexican traditions popular in her hometown of Los Angeles,
Kendra shares her Christmas Eve menu.
Learn about the luminaria tradition, too,
to usher in the Light of the World!
Click below to watch Christmas Eve with Kendra:
CHRISTMAS EVE WITH KENDRA
Experience the beauty of the Christmas season with the
Annie Moses Band as the acclaimed classical crossover
ensemble performs stunning arrangements of holiday favorites.
Click below to watch the Annie Moses Band:
CHRISTMAS FAVORITES WITH ANNIE MOSES BAND
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THE BIRTH OF JESUS
Catholics and Protestants believe different
things about Mary's labor.
These differences can lead to varying presentations
of the birth of Jesus in popular movies and shows.
Join Dr. Scott Hefelfinger and Dr. Michael Barber as they
explain the Catholic Church's understanding of
Mary's labor and the birth of Jesus Christ.
Click below to watch the presentation:
MARY'S LABOR
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NOVENA PRAYER
HOLY NAME OF
JESUS Novena
STARTS: DEC.25
FEAST DAY: JAN. 3
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Pray the following for nine straight days:
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
O GOOD JESUS, according to Thy great mercy,
have mercy on me.
O most merciful Jesus, by that Precious Blood
which Thou didst will to shed for sinners,
I beseech Thee to wash away all mine iniquities
and to look graciously upon me, a poor and unworthy sinner,
as I call upon Thy Holy Name.
Therefore, O Jesus, do Thou save me for Thy Holy Name’s sake.
O God, Who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son
to be the Savior of mankind and didst command
His Name to be called Jesus; mercifully grant that we
may enjoy the vision of Him in Heaven,
Whose Holy Name we venerate on earth.
Through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen
(Mention your request here…)
Blessed be the Most Holy Name of Jesus without end!
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
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SEVEN
CHRISTMAS
PRAYERS
1. Prayer for Christmas Dinner
Dear God, we give thanks for this time when we can all be together. We give thanks for this food and the hands that helped prepare it. We give thanks for this joyful holiday when we celebrate our Savior and His love for us. With joy, we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
2. Prayer for Christmas Eve
Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
3. Christmas Day Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, true God from true God, you became a little child for us so the world you made would be saved. Just as a child is born to us and a Son is given to us, may we be born again through you and always remain in the number of God’s faithful children; through your merits, O blessed Savior, with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen.
4. The Christmas Prayer of Pope John XXII
O sweet Child of Bethlehem, grant that we may share with all our hearts in this profound mystery of Christmas. Put into the hearts of men and women this peace for which they sometimes seek so desperately and which you alone can give to them. Help them to know one another better and to live as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father. Reveal to them also your beauty, holiness, and purity. Awaken in their hearts, love and gratitude for your infinite goodness. Join them all together in your love. And give us your heavenly peace. Amen.
5. Christmas Hope
Father, I pray that you will turn our hearts toward you as Christmas approaches. Let us not get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season this year and miss the chance to celebrate the gifts of hope, peace, joy, love, that you sent to us on that first Christmas. That first Christmas, you gave us the gift of hope wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Thank you, Father, for your immeasurable gift. In Jesus’ precious name, we pray. Amen.
6. Christmas Prayer of Saint Augustine of Hippo
Let the just rejoice, for their justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice, for their savior is born.
Let the captives rejoice, for their Redeemer is born.
Let slaves rejoice, for their Master is born.
Let free men rejoice, for their Liberator is born.
Let All Christians rejoice, for Jesus Christ is born.
7. A Merry Christmas Prayer
Lord, we ask You to grant us peace. Peace in our homes, peace in our churches, and peace in our hearts, especially when it feels like the world all around us spins out of control.
Help us stay focused on You this Christmastime and always. Thank You for loving the whole world enough to send the greatest gift, Your Son, so we might truly have a very merry Christmas, even in a not-so-merry kind of world. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL
NEW WEEKLY INFO
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NEW DETAILS NOW AVAILABLE
The wait is over! A daily schedule for the National
Eucharistic Congress is live on our website.
You can now explore what this incredible
experience will look like day by day.
Preview the options for impact sessions in the morning
that speak to your particular vocation and mission.
Then, get excited for the dynamic revival sessions,
when the whole assembly will gather in Lucas Oil Stadium
to experience the power and love of Jesus.
These sessions—and the soon-to-be-announced
afternoon breakout sessions—
will be led by the expansive list of faithful speakers
who will join us in Indianapolis this summer.
Scroll through the updated schedule to
see many powerful opportunities for
encounters with Christ through prayer and the sacraments.
Click the link below for EVENT schedules:
EVENT SCHEDULES
Click the link below for IMPACT Sessions:
IMPACT SESSIONS
Click the link below for the SPEAKERS list:
SPEAKERS LIST
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God Has Come to Seek Me Out
We all have our favorite childhood memories of the Christmas holidays.
I still remember the three little wooden mangers
that sat on the table in our living room all Advent.
My brother, sister, and I would place a piece of straw
into our own little manger every time we performed
some act of virtue or said a prayer.
By Christmas Eve each manger was full,
and my parents placed in them a figure of baby Jesus
as well as a small religious gift…
Click below to read the rest of Sr. Kathryn's reflection:
SR. KATHRYN'S REFLECTION
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In the Streets
Another major moment in the Revival:
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage
one of the largest Eucharistic pilgrimages in history!
We will process with our Eucharistic Lord on 4 routes,
departing from our nation's north, south, east, and west edges.
These branches will meet in Indianapolis in July 2024
for the National Eucharistic Congress.
To see the four routes, and intercessor for each, click below:
NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC PILGRIMAGE ROUTES
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If you see a link on your device's screen that says,
"View entire message”,
please click that link to continue seeing the entire newsletter.
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REGISTRATION INFO FOR THE CONGRESS
WILL YOU BE THERE, TOO?
You can join us!
July, 2024
for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress.
Directly experience the fruits of your intercession and
see its impact around the country.
Click the link below to REGISTER:
REGISTRATION FOR 10TH
NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONFERENCE
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QUIZ! FOR THE WEEK
Why do we have an obligation to attend Mass?
Scroll down to find the answer!
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HUMOR
HIGHLIGHT
THE PEACE AND LOVE OF GOD
After a very long and boring sermon the parishioners
filed out of the church saying nothing to the pastor.
Towards the end of the line was a thoughtful person
who always commented on the sermons.
"Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of
the peace and love of God!"
The pastor was thrilled.
"No-one has ever said anything like that
about my preaching before. Tell me why."
"Well - it reminded me of the Peace of God
because it passed all understanding
and the Love of God because it endured forever!"
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GOSPEL READING REFLECTION
For December 24, 2023
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
Gospel: Lk 1:26-38
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MARY, VIRGIN MOST PRUDENT
- Luke presents such richness in so few words:
- Mary’s condition as the Immaculate Conception in the angel Gabriel’s words, “full of grace”;
- Christ’s virginal conception by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit;
- Mary’s obedience of faith in her “fiat” or “May it be done to me according to your word”;
- The revelation to Mary (and to us) that her child is the long-awaited heir to David who will rule the people of God forever;
- And the revelation that this Messiah is not just a highly-favored mortal man but the Son of the Most High, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
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GOSPEL READING REFLECTION
For December 25, 2023
CHRISTMAS
Mt 1:1-25, Lk 2:1-14, Lk 2:15-2, Jn 1:1-18
THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD IS BORN!!
- Christmas is the celebration of the nativity or birth of Christ, the Incarnate God. As we will say in the Creed today (as we kneel instead of bow),
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
- It is very understandable that we celebrate Christ’s birthday. On this day, the Lord became visible and public for all to see. He was glorified by lowly Jewish shepherds, honored by the Gentile Magi, and hunted by the bloodthirsty Herod.
- In the Church’s calendar, this is the second or third most important feast—Easter being first and Christmas or Pentecost being second.
- Perhaps one day the Annunciation, which we celebrate on March 25, will become as important as Christmas, because the Annunciation commemorates the Incarnation, when Christ actually came into the world, just as our real origin is not the day we are born but the moment we are conceived. Conception is invisible to our eyes but real.
- The doctrine of the Incarnation is this:
- The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, a Divine Person with his Divine nature, assumed to himself a full human nature (intellect, will, and body), without Original Sin, and began to live in his creation, first as a zygote, then as an embryo, then as a fetus, then he was born in the most humble of circumstance in the town of his kingly human ancestor, and continued his divine-human life.
- He did all this to redeem us from our sins and from death.
- He accomplished our redemption through every act he performed on earth and everything he experienced, above all in his public life of teaching and miraculous signs, and finally, in his Passion and Resurrection.
- This is what his name, Jesus or he saves, means.
- It is what Emmanuel, God is with us, means.
- We should reflect on this in our hearts, like Mary did.
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ANSWER TO QUIZ
Through His Church, God commands us to
attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
It is a mortal sin to miss Mass without a grave reason
(such as illness, being housebound, a first responder rushing to a call, etc).
You may wonder why the Church commands weekly
Mass attendance under pain of sin,
rather than simply suggesting it.
It’s important to know why
—not only to strengthen our own faith,
but also in case any curious non-Catholics ask about it.
The reason for the Sunday obligation is that we
owe God worship as His creatures.
It’s not just a nice spiritual ritual or an outward show of being Catholic.
God is our Creator.
He made us out of nothing and keeps us in existence
through His own power and will.
We owe everything to Him, and our regular worship of Him
is how we express our innate desire
—and our natural obligation—
to offer our Creator homage and gratitude.
Furthermore, without His grace and presence in our lives,
our souls and therefore our salvation are in danger.
He doesn’t need our worship—but we do need Him.
If we ignore God’s command to worship on Sundays,
we are putting other things before God,
as though He were of secondary importance.
And we are destroying our relationship with Him
and walking away from the spiritual graces
our soul needs to stay alive.
The Third Commandment prescribes weekly worship of God:
“Thou shalt keep holy the Lord’s day.”
And Jesus commanded: “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19).
Click below to read more about this important question:
CATECHISM CORNER
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BOOK
RECOMMENDATION
We need to be armed for battle!
At all times, and especially during these crazy times in this vale of tears,
we need to lay our foundation in Christ Jesus.
Spiritual reading helps us build and strengthen that foundation.
Order through your favorite book dealer.
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Celebrating a Merry Catholic Christmas is a treasure,
one that offers its riches year after year.
It is a valuable resource for understanding and celebrating
Advent and Christmas as a Catholic.
But, more than providing the historical roots of traditions,
such as the Advent wreath and Christmas tree,
it also features spiritual reflections and suggestions
for practices to enrich your family’s Christmas preparation and celebration.
You’ll find all of the major Feast Days of Advent and Christmas
along with devotions and traditions that will help
your family get more out these important seasons.
Inside you’ll learn…
- why candles are placed in windows
- why poinsettias are used as a Christmas decoration
- the origin of the Christmas tree
- when Christmas actually ends
- and more
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We pray you will be excited to embark on purposeful
spiritual reading as a way to build a more prayer-filled,
Christ centered life.
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