Christmas Mass Schedule

Christmas Schedule

This year Christmas Day falls on a Friday and is a Holy Day of Obligation. The Christmas Mass Schedule is:

Thursday, December 24th 
(Christmas Eve Vigils)

• 4 pm Mass (Church)
• 4 pm Mass (Gym)
• 6 pm Mass (Church)
• 6 pm Mass (Gym)
• 8 pm Mass with 7:30 pm Prelude/Adult Choir (Church)
• 10 pm Mass with 9:30 pm Prelude/Adult Choir (Church)

Friday, December 25th

• 7:30 am Mass (Church)
• 9 am Mass (Church)
• 10:30 am Mass (Church)

CONFESSIONS AND RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AT CHRISTMAS

Christmas is such a wonderful and joyous time. One of the reasons for this joy is that our church is more full of worshippers, both Catholic and non-Catholic, to celebrate the Mystery of The Incarnation.  This coming together of so many to worship God is a wonderful thing to see and experience.  To make Christmas even better for each of us, I thought I would remind everyone that Wednesday, December 16 we will have Confessions in the evening beginning at 6pm.  Please take advantage of this opportunity if you are unable to make weekend Confessions or Confessions before daily Mass.  

Sacred Scripture (1 Cor 11:27) and the Church teaches us that we should be free from grave or serious sin to be properly disposed to receive Holy Communion.  If we are not free from grave sin, then Sacramental Confession should be made prior to receiving Holy Communion.  One such grave sin is missing Mass without good reason on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation. Confession is a beautiful sacrament often underutilized by Catholics.  Confession gives us an earthly and tangible experience of God’s Divine Mercy, which is not only the forgiveness of our sins, but also the Grace to overcome them and live a life fully in peace and in union with Jesus.  As the sacramental absolution states, God grants us “pardon and peace.”  

Confession allows us to experience God’s mercy in the forgiveness of our sins, and His Grace gives us a second kind of mercy—the strength to cast off the burden of future sin and temptation so that we can live in true freedom and know Jesus ever more deeply.  Confession will prepare us to receive Jesus more fully at Christmas, so I hope all of us take advantage of the Sacrament of Confession during the Advent Season. 

If one is not Catholic or is a Catholic not properly disposed to receive Holy Communion, they should feel welcome to come forward and receive a blessing from the Minister of Communion.  To do so, they should simply place their index finger over their mouth or cross their arms over their chest so the minister will know to impart a blessing. A similar statement on the reception of Holy Communion will also be published in next weekend’s bulletin as well.  Have a Blessed Week as we prepare for Christ’s Coming!