December 24, 2017 - Fourth Sunday of Advent

Rev. M. Keith LaBove, Pastor Parish Website: www.stpat.org

stpat.org@gmail.com

Office Hours

Monday – Thursday: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm; Friday 8:30 am – 12 noon Celebration of the Eucharist

Saturday: 4:00 pm – Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 am Monday through Friday: 7:30 am

Holydays of Obligation: 7:30 am only Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday: 3:00 – 3:30 pm and Weekdays: 7:00-7:25 am (and by appointment)

Baptisms

Seminars are held every other month - register

by calling the office. At-tendance is suggested

during pregnancy.

Anointing of the Sick The Church recom-

mends this sacrament for those who are grave-

ly ill or in danger of death. Call the priest to

arrange a visit.

Weddings

Arrangements must be made at least six

months in advance to allow time for prepara-

tion and planning.

406 East Pinhook Road Lafayette, LA 70501-8727

Phone: (337) 237-0988

Welcome to St. Patrick Church

Fourth Sunday of Advent December 24, 2017

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Saturday, December 23--Vigil of the Fourth Sunday of Advent 4:00 PM: Dr. Leonard & Betty Rolfes; Wallace, Romaine & Ron Venable; Jules, Isola & Bart Lejeune; Phil Simon; Bud & Euna Arceneaux; M/M Alfred Hitter, Sr.; M/M Eugene Montagnet, Sr; Monty & Pierre Montagnet; Ty Kalweit & Dawson (living) Sunday, December 24--Fourth Sunday of Ad-vent 8:30 AM: Helen Vallot; Dr. Robert Chastant & Evelyn; Eddie Upton; John Daigle; George Sigue & Siblings; Lorraine Day; Lloyd Sigue; Una Hargrave 10:00 AM: Parishioners of St. Patrick’s Sunday, December 24--Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord 4:00 PM: In Thanksgiving 6:00 PM: John Viltz, Sr.; Hazel Cormier; Shelton LeBlanc, Sr.

Monday, December 25--The Nativity of the Lord– Christmas 8:30 AM: Julia & Arthur Phillips; Junius & Cecelia Ledet; Elnora Jordan; Joseph Benjamin; Thomas James 10:00 AM: Parishioners of St. Patrick’s Tuesday, December 26--St. Stephen, The First Martyr

7:30 AM: The Sick Wednesday, December 27--St. John, Apostle, and Evangelist 7:30 AM: Dr. Tommy Comeaux & Dorinne; Col. Clark Comeaux & Catherine (living); Col. Kimberly Fedele (living) Thursday, December 28--The Holy Innocents, Martyrs 7:30 AM: Fr. Robert Young, O.F.M. Friday, December 29--Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord 7:30 AM: Dr. Charles Stewart

Non-Liturgical Devotions Daily Rosary: Monday - Thursday 6:55 am Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena: Tues-day 7:15 am Rosary for Priests: Wednesday 7:00 am Chaplet of Divine Mercy: Thursday 7:15 am Pro-Life Rosary: 1st Friday of the month 7 am Shamrocks—Friday, December 29: Stephanie Bacque; Josette Delahoussaye; Martha Thomp-son; Karen Gambel.

The child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

—Luke 1:35

Christmas Poinsettias —In Loving memory of: Dr. Tommy Comeaux & Dorinne

Monty & Pierre Montagnet Sidney Begnaud Family

Henry Bourdier Holy is Your Name Last week we learned a new piece of music at Mass, enti-tled "Holy is Your Name". (We sing it again this week during the Communion procession.) The words of this piece are inspired by the Scriptures, from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1. It is the song we hear from the lips of Mary during her visit to her kinswoman, Elizabeth. Upon her arrival, Elizabeth, feeling the child in her womb leap for joy, greets Mary: "Most blessed are you among wom-en, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Mary responds with the hymn we know as the Magnificat, beginning with the words, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; My spirit rejoices in God my Savior". When we sing these words, we are echoing Mary's proclamation of her own humility and God's greatness. When we sing these words, we are truly singing with Mary, the Mother of God.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * New Year’s Day, Monday, January 1: 9:00 am

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Note: January 1, New Year’s Day, is The Solemnity of Mary, The Mother of God. This year it is not a holyday of obligation. Holy Hour for Vocations—Monday, January 8th Please join us for our monthly “Holy Hour for Vocations and for the Spiritual Renewal of All Priests” on Monday, January 8th (because of New Year’s Day), from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 406 E. Pinhook Road. Recitation of the Rosary begins at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome to join in these prayers for vocations and perse-verance of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, sponsored by the Serra Club of Lafayette. Retreat Information The Jesuit Spirituality Center in Grand Coteau, LA is offer-ing the following Retreats: The Little Way: A Journey along St. Therese’s Path of Confidence and Love. Robin Hebert will present, January 18-21, 2018. Introduction to the Directed Retreat Nelda Turner will lead this retreat from February 9-11, 2018. Silent, Individually-Directed Retreats of 3, 5, or 8 days beginning on the following dates: (3 & 5 days only) Mon., Jan. 29 or Thus., Feb. 1st. To register, visit website jesuitspiritualitycenter.org or call 337-662-5251, M-F 8 am-12 noon and 1-5 pm. Runnin’ Revs vs. Slamin’ Sems Basketball Game Game On! Join us as the Runnin’ Revs will take on the Slammin Sems in the 12th Annual basketball game be-tween the Lafayette Diocesan priests and seminarians. This popular, fun-filled, family event helps promote and support priestly and religious vocations. We invite you to join us for the 2017 game on Wednesday, December 27, 2017. Tip-off is at 6:30 pm at Cathedral-Carmel School Gymna-sium, 848 St. John Street, Lafayette. Admission is $5.00 for adults and $1.00 for children concessions will be avail-able for sale. Last year the Seminarians beat the Priests 36-29. Join us to see who will win this year! Hope to see you there! Gumbo Supper All are welcome on Thursday, December 28, 2017 at St. Paul’s Church Hall, 326 S. Washington in Lafayette, 5—7 pm. Gumbo, side dishes, dessert and soft drinks will be served free of charge and sponsored by the Franciscans. Please join us for a special Christmas Season supper in honor of the newborn King— the Savior of the World. Remember Me is a faith-based support group for caregiv-ers, family, and friends of individuals who are coping with dementia/Alzheimer’s. The group meets in the Ministries Building of St. Elizabeth Seton Church (610 Raintree Trail, Lafayette 70507) every third Monday of each month. For more information contact the parish office at 337-235-1483.

Christmas Project Heifer International Heifer International’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. For more than 70 years, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently work-ing in more than 25 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become self-reliant. Your gift supports the entire Heifer mission. In fiscal year 2016, more than 3.6 million families were assisted. These gifts change the lives of families in need who receive the livestock you help to provide. We can make a difference in the world—and help a family transform their future. Donation sheets are available under the stairwell. Make checks payable to St. Patrick Church. All donations will be sent to Heifer International at the beginning of the year. Heifer International meets the BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards for Charity Accountability. For additional information please visit their website: http//www.heifer.org/ Food for the Journey The Central Deanery of the Diocese of Lafayette pre-sents “Food for the Journey”, a monthly lunchtime speakers series designed to help Catholics live out our faith in our daily lives. Our speakers for January are The Seminarians of the Diocese of Lafayette. This month “Food for the Journey” will be held on Tues-day, January 2 2018, at River Oaks Catering and Event Center Lafayette, 520 East Kaliste Saloom Road, beginning at 12:00 noon. An optional buffet is available for purchase beginning at 11:30 a.m. All are welcome to come “eat and be fed” – please bring a friend! Pre-registration is not required. For more infor-mation, please call Danielle Huval (232-1322). Special Marriage Celebration Will you celebrate 25, 40, 50, 60 or more years of mar-riage during the year 2018? If you answered “yes” — then you are invited to a special Mass on Sunday, February 25, 2018 at 2:00pm at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Lafayette with Bishop Douglas Deshotel. Call 261-5653 to pre-register so that you will receive a certificate! Deadline to register is February 15, 2018. STEWARDSHIP OF THE PAST WEEK Our Response to God’s Generosity to Us Offertory…………….……… $4,606.69 Retirement Fund Religious.….$1,525.00 Heifer International…………..$6,574.00 (to date) Thank You!

Date

Saturday, December 30 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 31 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, December 31 10:00 a.m.

Lectors Dana Guidry Kenneth Phillips Bill Ganucheau

Eucharistic Ministers

Kathy Kalweit Harold Guilbeau Peggy Spruill

Maggie Sonnier Susan Cain Geneva Phillips

Debra Carroll Robin Roy Monica Mullins

Altar Servers Janell Venable Mary Kramer Phyllis Roy

Ushers Oren Spruill George Guidry

Donald Vallot Jason Sonnier

Jenny Feehan Lionel Jeanmard

Liturgical Roles for December

From the Pastor’s Desk

This Sunday, we find ourselves on the verge of the Christmas season, as we are hours away from celebrat-ing the Incarnation, the birth of the Word made Flesh. Our Gospel passage is the story of the Annunciation, when Mary learns that she has been chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah, the Christ. Consider these words of petition from a homily ‘In Praise of the Virgin Mother’, By Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot (d. 1153):

“Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abra-ham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.

“Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word. “

In other words, ‘Please, say Yes’. The very plea itself brings to mind a rather disturbing question: “Could she have said ‘No’? Of course, she did say Yes, fully and completely: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word.” And through the ages, the Church has rightfully heaped abundant praise upon Mary, precisely because of this reply, her ‘fiat’, her total and complete surrender to the will of God for her. Yet does not that very praise imply that she could have said ‘No’?

God respects human freedom, for freedom is his gift to us. He does not coerce or force us into goodness or righteous, but leaves us free to choose, just as Mary was free to choose. In a sense, the coming into the world of the Word made Flesh, the Christ, depended on this woman, and her saying ’Yes’ to the action of the Holy Spirit in her life, in her body, in her soul.

The point of all this is to recall what is known as “St. Teresa’s Prayer”, which begins: “Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours.” Called to be the Body of Christ, we are privileged to be “the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.” We don’t have to. We can say no. Or we can strive to imi-tate Mary’s “Yes”, letting God use our bodies, minds, words, hands and feet to make Christ present to the world, here and now. This is how we, like Mary, can “embrace the eternal Word”.

Readings for the Week

Monday During the Night: Is 9:1-6; Ps 96:1-3, 11-13; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14

Tuesday Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Ps 31:3cd-4, 6, 8ab, 16bc, 17; Mt 10:17-22

Wednesday 1 Jn 1:1-4; Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12; Jn 20:1a, 2-8

Thursday Thursday: 1 Jn 1:5 — 2:2; Ps 124:2-5, 7cd-8; Mt 2:13-18

Friday 1 Jn 2:3-11; Ps 96:1-3, 5b-6; Lk 2:22-35

Saturday 1 Jn 2:12-17; Ps 96:7-10; Lk 2:36-40

Sunday Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3; Ps 128: Ps 105:1-6, 8-9; Col 3:12-21 [12-17] Hb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19; Lk 2:22-40 [22, 39-40]