Glória in excélsis Deo et in terra pax homínibus bonæ

voluntátis!

The Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

December 25, 2017

South Boston-Seaport Catholic Collaborative

www.sbscatholic.org 617-268-8100 @sbs_catholic

On this Christmas, I wish to share with you one of my favorite poems which always strengthens my faith and resolve to follow Jesus Christ:

He was born in an obscure village, the son of a peasant woman.

He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter's shop until he

was thirty. Then for three years he became a wandering preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a

house. He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled two

hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of those things one

usually associates with greatness.

He had no credentials but himself.

He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His

friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through a mockery of a

trial. He was executed by the state. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for

his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead he was laid in a

borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human

race and the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the

navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever

reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that

One Solitary Life.

May this Christmas be for you a time of hope in the promise that God continues to bring light into a world that can at times seem dark. May the joy of the Gospel be yours in abundance.

Merry Christmas,

Fr. Flavin, Pastor

Confessions:

Monday-Friday at 7:45am—St. Peter’s

Wednesday at 6:00pm—St. Monica’s ( (bilingual)

Mass Times:

Monday-Friday at 8:00am—St. Peter’s

Saturdays at 5:00pm—St. Peter’s

Sundays at 9:00am—St. Peter’s

Sundays at 10:30am—St. Monica’s

Sundays at 11:00am—St. Peter’s (Lithuanian)

Sundays at 12:30pm—St. Monica’s (Spanish)

Jesús, una palabra comprometida Es así como la Iglesia, en este día de Navidad, nos presenta a Jesús con una imagen un poco distinta a la del Niño en Belén. No es que contraponga la imagen de Jesús-Palabra a la de Jesús-Niño, lo que sucede es que Juan ve a Jesús en la totalidad de su obra, lo ve proyectado en el tiempo y en el espacio, lo ve actuando ya en medio de los hombres, entre los cuales ha plantado su tienda de campaña. Y no está de más que contemplemos a Jesús como el proyecto total del Padre, proyecto que nace en Belén y que halla cumplimiento en la Pascua. Sin la Pascua, Belén es un recuerdo folclórico... Pero hay algo más aún: este Jesús no comienza en Belén. Viene de antes, desde siempre, porque desde siempre está junto al Padre aun sin manifestarse plenamente. "La Palabra estaba con Dios y por ella fueron hechas todas las cosas". Sin embargo, solamente se hace realmente Palabra cuando "al venir al mundo ilumina a todo hombre". En Navidad, Dios comienza a volcar toda su Palabra, encarnada en Cristo, que habla, piensa, siente y nace en nombre de Dios.

Con Jesús, el hombre tiene acceso a todo el proyecto de Dios sobre el hombre. Sin embargo, también esta palabra nos puede pasar desapercibida: puede estar entre nosotros y no ser conocida ni aceptada. Puede venir hasta nuestra casa y no ser recibida. Este es el otro elemento del evangelio de Juan: el drama de la Palabra o el juicio de la Palabra. Jesús, por ser luz, separa lo tenebroso de lo luminoso; exige al hombre una definición o respuesta, pues le exige que piense, sienta, hable y obre de determinada forma, hacia cierta dirección, colocando todo su ser bajo el prisma de la luz.

Quienes reciben en sí esta palabra y se unen a su proyecto, llegan a ser hijos de Dios, pues la misma Palabra los engendra con la fuerza del Espíritu. De esta forma Navidad llega a su culminación: Dios se hace hombre para que el hombre tenga acceso a la plenitud de la vida. Esta vida total es Dios. Siempre será muy poco lo que sabremos de Dios. Pero siguiendo el proyecto de Jesús llegaremos hasta El. Es cierto que Dios es inaccesible; pero si queremos tener una idea acabada acerca de qué piensa, siente, dice y hace Dios, nada mejor que ver qué piensa, siente, dice y hace Jesús. «El que me ve a mí, ve a mi Padre.» En Navidad, el primer proyecto divino de hacer un hombre a su semejanza, se hace realidad. Cristo es el hombre-imagen de Dios (segunda lectura); es la totalidad de un proyecto de Dios sobre el hombre. Dicho proyecto no consiste en que el hombre abandone su ser humano o su condición histórica, sino todo lo contrario: que lo realice totalmente.

Con Jesús, Dios lanza su proyecto. Dicho proyecto no está en contradicción con el proyecto del hombre. Al contrario: el plan divino se pone al servicio del plan humano. Por eso la Palabra se hizo hombre, para comprometerse hasta las últimas consecuencias con la situación histórica del hombre. Jesús es Palabra, pero palabra comprometida. Bien lo dice Juan: "Se hizo carne"; expresión semita que significa: se hizo parte de nuestro ser, compañero de viaje, hermano de raza, solidario con todo hombre que pise el planeta. Los cristianos que hoy celebramos Navidad estamos llamados a decir nuestra palabra. No podemos quedar mudos mientras la humanidad bulle en uno de sus momentos más cruciales. Pero: ¿Cuál es nuestra palabra? ¿Qué pensamos, sentimos, decimos y hacemos los cristianos? ¿Cuál es nuestro compromiso con la historia? Un largo momento de meditación ante el Niño-Palabra comprometida hasta la cruz puede, quizá, ayudamos a encontrar la respuesta.

Feliz Navidad,

Padre Gabino Macías

Jesús, una palabra comprometida Es así como la Iglesia, en este día de Navidad, nos presenta

Merry Christmas, friends! As you kneel before the manger and behold the newborn King, I hope your heart is enflamed with great love. The purity and stillness of the crèche contrasts with the hectic messiness which is so often our experience. The peacefulness of the manger, though, should not make us forget that our Savior’s nativity

took place under imperfect circumstances. Our circumstances are often imperfect, but this should not hinder us getting serious about the state of our soul. Now is the time for us to make the first or next small steps in following Jesus more closely. God does not despise humble beginnings so it does not matter how small our steps might seem.

God’s ultimate desire for each of us is that we be happy with Him forever. True

happiness finds its basis in love, both in loving and in being loved. In order to be eternally happy we have to love God forever. Forever starts now. We have to love God now. Our Lord’s words make clear that loving God is closely related to loving our

neighbors. In fact, Jesus puts love of neighbor immediately next to love of God in importance. This shows the great dignity with which God endows every person from the moment of conception. Acts of mercy take on a new flavor when we remember that the people we perform them for are loved by God.

The wood of the crib in the manger points to the wood of the cross on Calvary. Christ was born of the Virgin Mary in order that he could undergo crucifixion for our sake. So great, and so real, is Jesus Christ’s love for us that if you or I were the only

members of fallen humanity he would lovingly do it just for me or you. May we think about these things and love God more as we look upon our infant Savior laying peacefully beneath the watchful eyes Mary and Joseph.

God bless you,

Father Souza

St Vincent’s food

pantry is merging with Monica’s

Kitchen at the beginning of the year. We are most grateful to Pat Ronca, Guy Lynch, William Lee, and Eugene Vaillancourt for their years of dedicated service. All guests from St Vincent’s

food pantry are welcome at Monica’s

Kitchen.

To schedule a Baptism, call the Collaborative Office 617-268-8100 During the call baptism class date and the baptism date will be scheduled. Baptisms are usually celebrated at:

St. Monica’s–3rd Sunday of the month

St. Peter’s–4th Sunday of the month

---------------------------------------------

Para los bautismos en español tenemos clase el primer sábado de cada mes a la 1:00pm.

Los bautismos se celebran el segundo sábado de cada mes a la 1:00pm. Todos los papeles se llenan durante la clase. Todo se lleva a cabo en la Iglesia de Santa Mónica. Para más información comunicarse con el Diácono Alejandro Iraola.

To schedule a Baptism, call the

~From all of us at the South Boston Seaport all of us at the South Boston Seaport Catholic Collaborative, have a Merry Christmas and a erry

Happy New Year!~~

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas

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Meet Father Cusack – Embracing his vocation, embracing God’s peopleFather Anthony Cusack grappled with his vocation as a young man. After hearing God’s call to the priesthood, he embraced a life of service to every person placed before him in ministry.

Recognizing the growing needs of ethnic communities, Father Anthony broadened his pastoral skills by learning to celebrate Mass in both Spanish and Vietnamese. This enabled him to accept his �rst assignment at St. Ambrose and St. Mark Parishes in 2015.

Today, Father Anthony ministers in the heart of Dorchester. He engages the community in three very di�erent languages. When summarizing his responsibilities, he describes personifying Christ: “The duty of the priest is, I think, to be Jesus to every single person he meets.”

To help ensure priests like Father Anthony receive essential care as they live out their vocation, please support the Clergy Health and Retirement Trust through the special collection this Christmas.

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