December 21, 2014 - Fourth Sunday of Advent

Baptisms

Parents are encouraged to call the Church during pregnancy to avoid de-

lays of the sacrament

406 East Pinhook Road Lafayette, LA 70501-8727

Phone: (337) 237-0988 Fax: (337) 233-8868 Rev. M. Keith LaBove, Pastor

Parish Website: www.stpat.org

Weddings

Arrangements must be made at least six months in advance to allow time

for preparation

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

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday: 3:00 – 3:30 pm and Weekdays: 7:15 am

Welcome to St. Patrick Church

Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 21, 2014

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Saturday, December 20--Vigil of the Fourth

Sunday of Advent 4:00 PM: Jules, Isola & Bart LeJeune;

Mike Guilbeau; Ralph Primeaux; David Dias;

Robert & Hazel Chiasson; Herselle & Gus Medi-

na; Gussie & Valsin Benoit; Maurice Menard;

Joseph Guidroz

Sunday, December 21--Fourth Sunday of Ad-

vent

8:30 AM: In Thanksgiving to God; Paul &

Mary Jean LeBlanc; Wayne Hebert;

Lorraine Day

10:00 AM: Parishioners of St. Patrick’s

Monday, December 22--Late Advent Weekday 7:30 AM: Mary Jane Belfie (living); Mac;

Special Intention

Tuesday, December 23--Late Advent Weekday

7:30 AM: Ernest Buras, Jr.; Edna Williamson;

R. Brother Daigle

Wednesday, December 24--Vigil of Christmas

4:00 PM: Dr. Tommy Comeaux & Dorinne;

Col. Clark Comeaux & Catherine (living);

Col. Kimberly Fedele (living); Betty Rolfes; Mike

Guilbeau; Judith A. White & the Arceneaux Family;

Joseph Guidroz; Paul & Mary Jean LeBlanc;

Larry Lampo; Chris Landry & Bannon Braun; John

Viltz, Sr.; Hazel Cormier; Shelton LeBlanc, Sr.;

Chris Gambel; Monty & Pierre Montagnet

6:00 PM: Julien Judice

Thursday, December 25--The Nativity of the Lord

(Christmas)

8:30 AM: Ernest Buras, Jr.; Edna Williamson;

R. Brother Daigle; Rev. Msgr. Charles Mallet ((living)

10:00 AM: Mary Jane Belfie (living); Mac;

Special Intention ; Beverly Welch

Friday, December 26-- St. Stephen, the First Mar-

tyr

7:30 AM: Dr. Charles Stewart

Non-Liturgical Devotions

Daily Rosary: Monday - Friday 6:55 a.m.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena: Tuesday

7:15 a.m.

Rosary for Priests: Wednesday 7:00 a.m.

Chaplet of Divine Mercy: Thursday 7:15 a.m.

Pro-Life Rosary: 1st. Friday of the month 7 a.m.

Shamrocks—Friday, December 26: Jerry &

Dee Boudreaux; Andre Arceneaux; Betty Four-

net; Charlotte Privat

Christmas Poinsettias

In Loving Memory of:

Dr. Tommy Comeaux & Dorinne;

Larry Lampo; Bannon Braun;

Christopher Landry;

Monty & Pierre Montagnet;

Chris Gambel

Decorating Help

We are looking for two or three able-bodied folk who

can assist for an hour or two with decorating for

Christmas. We will be decorating on Sunday, Dec.

21st, at 1 p.m., and need a few more people who can

lift and carry, and maybe even climb!

The child to be born will be called holy,

the Son of God.

—Luke 1:35

Christmas Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 24: 4 & 6 p.m.

(NO 7:30 a.m. Mass on this Day)

Christmas Day, Thursday, Dec. 25: 8:30 & 10 a.m.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 31: 4:00 p.m.

(NO 7:30 a.m. Mass on this Day)

New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1: 9:00 a.m. Reminder: January 1st., New Year’s Day, is the Solemnity

of Mary, Mother of God, and is a Holy Day of obligation.

Christmas Project Heifer International

A Gift of a Sheep: $120—Share of a Sheep: $10

In addition to keeping your loved ones warm this winter with a new wool sweater, mittens or scarf, we invite you to

warm their hearts with the gift of sheep from Heifer Inter-

national. Sheep provide families with high-quality wool,

and their milk is wonderfully rich and nutritious. Plus, be-cause of Passing on the Gift, your impact will grow and

grow. That’s why the gift of sheep is such a meaningful

way to celebrate the holiday season. Donation sheets are available under the stairwell. Make checks payable to St.

Patrick Church. All donations will be sent to Heifer Inter-

national at the beginning of the year. Heifer International meets the BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards for Char-

ity Accountability. For additional information please visit

their website: http//www.heifer.org/

Prayer Vigil

For the Year of Consecrated Life: Celebrate the New Year

with a Prayer Vigil for the Year of Consecrated Life and Holy Vigil Mass in honor of Mary, Mother of God, on De-

cember 31, 2014. We will expose the Blessed Sacrament

at 9:00 p.m. and then have Night Prayer. Mass will follow at 11 p.m. Our Lady of Sorrows Retreat Center, Mater Do-

lorosa Chapel, 103 Railroad Ave., St. Martinville, LA

March for Life The Knights of Columbus Council #7557 will sponsor a

Pro-Life Walk on Saturday, January 10, 2015. The

presentation will begin inside Sacred Heart of Jesus Church Catholic Church in Broussard by Dr. Damian Cudihy fol-

lowed by a blessing from Fr. Paul Bienvenu, Fr. Bill Rus-

koski, and Fr. Keith Landry. The group will march through

Broussard to St. Joseph Church and then return to the Par-ish Life Center. The Rosary for life will be prayed.

Annual Christmas Social - Thank You We would like to thank Stephanie Bacque and Maggie

Sonnier, Chair Persons of our Christmas Social, and all

the volunteers who came in Saturday morning to set up

and decorate the Parish Hall and transformed it into a beautiful Christmas Dining area. The food was deli-

cious as always and all in attendance had a good time

visiting. We are grateful for your presence at this joy-ful event.

Church Office The office will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday,

December 24 & 25th.

Runnin’ Revs vs. Slammin’ Sems Basket Ball Game Come cheer on your favorite team when the Lafayette

Diocesan Priests battle the Diocese Seminarians on

Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. in the Ca-thedral-Carmel Gym, 848 St. John Street, Lafayette, for

their 9th annual basketball competition. Sponsored

this year by the Lafayette Knights of Columbus Coun-cil 1286, this always popular, fun-filled, family event

helps promote and support priestly and religious voca-

tions. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Admission is $5 per

adult and $1 for those under 18. Concessions will be available. Put it in your calendar today.

Food for the Journey—January Speaker Fr. Keith The Central Region of the Diocese of Lafayette pre-

sents “Food for the Journey”, a monthly lunchtime

speaker series designed to help Catholics live out our

faith in our daily lives. Our speaker for January is Rev. Keith LaBove, Pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Church,

Lafayette, and Hospital Chaplain for the Central Re-

gion. “Food for the Journey” will be held on Tuesday,

January 6, at Hotel Acadiana, 1801 W. Pinhook Road,

beginning at 12:00 noon. An optional lunch 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 in-

formation, please call Mary Bergeron (654-8682).

STEWARDSHIP OF THE PAST WEEK

Our Response to God’s Generosity to Us

Offertory……………………..$ 4,571.55 Retirement Fund Religious..…$ 960.18

Heifer International…………..$ 7,630.00 (to date)

Thank You!

Date

Saturday, December 27

4:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 28

8:30 a.m.

Sunday, December 28

10:00 a.m.

Lectors

Janell Venable Larry Lewis Phyllis Roy

Eucharistic

Ministers

Candis Thompson

Merrick Stelly

Harold Guilbeau

Geneva Phillips

Ted Hampton

Kay Hampton

Andre Arceneaux

Jean Arceneaux

Tami Petre

Altar Servers George Eaton Glenn LaGrange Debra Carroll

Ushers

George Guidry

Joyce Stelly

Rachelle Trahan

Keith Toups

Jenny Feehan

Lionel Jeanmard

Liturgical Roles for December

Readings for the Week

Monday 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Lk 1:46-56

Tuesday Mal 3:1-4, 23-34; Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-10, 14; Lk 1:57-66

Wednesday 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Lk 1:67-79

Thursday Is 9:1-6; Ps 96:1-3, 11-13; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14

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

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

Sunday Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3; Ps 128:1-5; Hb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19; Lk 2:22-40 [22, 39-40]

From the Pastor’s Desk

A number of years ago, I had a little bulletin board saying that went like this: “I have gone in search of myself. If I should come back before I return, please ask me to wait.” Before you spend too much time trying to figure it out, be assured that it’s one of those bits of foolishness masquerading as wisdom. Yet it refers to that search for self that lies at the heart of every human life. “Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? Do I have a purpose?” We ask those questions, in various ways, even as we try to figure out who other people are as well. “Who are you? Why are you here? What do you have to do with me?” And the questions are much more numerous than the answers. I don’t have answers either. But I think we can discover the right place to look.

At n. 359 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read this bold statement: "In reality it is only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of man [and woman] truly becomes clear."

This week we will be celebrating the feast of the Nativity of that Word made flesh. Our focus is on a series of events leading up to the birth of a child in a stable. For many this is just a fascinating bit of history. If it is more than that for us, then we might well ask why the birth of this Jesus of Nazareth matters to us today.

One of the readings for that feast speaks of the child/man in this way: “They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” And we could add many other titles. But all of that, and everything we say about this Jesus being the Son of God, our Savior, the Redeemer, the Crucified, etc., is all about him. It says much about who he was and is, all of it expressing truth that lies at the heart of our faith.

Somehow we have to make the leap from the God-man to the man/woman who knows and loves God. The catechism says that in Him we shall discover the truth about who we are. In other words, Jesus, the second Per-son of the Most Holy Trinity, became human to teach us how to be human. He teaches us something about the essential and innate dignity of every human person. He reveals, in his very person, what it means to be created in the image and likeness of God. The Son, the Father’s Beloved, teaches us what it means to be beloved daughters and sons of the most high God. And so I leave you with these words from Pope Francis’ last encyclical:

"The great danger in today's world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience ... The dignity of the human person and the common good rank higher than the comfort of those who refuse to renounce their privi-leges." Perhaps that is what it means to keep Christ in Christmas!