From the RectorVery Rev. Joseph Tizio, C.Ss.R.

Staffed byThe Redemptorists

Each Christmas we sing the famous English Christmas carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. There is one verse in the hymn which always grabs my attention: “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight”. The hymn speaks of the dark streets of Bethlehem and how the bright light of Christ shines to shatter the

darkness of those streets. Then the hymn tells us that all the fears and all the hopes of people both before and after the birth of Christ were found in the one night in Beth-lehem.

We live in an age of such great hope and promise but also an age of fear and hopeless-ness. It is an age when environmental disaster is upon us but nations have the power to save our planet. We live in a country of great wealth yet so many are homeless and hun-gry. We are a country that can do so much but is unable to because of so much anger and division. On that first Christmas night in the manger, all the hopes and fears of the world were found. The richness of God’s divinity embraced the poverty of our human nature. The infinite love of God entered a divided and angry world. On that first Christ-mas, the sinless God entered our sinful world and gave us the gift of redemption. As we continue our celebration of the Christmas season, we affirm that we will not surrender to the hopeless, the anger, and division of our world and country. We profess faith in the God who embraced our humanity with all its hopes and fears, a God who leads us from hopeless to hope, from division to unity, from anger to peace, from inaction to action. Truly, the hopes and fears of all the years are met in Christ born among us.

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph December 29, 2019

Weekday Masses7:00am and 12:10pm

Saturday Masses8:00am and 12:10pmVigil: 4:00pm, 7:00pm (Haitian)

Sunday Masses9:00am,12:30pm, 5:00pm11:00am (Spanish)

Sacrament of PenanceMonday-Saturday at 11:50amSaturday 3:30pm

Wednesday Novena Service12:10pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm (Spanish), 7:00pm (Haitian)

Exposition of theBlessed SacramentWednesday 8:00am to 5:00pm

Dec 28 Saturday

8:00am Maria Gill and Rory Platt Family 12:10pm Julie B. Goss Christmas Novena 4:00pm Carol Gaudreau and Robert Goodrow Family 7:00pm +Julianne Taussaint

Dec 29 Sunday

9:00am Yvonne Andrade and Laura Amada 11:00am +Maria Vasquez 12:30pm Christmas Novena 5:00pm Donohue, Brooks, Miller, Williams, MacDonald Dec 30 Monday

7:00am Christmas Novena 12:10pm Maria Gill and Aideo Dec 31 Tuesday (New Year’s Eve)

7:00am Christmas Novena 12:10pm Joanne, James Ooi and Family Midnight Christmas Novena Jan 01 Wednesday (Solemnity of Mary)

9:00am Janice C. McGonagle 11:00am Shrine and Purgatorian Members 12:30pm Christmas Novena Jan 02 Thursday

7:00am +Janet Breadon 12:10pm Benjamin Ooi

Jan 03 Friday

7:00am Christmas Novena 12:10pm Samuel, Jeremiah, Agustus Liem

MASS INTENTIONS FROM THE RECTOR

En Español

Cada Navidad cantamos el famoso villancico inglés “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. Hay un verso en el himno que siempre me llama la atención: “Las esperanzas y los miedos de todos los años se encuentran en ti esta noche”. El himno habla de las calles oscuras de Belén y de cómo la luz brillante de Cristo brilla para destruir la oscuridad de esas calles. Luego, el himno nos dice que todos los temores y todas las esperanzas de las per-sonas, tanto antes como después del nacimiento de Cristo, se encontraron en la noche en Belén.

Vivimos en una era de tan grande esperanza y promesa, pero también una era de miedo y desesperanza. Es una época en que el desastre ambiental está sobre nosotros, pero las naciones tie-nen el poder de salvar nuestro planeta. Vivimos en un país de gran riqueza, pero muchos no tienen hogar y tienen hambre. Somos un país que puede hacer mucho pero no puede hacerlo debido a tanta ira y división. En esa primera noche de Navidad en el pesebre, se encontraron todas las esperanzas y temores del mundo. La riqueza de la divinidad de Dios abrazó la pobreza de nuestra naturaleza humana. El amor infinito de Dios entró en un mundo dividido y enojado. En esa primera Navidad, el Dios sin pecado entró en nuestro mundo pecaminoso y nos dio el regalo de la redención. A medida que continuamos nuestra cel-ebración de la temporada navideña, afirmamos que no nos ren-diremos a la desesperanza, la ira y la división de nuestro mundo y país. Profesamos fe en el Dios que abrazó a nuestra humani-dad con todas sus esperanzas y temores, un Dios que nos lleva de la desesperanza a la esperanza, de la división a la unidad, de la ira a la paz, de la inacción a la acción. Verdaderamente, las esperanzas y los temores de todos los años se encuentran en Cristo nacido entre nosotros.

Reflexión“Esposas, subordínense a sus esposos ... Esposos, amen a sus esposas ... Hijos, obedezcan a sus padres en todo ... Padres, no provoquen a sus hijos ...” (COLOSENSES 3: 18-21)

El Papa Francisco dijo que las familias, a través de su vida de oración y amor, se convierten en “escuelas de verdadero crecimiento humano”. Ser testigos creíbles del amor cristiano, especialmente el de los miembros de la familia, ejerce la influ-encia más positiva en nuestros hijos. Todos somos hijos de Dios, recemos y amémonos unos a otros como Dios, Nuestro Padre, lo hace por nosotros.

StewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipSolemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of GodWednesday, January 1st is a Holy Day of Obligation, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Please join us for Mass at 9:00am, 11:00am (Spanish) and 12:30pm.

The Rectory Office will be open on Tuesday, December 31st from 9:00am-12:00pm. The Office will be closed on Wednesday, January 1st. Normal office hours will resume on January 2nd.

HISPANIC COMMUNITY

Segunda Colección Feliz Navidad de parte de todos los sacerdotes de la Arquid-iócesis de Boston. La segunda colección de hoy respalda las necesidades de jubilación, médicas y financieras de los sacerdotes de la Arquidiócesis de Boston. Estos sacerdotes han dado sus vidas para servir fielmente a Cristo, a la Iglesia y a ust-ed. Sea generoso con esta importante colección. Para obtener más información, visite www.clergyfunds.org

Nochevieja en la Basílica

Lo invitamos a unirse a nosotros para una noche especial de oración y reflexión. La Hora Santa comenzará a las 11:00 pm el lunes 31 de diciembre, brindando la oportunidad de reflexion-ar sobre el año y presentar nuestras esperanzas y sueños para 2020. Después de la Hora Santa, ¡una misa de medianoche cel-ebraá el Año Nuevo! Se servirán refrigerios ligeros después de la misa. Esta será una gran oportunidad para unirnos como una comunidad de fe.

Entrenamiento Virtus para Todos los VoluntariosTendremos una capacitación especial de Virtus para todos los catequistas, ministros y voluntarios que aún no han recibido capacitación de Virtus el sábado 11 de enero a las 10:00 am en el Centro Parroquial. Se requiere entrenamiento de Virtus para todos aquellos que se ofrecen como voluntarios y realizan cualquier tipo de ministerio.

HAITIAN COMMUNITY

Haitian Prayer Group meets first Saturday at 5:00pm“Zanmi Manman Pèpetyèl yo”, ap toujou rankontre chak premye samdi, a 5 h PM pou rive 6h45 PM, nan mizik room lan. Nou konte sou prezans tout manb yo, pou nou kontinye viv karis nou ki bati sou twa wòch dife. “ lapriye, fòmasyon, ak fratènite”

Bible Class in French/CreoleEvery Second Tuesday at 8:00pm

Mes frères et soeurs. On ne peut donner ce qu’on n’a pas. Tout chré-tien, doit connaitre la parole de Dieu. Donc, il est important de se mettre à l’écoute, et à l’étude de la parole de Dieu, pour pouvoir partager avec les autres, combien Dieu nous aime.

Dans le souci de répondre mieux à notre vocation chrétienne, nous avons un cours biblique chaque deuxième Mardi du mois à 8:00 PM.

« Frèm ak sèm yo, nou pa ka bay sa nou pa genyen, donk antan ke kretyen, nou dwe, konnen Paròl Granmèt la. Se sak fè nou gen you kou labib, chak dezyèm Madi, a 8:00 PM. »

Haitian Mass Every Saturday at 7:00pmFrèm ak sèm yo, Bondye, avèk Manman Pèpetyèl toujou la pou li pran swen nou, pou li ban nou nouriti kap kenbe nou solid nan laf-wa. Se sak fè Granmèt la toujou mete, sevitè pou sèvi nou. Pou nou ka jwen nouriti spirityèl sa, chak Samdi a 7 pm, nap gen lamès an kreyòl, nan Legliz Pèpetyèl la. Nou tout, ayisyen yo, nou se pitit Manman Pèpetyèl, vini, pou nou selebre lafwa nou, nan lang man-

BASILICA CHRISTMAS CARDS

1545 Tremont Street • Boston, MA 02120www.bostonsbasilica.com

617-445-2600

Rector/PastorVery Rev. Joseph Tizio, C.Ss.R.

Parochial VicarsRev. Robert Lennon, C.Ss.R.Rev. Francis Sullivan, C.Ss.R.

Rev. Charles Hergenroeder, C.Ss.R. Rev. John Furey, C.Ss.R.

Rev. Anthony Michalik C.Ss.R.Rev. Pierre Desruisseaux, C.Ss.R.

Director of Religious EducationSr. Christiana Onyewuche, EHJ

religioused@bostonsbasilica.com617-516-0380

Healing and Restoration MinistryOffice: 617-442-2008

Prayer Line: 617-442-3938

Society of St. Vincent DePaulOffice: 857-615-9461

E-mail: info@svdpmissionchurch.org

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Prayer Groups

English - Mondays, 6:30pm in Parish CenterSpanish - Mondays, 7:00pm in the Church

Our Lady of Perpetual HelpMission Grammar School

94 St. Alphonsus Street • 617-442-2660

NEWS & EVENTS

StewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipStewardshipReflection“Wives, be subordinate to your husbands…Husbands, love your wives…Children, obey your parents in everything…Fathers, do not provoke your children…” (Colossians 3:18-21)

Pope Francis said that families, through their life of prayer and love, be-come “schools of true human growth.” Being credible witnesses of Chris-tian love, especially that of family members, exerts the most positive influ-ence on our children. We are all children of God, let us pray and love each other as God, Our Father, does for us.

Second Collection This WeekendMerry Christmas from all the priests of the Archdiocese of Boston. Today’s sec-ond collection supports the retirement, medical and financial needs of priests of the Archdiocese of Boston. These priests have given their lives to faithfully serve Christ, the Church, and you. Please be generous to this important collection. For more information, please visit www.clergyfunds.org

Christmas FlowersWe appreciate your help in collecting donations to cover the cost of flowers to decorate our Basilica for Christmas. Envelopes are available at the back of the church and Rectory Office. Donations can be made in the memory of your loved ones, living or deceased.

Holy Hour for VocationsWe invite you to join us on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:00pm in the basil-ica for a special holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament to pray for an increase in vocations, especially to our Redemptorist life. Our Redemptorist community will gather each month and we hope that you can join us in prayer.

Virtus Training for All VolunteersWe will have a special Virtus training for all catechists, ministers, and volunteers who have not yet had Virtus training on Saturday, January 11th at 10:00am in the Parish Center. Virtus training is required for all those who volunteer and do any form of ministry in the parish. It is intended to make us more sensitive to the danger of abuse.

Pastoral CouncilThe pastoral council meeting has been changed from Tue, January 14 to the fol-lowing Tuesday, January 21 at 7:00 pm in the rectory.

Legion of MaryThe Legion of Mary (LOM) is an international association of the faithful of the Catholic Church who serve the Church on a voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, Ireland, as a Marian Movement by layman Frank Duff. Today between ac-tive and auxiliary (praying) members there are over 10 million members world-wide making it the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church. An English speaking “Praesidium of Mary Queen and Mother” has start-ed in our parish, meeting every Wednesday at 8:15am in the Heritage Room. All are welcome. Contact Sylvia Mary Ooi 617-566-0370, www.newenglandlegionofmary.org