RESPONSORIAL PSALMS:
Christmas Eve: Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
Christmas Day: All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Holy Family: Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
MASS SCHEDULE & INTENTIONS FOR THE COMING WEEK:
| December | 27 | Monday | 9:00 AM | János Táborosi, Jr., by Piri Táborosi |
| December | 28 | Tuesday | 9:00 AM | Ernő Kimár, by the Kimár Family |
| December | 29 | Wednesday | 9:00 AM | Szaniszló Szombathelyi, by Mária Matavovszky |
| December | 30 | Thursday | 9:00 AM | Celebrant’s Intention |
| December | 31 | Friday | 5:30 PM | Benefactors of our parish |
| January | 1 | Saturday | 5:00 PM | Barnabás Lacza, by the Family |
| January | 2 | Sunday | 11:15 AM | Parishioners of St. Emeric and St. Elizabeth parishes |
FROM THE DESK OF FR. BONA: I wish all of you a very Blessed Christmas! We have reached the celebration for which we have been waiting and preparing. In fact, the season Advent does not just end like a date of expiration on a product, but it finds fulfillment in Christmas. The faithful waiting and preparing ourselves for the invisible God blossoms into a visible and ever-abiding presence of God. That is why this time is so wonderful.
Recently Lifeway Research conducted a survey with an interesting result. The vast majority of active Christians (those who attend church four times a month or more) believe that Jesus is the Son of God (98%) and they accept the historical fact of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem (95%). However, only 63% of active Christians believe that the Son of God existed before Jesus was born. I do not know how many Catholics could have been part of this study, but I am sure that such a shocking opinion may be found among Catholics as well.
The preexistence of Jesus Christ is the foundational teaching of our faith. Perhaps the reason for the above-mentioned erroneous opinion is the spread of the so-called “low Christology” in our times in Catholic (and Christian) colleges and universities. The “low Christology” has for the starting point the human aspect of Jesus. It overemphasizes His human nature. Thus, it attempts to make Him ordinary, explain away the miracles as a misunderstanding on the part of Jesus’s disciples, or as a literary device meant to teach something else. Furthermore, it makes Jesus act and think as if he did not know who He was. For all practical purposes, it waters down divinity of Christ, to the point of no real consequence. Obviously, this theological current has a negative effect on other teachings of our faith.
The reason that the Christmas is wonderful is precisely the fact that Second Person of the Blessed Trinity assumed human nature in Jesus and thus God made Himself touchable and visible in our world. Jesus had two natures (divine and human), but only one person (Divine – he was not a schizophrenic and always knew He is). This is the reason for the great Christmas joy. Let no one steal it from you. Let us rejoice! God has come and stayed with us!
LAST WEEKEND’S COLLECTION (12/19): Sunday Offering: $1,925; Retirement fund for religious (second collection): $274. Flowers: $30. Candles: $240. In loving memory of Madeleine Smith: $1,000. In loving memory of Jan & Madeleine Smith: $125. Special donation: $250. May God reward your generosity. Thank you also for sending in your offertory donation when not in attendance at Mass either by mail or on our website using a credit card or the PayPal option: https://stemeric.com/donations/ On Friday, December 31, the Mass intention is for all of our benefactors!
MASS SCHEDULE FOR CHRISTMAS – NEW YEAR – EPIPHANY
for St. Emeric & St. Elizabeth parishes
December 24: 5:00 PM Mass (St. Elizabeth church) – Hungarian/English
December 24: 10:00 PM Mass (St. Emeric) – Hungarian
December 25: 9:15 AM Mass (St. Elizabeth church) – Hungarian/English
December 25: 11:15AM Mass (St. Emeric) – Hungarian
No evening Mass on Saturday, December 25!
December 26: regular Sunday Mass schedule
December 31: 5:30 PM (St. Emeric) – Hungarian
January 1: 10:00 AM (St. Elizabeth church) – Hungarian/English
January 1: 5PM Mass (St. Emeric) – English
January 2: regular Sunday Mass schedule
NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION AT ST. EMERIC – CANCELLED. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances created by the pandemic, a decision was reached to cancel our end of the year celebration. Thank you for your understanding. We hope to have it next year.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK, especially for Bev Kimar, Rose Dudevszky, Teréz Kalász, Gerő Kondray, Lajos Boday, Michael Horvath.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE DECEASED.
LIVESTREAMING: FRIDAY (12/24) the 10:00 PM Mass and SUNDAY (12/26) the 11:15AM Mass (both from St. Emeric church) will be livestreamed from https://stemeric.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/saintemeric/
Ez a bejegyzés olvasható Magyar (Hungarian) nyelven is.
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