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ST. JUDE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY PAGE SIX DECEMBER 3, 2000
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SIMBANG GABI
For centuries the custom existed in Austria, Bohemia, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia of celebrating the Advent Mass of the Blessed Mother commemorating the Incarnation of Eternal Word of God coming down and becoming God-Man. In these places, this Mass was said on all Advent weekdays very early in the morning. In fact, these Masses came to be known as the "Mass of the Cock Crow."
In Spain and its colonies, this Mass was only celebrated the last nine days of Advent. Of course, Mass in those days was celebrated in Latin. The Mass text began with the words: "Rorate caeli de super" ["Drop down dew from heaven"], referring to God the Father sending down to earth His Son to be our Savior. As elsewhere, these Masses were celebrated before the sun rose, before the crowing of the cock. Spain left this tradition in the different places it colonized. In this Philippines, this Advent Mass came to be known as "Simbang Gabi".
Even today this custom continues in the Philippines. In some areas an hour or so before Mass, a band plays traditional hymns all over town and the whole town is up for the Simbang Gabi Mass. The "parol" (a lantern), adorns homes and churches. The "parol" is a very Filipino symbol for the Star of Bethlehem, reminding us of a guiding light that leads us to Jesus. The "parol" announces to one and all, here is a family that has accepted the Messiah into their hearts and lives. The "parol" says loud and clear: a Catholic Christian family lives in this house!
Continuing this long-standing tradition, with some accommodating for modern life circumstances, our Archdiocesan Filipino Ministry has scheduled local Masses throughout the diocese for nine days before Christmas. Each Deanery will have its own nine day celebration. In Deanery Four (4), our Deanery, this will also happen.
Our parish, we will host this Mass on Saturday, December 16th, at 5:00 p.m. Our Filipino Choir will lead us in sung praise. One and all are cordially invited to join with our Filipino brothers and sisters, and loudly proclaim we have accepted Jesus as the Messiah. And the "parol", that will begin to hang in our church that day, will loudly proclaim: We are Catholic Christians here! A Potluck Dinner will follow after Mass in the Parish Hall, with an opportunity for fellowship.
December 16th - St. Jude the Apostle, Westlake Village, 5:00 p.m.
December 17th - St. Rose of Lima, Simi Valley, 4:00 p.m.
December 18th - non-scheduled
December 19th - St. Maximilian Kolbe, Westlake Village, 7:00 p.m.
December 20th - St. Paschal, Thousand Oaks, 7:00 p.m.
December 21th - St. Julie, Newbury Park, 5:30 p.m.
December 22nd - non-scheduled
December 23rd - Padre Serra, Camarillo, 5:00 p.m.
December 24th - no morning Mass scheduled
For more information, please call Bert & Lydia Infante, Special Event Coordinators at 818 991-0086.
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ORDINATION TO DIACONATE
This Friday, December 8th, Slawek Szkredka, our Polish seminarian intern these past two summers, will be ordained to the Order of Deacon at Sts. Cyril and Methodist Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan. He is being ordained to the Service of the Local Church of Los Angeles.
Father Bill, as his Pastoral Intern Pastor, was invited to participate and to vest the newly ordained Deacon. Please keep Slawek in your prayers.
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COLLECTION NEXT WEEKEND FOR RETIRED RELIGIOUS
They Have Been Generous To Us
Now It Is Our Turn To Be Generous To Them
The history of the Catholic Church in the United States of America is closely linked to the work of many, many Religious Men and Women. Most of the Religious Sisters, Religious Brothers, and Religious Priests left their families behind in foreign lands to come and help immigrants proclaim, teach, live, celebrate and pass-on their Catholic Christian Faith to their children. These were women and men who spent their lives building churches, opening schools, running hospitals and orphanages, and teaching the Faith. Their salaries did not include any form at all of health benefits or life insurance, or even any form of retirement plan. They gladly served with no thought for their own future.
This low-paid, no insurance benefit system, no Social Security, worked-well in the past as all communities had many young men and women joining them, who's low-income could support the older members. Today, however, with few young men and women giving their life to the Lord, this system has irretrievably broken-down and does not work! Today Religious Communities have more retired elderly members than active members. This is causing very serious financial problems. So many Religious Communities now must spend more for their older members or their sick members that they have little or no funds available to train or even seek new members. In fact, some Religious Communities cannot even afford to continue to do the work they gave their lives to accomplish.
Our American Bishops in response to this very serious financial crisis established a Retirement Fund to help all Religious Communities. Each December on the Second Sunday, we are asked to help those who have given so much.
The funds collected are divided among all Religious Communities, with a little extra for those in most need.
Next Weekend, Sister Kathy Bryant, will be here to share at all the Masses regarding this great need. Sister Kathy is also one of our Archdiocesan Vocation Directors.
Our Usher/Greeters are handing-out special envelopes today for this Collection next weekend.
For those who are tithing, this is another excellent and most worthwhile charity to donate your extra 5% of your Tithe Unto the Lord.
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