St. John's Adoration Chapel

St. John's Adoration Chapel
"Do Not Fear: I am with you. From here I will cast light Be sorry for sin."

Saturday, December 31, 2016

January 1, 2017 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Sunday, January 1
FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH-The
Divine Master, Way, Truth and Live
SOLEMNITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD
OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS
Nm 6: 22-27
Ps 67: 2-3, 5, 6, 8 (2a)
Gal 4: 4-7
Lk 2: 16-21

MONTHLY INTENTION: Religious and Priestly Vocations

Among zealous works, the problem of vocations occupies first place. Jesus did not begin His public ministry by preaching: He began it by making disciples (UPS 185).


FROM FATHER TOM: Principle here is clear but not in this sense only. We are in an age of machines, and there is a distinct awareness--even fear--that they will eliminate the need for people.  Not so and God will never allow His creation to be replaced by soulless steel.

In the prayer that he offered to the Lord in the morning with the chalic, his first thought was that of the Cooperators...and it is of intellectual, spiritual and economic collaboration (AD, 25)

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr Pierina giovannini FSP (1972)--Fr. Francesco Gatto IJP (1995)--Sr. Diomira Sossi FSP (1999)--Fr Ugo Gentile IJP (2000)--Fr. Frabcesci Ventura IJP (2000)--Sr. Gerardina Cundó FSP (2002)--Bro Celestino La Perna SSP (2003)--Fr. Mario Zappa SSP (2010)--Sr. M. Gualberta Gazzera PD (2013)--Annnie Inez Palmer (1983)


HAPPY NEW YEAR! MAY YOUR 2017 BE FILLED WITH EVERY BLESSING AND GOOD THING!

Friday, December 30, 2016

December 31, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberone and With Father Tom

Saturday, December 31
SEVENTH DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE
OF THE NATIVITY
ST SYLVESTER I, POPE
1 Jn 2: 18-21
Ps 96: 1-2, 11-13
Jn 1: 1-18

Let the earth rejoice, because through Jesus Christ she has been filled with every good thing (RSP p. 308).

From Father Tom: As we close another year, I wish you every blessing in 2017; and if in the meantime, the Divine Master has called me to render an account of my life, remember me in your fervent prayers.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr M Agostina Messa PD (1972)--Sr. M. Ignazia Biello PD (1988)--Fr. Giacomo Perino IJP (1990)--Fr. Giuseppe Di Matteo IJP (1995)--Fr. Giuseppe Quarta IJP (2997)--Sr. Govanna Coccato SGBP (2006)--Sr. M. Domenica San Martino FSP (2007)--Sr. Alfonsa Rittá FSP (2007)--Sr. M. Giuseppina Pratillo PD (2007)--Sr. M. Immacolatina Zuncheddu FSP (2014)

Thursday, December 29, 2016

December 30, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Alberione

Friday, December 30
THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH
Sir 3: 2-6, 12-14
Ps 128: 1-5
Mt 2: 13-15, 19-23

The families of St. Paul are born and grow on the model of the Family of Nazareth;and from Bethlehem, Nazareth, public life and Calvary they receive light, example and grace  (SP Jan 1935).

From Father Tom: And from the modern media the rest of the world receives examples that produce the very opposite.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Fr. Gustavo Montanari IJP (1987)--Sr. M. Caritas Escareno SSP (1991)--Fr. Antonio Vertuccio IJP (1994)--Liberata Stara HFI (1994)--Fr. Stanislao Cendron SSP (2002)--Fr. Ermenegildo Dall Cort SSP (2005)--Fr. Primo Guatta IJP (2005)--Sr. Mary Paul Landesma PD (2006)--Rosalia Lo Polito IAM (2008)--Alberto Bernabé HFI (2012)

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

December 29, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Thursday, December 29
ST THOMAS BECKET, BISHOP, MARTYR
1 Jn 2: 3-11
Ps 96: 1-6
Lk 2: 22-35

God is the great Father; Jesus Christ, the great King, Who will penetrate the inner recesses of the heart; for those who will accept Him, He will be a Savior; for those who will repudiate Him, He will be destruction (BM p. 543).

From Father Tom: Sobering thought when we look at today's Godless world.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr Maurilia Colangelo FSP (1946)--Fr. Pietro Delcampo SSP (1989)--Sr. Anselmina Cerri FSP (1994)--Sr. Panacea Mocci FSP (1998)--Sr. M. Cristina Godoy FSP (2010)--Bro Vincent Puthukadan SSP 92012)--Fr. Atanasio Taniguchi SSP (2010)--Sr. Bernardetta Marcon FSP (2013)--Mary Williams (2004)

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

December 28, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Wednesday, December 28
THE HOLY INNOCENTS, MARTYRS
1 Jn 1: 5-2: 2
Ps 124: 2-8
Mt 2: 13-18

The Lord uses pure souls for the glory of His Father, to accomplish the most wondrous works and often, to make a heroine of a weak creature (FSP 41, p. 133).

From Father Tom: And He also uses you and me; the thing is to be ready.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Bro. Giuseppe Caravina SSP (1970)--Maria Balint HFI (1986)--Sr Chrerubina Cordero FSP (1991)--Fr. Luigi Zanoni SSP (1995)--Fr. Remo Santi SSP (1996)--Sr. Luigina Borrano FSP (2002)--Fr. Giuseppe Amato IJP (2004)--Ramona Allen HFI (2008)--Sr. Paola Zampini SGBP (2013)--Michael A. Costello (1933)

Monday, December 26, 2016

December 27, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Tuesday, December 27
ST JOHN THE APOSTLE, EVANGELIST
1 Jn 1: 1-4
Ps 97: 31: 3-8, 16-17
Jn 20: 1-8

The writer is someone whose mind has penetrated God's truths and whose heart has meditated on them, recalling that many are being lost and loving souls like Jesus (Mihi vivere Christus est, 225).

From Father Tom: Many are being lost...what are you doing to spread our "Save the Dying Unprepared" Devotion?

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Rosa Lubinu FSP (1945)--Fr. Giovanni Castoldi SSP (1961)--Sr. Tecla Tochetto FSP (1965)--Sr. Secondina Pellerino FSP (1984)--Adelia Tommasini HFI (1992)--Antonio Melotto HFI (1993)--Fr. Alessandro Audino IJP (1995)--Fr. Giuseppe Volpini IJP (1999)--Mercedes Miguel Pereyra HFI (2006)--Sr. M. Adele Carrara FSP (2011).

Sunday, December 25, 2016

December 26, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Monday, December 26
ST STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR
Acts 6: 8-10; 7: 54-59
Ps 31: 3-8, 16-17
Mt 10: 17-22

In union with Mary, who adores in the manger, and in unison with the shepherds, let us sing the Magnificat anima mea Dominum: praise God, praise Mary's child (RSP p 313)

From Father Tom: One way of praising God and Mary is by obedience and also instant collaboration-doing what we're told and maybe more than we're told, reading the mind of (the) one telling us.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Agnese Manera FSP (1982)--Bro Giovanni Manfredi SSP (1987)--Fr. Pietro Occelli SSP (1994)--Sr. M. Ecsira Ferrero PD (1996)--Fr. Paolo Ruggeri SSP (2003)--Mario Vattovani HFI (2003)--Sr. M. Goretti Marianna PD (2004)--Sr. Lorenzina Pangrazi SGBP (2006)--Sr. Giuliana De Santis FSP (2011)--Grazia Curto HFI (2011)--Bro Robert Santoro SSP (2012)--Lena Piampiano (1991)--Richard L. Haas (2011)

Saturday, December 24, 2016

December 25, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Sunday, December 25
THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
(CHRISTMAS)
Vigil: Is 62: 1-5/Acts 13: 16-17, 22-25/Mt 1: 1-25
Night: Is 9: 1-6/ Ti 2: 11-14/Lk 2: 1-14
Dawn: Is 62: 11-12/ Ti 3: 4-7/Lk 2: 15-20
Day: Is: 52: 7-10/ Heb 1: 1-6/Jn 1: 1-18

The Child will be called "Prince of Peace," Men look for peace in so many ways and through so many means, but this peace does not exist except in God, in Jesus Christ, in His Gospel (RSP, p 310).

From Father Tom: Peace is defined as "the tranquility of order". The key here is "order". The opposite is "disorder" and contention.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Carla M. Bovio FSP (1970)--Bro. Elia Orsini SSP (1981)--Sr. Angela De Rubertis FSP (1989)--Mario Zanini GABRIELITE (1990)--Fr. Lucas Caravina SSP (1998)--Fr. Vito Raimondo IJP (1999)--Fr. Augustine Ampattukuzhy SSP (2005)--Sr. M. Fulgenzia Bellagamba PD (2011)

As We Prepare for You Coming Dear Lord...


~ From the Catholic Company

Friday, December 23, 2016

December 24, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Saturday, December 24
ADVENT WEEKDAY
2 Sm 7: 1-5, 8-12
Ps  89: 2-5, 27, 29
Lk 1: 67-79

The grotto of Bethlehem was very lowly , but Jesus was there, Mary was there, Joseph was there. Let us start always from small beginnings and add whatever is possible every day. In that ways Providence accompanies us and the Lord is our Father (SP May 1957).

From Father Tom: If you start from the top...there's only one way to go!

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M. Martina Albano PD (1986)--Sr. Assunta Romeo SGBP (2001)--Fr. Rocco Fortunato IJP (2001)--Pietro Celli HFI (2007)--Fr. Aldo Cristofani IJP (2010)--Samuel & Ellenor Yambrik Skvarka (no year).

Thursday, December 22, 2016

December 23, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Friday, December 23
ST JOHN OF KANTY, PRIEST
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Mal 3: 1-4, 23-24
Ps  25: 4-5, 8-10, 14
Lk 1: 57-66

From the manger Jesus extends His hands for the first time to offer Himself to all of us--something He will do for the rest of His life (BM, p. 536).

From Father Tom: And we can imitate Him.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M. Rosa Gerlotto FSP (1936)--Sr. M. Alicia Hierro Ruiz FSP (1970)--Sr. Lucidia Cardona FSP (1991)--Sr. M. Lucinia Stella PD (2003)--Sr. M. Luisa Macellari PD (2004)--Maria Salaris HFI (2007)--Sr. M. Zita Braida FSP (2011)--Sr. M. Nazarena Yamaguchi FSP (2013)--Sr. M. Livia Bovio FSP (2014).

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

December 22, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Thursday, December 22
ADVENT WEEKDAY
1 Sm 1: 24-28
1 Sm (Ps) 2: 1-8
Lk 1: 46-56

Among all the divine attributes, in the Incarnation, mercy shines out. It is God, Who instead of taking revenge on sinful man, sends His Son to save him (BM, p. 538).

From Father Tom: No note from Father Tom 

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M. Ausilia Baggio PD (1951)--Sr. M. Gesualda Rocchi FSP (1969)--Sr. Anna Mocci FSP (1987)--Fr. Luigi Lenta SSP (1997)--Sr. Rufina Facchiano FSP (2000)--Sr. Paola Mannai SGBP (2001)--Sr. Fausta Lorenzo FSP (2008)--Sr. M. Arcangela Hashiguchi PD (2009)--Sr. Teresina Bonini FSP (2010)--Florencio Miguel Angel Rodriguez Romero HFI (2010)

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

December 21, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Wednesday, December 21
ST PETER CANISIUS, PRIEST,
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Sg 2: 8-14
Ps 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21
Lk 1: 39-45
May Jesus Christ spread out light and joy to the world; may men and nations accept Him. In Him is the Way, the Truth and the Life (BM, p. 538).

From Father Tom: Do you pray with this formula: Jesus Truth, show me what to do; Jesus Way, show me how to do it; Jesus Life, bless what I do?

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M. Bonaria De Sabbata FSP (1973)--Sr. Irma Antinozzi FSP (1999)--Fr Angelo Dalmonte IJP (1999)--Fr. Ezio Acciai IJP (2000)--Bro Jorge Chaparro SSP (2003)--Sr. M. Adelia Gasparini PD (2004)--Sr. M. Santina Pettinati FSP (2005)--Leni Perotto IAM (2009)--Sr. Rina Ivana Prandi FSP (2010)--Fr. Paul Maruthanakuzhyil SSP (2011)--Sr. Inacia Prandi FSP (2011)--Olga Longaretti IAM (2013)--Mike Ducote (2001)

Monday, December 19, 2016

December 20, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Tuesday, December 20
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Is 7: 10-14
Ps 24: 1-6
Lk 1: 26-38

Don't yearn after human goals. Jesus was born in the grotto of Bethlehem were there were no material riches, but in it were the Virgin Mother, St. Joseph and the incarnate Son of God (APD 1947, 570-571).

From Father Tom: No comment from Father Tom

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M. Lucilla Di Bianca PD (1985)--Mario Ferrara HFI (1997)--Sr. Angela Festari FSP (2000)--John Yuska (no year).

The Best Way to Become Detached...


"Could it be that the best way to become detached is to have an overwhelming attachment to God?"



Sunday, December 18, 2016

December 19, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Monday, December 19
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Jgs 13: 2-7, 24-25
Ps 71: 3-6, 16-17
Lk 1: 5-25

Strain forward each day, never stop, neither on the way ot holiness or in the work of the apostolate. Move on!(MSP 55, p. 185).

From Father Tom: No comment from Father Tom

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Giacinat Gomes FSP (1966)--Fr. Carmine Salerni SSP (1981)--Sr. Giuseppina Albesiano FSP (1983)--Fr. Girolamo Gasolari SSP (1990)--Fr. ascual Leviste SSP (2000)--Sr. M. Antonietta Mineo PD (2003)--Bro Salvatore Giseipppino Lanza SSP (2011)--Sr. Angelina Barattin SGBP (2011)

December 18, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Sunday, December 18
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT 
Is 7: 10-14
Ps 24:1-6
Rom 1: 1-7
Mt 1: 18-24

May Mary, the Mother of Jesus, place her little Baby during this Christmas, not on the cold and hard straw, but in your warm, humble and generous hearts (Considerate la vocazione, p. 508)

From Father Tom: No comment from Father Tom

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M. Angioletta Miyazaki pD (2006)--Fr. Giuseppe Cinaglia SSP (2008)--Sr. M. Epifania Bassi FSP (2009)--Sr. M. Amalia Racelis FSP (2014)

Friday, December 16, 2016

December 17 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Saturday, December 17
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Gn 49: 2, 8-10
Ps 72: 1-4, 7-8, 17
Mt 1: 1-17

St. Joseph is the model of adoring souls. Let us be faithful companions of the Tabernacle following his example (Considerate la vostra vocazione, p. 508).

From Father Tom: No comment from Father Tom.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr Matilde Gastaldi FSP (2000)--Giuseppina Miscali IAM (2005)--Demetrina Schirra IAM (2005)--Sr. M. Ottavia Tonet FSP (2011)--Fr. Romano Carieri IJP (2013)--Howard Nephew (1959)--Johnny Preston (1983)--John Banahan (no year)

December 17, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Friday, December 16
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Is 56: 1-8
Ps 67: 2-8
Jn 5: 33-36

Our manger is the altar and it is especially here that man meets God and becomes part of the divine family (RSP, p. 306).

From Father Tom: Every priest should feel this, but too many "want to get it over" and fail to appreciate the blessings of our vocation.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Fr. Luigi Iannelli IJP (1980)--Luisa Dotti IAM (1995)--Fr. Giacomo Baricalla SSP (1996)--Fr. Luigi Sbravati IJP (1996)--Sr. Clementina Laudanno FSP (2003)--Sr. M. Teodolinda Longo PD (2005)--Fr. Giovanni Piazza SSP (2006)--Anna Maria Orru HFI (2008).

Getting Ready For Christmas and Advent Week 7


PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK SEVEN

It’s the fourth week of Advent! December 16-23: This past week we’ve been focusing on the theme of JOY, and this week we move to the fourth theme: LOVE.    God is love. We’ve heard the phrase so much that it’s become a truism; but stop this week and really think about it. God. Is. Love.

If you want to know how to love each other, look at the love that sent Jesus to earth to live a life of love and pay the price for all of our sins. It's all about love. This isn't a love of fancy words and impossible tasks. This is a love that says, "I am willing to love you no matter what.” We can love because God first loved us.

What to do this week:  This can be a very hectic week, but hopefully you’ve reduced the stress by following this guide and planning ahead. Still, there’s no getting around the fact that there is present-wrapping, cooking and baking to be done, and eventually stockings to be stuffed. Breathe deeply when you start feeling stressed, and say a simple prayer: “O come, o come, Emmanuel.”  What Advent activity did you choose for your family to do? Revisit it this week.  Enjoy the week! Invite carolers in for hot cider, or go caroling yourself.  If this is the week you put up and decorate your Christmas tree, make sure to refer to the end of this guide for a blessing.  Family activities: o Share a time in your life when you felt most loved by God. o Invite a friend to Christmas mass at your parish. Most people become a part of a church because they're invited by a friend. o Are you striving to love people the same way Christ loved you? o Watch a movie that depicts the life of Christ, such as The Young Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, or The Nativity Story. Consider the difference in the fictional tales of Christmas and the true story of Jesus' birth.


© 2016 Daughters of St. Paul – Find us online at www.pauline.org 21
Advent Wreath, Week Four of Advent

Involve your whole family in the prayers and readings of the Advent wreath. Assign different parts to different family members ahead of time.

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we light all four candles on our Advent wreath. Christmas is now just days away. Anticipation is mounting. The light is increasing! The fourth candle of Advent is the Candle of love. God’s love is a perfect love. It holds nothing back. God, in love, gives us everything we need to live a life of hope and peace.

Once the candle has been lit for this fourth Sunday in Advent, then do this reading together:

Person A:  In those days Caesar Augustus published a decree ordering a census of the whole world. Everyone went to register, each to his own town.

Person B: And so Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to David’s town of Bethlehem, to register with Mary, his espoused wife, who was with child.

Person C: While they were there the days of her confinement were completed. She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the place where travelers lodged.

Person D: There were shepherds in that locality, living in the fields and keeping night watch by turns over their flocks. The angel of the Lord appeared to them as the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very much afraid.

All: The angel said to them, “You have nothing to fear! I come to proclaim good news to you—tidings of great joy to be shared by the whole people. This day in David’s city a savior has been born to you, the Messiah and Lord.”

© 2016 Daughters of St. Paul – Find us online at www.pauline.org 22
Prayer for the week God of Love, Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us. He is a sign of your love. Help us walk in that love during the Christmas season, As we wait and prepare for his coming. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

Reading for the week Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in high heaven, peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another: “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us.” They went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger; once they saw, they understood what had been told them concerning this child.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

December 15, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Thursday, December 15
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Is 54: 1-10
Ps 30: 2-6, 11-13
Lk 7: 24-30

Form people to have a strong, decisive personality, one that is based on deep convictions and always persevering in following them (SP Sep-Oct 1953).

From Father Tom: A good rule...as long as the "strong, decisive personality" is also prepared to do what he or she is told.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: José Lomeli HFI (1993)--Sr. M. Lorenza Pinna PD (2006)--Sr. M. Bruna Rantucci FSP (2007)--Sr. Diomira Trolli FSP (2010)--Runo Paulon HFI (2010).

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

December 14, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Wednesday, December 14
ST JOHN OF THE CROSS, PRIEST,
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
Is 45: 6-8, 18, 21-15
Ps 85: 9-14
Lk 7: 18-23

One's actions can evade the human eye, but not the eyes of God (BM 97)

From Father Tom: True, but sinners don't think normally of being under the gaze of God--maybe don't believe in Him. Their main problem is not to be seen by "human" eyes.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Margherita Binello FSP (1976)--Sr. M. Renata Giaccardi PD (1993)--Mons. Enea Selis IJP (1999)--Sr. Bianca Tommaselli FSP (2006)--Fr. Lino Grossi IJP (2006)--Dalma Arena De Mattar HFI (2006)--Charlotte Ducote HFI (2007)--Sr. M. Esther Martinez Duran FSP (2012)--Fr. Harry Barry (2003)--Mary Avitabile (2006)--Anthony Menellia (2010).

Monday, December 12, 2016

December 13, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Tuesday, December 13
ST LUCY, VIRGIN, MARTYR
Zep 3: 1-2, 9-13
Ps 34: 2-3, 6-7, 17-19
Mt 21: 28-32

Lying through your actions is more harmful and hateful than lying through your words (BM p. 96).

From Father Tom: We might repeat the old proverb: "Evil communications corrupt good manners."

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Domenica Laus (FSP 1933)--Sr. M. Albina Pepino PD (1957)--Sr. M. Graziella Justo PD (1978)--Sr. M. Elia Ferrero PD (1987)--Sr. Janina Casimira Kakol FSP (1989)--Fr. Ignazio Maritano SSP (1996)-- Sr. M. Teresa Fusar-Poli FSP (1997)--Fr. Francesco Occhiogrosso IJP (1997)--Bro. Bruno Bonamigo SSP (2001)--Sr. Giovanna Baxiu FSP (2012)--Scotty Avitabile (2006)--Anthony J. Madeline, Jr. (2012)

Sunday, December 11, 2016

December 12, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Monday, December 12
Our Lady of Guadaupe
Zec 2: 14-17
JDT 13(PS): 18BCDE, 19
Lk 1: 26-381

Meditation leads to silence and in silence Jesus speaks. If you are conversing with others, the Lord does not interrupt you; the Lord waits for you to become silent (FSP 52, p. 417).

From Father Tom: Sometimes. But we can also hear a sharp, personal imitation to change, if the conversation is sinful or at least unhelpful.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M. Callista De Michelis PD (1988)--Sr. M. Romana Battistella FSP (1996)--Sr. M. Dolores Bonfe FSP (1999)--Sr. M. Leonia Nota FSP (1999)--Teresa De Maria IAM (2006)--Sr. M. Jolanda Furukawa PD (2011)--Sr. M. Teresita Conti FSP (2014)

Saturday, December 10, 2016

December 11, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Sunday, December 11
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT 
Is 35: 1-10
Ps 146: 6-10
Jas 5: 7-10
Mt 11: 2-11

Joy must never exceed the limit and arrive at sin or disorder (RSP, p. 308).

From Father Tom: "Exceed the limit" seems to mean rejoicing over the suffering of another or something similar. But we know that none of our members would be guilty of such conduct.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Celeste Ghislandi FSP (1960)--Sr. M. Romana Rotta FSP (1960)--Sr. M. Giacinta Gerrero PD (1986)--Sr. M. Cecilia Madrigal FSP (1992)--Giuseppe Cappella HFI (1995)--Sr. Vittorina M. Guarda FSP (2009)--Rodolfo Palieri HFI (2011)--Sr. M. Paolina Zocchio PD (2013).

Getting Ready for Christmas and Advent Week 6

PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK SIX

It’s the third week of Advent! December 9-16: This past week we’ve been focusing on the theme of PEACE, and this week we move to the third theme: JOY.    Joy. It’s not part of our common vocabulary, is it? No one gets up and thinks, “Wow, I’m feeling really joyful today.” It denotes something more substantial than happiness, something deeper and in many ways more subtle.

Part of our problem is that we’ve got the wrong idea about joy. We tend to connect it with happiness and think that joy depends on our circumstances. You can’t have joy by going from one party to another or frantically racing through the shopping mall. In fact, going to the mall this time of year is an excellent way to lose your joy. (Ray Pritchard)
For many of us, Christmas is the time when we do actually think most about joy, if only because the carols we sing keep reminding us of it. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come,” “O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,” “Shepherds, why this jubilee, why your joyous strains prolong?” “Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice,” “Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies, with th’ angelic host proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.’”
Our joy comes from the knowledge of God’s love, expressed to us through the most amazing of Christmas presents, the gift of his son. He loved you so much that he sent Jesus. How can you not be joyful?
What to do this week:

 Are all the batteries you’ll be needing recharged? If you’ve bought gifts that require batteries, now’s the time to make sure you have the right sizes. And if your camera or other equipment requires batteries, you’ll need to purchase or recharge them now.  If this is the week that you put up and decorate your tree, go for it! There’s a blessing at the end of this guide.  Make sure that you have boxes or tins for your Christmas baking.
© 2016 Daughters of St. Paul – Find us online at www.pauline.org 18
 What Advent activity did you choose for your family to do? Revisit it this week.  Family activities: o Invite each family member to share one thing that they're trusting God to handle. o Write a note to someone who is experiencing fear and worry. Let them know you're praying that God will give them the courage they need. o Make an inventory of the things that bring you joy. o Make the time and space to share a meal and a fun experience. This is such a busy week! Don't miss the joy of sharing the experience of Advent with each other.

Advent Wreath, Week Three of Advent

Involve your whole family in the prayers and readings of the Advent wreath. On the third Sunday of Advent, we light three candles. Watch the light grow and fill the room with its soft glow. The third candle on our Advent wreath is called the Shepherds’ Candle. It reminds us of what the shepherds did. The third candle of Advent is also the candle of joy. When the angel Gabriel told Mary that a special child would be born to her she was filled with joy. She sang a song that began with the words: “My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior."

Assign different parts to different family members ahead of time. Once the candle has been lit for this third Sunday in Advent, then do this reading together:

Person A:  Such was his intention when suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream and said to him:

Person B: “Joseph, Son of David, have no fear about taking Mary as your wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child.

Person C: She is to have a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”

© 2016 Daughters of St. Paul – Find us online at www.pauline.org 19

Person D: All this happened to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

All: “The virgin shall be with child and give birth to a son, and they shall call him Emmanuel.”

Prayer for the week God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Our Father…

Reading for the week O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appears Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Friday, December 9, 2016

December 10, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Saturday, December 10
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Sir 48: 1-4, 9-11
Ps 80: 2-3, 15-19
Mt 17: 9-13

Let what is true, good and useful be thought about, willed, imagined, remembered, desired and loved (BM 254).

From Father Tom: So we need to banish not just "bad" thoughts but equally negative, pessimistic and hopeless reflections. Even in the worse situations, the all-powerful God has the solution.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Fr. Michelino Gagna SSP (1961)--Mons Angelo Campagna IJP (1990)--Sr. Antonietta Sandri FSP (1993)--Sr. M. Luisa Perlini PD (2000)--Sr. Rosaria Scaini SGBP (2001)---Maria Bacca IAM (2004)--Sr. M. Marcella Lucrezi FSP (2005)--Sr. Angelina Fabbris FSP (2008)--Luigi Zecca HFI (2011)

Thursday, December 8, 2016

December 9, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Friday, December 9
ST JUAN DIEGO CUAUHTLATOATZIN
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Is 48: 17-19
Ps 1:1-6
Mt 11: 16-19

Let us ask the Madonna for the grace to be humble and wise. Humility makes us stay in our place; wisdom makes us find the way to be always ready, always exact in all things (Ven. M. Scolastica Rivata).

From Father Tom: I met M. Scolastica just once. I said: "This is the book you wanted. "She said: "Grazie." So I'm unable to give a character analysis!

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M Graziana Santini FSP (1963)--Sr. M. Rosa Cacciatore FSP (1981)--Domenica Nardis HFI (2005)--Sr. Josefina Glassmann FSP (2006)--Sr.M. AgostinaPellachin FSP (2007)--Sr. M. Natalia Bonifacio FSP (2007)--Sr. Onise Theresa Sassi FSP (2008)--Helen Chevraux HFI (2008)--Sr. Tarcisia M. Cescatti FSP (2011)--Marjorie Seammen Bowe (2009).

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

December 8, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Thursday, December 8
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF
THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION
Gn 3: 9-15, 20
Ps 80: 1-4
Eph 1: 3-12
Lk 1: 26-38

The devotees of Mary Immaculate pray to her for all of humanity, they believe in this privilege with lively faith; they desire to contemplate the beauty of the Mother of God and ours in Heaven (BM, p. 538).

From Father Tom: "Ours in Heaven?"  Hmm...maybe better to concentrate on the Mother of God.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. M Aracoeli Venturi PD (1983)--Fr. Vincenzo De Luis SSP  (1985)--Gorizia D'Amicantonio IAM (1991)--Claudia Supino HFI (1999)--Fr. Silvino Ceccomancini IJP (2006)--Sr. M. Fidelis Cecchetto PD (2012)--Antonio Lopez (2004).

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

December 7, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With FatherTom

Wednesday, December 7
FIRST WEDNESDAY IN THE MONTH--
ST JOSEPH
ST AMBROSE, BISHOP, 
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH,
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Is 40: 25-31
Ps 103: 1-4, 8-10
Mt 11: 28-30

St. Ambrose says: "From the heights of heaven Jesus comes; let the numb soul wake up and not sleep any more in darkness" (BM 528).

From Father Tom: Does the soul sleep? No, but it can be more or less aware of right and wrong and can waste time in that unawareness.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Maria Verdone FSP (1971)--Sr. M. Ifigenia Licausi PD (1983)--Pasqualina La Rizza HFI (2004)--Fr. Carlo Favilli IJP (2011).

Monday, December 5, 2016

December 6, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Tuesday, December 6
FIRST TUESDAY IN THE MONTH--
The Souls in Purgatory
ST NICHOLAS, BISHOP
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Is 40: 1-11
Ps 96: 1-3, 10-13
Mt 18: 12-14

The person whom God esteems is really good, not the one who esteems himself (FSP 31, p 256).

From Father Tom: Nonetheless, we must have some self-esteem, or we will fail to make a reasonable contribution to society and to the Church.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Sr. Anna Merla FSP (1946)--Fr. Tito Armani SSP (1980)--Sr. M. Massimiliana Concas PD (1998)--Sr. M. Stefana Servetti PD (2003)--Nicoletta Di Carlo IAM (2009)--Louis Peter Mennella (2015).

Sunday, December 4, 2016

December 5, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Monday, December 5
FIRST MONDAY IN THE MONTH--
St. Paul
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Is 35: 1-10
Ps 85: 9-14
Lk 5: 17-26

To help one another mutually is a great good, an encouragement, a guarantee of walking constantly on the right road (BM, p. 366)

From Father Tom: And it can also happen that our willingness to help all and sundry will create a more positive and progressive atmosphere--an unexpected plus.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Fr. Luigi Bogliaccino SSP (1967)--Sr. Edvige Soldano FSP (1983)--Fr. Cirillo Tomatis SSP (1988)--Sr. Maria Mattarei FSP (2000)--Fr. Giuseppe Pasquali SSP (2002)--Sr. M. Venanzia Scotto PD (2010)--Sr. M. Paolina Hagiwara FSP (2012)--Nicola Trotta HFI (2013)--Madeline Barbara Piatt (2002)

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Getting Ready for Advent & Christmas 2016 Week 5


PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK FIVE 

It’s the second week of Advent! December 2-9: This past week we’ve been focusing on the theme of HOPE, and this week we move to the second theme: PEACE. 

The coming of Christ is the coming of the Prince of Peace, and while the world around us might not reflect it, we can strive to have peace in our hearts.  

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6). 

In a world filled with war and violence, it’s difficult to see how Jesus could be an all-powerful God who acts in human history and be the embodiment of peace. But physical safety and political harmony don’t necessarily reflect the kind of peace that Jesus brings (John 14:27). 

What to do this week: 

 This week is your week to send out those Christmas cards that you bought back in Week Two of this planner. Put on some music, heat up some apple cider, and get your address book out! You’ve already bought your stamps, so put it all together and you’re good to go.  What Advent activity did you choose for your family to do? Revisit it this week.  Make sure that you haven’t forgotten anything at the store, because you want this to be the last time you have to go. Wrapping paper? Tape? Stocking stuffers?   Don’t forget a thank-you gift for all the people who make your life easier: your letter carrier, your trash collector, office support personnel, bank tellers.  If you bake Christmas cookies, now’s the time to plan them out and purchase all the necessary ingredients.  Family activities: o Identify distractions. Don't allow the stress of the Christmas season to distract you from what is really is important. Spend more time 
© 2016 Daughters of St. Paul – Find us online at www.pauline.org 15 
with the family and less time at the mall. Simplify your life. Be still and listen to God's voice.  o Notice God's hand. Reflect on this past year. Perhaps you, like many, have faced financial difficulty. Or maybe you've escaped danger or disease through an unforeseen miracle. Perhaps this year has been a time of suffering or relationship disasters. How has God carried you through all these things?  o Ask God to give you direction. 


Advent Wreath, Week Two of Advent 

Involve your whole family in the prayers and readings of the Advent wreath. Assign different parts to different family members ahead of time. Once the candle has been lit for this second Sunday in Advent, then do this reading together: 

Person A: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,  

Person B: out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. 

Person C: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah 

All: For out of you shall come a Ruler, who will shepherd my people Israel. 

Prayer for the week 
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is discord, union. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. 
© 2016 Daughters of St. Paul – Find us online at www.pauline.org 16 

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; For it is in giving that we receive, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  (prayer for peace of St. Francis of Assisi) 
Reading for the week For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:5)

~the Daughters of St. Paul

December 4, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Sunday, December 4
FIRST SUNDAY IN THE MONTH--
The Divine Master, Way, Truth, and Life
SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT 
Is 11: 10
Ps 72: 1-2, 7-17
Rom 15: 4-9
Mt 3: 1-12

People leave the church after Adoration with greater courage, with greater energy for doing good and with many consolations (RSP p. 312)

From Father Tom: Yes, but the time spent in church must be well used. If we are distracted by the thought of where we put the key of the car...

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Bro Giuseppe Solero SSP (1974)--Sr. Ignazia Armani SGBP (1993)--Bro Silvano M. De Blasio SSP (1994)--Bro Dominic Lakra SSP (2008)--Bro Ottorino Gandelli SSP (2010)

Friday, December 2, 2016

December 3, 2016 With Blessed Father Alberione and With Father Tom

Saturday, December 3
FIRST SATURDAY IN THE MONTH--
Mary, Queen of Apostles
ST FRANCIS XAVIER, PRIEST
ADVENT WEEKDAY
Is 30: 19-21-26
Ps 147: 1-6
Mt 9: 35-10: 1, 5-8

"If you want to send missionaries to evangelize, people will not be lacking," was said to me recently (SP Jun 1949).

From Father Tom: People, yes, but open to evangelization? It's not a question of number but out of their dispositions and our prayers.

Please Pray for Our Deceased: Renata Vicini IAM (1971)--Fr. Antonio Gratilli SSP (1993)--Sr. Alexandrina Crivelli FSP (2005)--Sr. M. Domenica Fugiwara PD (2005)--Aurielio Facchini HFI (2006)--Sr. M. Gloria Hounau FSP (2007)--Sr. M. Ciarina Pastorino PD (2009)--Mary Byehn (1990)--Vera H. Haas (2010)--Pearl Kranske--Richard Cooper (no years)

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Getting Ready for Advent & Christmas 2016 Week 4


PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK FOUR 

Welcome to Advent! November 25-December 2: Now is the time to focus on the themes of Advent, and the first one is HOPE. 

Some of what you do this week will be predicated by your family’s traditions. Some families put up their Christmas trees the first week of Advent, while others wait until Christmas Eve. At the end of this guide is a blessing for the Christmas tree; whenever you put it up, make sure that you gather the family and say the blessing before you decorate it. 

Hope and waiting go hand in hand. Waiting is difficult! We expect everything to be at our fingertips the moment we have the desire for it. It's a world that we're all growing into, and it's addicting. We live in a world of easy downloads, instantaneous email, entertainment on-demand, and food prepared in a few minutes. Yet God finds ways of making us wait. 

Advent is about faith and waiting. What are you waiting on God for this year? Remember the years of silence as God's people waited for the Messiah. Take time today, right now, to reflect on the fact that God's timing is quite different from ours. 

What to do this week: 

 This is the week to wrap and mail Christmas gifts that are going to friends and family far away. There won’t be long lines at the post office, and you’ll be secure in the knowledge that everything was received in good time to be placed under other people’s trees.  This is also the week to find out from your children’s school(s) what will be required of you for the season. Many schools have holiday parties to which you’ll want to contribute. Find out all the specifics so there’s no panic the night before (“But Mom, I said I’d bring three dozen cookies!”)   Family activities: o This is the beginning of a new year. Create a decorative graffiti poster of things you have faith God will do for you in the coming year. This is a great time to teach your children about the concept of faith. Display it in a prominent place in your home. 
© 2016 Daughters of St. Paul – Find us online at www.pauline.org 11 
o Encourage someone you know who is weary of waiting. Remind them of God's promises. 

In fact, the best way to have the best Advent ever is to make of many of the activities a family ritual. Many of the Advent activities we suggested you think about lend themselves to the family gathering and “performing” them together: the lighting of the Advent wreath, the placing of the elements of your nativity scene, the decorating of the Christmas tree. These gestures are not meaningful in and of themselves; we are the ones to imbue them with meaning. By creating memorable activities around Advent, you’re giving a lasting gift to your children, who will be able to pass them on in turn. 

This week’s theme is hope, and there are a number of activities that you can do. Sit together and have everyone write down what they hope for in life. Is it world peace? A good job? Joining a sports team? Taking a class? We hope for many things in life, and looking at what it is that we hope for helps us grow as individuals. What are your hopes for your family? Write them all down on bits of paper and put them into a jar with the label HOPE on it. You can revisit them next year and see if any of them have come true, or if you changed the things that you hope for. 

Putting Jesus first, this first week of Advent, means keeping hope alive in our hearts. We hope that the coming of Christ into our world will sanctify that world, and that we can be the instruments of God’s hope for humanity. 

Try and make a practice of praying together every evening. It’s not always possible, life gets in the way; but if you try to do it every night, then you will end up doing it more often than if you just sit back and see when it’s convenient. One excellent practice is to light the candles on your Advent wreath together every night.  

The Advent Wreath 

The Advent wreath is circular: it has no beginning and no end, reminding us both of God’s unending love for us and of the gift of his Son Jesus, who said that he was the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Many Advent wreaths 
© 2016 Daughters of St. Paul – Find us online at www.pauline.org 12 
are made of fresh evergreens, representing a sign of life in a lifeless winter. They point to new life and the hope of eternal life that we find in Christ.  

The five candles contrast darkness and light. They are lit in succession, one more each week as we count the Sundays in Advent, waiting for Christ's birth, the wreath getting brighter and brighter as we move closer and closer to the light. We are also reminded of those who waited thousands of years for the Messiah. Three of the candles are purple, the traditional color of royalty and of penitence, used in the seasons of preparation. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, a fifth candle— the Christ candle—can be lit. Jesus is the light of the world, and the darkness has not put that light out.  

Candle one (purple) represents hope. It is often called the prophets’ candle. Candle two (purple) represents peace. It is often called the angels’ candle. Candle three (pink) represents joy. It is often called the shepherds’ candle. Candle four (purple) represents love. It is often called the Bethlehem candle. Many advent wreaths also include a Christ candle in the middle of the wreath. 

As you light the candles, note both the increasing light as we draw closer to the Light of the World, and also pay attention to the theme of that week. 


 Advent Wreath, Week One of Advent 

Involve your whole family in the prayers and readings of the Advent wreath. Assign different parts to different family members ahead of time. Once the candle has been lit for this first Sunday in Advent, then do this reading based on Genesis 1:1-5: 

Person A: In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep.  

Person B: A wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light."  

Person C: And there was light. And God saw that the light was good. 

Person D: God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.  

All: And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 

Prayer for the week Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to prepare the way for our salvation, as we light this candle and begin this new Advent season, shine the light of your hope into our hearts and into our world, give us grace to heed the words of the prophets, to live in hope of the coming of Christ, not just as a baby in Bethlehem but also at the end of time. Amen. Our Father… 

Reading for the week The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him. (Psalms 72:10-11)