Brothers and Sisters,
Happy New Year!
I pray that you and your family are enjoying a blessed Christmas Season. Thank you to all who participated in our Advent and Christmas liturgies. I offer a special thanks to our musicians, choirs, directors, liturgical ministers, and deacons for their dedication.
This Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word "epiphany" means an appearance or manifestation of God, in this sense, when human beings realize that they're in the presence of the divine. There are several such encounters in the Scriptures. They include Moses and the Burning Bush in the Book of Exodus, the Prophet Elijah on Mount Sinai, and the apostles Peter, James, and John standing before a glorified Jesus in the Transfiguration.
And then there is the Epiphany encountered by the Three Kings, a.k.a. the Magi, a.k.a. the Wise Men. Although there is a later tradition in which they are named Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar. In the Scriptures, they are anonymous. They are also foreigners and Gentiles, who have previously worshipped false gods. Yet they have followed a Star of Hope to offer their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Child Jesus. The gifts represent the kingship of Jesus, His divinity, and His future death and resurrection. These pagan foreigners realize that the Word of God has been manifested in human flesh and of the Incarnation in the person of Jesus.
The Three Kings offer their gifts in recognition. They also offer their worship of the True God whom Jesus reveals to the world.
Blessing of the Home on Epiphany
A wonderful devotional practice to celebrate the Epiphany this Sunday is to bless our homes by writing the following symbol above the main entrance:
20 + C + M + B + 24
Three letters represent the Latin phrase "Christus Mansionem Benedicat" (Christ Bless this House). The three crosses represent the Holy Trinity and the numbers are for the calendar year.
There is blessed chalk, and instructions for the blessing, in the church commons and you are welcome to take home this weekend for this blessing.
50th Anniversary of the Diocese
Copies of "Together, Our Faith Goes Further: An Illustrated History of the Diocese of Tulsa" are now available in the church commons for a suggested donation of $10 each. It is a graphic novel of the history of the Catholic Church in eastern Oklahoma. It was commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of our Diocese.
Our Parish
Congratulations to the Fagerlund and Hehmann families who presented children for baptism last weekend.
On Thursday evenings in January, our parish will be hosting the Vianney Night Adoration for Vocations from 7:00-8:00 PM. Everyone, especially young adults, is welcome to participate. A light reception will be held after.
As part of the Eucharistic Revival in our parish, we are starting a new devotional practice. On the First Friday of each month, there will be extended times of adoration in the St. Scholastica Chapel, starting at 9:00 AM on Friday and continuing through the night and concluding at 1:00 PM on Saturday. All are welcome to take part.
First Saturday Mass will be tomorrow at 8:30 AM with a Rosary after led by the Men of Saint Benedict.
Monday, January 8 will be a busy day at the parish. We will be hosting a blood drive from 3:00-7:00 PM in McGuire Hall North. Walk-ins are welcome or you can sign up below. Both the Men of Saint Benedict and the Women's Club will also meet at 6:30 PM.
Future Events
There will be brunch in McGuire Hall for new parishioners after the 9:00 AM Mass on Sunday, January 21.
Bishop Konderla will be with us at the 5:00 PM Mass on Sunday, January 28 to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Our next Parish Mission will be on February 5, 6, & 7. Fr. Tom McCarthy, OSA, preaches on the theme of What it Means to be a Catholic Today.
God bless and keep you safe.
Fr. Bryan
