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Homily: Saint Joseph the Worker, May 1

June 12, 2019 / Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

Pontifical North American College

Saint Joseph the Worker

Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

May 1, 2019

We just heard in the first reading from the Letter to the Colossians:

Over all these things put on love . . . let the peace of Christ control your hearts . . . do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus . . . be slaves of Christ the Lord.

An old Hungarian folk story is about a priest and a young man in the middle ages who are walking through the city square where the annual fair is being held—and there are all sorts of food and drink and games being sold and enjoyed.

As they walk through the square, they pass a young man a woman in an embrace—and the priest says to the young man—see they are slaves of what people call love. They walk on a bit farther and come upon a table of people downing sausages and bread and washing it all down with beer—and the priest says to the young man—see they are slaves of food. And they walk on further and come upon people seated at what we would call today call a “board game”—and the priest says to the young man—see they are slaves of games.

And the young man turns to the priest and asks: Father, are we all slaves—and the priest says to the young man—yes. And the young man asks the priest whose slaves are we—and the priest says: We are slaves of God.

We are slaves of God—that might sound a bit shocking—but it is actually a blessing. To return to the Letter to the Colossians: Over all these things put on love . . . let the peace of Christ control your hearts . . . do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus . . . be slaves of Christ the Lord.

To be a slave of the One who brings genuine love and true peace—can only be a blessing. To serve and foster that is nothing less than absolute grace and real freedom—a taste of heaven on earth.

Today, we celebrate Saint Joseph the Worker, an optional memorial—and liturgically much less than the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which we celebrated on March 19^th.

Today’s is a recent celebration—having been instituted only in 1955 and celebrated on this date for the first time less than 70 years ago. Pope Pius XII, wanted, in a sense, to baptize May Day—the feast of workers that was being so fostered and celebrated by the communists and socialists—at a time when communism was a very real threat in Italy.

But despite its level of being only an optional memorial and despite its recent inclusion on the liturgical calendar, it is good that we celebrate Saint Joseph the Worker–today—and not just to recall that we are slaves of Christ the Lord—which means servants of love and of peace.

In the life of a community of men, where the list of house jobs is being prepared and where Pastoral Council and STUAC elections are about to be held, it is helpful to recognize that it is generally the case that men show their love by working for a place and the people there. Men show their love by working. Their care is often shown in providing—they create space for life—carpenters do that—and Jesus was known as the carpenter’s Son.

For us to clothe all things with love . . . to have the peace of Christ reign in our hearts . . . and to be slaves of Christ the Lord is nothing less than glorious—an opportunity to show our love by working for the people around us—and it is a celebration of Saint Joseph the Worker—who created a space for life—in the home of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. May we provide a space for life to those with whom we live.

God bless you.

Homily: Pentecost, Year C

June 12, 2019 / Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

The Pontifical North American College

Solemnity of Pentecost

“We hear them speaking of the mighty acts of God.”

June 9, 2019

We just heard in the reading from The Acts of the Apostles, at the very end of the reading—devout Jews from every nation under heaven saying: We hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.

I have a confession to make:—I absolutely love Pentecost.

For over 40 years now, I have included the Sequence for Pentecost as part of my thanksgiving every day after Mass.

I love Pentecost because I love and I am indescribably grateful for the mighty acts of God. I give thanks for them with a gratitude that is beyond words, and I can never even begin to fathom the depths of them.

The mighty acts of God—or as they are known in theology, the magnalia Dei—the marvelous works of God continue to astound all who bear the name of Christian.

Sometimes Pentecost is quite unfairly depicted as the feast of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity—as if we needed a feast for the Father, a feast for the Son, and a feast of the Holy Spirit—it is hardly that.

Just as we do not have a feast of God the Father, nor could we point to a specific feast that we would call the feast of the Son, neither do we have a feast of the Holy Spirit. If you are already a divine person, you do not worry a whole lot about having your own feast. What we celebrate today is not the Holy Spirit, but the sending of the Spirit in light of the marvelous works of God in the context of the whole of Christ’s Paschal Mystery.

What is not important is that people heard the disciples speaking different languages—what is important is that the confusion at the tower of Babel and the dispersion of peoples that it caused—is overcome and that peoples of every land and every tongue hear of the marvelous works of God.

When the sacred liturgy was renewed after the Second Vatican Council, the octave of Pentecost was suppressed—because Pentecost is the conclusion of something—the celebration of the mysteries of the mission of the Son—and nothing less than the capstone of the celebration of the Paschal Mystery.

What does it mean for the days of Pentecost to be fulfilled—dum complerentur dies Pentecostes?

Pentecost is the fulfillment of the whole of the Paschal Mystery of Christ—moving through the Annunciation to the Sending of the Spirit—or as we will pray in a few minutes in the Preface of Pentecost: For, bringing your Paschal Mystery to completion, you bestowed the Holy Spirit on those you made your adopted children by uniting them to your Only Begotten Son.

For, bringing your Paschal Mystery to completion, you bestowed the Holy Spirit on those you made your adopted children by uniting them to your Only Begotten Son:

The marvelous works of God mean nothing less than the re-creation of the whole world—that re-creation—for our salvation—which was begun at the Annunciation—and carried through to the Ascension and the sending of the Spirit.

To recall just some of the magnalia Dei of divine redemption in the Paschal Mystery that we celebrate as a Church today, we commemorate:

The marvelous works of God at the Annunciation—when for the sake of our salvation the Divine Word took upon himself our human nature, so in need of redemption—we read:
- The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a virgin whose name was Mary—hail full of grace—you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High.

And the marvelous works of God at Christmas—exactly nine months later when the Son of God who is also the Son of Mary is born for us—we read:
- She gave birth to her firstborn son—and the angel appeared to the shepherds saying: “Do not be afraid; I proclaim to you good news of great joy—a savior has been born for you who is Christ the Lord.

And the marvelous works of God at the Epiphany as the Lord is revealed as the light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of God’s people Israel—we read:
- You shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow—and the Magi were overjoyed at seeing the star—and they prostrated themselves, did him homage, opened their treasures, and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And the marvelous works of God at the Baptism of the Lord at the beginning of his public ministry—we read:
- After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him—as a voice sounded from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

And the marvelous works of God on Palm Sunday—we read:
- They proclaimed: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

And the marvelous works of God on Holy Thursday when Christ washed the apostles’ feet and said:
- “Do you realize what I have done for you—if I, therefore, the master and teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.”

And the marvelous works of God on Good Friday—we read:
- Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name.

And the marvelous works of God on Holy Saturday, as we hear in the Office of Readings—Christ saying to Adam as he and his descendants are held in the prison of the underworld:
- Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven—I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God—the bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready—the kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

And the marvelous works of God on Easter Sunday—we read:
- They found the stone rolled away from the tomb—they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus—they sought the living one among the dead.

And the marvelous works of God throughout the Easter Season when:
- The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
- And our hearts burned within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us.
- And when Jesus tells Mary Magdalen not to cling to him—because he has to be free to go to the Father and send the Spirit upon us.
- And when He says that if we loved him, we would rejoice to have him go to the Father.
- And where he tells the apostles that it is better for them if he goes, because if he does not go, the Advocate will not come to them.

And the marvelous works of God at the Ascension—when we read:
- Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Today, on the feast of Pentecost, we meet again the marvelous works of God when, in the final act of the Paschal Mystery, the Spirit—the Consoler and the Advocate is sent from the Father.

In baptism we have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry out Abba—Father—and God dwells in us as truly as he dwells in the tabernacle—Head and Members are one in the Mystical Body—Christ is the vine and we are united to him as the branches—and we are pruned—that we might bear fruit in plenty. We have become sharers in the divine nature, and, by grace, divine blood courses through our very bodies.

God never rations the gift of the Spirit—and for us—because of the great Paschal Mystery—life is not transformed but transfigured. The Father speaks, and we hear: “You are my beloved son/you are my beloved daughter,” and today new wine is poured into new wineskins—because as St. John says: We have come to know and to believe in the love that God has for us. God is love.

And as one of the Entrance Antiphons for today says: The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit of God dwelling within us, alleluia. And as we will sing again and again today in the Communion Antiphon: They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke of the marvels of God, alleluia.

We have heard and we celebrate the mighty acts of God—they animate every fiber of our being—and like the devout Jews gathered in Jerusalem at Pentecost, we can only be astounded and amazed—and grateful beyond words—at the mighty acts of God—all that God in his mercy has done for us.

Glory be to him now and forever. Amen.

Reflections on The Advent Mystery

December 2, 2017 / Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

“God Triumphed in the Person of Christ”
Reflections on the Liturgical Year
Part I: The Advent Mystery
Kurt Belsole, O.S.B.
Revised: November 25, 2016

“God triumphed in the person of Christ” (Col. 2:15). The sacred liturgy cannot be understood except as “the mystery of Christ in you, your hope of glory” (Col. 1:27) and as the “mystery now revealed to his holy ones” (Col. 1:26). This mystery is at one and the same time both cosmic and intensely personal. It involves not only the union of the divine and human natures in Christ, but also divine and human destiny. The sacred liturgy celebrates this divine and human interchange both in the person of Christ and in us as we “become partakers in the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). Liturgy is not about itself, but about living the life of Christ in His Mysteries–to borrow a title from Blessed Columba Marmion.

The Season of Advent

Background to the Celebration

Advent is fundamentally the season of desire, first of all of God’s desire for us and then of our desire for God. “We have come to know and believe in the love God has for us” (1 Jn. 4:16), and without this fundamental conviction we can neither understand nor celebrate the Advent mysteries in all their fullness.

Divine desire itself animates the whole of the Advent mystery. God desires us so much that he humbles himself to become one of us. Through the mystery of the incarnation, the Son of God comes into our world not only to save us but also to bring us into union with him. Life is not only communicated, but life is shared, so much so that he who is the Savior actually becomes the Spouse of his Bride the Church.

The mystery of Advent is tied as well to the virtue of Christian hope—when we recognize the plan of God and think of “what could be” and long for it with all our heart. That hope, however, relies on the grace of God and the willingness of the human heart to change, to be converted, to be transformed and indeed to be transfigured. The Advent season is characterized by hope, but a hope that abandons itself to divine sovereignty in watching, waiting, and conversion. It draws us into a hopeful expectation that is spurred on by readings from Isaiah and Ezekiel, the preaching of John the Baptist, and the response of the Virgin Mary.

Some Characteristics of the Advent Liturgy

Advent has a twofold character both as a time to prepare for Christmas when the first coming of Christ is remembered and celebrated as well as a time when our minds and hearts are directed to await and to prepare for the second coming of Christ (see General Norms for the Liturgical Year, 39).

The first part of Advent focuses more on the second coming of Christ while, as the season progresses, the focus turns more and more to preparation for Christmas. The days from December 17th to December 24 serve as a more intense time of preparation for the celebration of the Lord’s Nativity. Mass on those days has special readings, prayers, and antiphons as well as a proper preface.

In the Liturgy of the Hours, the hymn assigned after the Second Vatican Council to Evening Prayer every day during the season of Advent until December 17th is the great traditional 7th century vespers hymn Conditor alme siderum which is also known in its English translation by John Mason Neale as Creator of the Stars of Night.

The marvelous “O Antiphons” of the Magnificat begin with Evening Prayer on December 17th and continue until Evening Prayer on December 23rd inclusive. Each of these antiphons begins with an invocation of the expected Messiah and, in the Office, is sung in a similar characteristic melody. One of the reforms of Vatican Council II was to place the “O Antiphons” of the Magnificat within Mass as the Alleluia verse before the gospel.

Some Historical Developments in the Liturgy of Advent

Certain particulars of the Advent liturgy have their origin in Gaul at the turn of the seventh century, e.g., the eschatological dimension of Advent was sharply accented, perhaps because of the influence of Irish missionaries who laid stress on the coming of the Lord as Judge at the end of time and on the need to do penance before the Lord’s return. Their preaching turned Advent into a penitential season. In liturgies of Gaul, the Gloria and Alleluia were dropped from the Mass; the Te Deum was dropped from the Office and violet vestments were used.

By the twelfth century, something of this penitential character was transmitted from Gaul to the Roman liturgy: the Gloria was omitted and violet vestments were used, but the Alleluia was retained. Today in the Liturgy of the Hours, the Te Deum is retained as well.

Recommended Bibliography on the Liturgical Year

Adam, Adolph. The Liturgical Year. Translated by Matthew J. O’Connell. New York: Pueblo, 1981. This is a fine one-volume work which gives a scholarly summary presentation of the Church’s liturgical year.

Nocent, Adrian. The Liturgical Year. Four volumes. Translated by Matthew J. O’Connell. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1977. These four volumes are essential components of the library of anyone seriously interested in understanding the liturgical year as revised after the Second Vatican Council. Fr. Nocent, a Belgian Benedictine, was a professor at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute at Sant’Anselmo for decades, and these four volumes which are still in print will serve well anyone who wishes to foster full, active, and conscious participation in the liturgy of the Church. In these volumes, Fr. Nocent relies heavily on patristic homilies as he provides biblico-liturgical reflections on the seasons of the liturgical year and then presents the reader with scholarly insight on the structures and themes of the readings for Mass. The present edition by Liturgical Press is in three volumes.

Parsch, Pius. The Church’s Year of Grace. Five volumes. Translated by William Heidt. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1953-1959. Fr. Parsch, an Augustinian canon of Stift Klosterneuburg outside of Vienna and an ardent apostle of the liturgical movement before Vatican II, first published this multivolume work in German in the 1930’s. Its success is attested to by the fact that it was subsequently translated into French, Italian, English, and Spanish. Fr. Parsch’s work provides a comprehensive consideration of the liturgical year as it was arranged at that time as well as helpful information on Catholic customs related to the Church’s annual celebrations. These volumes are useful not only for those interested in the Extraordinary Form but also for anyone concerned with the theological and cultural context of Catholic feasts.

Source: Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA
www.liftupyourhearts.church

Bulletin Insert: Where Do the Priest’s Prayers Come From?

August 11, 2017 / Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

Where Do the Priest’s Prayers Come From?

Sometimes, people ask where the prayers that the priest says at Mass come from. Basically, they come from the Roman Missal, the book that the priest reads from at Mass, both at the chair for the celebrant as well as at the altar.

The prayers of the missal, however, have a great history and have served as the principal way of passing down the Christian tradition over the centuries. A quick glance at the missal can help us appreciate these prayers more deeply.

The entrance and communion antiphons, which are really chants for the whole assembly, usually come from the Bible. The sign of the cross at the beginning of Mass, can be traced back to the Gospel of Matthew 28:19: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. When the priest shows the Host to the people before communion he says: Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb, which a clear reference to Revelation 19:9: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb. After the priest says that, the people respond with: I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof which echoes the words of the centurion in Matthew 8:8/Luke 7:6.

Then there is the prayer that the priest says before the readings which is known as the Collect, and the Prayer over the Offerings and the Prayer after Communion. These three prayers are often from the first thousand years of the Church’s existence. Some go back as early as the fifth century. Finally, there is the great Eucharistic Prayer I, which is also known as the Roman Canon. Passages of that prayer are found in writings from the middle of the fourth century.

The prayers of the priest, therefore, are a gift to us from the Church, and they pass down to us a treasury of prayers by which Christians through the ages have worshipped their Lord and God.

Source: Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA
www.liftupyourhearts.church

Bulletin Insert: Corpus Christi

July 21, 2017 / Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi

On the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord, which is commonly known as Corpus Christi, we are, in a sense, transported back to Holy Thursday as the Church celebrates once again the solemn commemoration of the institution of the sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

“Why,” one might ask, “do we have a second feast observing the Lord giving us the Eucharist?” Fundamentally, it seems that the answer lies in the fact that what we commemorate on Holy Thursday is just too much for one day. In a sense, Holy Thursday overflows with grace and blessing too abundant for a single day of celebration. On Holy Thursday, in order of importance, the Church celebrates the giving of the Eucharist, the gift of priesthood, and then fraternal service in the washing of the feet. Consequently, the Church today celebrates another feast which focuses specifically on the gift of the Eucharist.

Also, this feast is so characterized by a focus on the Blessed Sacrament and the devotions that accompany it, for example, Eucharistic Exposition, that it has also appropriately been termed a feast of devotion. This devotion can be understood in a certain sense in what is called the composition of place. Other devotional practices throughout the liturgical year employ the composition of place: the Christmas Crib, for example, fosters our meditation on the Nativity of the Lord; the Stations of the Cross foster our meditation on the Lord’s Passion; but Eucharistic Exposition on Corpus Christi, in a sense, completes and goes beyond these. It sets before us not the Nativity and not the Passion, but the very Kingdom of God. With the Lord himself before us in the Blessed Sacrament, the composition of place is of the Kingdom where the Lord reigns triumphant and the People of God are joined in adoration. Quite properly, the gifts of the Three Kings are present as well: the gold for the King and the incense for our God, only the myrrh, which foreshadows the tomb, is missing because Christ is risen and dies no more.

Source: Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA
www.liftupyourhearts.church

Bulletin Insert: Pentecost Sunday

July 20, 2017 / Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

Pentecost Sunday

Pentecost Sunday concludes the Easter Season, and on that day, the Church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. It is the celebration of the Father’s sending of the Holy Spirit, and not of the Holy Spirit himself. Just as the Church does not have a feast of God the Father or God the Son, neither does she have a feast of God the Holy Spirit. The feast of Pentecost needs to be seen in light of the Paschal Mystery of Christ.

So, on Pentecost, we hear in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles about what happened on Pentecost day itself and how the Spirit descended upon the disciples and how they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Another reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians speaks of there being different gifts, but the same Spirit and of how all were baptized into one body and how all were given to drink of one Spirit. Another reading speaks of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Then, the gospel, which in all three cycles is from the gospel of John, speaks of various dimensions of the sending of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, the preface for the Mass of Pentecost speaks of how it is right to give thanks to God for bringing the Paschal mystery to completion, for bestowing the Holy Spirit, and for uniting his adopted children with the Only Begotten Son.

Source: Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA
www.liftupyourhearts.church

Bulletin Insert: Easter Season

July 20, 2017 / Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

The Easter Season

The Easter season begins on Easter Sunday and continues to Pentecost Sunday. During these fifty days, Christians celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord with joy and exultation as one great Sunday.

The first eight days of the Easter season are celebrated as the Octave of Easter. This octave, in many ways, treats every day of the octave as Easter Sunday itself. At Mass, the priest prays in Preface I of Easter, in reference to the resurrection of Christ, that it is our duty at all times to acclaim the Lord but especially on this day when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. Likewise in the First Eucharistic Prayer, which is the Roman Canon, the priest speaks of how the Church is celebrating the most sacred day of the Resurrection of our Lord in the flesh. Finally, the dismissal at the end of Mass concludes with a double Alleluia every day of the octave. At this time, the deacon or priest dismisses the assembly with the usual words, but after the dismissal adds alleluia, alleluia as a sign of the great joy of the Church as she celebrates the Resurrection of the Lord.

Finally, from the solemnity of the Ascension until Pentecost, almost all of the collects at the beginning of Mass pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. Then at Pentecost itself, as the Church celebrates the sending of the Holy Spirit, the priest prays that the gifts of the Holy Spirit may be poured out upon the whole world so that the hearts of believers may be filled with the divine grace that was at work at the first proclamation of the Gospel.

Source: Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA
www.liftupyourhearts.church

Bulletin Insert: Lent: Differences Noticed in Church

July 19, 2017 / Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

The Season of Lent: What Differences Might We Notice in Church

When the season of Lent arrives, there are some changes that people often notice in Church. Probably the most obvious of these is that people receive ashes on Ash Wednesday.

In addition, however, the color of the vestments changes to violet. On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, which is also called Laetare Sunday, as the Lenten season is already half over, the joy of the Easter is a bit anticipated, and on that day rose colored vestments may be used.

Also, the hymn Glory to God in the highest is omitted at Mass, and the Alleluia before the gospel is replaced. The Alleluia will not be heard again until the Easter Vigil.

During Lent, is it not permitted to decorate the altar with flowers. Exceptions to this, however, are Laetare Sunday (the Fourth Sunday of Lent), solemnities, and feasts. In addition, the organ and other musical instruments are allowed only in order to support the singing. Again, exceptions to this would be Laetare Sunday, solemnities, and feasts.

In churches where the daily homily is not already an established practice, a homily is strongly recommended on the weekdays of Lent for the sake of the faithful who regularly take part in the celebration of Mass.

Source: Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA
www.liftupyourhearts.church

Bulletin Insert: The Season of Lent

July 19, 2017 / Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

The Season of Lent

Lent consists of forty-four days. It begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes immediately before the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. At that time, the Sacred Paschal Triduum begins.

The season of Lent aims at preparing us for the celebration of Easter and has a twofold character. First of all, it directs the Christian faithful to recall their own baptism when they rejected the devil and confessed their faith in Christ. They are also asked at this time to engage more deeply in prayer and penance. Secondly, for those who are preparing to be baptized at the Easter Vigil, it serves as a more intense time of preparation as the moment of their baptism draws near.

During Lent, the disciplines of fasting and abstinence from meat apply on Ash Wednesday, and the discipline of abstinence from meat applies on the Fridays of Lent unless a solemnity occurs on those days.

Towards the very end of Lent, we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord when we commemorate his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and read the Passion of the Lord from one of the gospels of either Matthew, Mark, or Luke.

On Thursday of Holy Week, in the morning, the bishop concelebrates the Chrism Mass with his priests and blesses the oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick and consecrates the chrism that will be used throughout the year.

Source: Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA
www.liftupyourhearts.church

Bulletin Insert: The Christmas Season

July 18, 2017 / Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB

The Christmas Season

The Christmas Season begins with the celebration of the birth of Our Lord and concludes on the feast of his Baptism. The birth of Christ at Christmas falls exactly nine months after the feast of his Annunciation on March 25th. The Christmas season, therefore, focuses on the coming of Jesus Christ, God and man, in our flesh and born of the Virgin Mary.

Two of the gospels for the Masses of Christmas Day come from the Gospel of Luke. The gospel for the Mass during the Night, which is commonly called Midnight Mass, relates the story of the birth of Christ and the song of the angels: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those who enjoy his favor. The gospel for the Mass at Dawn speaks of how the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the Christ child lying in the manger. Finally, the gospel of the Mass during the Day is the great prologue to the Gospel of John which recounts how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

During the Christmas season, we also celebrate feasts that are closely associated with both the birth of the Lord as well as his manifestation to both Jews and non-Jews alike. On January 1st, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. As it is the Octave Day of Christmas, we also commemorate the giving of the holy Name of Jesus to the Word made flesh. We then celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. Finally, at the end of the Christmas season, we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord and hear in the gospel that Christ is the beloved Son, in whom the Father is well pleased.

Source: Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA
www.liftupyourhearts.church

Lift Up Your Hearts

Page 2 of 5

Homily: Saint Joseph the Worker, May 1

Homily: Pentecost, Year C

Reflections on The Advent Mystery

Bulletin Insert: Where Do the Priest’s Prayers Come From?

Bulletin Insert: Corpus Christi

Bulletin Insert: Pentecost Sunday

Bulletin Insert: Easter Season

Bulletin Insert: Lent: Differences Noticed in Church

Bulletin Insert: The Season of Lent

Bulletin Insert: The Christmas Season

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