Although the storm approaches, I want to reassure parishioners that we will be open if you wish to come to Mass, and have made arrangements to have the parking lot clear. Those who can make it without risk still should come, but for those who cannot, I anticipate very light attendance and very scaled-down liturgies this weekend.
If you are a Lector or Eucharistic minister scheduled and cannot come, please do not worry. Just let your coordinators know you will not be here. Likewise, if you plan to come and are not scheduled, let us know at the beginning of Mass that you are here and see if you can help out.
Bishop Loverde issued a statement yesterday dispensing anyone from their Sunday obligation in the case of dangerous travel and weather-related hardship. Of course, this dispensation is automatic when confronted with such difficulty as with illness, but he wanted to put everyone’s mind at rest. He also gave pastors the option to cancel Masses as needed, but there would be no way to communicate which are canceled which are not without huge confusion, so we still plan to celebrate all Masses as scheduled.
Sometimes Stafford Lakes Parkway is not cleared by Stafford County and, if snow is deep, we are not able to get access to Holy Cross Academy for Sunday Mass. We hope to have information about this available by 8am on Sunday morning.
Finally, when we miss a weekend of Masses we take a huge financial hit due to the loss of a week’s offertory collection. Please remember us kindly.
For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “
or your land “Desolate, “
but you shall be called “My Delight, “
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
R. (3) Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth;
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He governs the peoples with equity.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Reading 2 1 COR 12:4-11
Brothers and sisters:
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom;
to another, the expression of knowledge according to the
same Spirit;
to another, faith by the same Spirit;
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit;
to another, mighty deeds;
to another, prophecy;
to another, discernment of spirits;
to another, varieties of tongues;
to another, interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit produces all of these,
distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.
Alleluia CF. THES 2:14
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel JN 2:1-11
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, how does your concern affect me?
My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servers,
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told them,
“Fill the jars with water.”
So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”
So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.
* All are invited to attend our annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity prayer service with Bishop Loverde at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Arlington, Tuesday, January 19 at 7pm. Please join us!
*March For Life: This year’s March will be held on Friday, January 22, to commemorate the 43rd Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Please see page 13 for transportation details. Please plan to join your parish family in this peaceful protest against abortion.
* It’s time for each and every registered family to consider how they plan to support the work of the Catholic Church in the annual Bishop’s Lenten Appeal: If we reflect on the mission that Jesus has given us, and the words of Pope Francis, the Church is uniquely placed y God to be his agent of mercy and change, to heal our world. Prayerfully think of how you will respond to this call. Commitment Sunday will be February 6-7 at all Masses. Your generosity is what makes our Church’s response possible. “Go forth as heralds of God’s mercy!”
Coming Soon:
* Mark your calendars for February 17 and join Saint Mary if you can in Richmond for Catholics in the Capitol as we meet with our legislators and attend the Bishops’ Vespers service at Sacred Heart Cathedral (see p. 9). We need to know if you plan to come by January 25. Thanks.
* We’re doing something special for the Year of Mercy: Parish Mercy Penance Service, Wednesday, February 24. Please plan to come, details to follow soon.
This bulletin is packed with information this week, I hope you have a chance to take it all in. So many great things are coming up soon: please consider joining Saint Mary as we go to Richmond to speak with our legislators on February 17 as well as reserving your chairs right now at the Parish Night Out dinner and orchestra April 29. Last year tickets sold out, it is one of the best nights of the year.
Mostly what I would like to share with you is the results of our annual Family Week in Religious Education. For the past four years we have had special classes/activities the first week back from Christmas vacation, inviting parents to come and participate and focus on a particular theme. Our parish theme this year, “People of Thankfulness, SowingSeeds of Mercy,” helped us spend the week reflecting on what we are thankful for. Students gathered with parents and talked about what is really important, what we are most thankful for in our life. More on page 5.
But what we celebrate this week and in this short season of Ordinary Time before Lent begins is the results of those classes. We took the totals of the children’s answers and arranged them on banners on either side of the sanctuary in church. The answers which had the highest totals are represented in large type, the smaller totals, smaller type.
They are going to serve as a reminder why we come to church. Sometimes, maybe, people think they come to church because they have to, or because they will get some special feeling or strength for the coming week. Of course, these things are true, but not the primary reason. We gather because God has given us all these things that now appear before us as we celebrate Mass together. God has given us so much that we can’t not celebrate the liturgy of thanksgiving, the Eucharist. Sometimes we can start thinking of too many other things on our minds. These banners will help us focus, I believe.
The old idea that the priest did everything was an error that grew over the years and Vatican II reminded us that all of us have equally important roles in the Mass. It isn’t just the priest who does all the work. You gather, pray, sing, remember the promise of God and his saving action in Jesus whose prayer we pray, that is, the Mass. And you bring all of your gifts and yourself to offer all of it to God with bread and wine so that he can consecrate the bread, the wine, all of you, all of the world through you. The Mass is yours! And how glad we are that we have a place in it! God doesn’t do all these things by himself! He relies on you to be present to him, just as you believe he is present to you. Let us spend the year celebrating the mercy of God, and our thankfulness.
