RESPONSORIAL PSALMS:
Christmas Eve: Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
Christmas Day: All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Holy Family: Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
MASS SCHEDULE & INTENTIONS FOR THE COMING WEEK:
| January | 1 | Saturday | 10:00 AM | Anna Petrancky, by Mary Spisak |
| January | 2 | Sunday | 9:15 AM | Frank Tárcsay, by Mr. & Mrs. László Harmat |
FROM THE DESK OF FR. BONA: I wish all of you a very Blessed Christmas! We have reached the celebration for which we have been waiting and preparing. In fact, the season Advent does not just end like a date of expiration on a product, but it finds fulfillment in Christmas. The faithful waiting and preparing ourselves for the invisible God blossoms into a visible and ever-abiding presence of God. That is why this time is so wonderful.
Recently Lifeway Research conducted a survey with an interesting result. The vast majority of active Christians (those who attend church four times a month or more) believe that Jesus is the Son of God (98%) and they accept the historical fact of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem (95%). However, only 63% of active Christians believe that the Son of God existed before Jesus was born. I do not know how many Catholics could have been part of this study, but I am sure that such a shocking opinion may be found among Catholics as well.
The preexistence of Jesus Christ is the foundational teaching of our faith. Perhaps the reason for the above-mentioned erroneous opinion is the spread of the so-called “low Christology” in our times in Catholic (and Christian) colleges and universities. The “low Christology” has for the starting point the human aspect of Jesus. It overemphasizes His human nature. Thus, it attempts to make Him ordinary, explain away the miracles as a misunderstanding on the part of Jesus’s disciples, or as a literary device meant to teach something else. Furthermore, it makes Jesus act and think as if he did not know who He was. For all practical purposes, it waters down divinity of Christ, to the point of no real consequence. Obviously, this theological current has a negative effect on other teachings of our faith.
The reason that the Christmas is wonderful is precisely the fact that Second Person of the Blessed Trinity assumed human nature in Jesus and thus God made Himself touchable and visible in our world. Jesus had two natures (divine and human), but only one person (Divine – he was not a schizophrenic and always knew He is). This is the reason for the great Christmas joy. Let no one steal it from you. Let us rejoice! God has come and stayed with us!
MASS SCHEDULE FOR CHRISTMAS – NEW YEAR – EPIPHANY
for St. Emeric & St. Elizabeth parishes
December 24: 5:00 PM Mass (St. Elizabeth church) – Hungarian/English
December 24: 10:00 PM Mass (St. Emeric church) – Hungarian
December 25: 9:15 AM Mass (St. Elizabeth church) – Hungarian/English
December 25: 11:15 AM Mass (St. Emeric church) – Hungarian
No evening Mass on Saturday, December 25!
December 26: regular Sunday Mass schedule
December 31: 5:30 PM (St. Emeric church) – Hungarian
January 1: 10:00 AM (St. Elizabeth church) – Hungarian/English
January 1: 5:00 PM Mass (St. Emeric church) – English
January 2: regular Sunday Mass schedule
LAST WEEKEND’S COLLECTION (12/19): Sunday offering: $605. Special donation: $600. Christmas & Flowers: $760 THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY in supporting our parish. Thank you for sending in your offertory donation through the mail. I know the times may be difficult for many people. If you are able at this time to send in your offertory donations, please do so by mail or use the PayPal option found on the website: https://www.stelizabethcleveland.org/donations/
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK, especially, Jay Kovács, Kathy Szabó, Kamilla Szabó and Anna Melega, Dorothy Fromhercz, Alex Szaday, Mária Jánossy.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE DECEASED.
NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION AT ST. EMERIC – CANCELLED. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances created by the pandemic, a decision was reached to cancel our end of the year celebration. Thank you for your understanding. We hope to have it next year.
LIVESTREAMING: December 24 the 5:00 PM Mass from St. Elizabeth church will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/saint-elizabeth-of-hungary-church-cleveland-oh-384926355393572
This post is also available in: Hungarian
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