Third Sunday of Advent 12/11/2022

Mission Statement

The Roman Catholic Parish of St. Monica-St. Elizabeth of Hungary-St. Stephen of Hungary opens its doors to welcome and embrace all in our community. We strive through worship, hospitality and service to receive those seeking a spiritual home. In the midst of diversity of thought, life style, nationality, economic status & age, we endeavor to live as a community of faith and invite you to join our familya family seeking to know and love Jesus Christ.

Parish Staff

Pastor: Rev. Donald C. Baker ............................ frdcab@stelmo79.org Rev. Msgr. Leslie J. Ivers ............................... msgrlivers@stelmo79.org

Weekend Associate: .................................... Rev. Anthony Ciorra, IVD Weekend Associate:...............................................Rev. Edward Beck, CP

Pastoral Associate: Ms. Maryann Tyrer ........ mtyrer@stelmo79.org

Music Director: Mr. John Zupan .................... jzupan@stelmo79.org

Wedding Coordinator: Ms. Debbi Burdett.....dbweddingsnyc@gmail.com

Parish Manager: Jennifer DeSpirito.............................jdespirito@stelmo79.org

Plant Manager: Guillermo Vanegas .......... gvanegas@stelmo79.org

Sacristan: Pedro Pizarro ...................................ppizarro@stelmo79.org

Administrative Assistant: Gladys Tejada ..... gtejada@stelmo79.org

Church Address: 413 East 79th Street, NY, NY 10075

Parish Center Address: 406 East 80th Street, NY, NY 10075 Tel: 212-288-6250 Fax: 212- 570-1562 Email: info@stelmo79.org Our Offices are open: Monday & Wednesday................................. . 9am - 4pm Tuesday - Thursday ....................................... 9am - 7pm Friday ....................................................... Closed Saturday ................................................. 10am - 2pm Sunday ..................................................... Closed Closed for Lunch Weekdays..................1pm - 2pm Visit us at: www.STELMO79.org

Follow us on social media by searching STELMO79

Mass Schedule

Daily Mass: Mon-Sat, 12 noon

Saturday Vigil: 5:30pm Sunday: 8am, 10am, 12pm & 5pm

Confessions: Saturdays at 5pm or by appointment

Mass Intentions

Saturday, December 10th Vigil 5:30pm TJ Dermont Dunphy

Sunday, December 11th Third Sunday of Advent 8:00am Werner Hertzer 10:00am Susan Clarke 12:00pm All Parishioners 5pm Edward Klenovich

Monday, December 12th Our Lady of Guadalupe 12pm Adam Armetta

Tuesday, December 13th St. Lucy 12pm Norma Ester Litrenta (Living)

Wednesday, December 14th St. John of the Cross 12pm Priests of St. Monica’s

Thursday, December 15th Advent Weekday 12pm Huszar Daenler Baginyi

Friday, December 16th Advent Weekday 12pm Kathleen M. Reddington

Saturday, December 17th Advent Weekday 12pm Dr. Stephen Digon

For Mass Intentions, please visit the Parish Center

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Every Friday after the Noon Mass until 3pm in the church and live on-line

Devotions

Miraculous Medal on Mondays after Mass in the church and live on-line

Divine Mercy

Prayed every Friday at 3pm in the church and live on-line

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

Every Friday at 5:10pm in the Chapel and live on-line

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturdays at 5pm or by appointment

Anointing of the sick

Every third Saturday of the Month after the noon Mass.

Baptisms & Marriages

Please call the rectory office for more information.

Communion for the Homebound:

If you know of anyone who cannot attend church because of illness or age, and would like to have communion brought to them, please contact the Parish office, so that we can arrange for a Eucharistic Minister to bring communion to them.

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK

Sr. Suzanne LaChapelle, Susan Baldwin, Rev. Peter Bonventre, Rev. Thomas Fenlon, Andrew Lawler, Holly Leber, Angelica & Lilian Zarate, Alejandra Castillo, Msgr. Leslie Ivers, Joe Grande, Steve Janec, Cindy Garnica Castro, Kathleen Roche, Madeline Tipton, Jennie Marmo, and all those ill with or recovering from the COVID-19 virus and all Victims of Military Activities

PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED

Madeleine McAvree, ed Moran,Arthur Gillians, Eileen Janec & Kathleen Bohan

Today’s Readings

First Reading — The barren deserts will rejoice and flower. Tired bodies will receive strength. Aching hearts will be made glad (Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10).

Psalm — The Lord saves us when he comes (Psalm 146).

Second Reading — Be patient, for the coming of the Lord is as sure as the rain (James 5:7-10).

Gospel — Tell of what you hear and see: The blind regain their vision, the crippled their movement, the deaf their hearing (Matthew 11:2-11

Readings for the Week

Monday: Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Jdt 13:18bcde, 19; Lk 1:26-38 or Lk 1:39-47, or any readings from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nos. 707-712

Tuesday: Zep 3:1-2, 9-13; Ps 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-19, 23; Mt 21:28-32

Wednesday: Is 45: 6b-8, 18, 21b-25; Ps 85:9ab, 10-14; Lk 7:18b-23

Thursday: Is 54:1-10; Ps 30:2, 4-6, 11-12a, 13b; Lk 7:24-30

Friday: Is 56:1-3a, 6-8; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 7-8; Jn 5:33-36 Saturday: Gn 49:2, 8-10; Ps 72:1-4ab, 7-8, 17; Mt 1:1-17 Sunday: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-6; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-2

Bread & Wine

Sanctuary Lamp

In Memory of Rita McGoff & Joseph Spina Offered by Florence Spina

Did You Know?

- St. Stephen of Hungary School, the parish school of St. Monica, St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Stephen of Hungary Church, is a warm, welcoming community on East 82nd Street between First & York Avenues.

- Our campus features unique learning spaces. Our dedicated, experienced faculty work collaboratively to offer our students top-notch educational opportunities. We are now accepting applications for PreK 3 – Gr. 8. -

Consider St. Stephen of Hungary School for your family!

www.saintstephenschool.org

admissions@saintstephenschool.org

A big thank you to all of our community members and STELMO79 parishioners who made the 14th AnnualThanksgiving Dinner a huge success. This was the first in-person dinner in two years, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the generous support. We would liketo thank the local businesses who so graciously donate to this event:

Agata & Valentina

Big John’s Moving Costco

D’Agostino’s

East 82nd Street Farmers Martket

Eva’s Garden Shop

F&F Supplies

Five Mile Stone

Gracie Mew’s Diner

Morton Williams

Orwasher’s Bakery

Ottomomanelli’s Butcher Shop

We would also like to thank the numerous volunteers who gave so generously of their time, and to all of the parishioners and community members who donations helped to defer thecost of the dinner. All of this is possible becauseof ourwonderful community. Thank you!

Joy in Advent

On the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, Catholics are encouraged to reflect on joy as Christmas approaches. The Latin word gaudete means “rejoice,” and the name Gaudete Sunday comes from the first word of the day’s Entrance Antiphon: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near” (Philippians 4:4–5).

Joy is sometimes considered to be synonymous with happiness, but joy is deeper than good feelings. St. Paul notes joy among the fruits of the Holy Spirit: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).

In the first paragraph of The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis states that joy is found through encountering Christ. “With Christ joy is constantly born anew,” the Holy Father states.

Joy is recognized by the peace that accompanies it. This fruit of the Spirit can be seen in people who have endured hardship and pain but keep their focus set on God. They may be poor in material goods but generous in spirit. They understand that no earthly thing can tamper with their relationship with God. For them, joy is rooted in a hope that lasts, as Pope Francis notes in The Joy of the Gospel:

Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved. I understand the grief of people who have to endure great suffering, yet

slowly but surely we all have to let the joy of faith slowly revive as a quiet yet firm trust, even amid the greatest distress. (6)

The joy-filled know that they are dependent upon God. Among them are the poor who will take part in the Kingdom of God, the hungry who will be satisfied, the mourners who will be comforted, and the peacemakers who will be called children of God. They know that with God all is well, and all shall be well. The prayers in Advent assure us that Emmanuel, God is with us, provides the strength to wait in hope. Advent invites the faithful to cultivate joy while awaiting the coming of Christ again. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Pray. Praying in hope opens hearts to experience joy.

• Keep an Advent journal. Keeping tabs on the moments that bring joy throughout the day, no matter how insignificant, helps people to be aware of the joy that exists in their lives.

• Help those in need. As Pope Francis says, “Life grows by being given away, and it weakens in isolation and comfort. Indeed, those who enjoy life most are those who leave security on the seashore and become excited by the mission of communicating life to others.”

Joy is the magnet that attracts believers, and as such it is the best form of evangelization. As Mother Teresa said, “Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.”

27 Connecting the Liturgy with Our Lives © 2019 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications. 800-933-1800; www.LTP.org. Text by Kathy Kuczka. Art by Michele Wood. Permission to publish granted by the Archdiocese of Chicago on October 25, 2018.

On the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, Catholics celebrate the joy that is rooted in a lasting hope.

Five Minute Jesus

Using the Gospel for Prayer – Fourth Sunday of Advent December 18, 2022

It is simple. Read the Gospel for the following Sunday slowly, reflecting on the story it tells. Consider the questions asked each day. What conversion of heart, mind, and life might the Lord be asking of you? Make a resolution about how what you read and reflect upon might be lived that day. Thank God for speaking to you through this reflection.

Mt 1:18-24

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us. “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

Monday, December 12

What word or words in this passage caught my attention? Comforted me? Challenged me? What conversion of heart, mind, and life is the Lord asking of me?

Tuesday, December 13

The word “Annunciation” is normally associated with the famous story of the angel Gabriel telling Mary she will give birth to Jesus. The story of Joseph’s annunciation is much less well known. And still, it involves God’s messenger telling Joseph about the birth of Jesus. Here it is in a dream. Mary seems to have been going about her daily life. God it would seem can speak to us wherever and whenever. Have I ever experienced God speak to me? How? Was it a word of comfort or challenge?

Wednesday, December 14

Joseph, it says was a “righteous” man. What they mean is that he was someone who lived God’s law. Because he was righteous, he recognized that Mary, pregnant but not by him, should be punished, but he did not. Thus, his right-ness was tempered by mercy. Why? Perhaps because while he was “righteous” he was not “self” righteous. Am I righteous, or self-righteous?

Thursday, December 15

What is in a name? We all like to know what our names mean. Jesus is the English version of the Jewish name Joshua, which means “God saves”. Hence the angel’s explanation to Joseph as to why the name “Jesus”. Nowadays people often choose names because of how they sound. What would happen if we chose them because of what they mean? If I were given a name that escribed me, as I truly am, what would my name be? And would I like it?

Friday, December 16

Matthew sees all this as the fulfilment of a prophecy concerning a child originally born during the life of the prophet Isaiah. This child was to be a reminder that “God is with us” – Emmanuel, again a name that reveals who the child is. Jesus is more than a reminder. According to Matthew, God truly is with us in him. How do I understand that? How is Jesus with me? If I can’t answer that, is it because I am not truly with him? If not, what are some ways I could be? And what is keeping me from these ways?

Saturday, December 17

Dreams are big in the Bible. People believed that God spoke to us in our dreams. The problem was understanding them. Joseph, perhaps because he was a righteous man and knew God’s will understand the dream of the angel and followed its message. For us dreams are more problematic. Have I ever felt spoken to in a dream? If so, was it by God? If so, what did I do?

From the Pastor 12.11.22

Gaudete Sunday

Every so often, it is good to take our bearings. Life can move so quickly, or at times be so relentless, that we can forget, not only where we are, but who we are! I know that ever since Msgr. Ivers left, parish life returned to normal (or to the new normal) after the pandemic, and Maryann Tyrer, John Zupan and I decided that the only way to get the parish going again was to “lean in” and do more, in the hopes that others will move past their pandemic anxieties and follow suit, the seasons have been something of a blur.

Which is why the Church in her wisdom builds into the Church year reminders to stop and take our bearings. Originally the fall months were a time of preparation for the privations of winter. Food was harvested, stored, preserved. Wood was chopped and prepared for heating. IT was however, right at the end of the fall that the Church began its year of celebrations and seasons with the spiritual preparation for Christmas, with the season of Advent.

Advent used to be a six-week season, like Lent. Like Lent it was a penitential season i.e., a time of fasting and extra prayer. The fast diminished and the season shifted to a four week fast in the Catholic Church sometime during the Middle Ages, though to this day in Orthodox Churches a 40 day fast is maintained.

What has been retained is the idea of preparation. Advent means coming, or arrival in Latin. Thus, the season has always emphasized the need to be prepared for the coming of Our Lord – be it in the manger, at the end of history or in all the ways the Kingdom of God “breaks in” upon our daily lives. One of the reasons then, for acts of penance was to impress upon ourselves the need to “be ready”.

And yet we are human beings. Months of fasting, even as the work of the year was ending and winter was settling in, could be difficult. Thus, the Church built into both Advent and Lent a Sunday where the strictures of penance could be lifted, lightened, if you will. These Sundays had prayers and songs that emphasized rejoicing. The Sundays gain their names from the first word sung in the Latin opening hymn (Introit) for the day. “Laetare” (Rejoice!) for Lent, and for Advent “Gaudete’ (Be glad!)

The colors assigned for the day were also lightened – Purple, the color of both Advent and Lent, becomes on Gaudete Sunday, rose. For most of the history of Christianity, calendars clocks and books were for the rich and the learned. The colors in the Church then were more than decorations. They were ways to mark remind the average person to rejoice and be glad – the time of penitence was ending and the fe asts for which they were preparing were approaching.

For most of us nowadays, Advent is swallowed by the onslaught of the “Holiday Season” with its parties, dinners, and endless shopping. But while fasting is no longer an Advent custom, the emphasis of the Advent season, to prepare to be open, to listen and to be ready for all the ways the Lord is present is coming to us, still is. Today is Gaudete Sunday. The vestments are rose colored. The priest lights the rose-colored candle on the Advent wreath. We sing “rejoice” and for a moment, we are transported back to a time when the Church reminded everyone to take our bearings. Gaudete Sunday is still a reminder, during all the craziness, of the reason for the season. Use it. If not today then SOMETIME during the next two weeks, stop. Take a few deep breaths and remember who we are as people of faith and whose birth we are celebrating.

Father Baker

Women of Advent