Mary, The Holy Mother Of God 1/1/2023

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 31st Vigil 5:30pm Thomas & Edith Costello

Sunday, January 1st

Mary The Holy Mother of God

8:00am Nine Souls of Lima 10:00am Roberta Chapey 12:00pm All Parishioners

Monday, January 2nd St. Basil the Great & St. Gregory Nazianzen 9am Lawson Family

Tuesday, January 3rd Christmas Weekday 12pm Special Intentions

Wednesday, January 4th St. Elizabeth Ann Seton 12pm Kathleen M. Reddington

Thursday, January 5th St. John Neumann 12pm Jozsef Tomahatsch

Friday, January 6th Christmas Weekday 12pm Emil DeSpirito

Saturday, January 7th Christmas Weekday 12pm Purgatorial Society

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.

Today’s Readings

First Reading — The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! (Numbers 6:22-27).

Psalm — May God be merciful and bless us (Psalm 67).

Second Reading — God sent the Spirit of the Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but an heir, through God (Galatians 4:4-7).

Gospel — The shepherds glorified and praised God for all they had heard and seen (Luke 2:16-21).

Readings for the Week

Monday: 1 Jn 2:22-28; Ps 98:1-4; Jn 1:19-28 Tuesday: 1 Jn 2:29 — 3:6; Ps 98:1, 3cd-6; Jn 1:29-34

Wednesday: 1 Jn 3:7-10; Ps 98:1, 7-9; Jn 1:35-42

Thursday: 1 Jn 3:11-21; Ps 100:1b-5; Lk 4:14-22a

Friday: 1 Jn 5:5-13; Ps 147:12-15, 19-20; Mk 1:7-11 or Lk 3:23-28 [23, 31-34, 36, 38]

Saturday: 1 Jn 5:14-21; Sal 149:1-6a, 9b; Jn 2:1-11

Sunday: Is 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12

PRAYERS

FOR THE SICK Bruna Centurion Pagin, Fr. Thomas Fenlon, Msgr. Leslie Ivers, Holy Leber, Cindy Garnica Castro, 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

Andrew Lawler, Carmine Malatesta, Fabio Tavarez & Eladio Ant. Tejada

We will have our traditional Young Adult Wine and Cheese with a sparkly toast following the 5:30pm Mass on December 31st. All are welcome in the back of the church for sparkling wine, sparkling cider, and cheese and fruit, and most importantly, a chance to socialize with others as we close out 2022 and look forward to 2023.

Parish Pilgrimage to Greece with Fr. Anthony Ciorra, IVD In the Footsteps of Paul the Apostle October 3-13, 2023

(Oct. 3-16 with optional Rome extension)

January 4th is the Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Mother Seton was born in New York City in 1774. After she was widowed, she entered the Catholic Church, and went on to found the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph in Emittsburg, Maryland, as well as two Catholic schools. Canonized in 1975, Mother Seton is the first citizen born in the United States to be made a saint. She is also credited as the founder of the parochial school system in the United States. The National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is located on State Street in Manhattan.

Our next Family Mass (with pizza) is on January 7th at

5:30pm!

Bereavement Ministry

Our next Seasons of Hope support group series runs January 11, 18, and 25, and February 1, 8, and 15.

We meet in the Parish Center, 7-8:30pm. Anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one is welcome to join us for prayer, discussion, and group support. Contact Maryann at mtyrer@stelmo79.org for info.

Join us for an unforgettable tour via air, sea, and land to many of the places where St. Paul preached and established Christian communities in the first century. Enjoy Mediterranean scenery and cuisine. Visit the Acropolis, Mykanos, the House of Mary in Ephesus, the cave in Patmos where John wrote the Book of Revelation, Santorini, and the monasteries of Meteora. The optional Rome Excursion will allow you to pray at the tomb of St. Paul, tour the Vatican museums, and explore the catacombs.

You can access the tour brochure at https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1127331

Contact Maryann Tyrer for more info at mtyrer@stelmo79.org

Register with a refundable deposit in January and save $100!

K-8 Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation:

• Participation in Sunday (or Saturday evening) Eucharist is an integral part of Religious Education for all ages in our parish.

• K-8 Religious Education meets at 11:10am in the Parish Center and resumes on January 8th. No sessions January 1.

• Children’s Liturgy of the Word is on hold for the next month or so, due to renovation work in the sacristy. A children’s homily will be offered at the 10am Mass every Sunday until Children’s Liturgy of the Word can resume.

Sacramental Preparation for Children & Teens

• Please remember that the Archdiocese requires two years of Religious Education or Catholic School prior to the celebration of First Penance/First Communion (2nd grade or older), and prior to the celebration of Confirmation (8th grade or older).

Adult Sacraments of Initiation (RCIA)

• Have you ever thought about becoming Catholic? Do you have a lot of questions about Catholicism? Or are you a baptized Catholic who has not yet celebrated First Communion or Confirmation? You, and your questions, are warmly welcomed! Come and share the journey with others. Please contact Maryann Tyrer at mtyrer@stelmo79.org to discuss our adult initiation process (commonly known as the RCIA). Join us on Sundays at 1:15pm in the Parish Center, resuming on January 8.

Adult Faith Formation Opportunities

• Much like our neighborhood, our faith is always under construction! Join other Catholics as we seek to build on our childhood formation in the faith.

• On Sundays, open and ongoing Adult Faith Formation takes place in the Parish Center after the noon Mass. We gather between 1:00 and 1:30pm for Food and Fellowship, then 1:30-3pm for a facilitated discussion of the Sunday Scriptures and the themes of Catholic Teaching that flow from those Scriptures. Drop in any time, or participate regularly! We resume January 8th

• On Thursdays, we gather 7-8:30pm for Theology Thursdays We will resume in late January – watch the bulletin and website for upcoming topics and series!

• Men’s Bible Study – our Group of Guys meet on Tuesdays at 12noon in the Parish Center – Please register online at stelmo79.org, or call 212-288-6250 so we have a head count to prepare materials.

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Mary, the Holy Mother of God

While a coordinator of interns in Washington, DC, the long resumes of recent high school graduates amused me.

These three- and four-page resumes brought to mind my college professor’s saying, “The greater your credentials, the shorter your resume will be.” He was right. The more an individual does, the less the person needs to say.

For Mary’s role in salvation history, she is honored January 1 as Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Though she is venerated for bearing the Messiah, she speaks few words in the Gospel accounts.

Her words modeled discipleship in two sentences at the Annunciation: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). With many more words, she proclaimed God’s greatness in the prayer that we call the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55). In John 2:3, she is direct with Jesus, stating, “They have no wine.”

Throughout the liturgical year, the Blessed Mother is a prominent figure. Not only do half the Holydays of Obligation in the United States honor Mary (besides Mary, the Holy Mother of God, the Immaculate Conception on December 8, and the Assumption on August 15), dozens of other days, including most Saturdays in Ordinary Time, mark some aspect of her life.

Devotion to Mary began in the early centuries of the Church. After the Council of Ephesus in 431, many churches were built in Mary’s name, and a number of liturgies honoring her developed. By the Middle Ages, a strong devotion to Mary was expressed in art, pilgrimages, and prayer. Prayers such as the Angelus, the Hail Mary, and the Memorare all emerged during this time. All of this for a woman of few words.

Mary did not need to use many words. She said all that was needed at the Annunciation. May we begin this new year looking to Mary and saying yes to bearing God in our actions and words.

Connecting the Liturgy with Our Lives © 2019 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications. 800-933-1800; www.LTP.org. Text by Kathy Kuczka.

Photo © John Zich. NABRE © 2010 CCD. Permission to publish granted by the Archdiocese of Chicago on October 25, 2018.

Mary, the Holy Mother of God, is honored on January 1 for her role in salvation history.

Five Minute Jesus

Using the Gospel for Prayer – Epiphany

January 8, 2023

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 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king, they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Monday, January 2

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, January 3 “Magi” comes from the word Magus, meaning “great one”. It is the word we get words like magistrate, master, magician . . . even mister, from! One thing a Magus was not actually was a king. Generally, they were religious leaders in the ancient world. What was important for Matthew was, they were not Jewish. Yet their own religious practice (astrology) revealed the birth of the Jewish messiah. What do you think Matthew is implying about people who do not believe in our God? Does that mean anything for us?

Wednesday, January 4

The foreign Magi might have known about the birth of the Messiah, but clearly neither Herod nor his people did, and though the scriptures revealed where he should be born, Herod did not know that either. This begins Matthew’s criticism of his own people, the Jewish people because they failed to accept Jesus as the Messiah. How do I feel about that criticism. Is it fair? Would it be fair for us to level that same criticism today? If so, why, if not, why not?

Thursday, January 5 Herod tells them to go to Bethlehem and find the child. It seems innocent enough, though we find out later that Herod, like Pharaoh in the Moses story, will soon seek to kill the baby Jesus. With this story Matthew is beginning a major theme in his Gospel: Jesus is the new Moses. He is the new Lawgiver, revealing a way for all people to be part of God’s people. This was good news for Jesus’ first followers. But how about us? Am I comfortable with a Church which welcomes foreigners, strangers, and people who are different than us?

Friday, January 6 The magi follow the star to Bethlehem where they find Mary and Joseph . . . in a house. Clearly Matthew’s sources concerning Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem were different from Luke, who speaks of shepherds, not Magi, and a manger, not a house. Does it bother me, these discrepancies? Can I see beyond them to grasp the heart of the message of Matthew’s story? If so, what is Matthew trying to say to me about Jesus’s birth?

Saturday, January 7

“Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh” Matthew is again referencing the psalms where God and frankincense are offered to the king. However, Matthew adds Myrrh – an ointment used for the preparation of the dead for burial. Jesus is then a king whose days are numbered. What is he trying to say about this king? Does this add anything to my understanding of Jesus? How important is Jesus’ death to me? And what does it mean to me?

Just a Word

From the Pastor 01.01.2023

One of the first Christmas songs I remember that was neither a hymn nor one of the traditional Holiday hits like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or White Christmas written by a contemporary singer, was John Lennon’s Happy Christmas/War is Over released in 1975.

The war it references is the Viet Nam War which ended so ignominiously for America earlier that year, but the song doesn’t dwell on that defeat. Instead, it asks:

Now So this is Christmas

And what have you done?

Another year over

And a new one just begun

It turns the question about the war, and everything that surrounded it, back to us; what did we do, to end the war? What do we do, to bring peace to a nation and a world torn by that war?

For Lennon, Christmas was about more than just fun for the “near and the dear one, the old and the young”. Christmas is

For weak and for strong For rich and the poor ones

Christmas, no matter how we understand the mystery at the heart of it, was for more than just my race, my culture, my “tribe” but was, is

For black and for white For yellow and red ones

It might seem strange on this New Year’s Day to hear your pastor muse about a 70’s rock song; save for the fact that this song, which has since become a Christmas classic, sings about the message of peace which is at the heart of the Christmas message we have all just celebrated. A message which continues today on January 1, or as Pope Saint Paul VI proclaimed it in 1967, years before Lennon’s hit, the World Day of Peace.

For our Church, peace is about more than the absence of war. It is about the building of a society where rights are respected, human dignity is upheld, and life is celebrated as having meaning and purpose. The birth of Mary’s child is the embodiment of the promise that that peace is possible, even in the face of war. As John Lennon sang:

War is over

If you want it

Christmas invites us to imagine that world John Lennon sings about. But Jesus does more. He shows us what that world looks like. And challenges us to show as it well. Given the state of the world, our city, and our Church these days, Peace sounds like best of resolutions for 2023. It is the Christian’s answer to John Lennon’s question, “What have you done?” It is our response to that question and to the one we call “the Prince of Peace”.

Happy New Year!

Father Baker

BLESSINGS

Today’s readings include another account of the story of Jesus’ birth. The reading from the book of Numbers reminds us that we are blessed. We are looked upon with kindness and grace. The psalm and Galatians remind us of the blessings given through God’s Son. Luke tells of our ultimate blessing, that Mary, a human being like us, gave birth to a child who is God’s Son. Mary, a young mother, watches all that is happening around the birth of her son. She listens as the shepherds bring messages from angels, a message she also received from an angel, about her son. Yet Mary remains silent. She keeps all this news about her son to herself. She reflects on all these experiences. The only thing she shares is the name of her son, Jesus, a name given him before he was even conceived. Her silence leaves us wondering if this is how one responds to such a great blessing.

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