November 28, 2021

Parish life First Sunday of Advent

11/28/2021

From Our Music Director (Page 4)

Faith Formation (Page 6)

Just a word ( Page 9)

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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 family a family seeking to know and love Jesus Christ.

Mass Intentions

Saturday, November 27th Vigil 5:30pm Anna Corra

Sunday, November 28th First Sunday of Advent 8:00am Kathleen Hickey 10:00am Bernie Sullivan 12:00pm All Parishioners 5:00pm Walter & Mary Ferber

Parish Staff

Pastor: Rev. Donald C. Baker .......................... frdcab@stelmo79.org Rev. Msgr. Leslie J. Ivers ........................... msgrlivers@stelmo79.org Weekend Associates: ................................Rev. Anthony Ciorra, IVD Weekend Associate:...............................................Rev. Edward Beck, CP Pastoral Associate: Ms. Maryann Tyrer ........ mtyrer@stelmo79.org Pastoral Associate: Ms. Jasmine Gomez ..... jgomez@stelmo79.org Parish Manager: Mr. Michael Ward ............. mward@stelmo79.org Music Director: Mr. John Zupan .................... jzupan@stelmo79.org Wedding Coordinator: Ms. Debbi Burdett . dbweddingsnyc@gmail.com 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 ............................................................. 9am - 5pm 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

Monday, November 29th Advent Weekday 12:00pm Joseph Catalano (Living)

Tuesday, November 30th St. Andrew 12:00pm Mr. & Mrs. Albert Blain Wednesday, December 1st Advent Weekday 12:00pm Jasmine Gomez (Bday)

Thursday, December 2nd

Advent Weekday 12pm Juan Ayastury Litrenta (Living)

& Rosa Olga Teresa Litrenta

Friday, December 3rd St. Francis Xavier 12pm Souls in Purgatory Saturday, December 4th Advent Weekday 12pm Carla Betiana Litrenta (Living) For Mass Intentions, please visit the Parish Center

Today’s Readings

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.

First Reading — The days are coming when the LORD will fulfill the promise made to Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 33:14-16).

Psalm — To you, O Lord, I lift my soul (Psalm 25).

Second Reading — May the Lord make you increase and abound in love that you may be blameless in holiness; conduct yourselves so as to please God (1 Thessalonians 3:12 — 4:2).

Gospel — There will be signs and you will see the Son of Man coming with power and great glory. Be vigilant (Luke 21:25-28, 34-36).

The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.

Readings for the Week

Monday: Is 2:1-5; Ps 122:1-9; Mt 8:5-11 Tuesday: Rom 10:9-18; Ps 19:8-11; Mt 4:18-22 Wednesday: Is 25:6-10a; Ps 23:1-6; Mt 15:29-37 Thursday: Is 26:1-6; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a;

Mt 7:21, 24-27 Friday: Is 29:17-24; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Mt 9:27-31 Saturday: Is 30:19-21, 23-26; Ps 147:1-6;

Mt 9:35 — 10:1, 5a, 6-8 Sunday: Bar 5:1-9; Ps 126:1-6; Phil 1:4-6, 8-11; Lk 3:1-6

Bread & Wine

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.

This Week’s Bread & Wine In Memory of Jozsef Tomahatsch

Offered by Bridgette Tomahatsch

Sanctuary Lamp

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK

Robert Oscar Castro, Jody Zanarias, Myrna Moreno & all those ill with or recovering from the COVID-19 virus and all Victims of Military Activities

PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED Lawrence Hart, Christopher Cedeño, Michael Egan, Jack Anthony Battipaglia & Christopher Ladano

This Week’s Sanctuary Lamp

In Memory of Rosa Olga Teresa Litrenta Offered by Maria Litrenta

St. Stephen of Hungary School

Pre-K through 8th Grade Catholic Parochial School

408 East 82nd St., New York, NY 10028 (212) 288-1989 Fax: (212) 517 – 5788 Principal: Ms. Kelly Burke

www.saintstephenschool.org Interested in admissions to our parish school?

admissions@saintstephenschool.org

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE ONLINE AND AT OUR PARISH CENTER FOR

REQUIEM MASS IN D MINOR Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart December 1, 2021 7 PM This concert is sponsored and dedicated by Suzanne Cseh-Walsh in loving memory of her mother Sabina Kerkapoly.

Kent Tritle, Conductor with Liane Coble-Dispense, soprano soloist Heather Petrie, contralto soloist Bradley King, tenor soloist Peter Stewart, bass soloist Members of the Cathedral Choir of St John the Divine Orchestra of St Monica – St. Elizabeth of Hungary – St. Stephen of Hungary Church Proof of vaccination or neg COVID test required for entry Masks must be worn throughout the performance.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Par � L�fe Our next team meeting will be held on Thursday, December 2nd at 7:30pm via Zoom. If you are interested in learning more about what you can do to be environmentally friendly or want to learn more about what our Parish is doing to care for our common home, join us! email GreenTeam@stelmo79.org

Are you new to our Parish? Or perhaps you have been here for a little while but want to learn more about our community? Well then we have got a gathering for you! Our Parish Council will be hosting its monthly Second Sunday Social on December 12th after the

On December

noon mass. This is an opportunity to learn more about

4th, we will

the history of our parish, the ministries offered here,

begin collecting

meet members of the Pastoral Staff, and meet other

items for our

members of the Parish. You will get to tour the Parish

annual Toy Drive

grounds and enjoy a cup of coffee at the end. If you’re

which will

interested in joining us, please RSVP by emailing

benefit the families of Little Sisters of the Assumption.

Fr. Baker FRDCAB@stelmo79.org by Saturday,

Please bring Lego sets, puzzles, art supplies, soccer

December 11th.

games, outdoor games, action figures and educational games to the front of St. Joseph’s Altar by December 12th. pg. 5

K-8 Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation: •

Sunday sessions run 11:11am to 11:55am on Zoom!. Zoom links are emailed to registered families each Friday. The timing of Religious Ed sessions allows your family to attend the Mass of your choice (in person or via Zoom). Participating in Sunday (or Saturday evening) Eucharist is an integral part of Religious Education in our parish! Our 10am Mass on Sunday is now a Family-Friendly Mass every Sunday! (No sessions November 28.)

Adult Faith Formation: •

•

Gather with other Catholics, and with those considering becoming Catholic, to learn more about the Scriptures and our Catholic Faith in a communal setting over a cup of coffee or tea. Bring your questions and musings! Expand your knowledge of the Bible and church teaching in a friendly, non-judgmental environment. No long-term commitment – join us when you are able.

Each Sunday, following the 12noon Mass and concluding at 3pm, in the Parish Center. All materials provided. All are welcome! (No sessions November 28.)

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). Or join us on Sundays in the Parish Center following the 12noon Mass. (No sessions November 28)

Toy Drive begins November 27 •

Please bring unwrapped new toys to the St. Joseph Altar steps November 27 – December 5

Save the Date: Wednesday, December 1, 7pm • • •

Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D Minor will be performed at St. Monica’s Church Kent Tritle will conduct members of the St. John the Divine Cathedral Choir and the St. Monica Orchestra Tickets are $20, available at our website or at the Parish Center

Happy New Year!

No, it’s not January yet, but the First Sunday of Advent is the first day of the Liturgical Year, the Church’s calendar.

“Advent” means “coming,” and it is the season of preparation for the feast of Christmas. We decorate our homes and churches for Christmas, we buy and ship gifts, we attend holiday parties – all well and good. But we also need to prepare our hearts for Christmas. The Church gives us this four-week season of Advent to do just that.

Remember, that while we prepare for what is coming, more importantly we prepare for Who comes to us – Jesus, God with us (Emmanuel), Jesus who came to our world in history over 2000 years ago, who comes to us in mystery every day in myriad ways, and who will come again in majesty at the end of time.

We switch from the green colors of Ordinary Time to blue/purple colors to remind us to prepare our hearts through prayer, repentance, and acts of charity to welcome Jesus more fully at Christmas.

We also will hear from the Gospel of Luke at Mass, as we switch from Year B to Year C in the Church’s Lectionary Cycle. (The Lectionary is the collection of assigned Scripture readings for each day of the year.) While each Gospel proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ, each has its own “flavor” in the telling. If you would really like to challenge yourself during this Advent Season, try reading the Gospel of Luke all the way through. See how you might hear the Word of God resonate in your life this year. Join us in the Parish Center after the 12noon Mass for an opportunity to discuss the Scriptures over a cup of coffee or tea with your fellow parishioners. We meet most Sundays, and you can drop in any week (except Nov. 28 and December 26 of this year.)!

Five Minute Jesus

Using the Gospel for Prayer – Second Sunday of Advent – December 5, 2021 It’s simple. 1. Read the Gospel for the following Sunday slowly, reflecting on the story it tells. 2. Reflect on the questions assigned for each day. 3. Make some resolution about how what you read can be lived that day. 4. Then thank God for speaking to you through this reflection.

The Gospel according to Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Monday Is there something in this Gospel that spoke to me? Comforted me? Challenged me? If so, what is it? How does this Gospel speak to me?

Tuesday Sometimes faith can seem disconnected from fact. Not so for Luke he wants to root his faith in history. He tells us who was in charge where and when John the Baptist appeared. Perhaps because part of John’s message was to remind everyone who was REALLY in charge. Who is in charge of my life? Whom do I look to most of all, for comfort, protection, and guidance? Whom do I trust above all? Maybe it is one person or thing, maybe it is many. But be warned: that person or thing we trust above all is in effect our real God. Wednesday After recounting the regions and kingdoms and cities where the powerful leaders of John’s day, Luke says that John the Baptist was “in the desert.” What does the word desert symbolize for me? Is it a place of loneliness? Emptiness? A place of testing or trial? Am I in a desert now? If so, what kind is it? What is the desert in my life?

Thursday Central to John’s preaching was “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Working backwards, if sin is to break God’s law, then forgiveness comes from God who gave us the Law to guide our lives. That forgiveness was received through repentance, a word which means to “return”, and describes a change of life, where we turn away from our breaking of the law through the new life offered through forgiveness. That process has a beginning, and for John it is baptism, a word which simply means “washing”. Jewish people to this day practice ritual washing to remove anything that might separate them from practicing their faith. John took this washing and made it the entrance into God’s new chosen people. For most of us, baptism is a ritual practiced on us before we are born. Not for John and not for the Church. It is the beginning of a relationship where we constantly return to God through repentance and forgiveness so that we might live new better lives. Is that what it is for me? If not, why not? If not, how do I make is so once again?

Friday Luke doesn’t think people of faith should be surprised by John. He sees John’s mission as predicted in the words of the Prophet Isaiah. In fact, John models his ministry after this prophecy so that people get the connection. Still, people were surprised. And many will not believe that John speaks for God, despite the prophecy. Where do I hear God speaking in my life? Have I ever thought I heard God’s call to repent, to change, to return? If so, what did I do as a response? IF not, why haven’t I? Saturday At the end of today’s Gospel John echoes the words found in the Book of the prophet Isaiah, that “all flesh shall see the salvation of God”. For Isaiah that promise will be fulfilled when the kingdom of God is revealed. For Luke that promise is fulfilled in Jesus. John is the one reminding people of that promise and calling them to get ready for it. He likens it to God making a road straight. What need to be straightened out in my lives so that I can live the promise of that kingdom here and now?

From the Pastor 11.28.21

will return next week

Vespers – what is that again?

From time to time we announce something called Vespers. During Advent and Lent we say that Vespers are celebrated on Saturdays at 5pm – right before the vigil mass. We also announce that Vespers are prayed every Friday night of the year in the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Chapel at the Parish Center, 406 East 80th St. It occurred to me after someone asked, that most people do not know what Vespers even are!

Vespers are one of the official prayer services of the Church and are rooted, not in Christianity, but in our parent religion, Judaism. Central to Jewish prayer is the book of Psalms. Dubbed the “hymn book” of the Bible, the book of Psalms consists of a core of psalms reported to have been composed by King David himself, along with psalms from other composers. Psalms were written to be chanted or sung, and to this day, faithful Jews gather in groups in the morning and evening to chant the psalms, read the scriptures and pray.

Jesus was Jewish, and so the psalms were a fundamental part of his relationship with the one he taught us all to call Our Father. He would have gathered with others, or prayed alone, morning and evening, using the psalms. It was a way of sanctifying the whole day, i.e. giving the day to God. As Christianity evolved from Judaism, we took with us this Hebrew custom. In the early centuries of the Church, there was no real concept of “daily Mass”, but Christians gathered in their churches to pray in the morning (Matins) and evening (Vespers). And they used the psalms.

Over time, due to changing customs and the upheaval surrounding the fall of the Roman Empire, this custom of praying the psalms became the responsibility of monks and nuns. Their practice evolved into an elaborate structure of prayer services throughout the day and night. The stereotype we have of a monastery with chanting going on in the background grows out the medieval practice of these men and women religious.

After the Second Vatican Council the Church created a shorter version of this cycle of prayer at the various hours of the day. It wished that lay people begin to pray the psalms at various times of the day, so that the psalms might be better known, and the prayer of the Church might be more rooted in Scripture.

Vespers is the service that is prayed in the evening. It consists of psalms, a scripture reading, the reciting of Mary’s Song of Praise (the Magnificat) and prayers. On Fridays at 5:10 we light a single candle at the beginning to honor the way Vespers was traditionally celebrated at the lighting of the lamps in the evening, and we incorporate several minutes of silent contemplative prayer. Aside from an opening hymn, this service is spoken. On Saturdays in Advent and Lent we celebrate a shorter form of Vespers at 5:00 pm, but this service is sung, and includes the use of incense as a symbol of our prayers rising to heaven.

All are invited to come on the Saturday evenings of Advent and Lent at 5pm to the main church and participate in sung vespers. It is a wonderful way to prepare for Mass in these seasons of preparation for Christmas and Easter. Come also on Fridays at 5:10pm throughout the year to learn to pray the psalms as Jesus did, and make Vespers a growing part of your prayer.

Father Baker

CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS 511510: Church of St. Monica/ St Elizabeth of Hungary / St Stephen of Hungary 406 East 80th Street, NYC., NY 10075 PHONE: 212 288-6250 CONTACT PERSON: Gladys Tejada/Office

SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 28th, 2021 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: PLEASE PRINT 450 BULLETINS FOR THIS WEEK’S ISSUE