Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
My Dear Parishioners,
We are now about forty days past Christmas which means that this weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. In the “old days,” the Feast of the Presentation was considered a continuation of the Feast of the Epiphany. This Feast was also known as the Feast of the Purification.
This Feast has ancient origins. This is an account from the Fourth Century observance of the Feast in the Holy Land: But certainly, the Feast of the Purification is celebrated here with the greatest honor. On this day there is a procession to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher; all go in procession, and all things are done in order with great joy, just as at Easter. All the priests preach, and also the bishop, always treating of that passage of the Gospel where, on the fortieth day, Joseph and Mary brought the Lord into the Temple, and Simeon and Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Famuhel, saw Him, and of the words which they said when they saw the Lord, and of the offerings which the parents presented.
In the “old days,” this Feast was also known as Candlemas and the end of “Christmastide,” the end of the Christmas Season. The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales teach us: This feast is the last of all those celebrated in honor of the Incarnation. From now on the liturgical cycle does not refer to this mystery or to the infancy of the Savior, but rather to His Death, Resurrection and Ascension. In other words, they will be feasts of our Redemption.
In those “old days,” this Feast would be when many families would take down the last of their Christmas decorations. However, before they did so, many would burn a candle before their Nativity Set. They did so in remembrance that Jesus is a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.
This Sunday, we rejoice that the light of the world has come. He has come. We rejoice that He came because of His love for us. He wanted to become one like us so that we can become like Him. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us: He had to become like His brothers and sisters in every way, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because He Himself was tested through what He suffered, He is able to help those who are being tested.
We also rejoice that He has entrusted us to be His lights in this world. That is why I am inviting the St. Vincent de Paul Society to come to our parish. They will be coordinating our assistance to those who are in need.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is so good and does such great work.
We celebrate their history and their efforts: just 12 years after its founding in France, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul established roots in the United States. On November 20, 1845, the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul was established in St. Louis, Missouri. With nearly 90,000 Vincentian volunteers serving their communities, today’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul works in 4,428 parish-based Conferences across the United States. Our founding activity, still practiced today, is the face-to-face Encounter (also known as the Home Visit), in which Vincentians visit the homes of those they serve, to identify both immediate and longer-term needs, including emergency assistance with utilities, rent, food, and clothing.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is composed of women and men who seek personal holiness through works of charity. In this essential way, the Society differs from organizations whose principal objective is not the spiritual advancement of their members but the doing of good for someone else. We don’t provide transactions; we create and nurture relationships. Our Mission: “A network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need.”
Going forward, our poor box donations will now go to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Also, our Ash Wednesday collection will be for them.
We thank our own parishioner, Mr. Tom Molz for accepting the invitation to help form the new council in our own parish. Members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society will be available after all Masses this weekend. Please stop by and speak with them, and you may find how you can radically change someone else’s life for the best. By doing so, you may make yourself into a brighter light and make Jesus very happy.
After all Masses this weekend, we will be receiving some instruction in our AED Defibrillator. We do have a defibrillator that was donated by our nurses’ group and is kept in the hallway leading to the sacristy. It is important that as many parishioners as possible know about it and have some basic instructions to use it. Again, lives can be saved and transformed by just knowing where the AED equipment is and how to use it.
Along with the presence of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and our AED training and our signups for Monday Adoration, and our donut Sunday, we will have the blessing of throats in honor of St. Blaise.
The St. Blaise blessing is a reminder that our Catholic Faith helps us overcome all challenges. While things may not turn out as we want, our Faith confirms in us that Jesus is always in charge and, that as long as we stay with Jesus, all will be all right.
As I conclude, I would love to say “Go Birds.” As much as I love our Philly teams, I do fear that way too many of our families are setting the wrong priorities. Of their own free will, they are choosing sports and other extracurricular activities over Mass. Of their own free will, they are thus setting the wrong priorities for themselves and their children. Sadly, they are depriving themselves of God’s Grace, and the Graces that they and their children need to reach Heaven just by choosing other things over Mass.
In response, we challenge them. We challenge them to read the Gospel of John Chapter Six. Here Jesus gives a very serious teaching on our Sunday obligation. This teaching is only ignored by the foolish but embraced by the wise. Anyone who says that it is it is okay to miss Mass for a sporting event, or something similar, is included in the foolish. Only the most foolish of the foolish will try to defend themselves on this.
As a parish, we are so thankful to have beautiful liturgies in such a beautiful church. We are also so blessed to have the wisdom to set the right priorities. Jesus is so good. St. Joseph is such a wonderful Patron. Let us all continue to slay siege to Heaven for each other, for our children, our grandchildren, and for the good of the Parish. And “Go Birds!”
St. Joseph, Patron of the Church, and our Patron, pray for us!
Fr. Michael J Pawelko, Pastor
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