Saturday February 13th
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday February 14th
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 am † For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday February 15th
6:30 am † Mildred Ostrander

Tuesday February 16th
6:30 am Intentions of the Keough Family

Wednesday February 17th
Ash Wednesday
6:30 am † Joy Burns
7:00 pm † Lawrence O’Brien

Thursday February 18th
6:30 am † Eileen Delzingaro

Friday February 19th
6:30 am † Edna Dougherty

Saturday February 20th
8:00 am † Charles Manning

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Robert Farrell, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Tom Rufe and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Sr. M. Judith Ann Moeller, IHM, Donald Rieco, John Suchanic, & Michael Spagna.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

⁺Dear Saint David Parishioners,

Hope in God. He is always with us. We at times in life may feel like Job in today’s first reading. Job is feeling devastated after the death of his wife and children and the loss of all his belongings. He complains to his friends who suggest that his misfortune is due to some sin he committed; this is what people in those days believed. Job not only turns to his friends, who are not much of a consolation, but also to God and begs for relief from all his suffering.

Even though Job pours out his sorrows to God, he never denounces Him as the devil suggested that he would. Job does not despise God but instead proclaims, “The Lord gives and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21)! Now that is certainly deep faith, trust, and love of God! Eventually Job is blessed for his perseverance and receives many blessings, such as, a new wife, more children, and plenty of material goods.

At this point in time, nearly a year dealing with the pandemic, we may be feeling hopeless due to financial hardships, sickness, loss of a loved one due to COVID, or loneliness in not being able to visit others outside our household, etc. Perhaps after some time of mourning losses and discussing these with family and friends, which is definitely helpful, we must also take our worries and surrender them to Jesus, our Savior.

Jesus is with us every step of the way and wants to accompany us in good times and in bad. Like Job, we need to place our trust in God and allow Him to show us the way. How are we to know the way? To hear Jesus, we need to quiet our minds and hearts and spend time with Him in prayer so that He can gently comfort, console, and lead us. Sometimes in prayer, if you are like me, our minds will not shut down.  The to-do list may come to mind or other thoughts and responsibilities may distract us, both of which are normal. Each time these distractions arise, simply take a second to acknowledge them, and then ask the Holy Spirit to help you to pray. Jesus understands our diversions of mind. We cannot forget that He too was human. Recall how He instructed His followers, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. This is how you should pray” (Mt. 6: 8-9). Jesus then taught them and us the Our Father.

Therefore, in faith and trust we can proclaim in today’s responsorial psalm, “Praise the Lord, Who heals the brokenhearted.” If you are feeling heartbroken, then allow Jesus to approach you and help you up so that you may be of service to others as Peter’s mother-in-law did after Jesus healed her. Jesus does not want us to be despondent but wants us to spend time with Him in prayer and allow ourselves to be strengthened with His grace for our ultimate destination, heaven. Safe travels!

In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am,
Sister Mary

Saturday February 6th
St. Paul Miki
4:00 pm† Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday February 7th
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 am† For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am† Intentions of the Presider

Monday February 8th
St. Jerome Emiliani & St. Josephine Bakhita
6:30 am† Jose & Victoria Salvador

Tuesday February 9th
6:30 am† Richard M. Gusherowski

Wednesday February 10th
St. Scholastica
6:30 am† Mary Fitzpatrick

Thursday February 11th
Our Lady of Lourdes
6:30 am† Margaret Morrow 1st Anniversary

Friday February 12th
6:30 am† Stephen Groch

Saturday February 13th
8:00 am† Anne Needham

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Robert Farrell, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Mary Ann Volpe

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Year of Saint Joseph

December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021 
On the 150^th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church

       Catholics around the world rejoice over the Holy Father’s proclamation of the Holy Year of St. Joseph, which began on December 8, 2020 and ends December 8, 2021. The entire Archdiocese of Philadelphia is encouraged to spend this year growing closer to St. Joseph by honoring him, imitating his virtues and asking for his intercession. May this be a year of great grace for all of us as we more deeply entrust ourselves to the care of our spiritual father.

To you, O blessed Joseph
(Ad te, beate Ioseph)

To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our afflictions, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.

Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.

O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.

As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.

This prayer was composed by Pope Leo XIII in his 1889 encyclical, Quamquam pluries. It especially recommended to be prayed at the end of the Rosary.

Saturday January 30th
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday January 31st
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 am † For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider
6:30 pm Intentions of the EPIC Youth and their Families

Monday February 1st
6:30 am Intentions of the Neas Family

Tuesday February 2nd
Presentation of the Lord
6:30 am † Patricia Troilo

Wednesday February 3rd
St. Blasé & St. Ansgar
6:30 am Intentions of the Neas Family

Thursday February 4th
6:30 am † Dorothy Ross

Friday February 5th
St. Agatha
6:30 am † Millie DiBrino

Saturday February 6th
St. Paul Miki
8:00 am † Jeanie Lombardi

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Robert Farrell, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Joseph Lavalle.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday January 23rd
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday January 24th
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 am † For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday January 25th
Conversion of St. Paul
6:30 am † Millie DiBrino

Tuesday January 26th
Ss. Timothy & Titus
6:30 am † Patricia Troilo

Wednesday January 27th
St. Angela Merici
6:30 am Intentions of the Neas Family

Thursday January 28th
St. Thomas Aquinas
6:30 am Intentions of the Keough Family

Friday January 29th
6:30 am Edith Santone

Saturday January 30th
Mem. of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Mary Garofalo

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Robert Farrell, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Teresa Higgins

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.
(Mark 1:17)

Jesus throughout His ministry is moved with compassion for the men and women of this world in so many ways. He is moved with compassion in how he deals with sinners and the sick. He is moved with compassion to suffer and die on the cross for us. True compassion is one of the lures that He puts in the water to capture men and women’s hearts. To be fishers of men and women in this world means we have to have that same compassion for each other, but in order to do that we have to catch His bait first.

Compassion, what a concept! The movie The Good Catholic has a scene that stuck with me on compassion. Brother Ollie makes a speech: “We all like to think we are compassionate. We might say to each other hope you feel better, our thoughts and prayers are with you, I am so very sorry for your loss. Compassion is a funny thing, though, because when you find out where the word compassion comes from, its real origin, it turns out the word actually means to suffer with, not to pity, not to feel sorry for, not to send hugs to someone’s Facebook page, but to suffer with.”

Jesus suffered with! He suffered with the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf. He suffered with St. Peters mother-in-law, the women caught in adultery, the roman centurion whose son was sick. He suffered with St. Peter who denied him on the cross, St. Paul who persecuted and killed at least one Christian. He suffered with St. Stephen the first martyr and all the martyrs. Jesus suffered with sinners and He suffers with you and me, not because we deserve it, but because of his unconditional love for us.

Are you and I capable of doing the same for others?

Are you and I willing to suffer with, not because others deserve it, but out of love for others?

Are you and I capable of suffering with our loved ones and even our enemies?

Are you and I capable of suffering with someone else, to take on their pain, to carry someone’s cross for a moment by listening to them and trying to understand and feel their pain?

Are you and I able to give others a real hug when they need it?

Are you and I capable of suffering with someone who is hurting, who is completely lost, who is down in life and to show them they are not alone in this world?

Are you and I willing to suffer with someone with less than us, less money, less stuff, less freedom, less choice, less privileges, less basic human rights?

Are you and I willing to suffer with someone who is deep in repetitive sin and needs not judgement from us, but love right now?

Are you and I truly able to suffer with others?

Will we?

The Voice of God

God loves us individually and gradually reveals Himself to us throughout our lives. When God approached Samuel, He was gentle, so He didn’t frighten him by revealing His presence all at once. Calling softly to Samuel in his sleep was a way to reach out to him to make His presence known. God’s revelations are often like that, a gentle and slow revealing of His presence. It’s a peaceful, gradual certainty that grows slowly over time. That is a sure sign that it is God who is revealing Himself and His will to you. His voice is more like a gentle nudging or tugging that you continue to notice until He gets your attention, like a child who stands respectfully and patiently from afar until you become aware that he would like to talk to you.

Silence, solitude, and prayer are the basic elements that facilitate a greater awareness of God’s presence in our lives and His will for us. Jesus, who was both human and divine, set an excellent example for us by choosing silence, solitude, and prayer to commune with His Father and accept His will. It is these same three elements that Samuel practiced as he was off by himself, asleep in silence, and had been praying in the temple.

God is in control of our lives and sometimes He wants us to come to know His will by taking care of things ourselves, making mistakes, learning from them, and thus growing in the development of our character and in holiness. Sometimes, God will send His Holy Spirit to reveal His will to us, but when He does this, it is usually to benefit others, as well as ourselves.

We usually know what is best for our lives deep down inside. There is just so much noise, distractions, stress, and pressures from other people that we do not feel very close to God or have the ability to “listen” with the ears of our heart. Holiness, direction, and guidance from God, is not just for saints and prophets. God wants each of us to enter into a deeper relationship with Him and most especially, with His Son, Jesus.

The next time you feel a gentle tugging on your heart, it may be a call from the Lord to come away for awhile and speak with Him. He has something He needs to talk to you about. Like any good relationship though, it is always a good thing to seek His company when you have something on your mind or on your heart. God is always there to care about you and listen to you, when you approach Him in silence, solitude, and prayer with the words of Samuel, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)

God love and bless you!
Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM

Saturday January 16th
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday January 17th
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 am † For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday January 18th
6:30 am Special Intention

Tuesday January 19th
6:30 am † Doctor Julio Vassalluzo

Wednesday January 20th
St. Fabian & St. Sebastian
6:30 am † Mike Curcio

Thursday January 21st
St. Agnes
6:30 am † Richard M. Gusherowski

Friday January 22nd
St. Vincent
6:30 am † Marianne Galvin

Saturday January 23rd
Mem. of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Joan Bergiven

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Robert Farrell, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Joanne Watson.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday January 9th
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday January 10th
Baptism of the Lord
9:00 am † For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday January 11th
6:30 am † Bill Hardknock

Tuesday January 12th
6:30 am † Teresa McFadden

Wednesday January 13th
St. Hilary of Poitiers
6:30 am † Harold Kormos 1st Anniversary

Thursday January 14th
6:30 am Special Intention

Friday January 15th
6:30 am † Patricia Troilo

Saturday January 16th
Mem. of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Lorraine Hendricks

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Al Messina, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Robert Farrell, Nina Ferraro, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Janet Klabe & Dorothy Flynn.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.\

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Sick List Information

Please call the parish office (215-657-0252) or email jmmarlin@stdavidparish.org/mmahon@stdavidparish.org if you would like to add or remove someone’s name from the prayer list. If you are aware of someone who is no longer sick please let us know so that we can ensure that there is room for others in need of prayer. Also, reducing the list allows for those who need prayer to be more apparent.

⁺Dear Saint David Parishioners,

It is amazing to me that God the Almighty, sent His Son, Jesus, to become one of us in the form of a little baby. That baby underwent everything that we humans endured, except sin. Today’s feast celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. We know that Jesus had no need to be baptized, since He was sinless, and yet His love for each one of us is so unconditional, that He, the spotless, sacrificial Lamb, would take upon our sins and ultimately save us from the gripping power of the devil through His death and resurrection. How are we able to overcome the temptations the devil throws our way? The truth is – we cannot on our own – but with God’s grace, “all things are possible.”

At our own baptism, we began our grace (God’s life in us) journey. Original sin was washed away, and we joined God’s family the Church. Our own families and educators then continued our faith formation by imparting to us the teachings of the Catholic faith by word and example. As a result of their efforts, we then work to put what we have learned into practice daily.

We are not expected to live our faith alone – no, we are a community of believers living and striving to be witnesses to all those we meet each day. Obviously, we are not professional evangelists, but by giving good examples and sharing our faith by the way we live with our families, friends, and coworkers, others may think to themselves, “See how those Christians love one another.”

As we end the Christmas season today and continue to work on our New Year’s resolutions, perhaps the realistic challenge for 2021 could be, to be all that we know God is calling us to be, that is, more like His Son, Jesus, “with whom He is well pleased.” Each one of us is God’s beloved child, He lives and breathes, and has His being within each of us. He became one of us so that our joy may be complete in Him and in one another, for we are the Body of Christ.

Therefore, on this feast, we hear our heavenly Father who “grasps us by the hand,” speaking tenderly to us individually as He did to His beloved Son,

“ _______ (Your Name), you are My very precious son/daughter, I love you more than you could ever imagine; with you, I am well pleased.” 

Happy New Year blessings to you and your loved ones!☺

In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am,
Sister Mary

Changed Forever

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of Our Lord. We recognize the visit of the three Magi who were searching for the new king of the Jews. Led by a star to a simple stable to find Jesus Christ, Our Lord. It is no coincidence that they followed a heavenly light to find the Light of the world. It took a light set apart from this world. A light that would not be able to be blocked from the distractions of this world. A light that led them along a path where at the end they would be changed forever. Our own path to Christ can be very similar. The only difference is that instead of a Heavenly Star lifted high we follow the heavenly perfect sacrifice of the cross lifted high for all to see. The result is still the same. We are changed forever.

How do we know the Magi were changed? They did not take the easy way home. Through their encounter with Christ, they recognized the evil that lay ahead of them if they did not change the way they were going. Herod and the sins of jealousy and deceit were along the path they had come. They had become enlighten by their finding of Jesus, so they were able to find a different path home. Although it would have been so easy just to retrace their steps, they chose a more difficult way. A way to avoid the sins of Herod and this world.

Our own encounter with Christ has the same effect. Once we find our way to the cross of Our Lord we are fundamentally changed forever. We can look back on the difficult path we traveled to find Christ and know that those steps should be avoided. Sometimes, though, those paths cannot be avoided. We can still change those paths, not by finding a different way, but by taking Christ along with us down those paths. By meeting Christ in prayer and in the sacraments, there is no path too dangerous. It is during those dangerous times where Christ protects us from danger from outside and from within. We can use our Blessed Mother who is a great example of a difficult but holy road. She watched her beloved son grow and become the man God meant him to be, only to see him betrayed and crucified. How could she deal with such tragedy? Because she took the whole life of Christ and treasured it and always reflected on it in her heart. She had total and complete faith in her Son and our Heavenly Father. Her faith is what truly changed her forever, just as our faith will do the same.

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday January 2nd
Ss. Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday January 3rd
Epiphany
9:00 am † For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday January 4th
6:30 am † Phyllis Talese

Tuesday January 5th
6:30 am † Elizabeth Lodge

Wednesday January 6th
6:30 am † Richard M. Gusherowski

Thursday January 7th
St. Raymond of Penafort
6:30 am Special Intention

Friday January 8th
6:30 am † Blanca I. Perez

Saturday January 9th
8:00 am † Deceased members of the Link & Simpson Families

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick …  Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Al Messina, Mike Dunn, Edward Pulaski, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Robert Farrell, Nina Ferraro, Robert Farrell and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Rita Schwartz & Josephine Gallo.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

One time a child came up to me and asked me what did God do before he created the universe? I didn’t know how to answer that, so I copied what the Pope said when he was stumped by the same question. He said before creating the world, God loved because God is love. After that answer he just looked at me and said, “Oh, okay,” and walked away. I got off easy that day!

One of the hardest things to accept and understand in our lives is God’s love for us. It is really hard to comprehend that He loves us personally, much more than we would ever know. It is hard to comprehend that we were created out of love, because sometimes God’s love appears lost in this fallen sinful world. We can get caught up in all the bad news of the world and think that He forgets about us. Think about all of the tragedies that happened this past year. Did we dwell in our anger towards God for allowing these things to happen? Do we think he must not love us for allowing it to happen? Do we think he must not be as all powerful as we thought because He didn’t stop it? If we perpetually think this way, we start to see Him as a Father that falls out of love with his children. We project onto God human flaws where He becomes a flawed Father in our eyes.

We cannot allow ourselves to fall into that trap, because when we do little by little we can get discouraged and angry. We begin to think that we are unloved and then hopelessness creeps in. God shows us his love in so many ways and today we see this in a very special way on the feast day of the Holy Family. We see that God loved us so much that he decided to walk with us.

On this Feast Day, know that Families have a special place with God. His love knocks on the door of families, and find families who love each other, who bring up their children to grow in their faith, and help them move forward in their relationship with Christ. In families there are huge opportunities to create and develop a society centered around truth, goodness, and beauty. In families, there are great opportunities to know that we are loved by one another despite real faults in each other. Families are one of the best ways to witness Our Father’s love for world.

This year my prayer for you is that all of our families have hearts open to God’s love because when we do, we will see that His Love is life-changing.

God Bless,
Fr. Windle

Saturday December 26th
St. Stephen
9:00 am † Lorraine Hendricks
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday December 27th
The Holy Family
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday December 28th
Holy Innocents
9:00 am † Thomas Cox (1st Anniversary)

Tuesday December 29th
St. Thomas Becket
9:00 am † Mary J. Denno

Wednesday December 30th
9:00 am † Lorraine M. Hendricks

Thursday December 31st
St. Sylvester I
9:00 am † Judge Amy Coney Barrett

Friday January 1st
Mary, Mother of God
10:00 am † Joseph Herbert

Saturday January 2nd
Ss. Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen
8:00 am † MaryAnne Thess

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick …  Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Al Messina, Mike Dunn, Edward Pulaski, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Robert Farrell, Nina Ferraro, Robert Farrell and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Dolores Brown & William Eagan.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday December 19th
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday December 20th
4th Sunday of Advent
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday December 21st
St. Peter Canisius
6:30 am † Deceased Members of the Brown & Casey Family

Tuesday December 22nd
6:30 am † Elizabeth Lodge

Wednesday December 23rd
St. John of Kanty
6:30 am † Dennis McLaughlin

Thursday December 24th
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
2:00 pm Intentions of the Presider
4:00 pm Intentions of the Presider
8:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Friday December 25th
Christmas Day
9:00 am Harry Weckerly, Sr.
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Saturday December 26th
St. Stephen
8:00 am † Lorraine Hendricks

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick …  Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Al Messina, Mike Dunn, Edward Pulaski, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Robert Farrell, Nina Ferraro, Robert Farrell and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

MARY: MODEL OF THE INTERIOR LIFE

            During Advent, the Annunciation is a powerful mystery to ponder as it reveals Mary’s interior life. The movement of Mary’s heart from fear, to wonder, to questioning and then to total surrender is the path we are called to follow in our lives. Every time I hear Mary’s response to Gabriel’s announcement and explanation, I am awed: “I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Here is a teenager, facing rejection and misunderstanding from her family, her betrothed, and her townspeople. And yet Mary affirms the truth that must be the foundation of our discipleship: “I am the Lord’s servant.” Sometimes it takes fear, and questioning in the depths of our souls, but through ardent prayer, Mary’s intercession, and the grace of God, we can ultimately attain this total surrender.

            Upon reflection, I am sure that we all have witnessed role models who have been shining examples of total surrender to God amid suffering. Both of my parents were diagnosed with fast moving cancer and given six months to live when they were in their early sixties. My mom and dad were both faithful Catholic parents who worked hard and sacrificed much to provide for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of the seven of us. My younger brother and sister were still in high school when my father was diagnosed and died and my mother two years later. Yes, in the early months of their battle with cancer they were both fearful and my dear mother was angry with God for a brief time. However, my siblings and I, as well as our close family and friends were blessed to witness their total surrender and peace with God and all others before they passed. There is no doubt in my mind that they were both immediately admitted to the eternal joy of the Kingdom of Heaven.

            As we continue our Advent journey and prepare for the celebration of the Birth of Jesus, let us offer praise and thanks to God for the vaccines which offer great hope of ending this global pandemic and most of all for the tremendous gift of His Son, Jesus, our Savior and Lord. In imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our personal role models, let us also pray for the grace to totally surrender our lives to Him. Although we cannot avoid the vicissitudes of this life, through daily prayer, loving service, Mary’s intercession and the grace of God we will attain our ultimate goal, eternal life in the arms of our Heavenly Father!    

Christmas Peace and Joy!
Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM    

⁺Dear Saint David Parishioners,

Today is Gaudete Sunday, a day of rejoicing, the wearing of the pink. In the readings for this third Sunday of Advent, we note that there is definitely a lot of rejoicing going on! In the first reading we read “to announce a year of favor from the Lord.” We certainly would welcome a year of favor, Lord, especially during this time of COVID-19. Then we would join with Isaiah and say, “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.” This joyful sentiment does not have to wait for good times but can also be echoed during the difficult challenges of life. How, you may ask? The truth is, God is always present with us in all the ups and downs and in-betweens of life. Jesus tells us Himself in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, until the end of the age!”

In the responsorial psalm the Blessed Mother proclaims her love and trust in God as her soul “proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” Her prayer, called the Magnificat is recited by Catholics throughout the world each evening in the Liturgy of the Hours. Some writers have suggested that in places where Mary says, my or me, we replace these pronouns with our own name.

Mary shows definite trust in God because she was not yet married, a young girl of about 13 or 14 years of age, and now she had to tell her fiancée that an angel of the Lord appeared to her and told her that by the power of the Holy Spirit she would bear a Son who would be the Savior of the world. If we picture the scene and imagine for a moment the possible reaction of Joseph — WOW! Mary certainly had deep faith in God and in her beloved Joseph. He gently listened, perhaps nodded his head, and then thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” He too was a man of deep faith and so in a dream to Joseph, an angel confirmed what Mary had told him; therefore, he did not divorce her, but cared for her tenderly, and raised Jesus as if He were his own son.

What beautiful models we have in the Holy Family.  We know, as Scriptures tell us, that Jesus grew in wisdom, age, and grace. Why? Because Mary and Joseph taught young Jesus the love of God and read and discussed the Scriptures with Him. Wouldn’t you have loved to have heard those discussions and the insights of young Jesus, our God and Savior?

This Advent as a family, you too could have similar conversations with your children. As the days until Christmas are fast approaching, take time as a family to read the nativity narratives. You will be surprised at the children’s insights. You may also participate in some family activities together, such as making Christmas cookies, watching Christmas movies, decorating the house and the children’s bedrooms, to list just a few ideas. 

One year many years ago when I taught fifth grade, I gave the following assignment: Pretend you are a prophet today.  Write to the people of your town to prepare for Christ’s coming.  Here is Nicole’s response:

ATTENTION, T.V. WATCHERS – YES, YOU!!!  This is the Prophet Nicole and I have a Christmas message for you. Do not attempt to adjust your television set because I am on all channels.

Do you remember Jesus on His birthday, Christmas Day?  Or are you so caught up with the material “things” of Christmas such as shopping, toys, gifts, and things that you want that you forget the real meaning of this day.

I tell you the time is now to prepare for Jesus.  Make your shopping list, but examine your conscience.  Buy your gifts, but remember to give to the poor.  Make your Christmas wish list, but do not forget to confess your sins.  If you make these your priorities, you will receive the greatest Christmas gift of all – our Lord.  My friends, celebrate Jesus’ birthday as you would your own, with anticipation, excitement, happiness, and most of all with love in your heart.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled program already in progress.
~Prophet Nicole

With these words, I pray that all of us enjoy a very fruitful and peaceful Advent, a blessed Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2021

In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am,
Sister Mary

Rejoice in the Lord, always: again, I say, rejoice. Indeed the Lord is near.
Goal for the week… Spread Christian Joy!

Saturday December 12th
Our Lady of Guadalupe
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday December 13th
3rd Sunday of Advent
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday December 14th
St. John of the Cross
6:30 am † Sean Cameron Hawley and † Christopher John Hawley

Tuesday December 15th
6:30 am † Agnes Drobins

Wednesday December 16th
6:30 am † Lorraine M. Hendricks

Thursday December 17th
6:30 am Linda Nichols

Friday December 18th
6:30 am † Elizabeth Lodge

Saturday December 19th
8:00 am Intentions of the Lalli Family

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Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions
We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.

Intentions of the Lalli Family
Sun., Dec. 20^th @ 9 AM to Sat., Dec. 19^th @ 9 AM
Deceased Members of the Brown & Casey Family
Sun., Dec. 20^th @ 11:30 AM to Mon., Dec. 21^st @ 6:30 AM

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick …  Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Al Messina, Mike Dunn, Edward Pulaski, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Robert Farrell, Nina Ferraro, Robert Farrell and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Susan Freda.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Christmas Light

       The winter solstice will be here on Monday December 21^st. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the entire year. It is the first day of winter and the day we are the farthest from the sun. On this day, we have the fewest hours of daylight in the entire year. Science has shown us the importance of light in many ways, from leaves on our trees dying due to the lack of light needed to studies that show the importance of light for our moods. There is even a form of depression that is attributed to the lack of sunlight. It is called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. How is SAD cured? With Light.

      We can take a lesson from this when it comes to our spiritual life. It is the winter of our lives when we sometimes feel farthest from God. We feel something missing. Many people try and fill it with things from this world. It may be material things or even an addiction or some other abuse. The cure for this is the same as it is for SAD, we need to be exposed to light. This light, though, is the light of Christ himself. There is no coincidence that during these longest days of the year we take time to decorate our house with lights. We are trying to drive away the darkness with these lights as we celebrate the coming of Christ into the world. As John 12:46 tells us, “I have come into the world as a light so no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” Christ is here to chase away the darkness. To fill the voids in our lives.

      We just need to step out of the shadows of this world and bathe in the light that is Christ. As we allow this to happen, we ourselves become illuminated. We become the creation Christ meant us to be. He not only is the Light of the World, but he calls us to also be the light of the world. He tells us we are the light meant for all to see. Just like the seasonal light grows from the winter solstice, we can grow the spiritual light Christ gives us at this time of year to grow and illuminate others. Remember, just as it was a light of a star that lead the Wise Men to Christ, we can also lead others to Christ with our light. We can use this time to become like the decorative lights on our homes, but we would be true Christmas Lights.