St. Edward Parish, Newark: December 2005 Archives

More on Simbang Gabi

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I have been getting so many "Thank yous" for the Simbang Gabi. It was probably, for me, the best preparation, the most prayerful preparation for Christmas I have ever experienced.

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WOW!

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People can't seem to stop talking about how generous the parishioners were this year. The Christmas collection was more than $20,000 more than expected or budgeted. We have never had a $52,000 collection before. This will go a long way to pay off some of those old debts.

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The Mass will be chanted from the Sign of the Cross to the Go in Peace. The Deacon will chant the gospel.

Prelude
Premiere Suitte de Noels, Claude-Benigne Balbastre (1727-1799)
The Prophecies, Traditional Vatican Chant
Proclamation of the Birth of Christ, Chant

Procession
Adeste Fidelis, O Come, All Ye Faithful

Incensation, Crèche and Altar
Dominus Dixit Ad Me, Graduale Romanum

Kyrie, Missa Cum Jubilo
Christmas Gloria, Daniel Laginya
Responsorial, Psalm 96, Today is born our Savior, Proulx, based on Puer Natus
Christmas Alleluia, James Chepponis

Preparation of the Gifts: Silent Night, Guitar and Organ
The Glory of the Father, Egil Hovland
Eucharistic Acclamation, Community Mass, Richard Proulx
Agnus Dei, Mass XVIII

Communion:
In Splendoribus, Graduale Romanum
Child of Mercy, Haas
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Silent Night

Closing: Joy to the World
Postlude: Noel X, Luis Claude Daquin (1694-1772)

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The Christmas Schedule for St. Edward can be found here.

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No applause

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Last night was our annual Christmas Concert. The choir and the assembly did a marvelous job. It was a evening of readings and carols. It was a delightful and prayerful evening. My favorite moment was when the choir sang the Victoria "Ave Maria." The Bethlehem reading from Micah was read by a first grader. It was a wonderful Advent evening and after the closing hymn there was a restful silence in the church. It clearly had not been entertainment and applause would have broken the effect. Outside the people were animated, delighted and complimented the choir.

This was a parish that ended every mass with applause. The movement from Nashville to Rome is not complete. There are still some who long for the flesh pots of Egypt. There is still a smattering of applause after Mass on Sunday, but we are doing our best to discourage it. It is difficult work, but I want this to be Sacred Space again.

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Simbang Gabi

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The last two mornings have been quite festive and I am looking forward to seven more before Christmas. Responding to an inquiry and a request, I permitted the Filipino community to hold their traditional novena of dawn masses before Christmas. In some communities this is known as Misa de Gallo, but more widely as Simbang Gabi. They have more than surpassed my expectations. A Full church, lots of young people, fabulous choir, traditional music in Tagalog...It has been fabulous. Traditionally in the Philippines these Masses cn be held as early as 4:00am. We are having them at 5:00am, with the traditional Filipino breakfast in the Hall afterwards. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, they asked me to sing these masses.

With the Mananitas for our Lady of Guadalupe last week, it means a lot of early mornings this December and lots of afternoon naps too,

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Fr. Lopes

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I've seen this linked to on a number of Blogs already. I have access to a few more details about the Archbishop's moves into his new apartment, including some pictures, but Fr. Lopes has sworn me to silence. But now that Fr. Steven Lopes has himself in this news article, I plan to do some bragging.

Fr. Lopes was a student of mine when he was in Grade school.

He will be helping out here with the Christmas Masses on his vacation. He is a native of this parish. His Mother sits about 10 rows back on the right every morning for Mass, and she is my part time private secretary.

I wish I could share some pictures, But Fr. Lopes would have my hide.

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(English version below)

Una voz cláma en el desierto: “Prepáren el camino del Señor, enderecen sus senderos.”

Juan el Bautista anunció el camino. Hemos sido invitados a un nuevo camino, “EL CAMINO”. Hemos sido invitados al Camino de Jesucristo. Entramos profundamente en la experiencia de Adviento dejando ir los caminos del mundo y poniendo nuestra atención en el que nos va a bautizar con fuego. En el Evangelio de San Marcos, él no tiene verguenza acerca de quien es él. Es Jesús, el Cristo. El Hijo de Dios.

El mundo nos invitará a otro camino. Será un camino de ganancia, de mercado, de propaganda, que nos convencerá que no podríamos ser felices a menos que compremos éste o aquél producto. En este mundo el dinero viene a ser el mayor símbolo del valor humano, estamos invitados a sustituir nuestras relaciones con carros, computadoras, objetos de entretenimientos y cuentas bancarias. En un mundo donde la vida no tiene valor, donde no hay valor, solamente el dinero cuenta. En un mundo así la violencia viene a ser un valor, la persona no es incluida, cosas (por ejemplo: armas) son necesarias para la victoria. Cuando nos convertimos en una cosa, no podemos ser lastimados. El cuerpo se convierte en una cosa, las relaciónes pierden su valor separados de la persona humana.

El camino de Jesús es diferente. Los profetas antiguos anunciaron esto generaciones antes de su venida:

Consuelen, consuelen a mi pueblo, dice nuestro Dios. Hablen al corazón de Jerusalén, y díganle a gritos que ya terminó el tiempo de su servidumbre y que ya ha satisfecho por sus iniquidades, porque ya ha recibido de manos del Señor castigo doble por todos sus pecados.

Es un camino de perdón. No es que nosotros podemos hacer algo para alcanzar a Dios. El hace camino junto a nosotros y su gran deseo es establecer una relación de amistad junto a nosotros. Es un camino que nos nutre. El rompe todas las barreras y viene a nosotros como comida. Es un camino de honestidad. No necesitamos ser más de lo que somos. El nos hizo, y ahora nos redime con su misma sangre, así podemos ser libres, libres para ser su pueblo. Es un camino de amor. Dios amó tanto al mundo que nos dio a su único Hijo, entonces en El aprendemos su camino de amor. Es un camino de sacrificio.

El mundo nos dirá: “Este es mi cuerpo puedo hacer con él lo que yo quiera”.

En Jesús escuchamos una voz completamente diferente: “Esto es mi Cuerpo, que será entregado por ustedes.”

Es verdaderamente un desierto ahí afuera y el camino del Evangelio sigue siendo una voz clamando en el desierto: “Preparen el camino del Señor, enderecen sus senderos”. Depende de nosotros que en estos días de Adviento examinemos nuestros caminos, para ver si nuestra elección de seguirlo a El es real. Si tomamos todo para nosotros, estamos siguiendo al mundo. Si nuestro camino es de perdón, de nutrirnos interiormente, de honestidad, amor y sacrificio, solamente ahí, sabremos que estamos siguiendo a Jesús y haciéndonos parte de su cuerpo.

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I cannot believe that it is December already. Most of the spare time in the past few months has been spent poring over numbers, the annual ritual with the budget. This is such a large place, and the budget is over a million. It takes a while to figure it all out and apportion things properly. The final draft is an act of faith. We cut $180,000 in spending for next year. Donations are up, but expenses are way up.

This is a great day to stay indoors. The weather is nasty.

Advent is a beautiful season, my favorite. I can hardly wait to hear the “O” Antiphons again. Conditor Alme Siderum, Rorate Caeli are among my most loved melodies. I especially love the text of the Rorate.

My Advent reading so far has included “The Strangest Way” by Robert Barron and “Redeemer in the Womb” by John Saward.

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  one of Fr. Keyes' photos
 
 

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About this Archive

This page is a archive of entries in the St. Edward Parish, Newark category from December 2005.

St. Edward Parish, Newark: November 2005 is the previous archive.

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