k oÒ - st joseph parish downingtown...christ, had left the warfare of thisworld, and becomea dear...
TRANSCRIPT
Families of our St. Joe's School Community,
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Liturgical New Year, that is. With the
start of Advent we've entered into a new Church Year. And
what a perfect season to begin anew with, these four weeks
inviting us to consider and prepare for Jesus' coming like we
hope to do throughout our lives as faithful disciples.
But it can be so easy for these weeks to get lost in the
exciting hustle towards Christmas, the wonderful craziness of
planning and preparing gifts and spaces and experiences for
our families and loved ones. Often because of these things -
though beautiful - we can forget to plan and prepare our
hearts for Christmas. We need to make it a priority to look
inward during these weeks and make ourselves as spiritually
ready as our houses are festive. Is there space for Christ in our
hearts and minds? How can we make a place for him? The
traditional devotions of this season can help us gift ourselves
the opportunity to really live Advent and not just skip it
entirely for what's to come. God absolutely has something for
you in this time. It's just about getting quiet enough to hear
His voice and preparing room for him to reside in us. My hope
is that this issue of Joseph's Word will give you resources,
things to reflect on, and practical tips to help this Advent
feel fruitful and grounded in what matters, while still
enjoying all the amazing magic of this time of year.
All for Him,
ISSUE #4 / / DECEMBER 2018
CAMPUS MINISTRY NEWSLETTER
JOSEPH'S WORD
S T . L U C Y
Pope Francis' monthly intention
Scan the QR Code for a Bio and video about the life of Lucy!
That people, who are involved in the service and transmission of faith, may find, in their dialogue with culture, a language suited to the conditions of the present time.
wordy wisdom
saint of the month
A F U N C A T H O L I C WORD Y O U MA Y NO T
H A V E K NOWN B E F O R E !
Purificator: The white cloth used to cleanse the Chalice during and after communion. It 's usually embroidered with a cross.
Corinne Gannotti
Advent, week by week.
First Week - Hope
Third Week - Joy Fourth Week - Peace
Second Week - Faith
Our bishops are good to us and the USCCB creates lots of wonerful resources in each Liturgical Season. For Advent, they've shared a "Lectio Divina" or "Divine Reading" each week. Lectio Divina is one of the oldest forms of contemplative prayer in Christian spirituality, dating back to the earliest monastic period after Christ's death and resurrection. Essentially, this style of prayer involves reading through a piece of scripture with a thoughtful heart to hear God's voice. There are four steps in the process: lectio (reading), meditatio (meditation), contemplatio (contemplation), and oratio (prayer). That might sound fancy, but it's really beautifully simple and the USCCB's guide for each week makes it easy to follow even if you've never prayed this way before. This kind of prayer can be so fruitful because it really draws your mind and heart into the Scripture you read. Give it a try this Advent season - just scan the QR code to get right to the corresponding guide for that week. You can also find more resources at www.usccb.org/advent!
The traditional devotionals used during Advent serve their purpose most fully when they help us
enter more deeply into the spirituality of these weeks. One of the most popular devotions during
this time is the Advent Wreath. And with good reason! Part of the immense beauty of this devotion
is the depth of its symbolism. Each aspect of the Advent Wreath and how we use it reveals
something to us about the nature of this season and the posture we want to place our hearts in.
Understanding the symbolic meaning of these physical things can make us feel much more
capable of entering in prayerfully when we use them. So what is the meaning behind it all?
T H E A D V E N T W R E A T H
The 4 candles mark each of the 4 Sundays of
the Advent season. As the candlelight
increases each week, we consider Christ's
light overcoming the darkness. Each candle
represents 1,000 years so that all together
they symbolize the 4,000 biblical years
humanity waited for the Savior. The 5th
white candle in the center is called the
Christ Candle and is lit on Christmas Day.
The circular shape of the
wreath reminds us of the
eternal nature of God and
His unending love for us.
Traditionally, evergreen leaves are
used to form the wreath as a sign of the
eternal life won for us by Christ that we
hope to share with Him. Sometimes
you'll also see holly leaves and berries
to represent the Jesus' crown of thorns
and his Precious Blood; and pine cones
symbolize his Resurrection.
The color of the candles is particularly
significant, matching the vestments we'll see
the priest wear at mass each week. Violet is a
color of both repentance & royalty, reminding
us to turn from sin and prepare for Jesus who is
the true king. Rose symbolizes our joy growing
as we get closer to the incarnation.
LITURGICAL LIVING
Advent is a time of anticipation, not just an empty waiting period designed to force us to grow in the virtue of
patience until the goodness of Christmas arrives. It comes from the Latin word Adventus, meaning "coming".
Just like you might be preparing for the coming friends and family at the end of this month, to really be ready
for Jesus' coming we have these four significant weeks to prepare spiritually for celebrating the incarnation,
one of the most significant Christian feasts all year. But how do you fight that feeling of being overwhelmed?
Even the goodness of Advent devotions may seem like just another thing to do amidst the already growing list
to accomplish before December 25th. In the face of that temptation, I think it's important to remember that
especially in Advent less is more. Jesus wants to meet us in the quiet, innermost place of our heart more than
he wants a perfectly curated pinterest-y Advent set-up in our home. Those things can be good, and if the ideas
below can bless you, praise God! I hope you incorporate them into your Advent celebration joyfully. But know
that above all, the God who became a little baby to save the world just longs for quiet moments with your heart
this season - a place for him to reside. That's the best gift you can give Our Lord (and yourself!) this Advent.
Entering into the heart of Advent
Ideas to make this season Advent-ageous.- Check out our Campus Ministry Spotify Playlist for Advent! - Pray the "O Antiphons" the week leading to Christmas Day. - Commit to going to Confession together as a family. - Pray the St. Andrew Prayer each night.
- Do the Jesse Tree Devotion together. - Donate old winter clothes to a local homeless shelter. - Bake St. Nicholas Spice Cookies on Dec. 6th. - Do a "giving manger" (google it!) and add pieces of hay for every good deed you do.
I bett somewhere in your Christmas décor there's a Nativity scene to display this season. Maybe large and
elaborate, maybe small and baby-proof, maybe as an image on an ornament or created by one of your children.
Nativity scenes, or creches as they're sometimes called, are so common to see around this time of year sometimes
we can look at one without much thought. Do you know where this quintessential Christmas decoration
originates, though? It's history is pretty beautiful, a profound moment in the life of St. Francis of Assisi when he
was just a young deacon serving in the Italian town of Grecio for Christmas of 1223. One of his Franciscan brothers,
St. Bonaventure, wrote a whole book about St. Francis and in it shares the amazing story of the first creche.
S T . F R A N C I S &
T H E F I R S T C R E C H E
"It happened in the third year before his death, that in order to excite the inhabitants of Grecio to
commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion, [St. Francis] determined to keep it
with all possible solemnity; and lest he should be accused of lightness or novelty, he asked and
obtained the permission of the sovereign Pontiff. Then he prepared a manger, and brought hay, and
an ox and an ass to the place appointed. The brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the
forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and
brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise. The man of God [St. Francis] stood before the manger,
full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by
Francis, the Levite of Christ. Then he preached to the people around the nativity of the poor King;
and being unable to utter His name for the tenderness of His love, He called Him the Babe of
Bethlehem. A certain valiant and veracious soldier, Master John of Grecio, who, for the love of
Christ, had left the warfare of this world, and become a dear friend of this holy man, affirmed that
he beheld an Infant marvellously beautiful, sleeping in the manger, Whom the blessed Father
Francis embraced with both his arms, as if he would awake Him from sleep. This vision of the
devout soldier is credible, not only by reason of the sanctity of him that saw it, but by reason of the
miracles which afterwards confirmed its truth. For example of Francis, if it be considered by the
world, is doubtless sufficient to excite all hearts which are negligent in the faith of Christ; and the
hay of that manger, being preserved by the people, miraculously cured all diseases of cattle, and
many other pestilences; God thus in all things glorifying his servant, and witnessing to the great
efficacy of his holy prayers by manifest prodigies and miracles." - St. Bonaventure, Life of St. Francis
W H A T D O Y O U M E M E
Y O U H A V E N ' T S E E N
T H E S E A D V E N T
M E M E S Y E T ?
Thoughts or ideas?
Corinne Gannotti,
Campus Minister
Feasts &Holy Days this month...2nd - 1st Sunday of Advent 3rd - St. Francis Xavier 4th - St. John Damascene 6th - St. Nicholas 7th - St. Ambrose 8th - Immaculate Conception 9th - 2nd Sunday of Advent 12th - Our Lady of Guadalupe
13th - St. Lucy 14th - St. John of the Cross 16th - 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday 25th - Nativity of our Lord 26th - St. Stephen 27th - St. John the Apostle 28th - Holy innocents 30th - The Holy Family
J O L L Y O L D S A I N T N I C H O L A S
Who was this man, this saintly bishop, whom we celebrate and
remember on his feast of December 6th and in many ways
shapes our experience of the Christmas season? Who has
become a legend cherished in such an iconic and festive way
each Christmas? Why Nicholas? Learning some of the history
of this man can lead us to a deeper appreciation of the truth
behind our beloved Santa Claus.
Nicholas was born in the 3rd century in the village on the
southern coast of modern day Turkey. His wealthy parents,
who raised him a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while
he was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own
and give to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to
assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his
life to serving God as a priest and was made Bishop of Myra
while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known
throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his
love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.
information from: stnicholascenter.org
Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Nicholas was exiled and
imprisoned. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 where he taught and
defended the faith in the face of heresy. He is said to have died on December 6, AD 343. The anniversary of his
death became a day of celebration and through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St.
Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so
beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need. Many of these accounts of his generosity and
goodness, retold by poets and storytellers, grew into the beautiful image of Santa Claus - who emulates
similar characteristics to this holy and giving saint.