Christmas Eve - 4 p.m. - Children's Mass

Photos by Jane Winstead

Christmas Eve - 6 p.m. Mass - Praise Band

Photos by Jane Winstead

Christmas Eve – 11 p.m. Mass - Traditional Choir

Photos by Jane Winstead

Christmas in July!

Santa Breakfast 12.12.10

Did you know that it is Christmas in July? Well, that's what I have been hearing on the TV commercials lately. With all this talk about Christmas in July, it has put me in the mood to go through all those photos that I took in December 2010. So, now I am sharing them with you on this last day in July. I hope you make the time to look at them and maybe you might see a photo of yourself or a loved one. I hope you enjoy looking at all the photos and the different events. It might bring back memories or maybe if you were not able to attend, this will give you an idea of what you missed.

-- Jane Winstead

Children's Christmas Mass 12.24.10


Christmas Eve Mass 12.24.10


Christmas Midnight Mass 12.24.10


• Below are photos from Palm Sunday, too. Easter in July?

What all those names in Matthew's gospel mean

"... Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz..." Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z

By Lynn Denson
Ever wonder if Father is trying to put us to sleep with this Gospel reading at Christmas Eve Mass? (Matthew 1:1-25) He's not! Here are a few interesting tidbits that I learned in Our Jeff Cavin’s Bible Study on the book of Matthew on this reading that you will hear Friday evening.

* The author of Matthew's gospel is writing primarily to a Jewish audience who is expecting the Messiah to come from the line of King David. This lineage shows that even through the Babylonian exile, the line of King David was preserved.

* To Jewish readers, numbers are very important and all numbers have meaning assigned to them. The number seven is the number of completion and fullness.

* Matthew groups this blood line into three groups of 14 generations (thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is 14, from David to the Babylonian exile is 14 and from the exile to Christ is 14 generations)

* So three groups of 14 generations when divided in half, gives you six sets of seven generations that have passed.

* Now begins the seventh set of seven generations with the birth of Christ. Christ is the seventh seven, or the Completion and fullness of time! A Jewish audience would understand the significance of this.

* Notice that only four women are listed in the genealogy before Mary is listed. They are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba) These four women were "shady ladies."

* Tamar pretended to be a prostitute, Rahab was a harlot in Jericho, Ruth was a Moabite (Moabites had hostile relations with the Israelites) and Bathsheba had an affair with King David.

* Why include these women of questionable background? God is showing us the inclusion of sinners into the people of God. God can make good out of ALL things no matter how bad it may seem to us.

Merry Christmas! Hope you and your family have a wonderful 2011!

Parishioner Lynn Denson wrote this for the Saint Raphael Messenger. She participates in Wednesday Morning Bible Study, which meets at 9 a.m. in Room B. All parishioners are welcome to join the group.

Photo: David by Michelangelo

The Gospel for Christmas Eve -- Midnight Mass

December 25, 2010
The Nativity of the Lord

Luke 2:1-14

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

• Read the first and second readings and the Responsorial Psalm

– United States Conference of Catholic Bishops