Mother of Mercy Catholic Church

112 W. 9th Street Washington, NC 27889-4456

Office Phone: (252) 946-2941 * Fax: 946-1399 Rectory Phone (Casa Cural): 975-1792

email: momchurchnc@gmail.com Website: motherofmercync.org

Pastor: Rev. Fr. Brendan J. Buckler Bookkeeper: Diane Gerard

Secretary: Julie Stanley

Mass Schedule: Saturday: 5:00 pm

Sunday: 8:00 am; 10:00 am 12:30 pm Misa en Español

Holy Days: 8:30 am and 7:00 pm Weekdays:Tues. 12:00 pm (Latin)

Wed, Thu, Fri: 8:30 am (Latin)

Religious Education: Sunday 11:15 am to 12:15 pm; ages K-12

D.R.E: Jim Martin Parish Office:

Mon - Fri: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Reconciliation (Confesiones):

Saturday 3:00 - 4:45 pm after every daily Mass and by appointment anytime.

Weddings/Bodas, Baptisms/Bautismos,

Anointing of the Sick/Unción de los Enfermos: Contact the Pastor or the parish office

Vea al Padre o llame a la oficina.

Parish Registration: To register as a parishioner of MOM, you may visit the parish office or phone and request a registration

form to be mailed out to your home. Please advise the parish office when you have a change of address/

phone number or when you are relocating to another city/town.

Mother of Mercy Mission Statement The parish of Mother of Mercy calls together its people to hear the Word of God and to worship God the Father through the

offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the coming together for prayer, and works of charity to spread the truth of the

Catholic Faith to our brothers and sisters.

Fourth Sunday of AdventFourth Sunday of AdventFourth Sunday of Advent December 18, 2016

MARANATHA!

Gabriel the archangel brought hard joy to the Virgin Mary: “Rejoice, most favored, the Lord is with you. If you agree, you will have a baby who is your savior and your God.” What an awefilled choice! And Mary said, “Yes.” Such cooperation between the Lord and the woman begins the revelation of the great hidden mystery: the presence of Christ Jesus, Savior and Lord, among us. Celebrating Mary's choice, give glory to God through the only begotten son, Jesus. Maranatha! Text, Philip J. Sandstrom, S.T.D. © 1999 Oregon Catholic Press. All rights reserved.

He is very close indeed! Christmas is now just a couple of days away and we are in our immediate preparation for this great day. What we will “get out” of Christmas this year will be proportional to what we put into it, how we prepare ourselves, what are attitudes are as the day approaches are arrives. Today’s readings are a great help for us. When Jesus came, the vast majority of people had no idea. In Bethlehem, which he would make extraordinarily famous to this day, there was not even any room to receive him. He was coming to save them, but they had no room for him. This Christmas, Jesus comes again. Will we be like all those others who go about their business with Him on the periphery? Will we have room for him in the inn of our hearts and souls? Will be respond to his coming out of love to save us by allowing him to do so, which means giving him the gift of our lives, which he originally gave us? Jesus is truly coming; let’s go out to meet him in joy! Spend extra time in pray and penance this week to protect you from all the stress of the final days before Christmas. Try kneeling in front of an image of the Blessed Mother, meditating on her about to bring us her Son.

Advent Wreath Prayer for the Forth Week

of Advent O Lord, we beseech Thee, stir up Thy power, and come, and with great might succor us: that by the help of Thy grace that which is hindered by our sins may be hastened by Thy merciful forgiveness: Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. R. Amen.

Sub Tuum Praesidium,

Fr. Buckler

The Nativity of the LordThe Nativity of the LordThe Nativity of the Lord December 25,December 25,December 25, 201620162016

First Reading: Isaiah 52:7-10 “All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” Responsorial Psalm: Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1-6 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.” Second Reading: Hebrews Second Reading: Hebrews 1:1-6 “In our times, God speaks to us through His Son.”

Gospel: John1: 1-18 “The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory.”

Next Sunday’s Next Sunday’s Scripture ReadingsScripture Readings

Parish Sacrificial Giving Summary

Pastoral Year-to-date Information (Beginning July 1st, 2016)

As of November 6, 2016

2015-16 2016-17 Total Offertory (YTD) $ 66,961 $ 60,141 Total Budgeted (YTD) $ 61,750

Weekly Offertory (received 9/18) $ 4,536 $ 3,541

Weekly Budgeted (needed per week) $ 3,915 $ 3,250

Amount over/(under) Budget for the week $ 291

...Give to the Most High as He has given to you,

generously, according to your means.” Sirach 35.9

“We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest

trials” St. Teresa of Avila

December 21- Peter Canisius, priest, doctor

Peter Canisius died in the year 1597. He was a Dutch Jesuit catechist and missionary; a leading voice in counter-reformation Germany. Peter organized the German Jesuit province and founded several colleges. Peter authored the popular and enduring catechism, Institutiones Christianæ Pietatis. Peter is known as the “Second Apostle of Germany.”

December 23-John of Kanty

John of Kanty died in the year 1473. He was dean of philosophy and professor of theology at the

University of Cracow. John was noted for his austerity, humility, and charity toward the poor. John of Kanty is patron of Poland.

REAL PRESENCE

We may never fully grasp God’s real presence in the human form of the infant Jesus. Just so, we may never fully grasp the real presence of God in the humble form of the Eucharist. The one who came down from heaven and became human at Christmas comes down from heaven at every Eucharist and offers us his body and blood so that all might be consecrated—that is, share in his divine life. As we sing the Lamb of God litany and receive Communion this week, may we welcome the Son of God and Savior of mankind, the Messiah and Lamb of God. May we recognize him in the infant Jesus and in the Eucharist. In every Eucharist the Incarnation continues; God takes on human form and dwells among us.

Copyright © 2006, World Library Publications. All rights reserved

"The Mystery of Christmas" from Dom Gueranger's

Everything is Mystery in this holy season. The Word of God, whose generation is before the day-star, is born in time -- a Child is God -- a Virgin becomes a Mother, and remains a Virgin -- things divine are commingled with those that are human -- and the sublime, the ineffable antithesis, expressed by the Beloved Disciple in those words of his Gospel, THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, is repeated in a thousand different ways in all the prayers of the Church: -- and rightly, for it admirably embodies the whole of the great portent which unites in one Person the nature of Man and the nature of God. The splendor of this Mystery dazzles the understanding, but it inundates the heart with joy. It is the consummation of the designs of God in time. It is the endless subject of admiration and wonder to the Angels and Saints; nay, is the source and cause of their beatitude. Let us see how the Church offers this Mystery to her children, veiled under the symbolism of the liturgy. The four weeks of our preparation are over -- they were the image of the four thousand years which preceded the great coming.

Saints and Special ObservancesSaints and Special ObservancesSaints and Special Observances

Cuarto Domingo de Adviento

18 de Diciembre de 2016

Maranatha!

“Alégrate, llena de gracia, el Señor está contigo… Vas a concebir y dar a luz un hijo”. ¡Qué maravilloso saludo! Y María dijo:“Yo soy la esclava del Señor; cúmplase en mí lo que has dicho”. Esa cooperación entre Dios y la mujer comienza la revelación del gran misterio escondido: la presencia de Cristo Jesús, Salvador y Señor, entre nosotros. Al celebrar el “Sí” de María, den gracias a Dios por Jesucristo, Hijo Único de Dios. ¡Maranatha! Texto: Philip J. Sandstrom, S.T.D., © 1999 Oregon Catholic Press.

Recuerde que siempre debe mostrar gran reverencia hacia el Santísimo Sacramento. Siempre nos arrodillamos ante al entrar o salir del banco.

Lecturas BíblicasLecturas BíblicasLecturas Bíblicas

TRADICIONES DE NUESTRA FETRADICIONES DE NUESTRA FETRADICIONES DE NUESTRA FE

La tradición mexicana de las Posadas se acompaña de las tradicionales piñatas. Aunque hay piñatas de animales y caricaturas, la piñata original es una estrella con siete picos. La piñata llegó al continente con los misioneros agustinos procedentes de España, mismos que la habían recibido de italianos; y éstos, a su vez, la obtuvieron de Marco Polo quien conoció decoraciones de animales coloridos en China. El asociar la piñata con las Posadas viene de la cultura Náhuatl quienes celebraban a Huitzilopochtli (dios de la guerra) del 17 al 26 de diciembre. Estos ponían cazuelas de barro decoradas con listones y plumas sobre palos en el templo. Al romperlas, tesoros y alhajas caían a los pies de su dios.

Los misioneros mezclaron las dos costumbres para la catequesis. La estrella de siete picos representa al diablo y los 7 pecados capitales, mientras que la venda en los ojos es la fe en Cristo. El acto de pegarle a la piñata son nuestros esfuerzos cristianos a pesar de las desorientaciones que trae la vida. Romper la piñata es estar bañado con la gracia del Espíritu Santo y recibir los dones de Dios.

—Fray Gilberto Cavazos-Glz, OFM, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

No casado en la Iglesia? Hable con el Padre Buckler para explorer esto.

La Natividad del Señor

25 de Diciembre de 2016

Primera Lectura: Isaías 52:7-10 “Toda la tierra verá la salvación de nuestro Dios.”

Salmo Responsorial: Salmo 98:97 “Los confines de la tierra han contemplado la victtoria de nuestro Dios.” Segunda Lectura: Hebreos 1:1-6 “Dios nos habló por su Hijo.”

Evangelio: Juan 1:1-18 “El Verbo se hizo carne, y habitó entre nosotros.”

Diciembre Sun 18 Classes

Sun 25 NO Classes Christmas

Enero Sun 1

NO Classes New Year’s Day

Sun 8 Classes

Padres: Registrese sus hijos por clases ahora

Tues December 20 12:00pm Paul Hai Nguyen+by Lucy Nguyen

Wed December 21 8:30am Donald & Helen Howard+by Mark Howard

Thur December 22 8:30am Private Intention

Fri December 23 8:30am Byron Martin+by Ruth Cauvin

Sat December 24 5:00pm

12:00am

Mary Ann Jacksonby Bill JacksonPrivate Intention

Sun 8:00am Caroline Rossettie

10:00am Pro Populo12:30pm Flora Morales+

by Familia Olivares

December 25

David Rios, Dan Requard, Connie Maides, Amelia Cornn, Cherié

Rodriguez, Joni Vaughn, Cathryn Gerardi, Leo Dixon, James Dixon, Carmen Reid, Tom Donnelly, Michelle Smith, Richard Paszt, Anne Bergevin, Patricia Filbert, Peter Dunn, Mary Laptewicz, Ginger Mallette, Tom Boyd, Lucette Tarro, Mary Lejman, Linda Deckard, Paul Murphy, Walter Young, Don Bunch, Jean Kloc, Amy Smith, Stan Paszt, Jo Shultz, Carol Buckler, Jean Hardee, Elsie Gargaro, Jackie Monroe, Margaret Branchand, Benjamin Hill, Jim Smith, Jack Zeggert, Tim Kibler, Mike Gordon, Mary Ann Jackson, Barbara Clagett, Lissette Pulc, Cooper Romash, Rosemary Lempka, Liz Broome Wagner, Keith McCool, Lillian Lopez, Richard Zimmer, Mildred Buchholz, Pam Cummings, Monsignor Jerry Sherba, Rosa Santos, Alyssa Cornn, Anna Marie Zimmer Purkes, Jonas Fucito, Anthony Fucito, Perry Fraune, Philip Johnson, Ruth Crenshaw and Christians in persecution.

There are parishioners and loved ones who are ill and need of our prayers. We

kindly ask that you pray for:

MASS INTENTIONS AVAILABLE MASS INTENTIONS AVAILABLE MASS INTENTIONS AVAILABLE Stop by the office to have Mass Stop by the office to have Mass Stop by the office to have Mass

offered for your loved ones.offered for your loved ones.offered for your loved ones.

MoM Announcements

Christmas Mass Schedule: 5:00pm English Mass

12:00am Traditional Latin High Mass

8:00am English 10:00am English 12:30pm Spanish

For The Missions At no cost to you-just your effort, you can help the missions. Don’t forget to save your Box Tops for Education, and canceled stamps for the missions. Save your canceled stamps from your Christmas cards . You can put them in the wood box on the window sill in the back left side of the church.

In Need Of We are in need of a wheelchair that can be used for event/committee functions. If anyone has or knows of someone with a wheelchair that they no longer need, please contact Marie Voos at 946-6667.

Right to Life March DC January 27th, 2017

Father Buckler has given his blessing to secure a bus for the Right to Life March on January 27th, 2017. Three ways to participate: #1. Go with us and process in the March. Each seat will be approximately $35. #2. Go with us and stay at the Basilica to pray and enjoy the surroundings until the March is over. The Bus will pick you up prior to picking up our Marchers. #3. Can’t go, but still want to support the March? Sponsor a seat (minimal donation of $25/seat. Contact Jim Martin at 252-902-6844 or Mike Isbell at 252-944-3303.

Readings for the WeekReadings for the Week

CHRISTMAS NOVENA

19 December: O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of

the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to

deliver us, do not tarry.

Recite one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.

20 December: O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of

Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the

prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.

Recite one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.

21 December: O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light,

Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!

Recite one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.

22 December: O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O

Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust

of the earth!

Recite one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.

23 December: O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come

to save us, O Lord our God!

Recite one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.

24 December: O Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, God of hosts, come, show Thy face, and we shall be

saved.

Recite one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.

Prayer CornerPrayer CornerPrayer Corner

Monday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25 Tuesday: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-4ab, 5-6; Lk 1:26-38 Wednesday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45 Thursday: 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Lk 1:46- 56 Friday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-34; Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-10, 14; Lk 1:57-66 Saturday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Lk 1:67-79

Catholic Voice North Carolina

Let your Catholic Voice be heard. Join Catholic Voice North Carolina, CatholicVoicenc.org. Receive email alerts from the Bishops and react to legislation that impacts the Catholic faith. Catholic Voice NC is the non-partisan public policy voice of Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the Diocese of Raleigh and Bishop Peter J. Jugis of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Deje que la Voz Católica se escuche. Hágase miembro de la Catholic Voice North Carolina (La Voz Católica de Carolina del Norte), CatholicVoicenc.org. Reciba emails de alerta de los obispos y reaccione a las legislaciones que impactan la fe católica. La Catholic Voice NC es una voz no-afiliada a ningún partido político de pólizas públicas del Obispo Michael F. Burbridge de la Diócesis de Raleigh y el Obispo Peter J. Jugis de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

JP II High School An education at JPII is more than just reading, writing and arithmetic. Along with the opportunity to grow spiritually with theology classes, we offer classes in art, music, film making and boat construction! JPII also grows students physically with PhysEd and sports teams such as soccer, basketball and golf. So what are you waiting for? Your student’s future is waiting at John Paul II Catholic High School. Call JPII at (252) 215-1224 for more information.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 18

4th Sunday of Advent

CCD 11:15-12:15

19

SVDP Mtg 9am

Food

Delivery 10:30am

20

ESL 7-9pm McNulty

21

Moms ‘n’ Pops 9am-10am

—— SVDP

Food Pantry 10am-11am

Winter Begins

22

23

OFFICE CLOSED

24 Vigil Of

Christmas

5:00pm 12:00am-

(Latin)

NO RLC

25 The Nativity of the Lord

8:00am 10:00am 12:30pm-(Spanish)

NO CCD

26

OFFICE CLOSED

27

NO DAILY MASS

ESL 7-9pm McNulty

28

Moms ‘n’ Pops 9am-10am

—— SVDP

Food Pantry 10am-11am

29

30

31

NO RLC

1 Solemnity of

Mary, the Holy Mother

of God

NO CCD

2

3

ESL 7-9pm McNulty

4

Moms ‘n’ Pops 9am-10am

—— SVDP

Food Pantry 10am-11am

5

K of C Bus. Mtg

7pm

6

Adoration & Benediction 9:15-8pm

Support Team Mtg 9:30am

`

7 Rosary at

Veterans Park 12pm

RLC (after mass)

8 The

Epiphany of the Lord

CCD 11:15-12:15

9 The

Baptism of the Lord

10

ESL 7-9pm McNulty

11

Moms ‘n’ Pops 9am-10am

—— SVDP

Food Pantry 10am-11am

12

13

14

Mom ‘n’ Pop’s

(after mass) Great Room

RLC (after mass)

December 2016– January 2017

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