Rest.
Rest. It’s ok to rest! In fact, it’s a law of growth, whether in nature or in our bodies’ health, that rest is an essential component for recovery.
In the quiet soil, life grows. And in the quiet soil of Advent, we’re asked to stay and wait a little longer, allowing Christ to take root and grow in us.
Mary waited and trusted in the Lord, and when it came time to act, as we hear in the reading this Sunday, she acted in haste, not delaying in visiting her cousin Elizabeth who would bear John the Baptist.
While it’s tempting to cram in every last-minute item for the Christmas feast this week, it's important to find time to be still and meditate on this great mystery that God became man.
Rest. And let God do the work.
In the quiet soil, life grows. And in the quiet soil of Advent, we’re asked to stay and wait a little longer, allowing Christ to take root and grow in us.
Mary waited and trusted in the Lord, and when it came time to act, as we hear in the reading this Sunday, she acted in haste, not delaying in visiting her cousin Elizabeth who would bear John the Baptist.
While it’s tempting to cram in every last-minute item for the Christmas feast this week, it's important to find time to be still and meditate on this great mystery that God became man.
Rest. And let God do the work.
"May our hearts be like the manger that held the Eternal One, who became so little to turn our poverty into true wealth and joy!"
Questions for Additional Reflection:
- Do you find it difficult to rest?
- Is it easy or difficult for you to trust that God is at work and in control?
- What's one thing you can do to slow down this week and allow time for prayer?
And don't forget to check below for all our upcoming events and our Christmas Masses!
— Christmas Mass Schedule —
Friday, December 24
2:00 pm (Adult Choir) | 4:00 pm (Children's Choir)
**All Christmas Masses will be livestreamed from the upper church to the lower church.
**All Christmas Masses will be livestreamed from the upper church to the lower church.
Saturday, December 25
*Midnight Mass* (12:00am) | 7:00 am | 9:00 am | 11:00 am
**There will be NO 4pm Vigil Mass on Saturday, December 25.
**There will be NO 4pm Vigil Mass on Saturday, December 25.
Sunday, December 26
7:00 am | 9:00 am | 11:00 am
From the Archdiocese of Boston:
Updated mask mandate
In the light of spiking numbers of new COVID cases and the likely increase in those numbers in the upcoming holiday season, Cardinal Seán is mandating that throughout the archdiocese all people attending public Masses, including weddings and funerals, wear masks. This mandate takes effect the weekend of December 18/19, 2021, and expires on January 17, 2022.
The last 6 pews on both sides of the church have been designated for people who would like to socially distance while wearing a mask. PLEASE DO NOT SIT in these areas unless you maintain your distance
— December & January —
Blessing of Baby Jesus — After the weekend Masses (Dec 18 & 19)
We will bring the Vatican tradition of blessing our Baby Jesus figurines to St. Mary’s Parish. This tradition was started by Pope Paul VI in 1969 and has continued each year. It is known as Bambinelli Sunday (Bambinelli is the Italian name for the figurines). Join us after all the masses and bring your Nativity Baby Jesus for a special blessing. Start a new tradition with your family.
The Nativity Story — Sun, Dec 19 @ 7:00PM (Murphy Room)
The Catholic Daughters invite you to a showing of The Nativity Story. This 2006 movie is a beautifully filmed, reverent depiction of the Nativity from the viewpoint of Mary and Joseph.
Christmas Confessions — Thurs, Dec 23rd @ 3:30PM - 5:30PM
The Giving Tree
Tags are on our Giving Tree for both the Foxboro Discretionary Fund helping our local families in need, as well as gifts for the adult residents living at the Wrentham Developmental Center. Please pay close attention to return dates on each ornament.
Eucharistic Miracles—Sat, Jan 29 @ 9:30AM - 6PM | Sun, Jan 30 @ 10AM - 1PM
Vatican International Exhibit of Eucharistic Miracles: With an extensive assortment of photographs and historical descriptions, the exhibition presents some of the principal Eucharistic Miracles that took place throughout the ages in various countries of the world and which have been recognized by the Church. By means of 159 panels, one can "virtually visit" the places where the miracles took place.
-- Ongoing --
Prayer Partners for Confirmation
Our confirmation classes are off to a great start, with approximately 70 students attending the first class. If you would like to support one, or more, of our confirmation candidates, please consider becoming a Prayer Partner. Volunteers are asked to pray for a student from now until Confirmation on May 22 and write a note of support/encouragement as the day draws near. If you are interested in becoming a Prayer Partner, please email Julie Foley at jfoley@stmarysfoxboro.org. You may request a student you know, or one will be assigned to you. As always, your prayers are greatly appreciated and mean a lot to our ninth grade students.
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
*Interested in becoming Catholic? *Not Confirmed? *Have questions about what we believe and why? *Want to go deeper in your understanding of Christ and His Church? Then sign up for our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults class. RCIA begins soon and culminates with the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. Please call or email the rectory for more information.
Synod on Synodality
Over the next several years, the Church around the world will be participating in a process called the Synod on Synodality. The Holy Father will be meeting with bishops from across the globe in 2023 to discuss ways of improving the process by which the Church on all levels is open to hearing the voices of people from all walks of life. The process begins in Boston now, asking that as many people as possible to take a simple survey (click here).