Fourth Sunday of Advent Mass ScheduleSaturday Dec. 23
5:00 PM
7:00 PM (Spanish)
Sunday, Dec. 24
8:30 AM
10:00 AM (Queen of Angels Chapel)
10:30 AM
Christmas Masses
Sunday Dec. 24
4:00 PM (Children’s in the Church-Children’s Pageant begins @ 3:45)
4:15 PM (Children’s in the Great Hall of the PLC)
6:00 PM
8:00 PM (Spanish, pageant begins @ 7:30, El Arrullo del Niño Dios follows Mass)
11:59 PM Midnight (English)
Monday, Dec. 25
10:00 AM
10:00 AM @ Queen of Angels Chapel
Some advice about attending the Christmas Masses:
- The 4:00 and 8:00 PM Christmas Eve Masses are preceded by a Christmas pageant staged by our children in religious education. That pageants will begin at about 3:45 and 7:30 PM.
- Last year more than 2000 people attended the 4:00 PM and 4:15 PM Masses. We expect the same this year. If you wish to attend the 4:00 Mass in the church you need to be here by 3:00. Because that Mass is preceded by a children’s Nativity play, after that time, seating is pretty much filled.
- For the Christmas Eve Masses there is additional parking at the elementary school across the street from the parish grounds. For the 4:00 Mass I suggest that you make that your first choice for parking if you arrive after about 3:15 PM. Otherwise you will probably spend a lot of time wandering the church parking lots looking for a space and ending up in the school parking lot anyway as well as probably being late for Mass.
- We also expect a large crowd at the 6:00 PM Mass. Again, I urge that you make use of the school parking lot.
My favorite Mass of Christmas
Indeed one of my favorite Masses of the year is the Midnight Mass. At the stroke of 12 midnight Mass begins with the Christmas proclamation. That then is followed by the opening hymn as we begin the celebration of the birth of our Savior in the very first minutes of Christmas. For me that experience of our faith tradition is one of the high points of the year. I hope that many of you will join me for this extremely beautiful experience of the Mass.
One more thing: A great opportunity for evangelization through friendliness.
We will have a lot of guests and visitors at our Masses. In addition we will have a large number of those who come to Mass only on Christmas and Easter. I ask that we all be welcoming and rejoice that so many are with us on this wonderful day. I also ask that we remember that all of us are at varying places in our faith lives and that we should not judge one another about that. Instead we are called to be gentle and supportive of one another. I have experienced numerous instances of people who have not often attended Mass, coming and upon finding a welcoming environment and beautiful liturgy at Christmas or Easter were inspired to return more frequently. Let us all be aware that the Spirit will be endeavoring to work through all of us for their sakes. Let us not get in its way with frowns but help it with smiles.