Saint Catharine & Saint Margaret
Social Media Outreach Ministry
Celebrating the Eucharistic Revival
Sunday's Gospel
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel's hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
'We have Abraham as our father.'
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel's hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
'We have Abraham as our father.'
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Fr Damian's Reflection
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Matthew 3:1-12
The ax lies at the root of the trees. (Matthew 3:10)
The ax lies at the root of the trees. (Matthew 3:10)
John the Baptist was enjoying great success in convincing people to respond to his call to repentance. People from around Israel and from every walk of life were coming out to be washed clean of their sins and recommit themselves to the law of the Lord. But things didn’t go so smoothly when some Pharisees and Sadducees showed up. “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance,” John challenged them (Matthew 3:8). Don’t come just for a washing. Actually, change your life.
For John, repentance without change was like cutting off one branch of a tree when plenty of other branches were still bearing bad fruit. You need to take an “ax” to the entire root system that feeds all the branches (Matthew 3:10). You need to ask the Lord to cut away the foundational attitudes and root sins that keep feeding all the other sins.
What are these roots? They differ with each person. Maybe they include long-standing resentments, positions of pride and self-sufficiency and prejudice, selfish desires, or a lack of compassion. Whatever they are, we have to trust that as we ask the Lord to cut away these roots, we’ll find freedom and a greater ability to change.
God wants to give us a new way of thinking and acting. He wants to replace our foolishness with his wisdom. He wants to give us insights into his love and all that he can do in our hearts. And he wants to give us strength to obey his commands. But we have to come to him and confess our need.
At Mass today, you will be invited to cry out, “Lord, have mercy.” But you will also ask Jesus, “Only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.” Jesus loves to forgive your sins, but he longs to heal your soul—your “roots”—even more. So welcome him in. Ask his Spirit to keep making you into a new creation.
With Love and Blessings,
Father Damian
Mass Schedule for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Thursday, December 8th
9 AM Mass at St. Catharine's Church
12 PM Mass at St. Catharine's Church
5 PM Mass at St. Margaret's Church
Beginning Sunday, January 2, 2022, the 12 PM Sunday Mass as well as the 9 AM and 12 PM Wednesday Masses and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be held in St. Catharine's Chapel.
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Attention all Previous and Current Members of St Catharine & St Margaret Parish Adult Choir I’m very happy and pleased to announce the “Rebirth” of the Adult Choir. On Saturday Nov.12th, the Choir attended and sang for Sister Mary Ann O’Connor’s Memorial Mass, and they sounded great. Now it’s time for us to re-connect and get the ball rolling.
I’m asking each and every member to please contact me, Billy Lawlor, at my church email
music@scsmsl.org
Please give me your contact information (email, phone, and voice type). I’m going to schedule a get together/rehearsal in the next week or so.
I look forward to being with you, getting this choir up and running once again.
Blessings,
Billy Lawlor
Director of Music
Advent Penance Service
St. Margaret Church
Monday, December 12th at 7PM
Lessons and Carols
St. Margaret Church
Sunday, December 18th at 4PM
Join us for an evening of your favorite Christmas carols and readings!
2022 Christmas Mass Schedule
December 24, 2022
2PM SCS Playground* Fr Damian McElroy
4PM SCS Playground* Fr Damian McElroy
5PM St. Catharine Church Fr Gregg Abadilla
10PM St. Margaret Church Fr Gregg Abadilla
December 25, 2022
8AM St. Margaret Church Fr Michael Heine
9AM St. Catharine Church Fr Gregg Abadilla
10AM SCS Playground* Fr Damian McElroy
12PM St. Catharine Church Msgr Richard Liddy
*If inclement weather, outdoor Masses moved to St. Margaret Church.
Want More???
Sometimes the festivity of the Christmas season causes us to lose focus on how radical and disruptive the coming of the Messiah was to first century Israel. The arrival of Jesus caused the whole world to rethink how it looked at the world - even to the point that they restarted the calendar with His birth as the new beginning.