Why does it still look like Christmas?
If Christmas is over, why does it still look like Christmas?
No, we are not being lazy. There is a longstanding tradition to keep Christmas décor and the Nativity Creche up until the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd. The Feast of the Presentation is celebrated forty days after Christmas and is traditionally the official end of Christmastide, marking the end of the liturgical seasons of Christmas and Epiphany. The feast also commemorates the third and final infancy epiphany since Jesus’ birth- the first to the shepherds, the second to the Magi, and the third to the righteous Israelites Sts. Simeon and Anna.
History of the Forty Days of Christmas
The entire Christmas Cycle is a crescendo of Christ’s manifesting Himself as God and King — to the shepherds, to the Magi, at His Baptism, to Simeon and the prophetess, Anna (Luke 2).
The days from the Feast of the Nativity to the Epiphany are known as “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. But Christmas doesn’t end as a season — i.e., the celebration of the events of Christ’s life as a child don’t end, and the great Christmas Cycle doesn’t end – until Candlemas on 2 February. On the 2nd February the New born Christ enters His temple, He is offered to the Father and He fulfils the requirements of His own Laws. God enters the temple really and truly wrapped in our humanity. At that time, Christmastide truly ends. So, You will notice that the Nativity Scenes and Christmas decor will remain in the church until Candlemas – Feast of the Presentation of The Lord, 2nd February.
| Christmas | Christ is born |
| Feast of the Holy Innocents | Herod slaughters the baby boys in order to kill the Christ Child |
| The Circumcision (the Octave of Christmas) | Jesus follows the Law |
| Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus | after He is circumcised, He is named and becomes a part of the Holy Family |
| Twelfth Night | The Twelve Days of Christmas as a Feast come to an end |
| Feast of the Epiphany | Jesus reveals His divinity to the three Magi, and during His Baptism, and at the wedding at Cana |
| Baptism of Our Lord | Octave of the Epiphany |
| Feast of the Purification (Candlemas) | 40 days after giving birth, Mary goes to the Temple to be purified and to fulfill the laws as per the Old Testament Law of the firstborn. Christmas ends as a Season with Candlemas. During the Candlemas Mass father blesses all of the candles that will be used in the church throughout the year. |
Adapted from The Liturgical Year by Abbot Gueranger
“Go to St. Joseph”
Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church.
Pope Francis said he was establishing the year so that “every member of the faithful, following his example, may strengthen their life of faith daily in the complete fulfillment of God’s will.”
Here at Holy Rosary we will be celebrating the Year of St. Joseph with a parish Consecration to St. Joseph and by seeking his intercession following our Masses.
Beginning on February 15th we will begin a thirty-three day preparation for consecration to St. Joseph.
On March 19th, The Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary; we will celebrate Holy Mass followed by a group consecration.
We will go through the Book, ” Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father” by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC.
St. Paul Bookstore & Church Supply has them in stock.
St. Paul Bookstore & Church Supply
(901) 761-2987
5101 Sanderlin Ave #111
Memphis, TN 38117
We will meet on February 15th, 22nd, March 1st, 8th, and 15th at 7:00pm in the Parish Life Center.
On March 19th we will have a short meeting followed by Mass and the Consecration.
Meeting 6:30pm
Mass 7:00pm
While the meetings are optional they are a wonderful way to prepare for the consecration.
More information can be found here:
https://www.consecrationtostjoseph.org/introduction.html
During this year of St. Joseph, Pope Francis has given us a prayer to pray together. So, between the Hail Holy Queen and St. Michael Prayer we will, as a parish, be asking St. Joseph, the Patron of the Universal Church, to intercede for us and for the Church Universal.
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil.
Amen.
On Wednesdays and on the Feasts of Saint Joseph we will pray the following prayer together.
The Apostolic Penitentiary has issued a Decree granting plenary indulgences for the year of St. Joseph from 8 December 2020 to 8 December 2021.
Conditions for the plenary indulgence
– The plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions) to Christians who, with a spirit detached from any sin, participate in the Year of St. Joseph on these occasions and manners indicated by the Apostolic Penitentiary:
– The plenary indulgence is granted to those who will meditate for at least 30 minutes on the Lord’s Prayer, or take part in a Spiritual Retreat of at least one day that includes a meditation on St. Joseph. “St. Joseph, an authentic man of faith, invites us”, the decree reads, “to rediscover our filial relationship with the Father, to renew fidelity to prayer, to listen and correspond with profound discernment to God’s will.”
– The indulgence can also be obtained by those who, following St. Joseph’s example, will perform a spiritual or corporal work of mercy. St. Joseph “encourages us to rediscover the value of silence, prudence and loyalty in carrying out our duties,” the decree notes.
– The recitation of the Holy Rosary in families and among engaged couples is another way of obtaining indulgences, in order that “all Christian families may be stimulated to recreate the same atmosphere of intimate communion, love and prayer that was in the Holy Family.”
– Everyone who entrusts their daily activity to the protection of St. Joseph, and every faithful who invokes the intercession of St. Joseph so that those seeking work can find dignifying work can also obtain the plenary indulgence. On 1 May 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph “with the intent that the dignity of work be recognized by all, and that it inspires social life and laws, based on the fair distribution of rights and duties.”
– The plenary indulgence is also granted to the faithful who will recite the Litany to St. Joseph (for the Latin tradition), or the Akathistos to St. Joseph (for the Byzantine tradition), or any other prayer to St. Joseph proper to the other liturgical traditions, for the persecuted Church ad intra and ad extra, and for the relief of all Christians suffering all forms of persecution. Because, the decree notes, “the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt shows us that God is there where man is in danger, where man suffers, where he runs away, where he experiences rejection and abandonment.”
– In addition to these, the Apostolic Penitentiary grants a plenary indulgence to the faithful who will recite any legitimately approved prayer or act of piety in honor of St. Joseph, for example, “To you, O blessed Joseph” especially on “19 March, on 1 May, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, on St. Joseph’s Sunday (according to the Byzantine tradition) on the 19th of each month and every Wednesday, a day dedicated to the memory of the saint according to the Latin tradition.”
– The decree recalls the universality of St. Joseph’s patronage of the Church, noting that St. Teresa of Ávila recognized him as “a protector for all the circumstances of life”. Pope St. John Paul II also said that St. Joseph has “a renewed relevance for the Church of our time, in relation to the new Christian millennium.”
Learn about St. Joseph
With a Father’s Heart – Pope Francis’ Letter on the Year of St. Joseph
General information about St. Joseph
St. Joseph: Patron of the Universal Church – Mark Miravalle
Guardian of the Redeemer – a document on St. Joseph written by Pope St. John Paul II
Three lessons from St. Joseph according to Pope Francis
Prayers to St. Joseph
The Seven Sorrows & Joys of St. Joseph
Prayer for St. Joseph’s Protection
Other Consecration Resources
The School of Nazareth (30 day preparation)
New Decree from Bishop Talley
My Holy Rosary family,
As we know, Bishop Talley has reissued a general dispensation for the faithful from the requirement of attending Holy Mass on Sundays, this means that until further notice, one is not obligated to attend Mass due to the Coronavirus. All Masses are still being celebrated at their normal times and if we are able, we should make sure that we are not cut off from the source and summit of our faith, the Holy Eucharist. We should remember that the bishop issued this dispensation to alleviate the consciousness of the faithful. To allow those who are sick, vulnerable, or fearful of the virus to not attend Mass with a clear conscience. This means that if we choose not to participate in Holy Mass while this dispensation is in effect but still decide to go out to other activities such as recreational sports, restaurants, or other activities we would be ignoring the charity of this dispensation. Also, if we decide to stay home from Mass on Sundays, we need to ask ourselves: Are we reading the Sunday readings at home? Are we praying with our family? Are we watching a live-streamed Mass to aid in our prayer? Are we making sure that we are living out our faith on Sunday through devotions, the rosary, or some other pious and prayerful activity? After all, although Bishop Talley has granted this dispensation about Mass attendance, we need to keep in mind that no Bishop has the power to dispense from the Divine Law of the Third Commandment to keep the Lord’s Day Holy.
In Christ,
Fr. Patrick Gallagher
Click Here to read Bishop Talley’s Decree
“Be moved to pity, O Lord, at our earnest prayer, and heal our illnesses of body and soul; so that experiencing thy mercy we may ever rejoice in the blessing.
We beseech you, O Lord, grant us a hearing as we devoutly raise our petitions to you, and graciously turn away the epidemic which afflicts us; so that all mortal hearts may recognize that you are Lord of Heaven and Earth, and hold us all in your loving hands.
Amen”
(Adapted from the Roman Ritual)
Sunday Evening Vespers and Benediction
The Liturgy of the Hours also known as the “Divine Office” is, following the Mass, the most important prayer of the Church. Priests, deacons and religious are bound to pray it every day, but the Laity are also highly encouraged to unite their voices and intentions to those of the whole Church in this prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours is prayed continually by Catholics throughout the world. At any given time someone will be praying this beautiful prayer which purpose is to sanctify the day and the whole range of human activity. Morning Prayer (Lauds) and Evening Prayer (Vespers), the two main hours, are accorded the highest importance. Before the Second Vatican Council it was not unusual to see many parishes celebrating Sunday Vespers; and while, in our diocese, it has fallen out of normal parish life, the Vatican II document Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, is very intentional in calling us to pray with and for the Church in this way. In fact, it states: “Pastors of souls should see to it that the chief hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and the more solemn feasts…” (100) In following this call of the Church we celebrate Vespers with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament every Sunday. We celebrate Solemn Vespers on the Sundays of Advent and Lent and when announced.
Holy Rosary Vespers
All Saints Day Solemn Vespers
November 1st at 5:00pm
Christ the King Solemn Vespers
November 22nd at 5:00pm
Vespers
Every Sunday at 5:00pm
sted in finding out more about the Catholic Church, we’re happy to have you here.