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December 18, 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Gospel for the fourth Sunday of Advent focuses on Mary, the Mother of God. Today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke gives us a Marian set of Beatitudes: “Blessed are you among women; “Blessed is the fruit of your womb”; “Blessed are you who believed”. This visitation scene reminds us that greetings are an opportunity for blessings and recognizing the presence of Christ in one another.
One of our goals for 2019 is to increase the number of people using our electronic formats for the dissemination of information from our parish. We have our website: Sthyaicnth.org, which is updated almost daily with information about the activities that go on in the parish. There is Flocknotes, which is our information delivery service for the parish, in which we email and or text information about the activities of the parish. Go to Flocknote.com/sthyhouston and join the group “Parishioners”. We are on Facebook, go and ‘like’ our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/StHyacinthchurch .
FORMED.org is a digital online platform that gives STHY unprecedented access to video-based study programs, feature films, audio presentations, and eBooks from the Church’s foremost presenters. With your free access to FORMED, 24/7 on your television, smart phone, laptop, I-pad, or Kindle; you can:
- Prepare for Mass each week by watching an insightful five-minute video on the Sunday Readings.
- Study the Scriptures at your own pace and time.
- Enjoy movies as a family that are both nourishing and entertaining.
- Enrich your marriage with the award winning video program Beloved.
- Help your children grow in faith and character with engaging children’s materials.
Soo I am asking every family to register for your free access to all the amazing content on FORMED. Go to FORMED.org to register and enter Code:77GVZ3.
I send out my sincere thanks to all who made a pledge for our Building Faith, Family and Future…… our Sanctuary… our Home….. Capital Campaign. I truly appreciate your generosity and support. Please consider making a year end pledge. Envelopes are in the Narthex along with our collection box specifically designed for our Capital campaign or you can do so online through the parish website. Remember, we ask every family to consider an equal sacrifice, not an equal size gift. As we enter the Christmas season and the time for giving, we can all do our part, and every pledge, of every size, is most needed and welcomed. Thank you for doing your part to help us reach our goal.
With Christmas day 2018 on December 25th this coming Tuesday it’s going to be a busy time for us in the church as we transition from our Advent season environment to the Christmas season. Due to the tight schedule, we need lots of hands in decorating the church, Guyot Hall, the Religious Education building and the parish grounds this Sunday immediately following the Noon Mass.
Our Christmas Mass schedule is as follows: Monday, December. 24th, Christmas Eve: 4:00 pm, (4:30 Mass in Guyot Hall), 7:00 pm and 12 midnight; Tuesday, December. 25th, Christmas Day: 8:00 am and 10:00 am.
Everyone knows that Christmas is a time of gift-giving. The meaningfulness of a gift is not dependent upon the amount spent but on the heart given. The greatest gift ever given is the greatest heart ever given: God sent the only Son to dwell among us. Jesus came among us as God’s gift of Salvation to us. As a gift of salvation, Jesus is the incarnation of God’s loving presence among us. This gift cost us no money. It does cost us our own life: a heart turned to God.
As we move into the Christmas season please let us continue to pray for our country and our governmental leaders that they may continue to work hard to cherish the gifts of life and liberty and work to safeguard those liberties. We always keep in our prayers those who are serving our country in the military services, especially those far from home at this time of the year. May the Lord protect them and guard them, and bring them home safely and soon.
The parish office will be closed on December 24th , 25th and 26th in observance of Christmas and December 31st- January 1st for the celebration for the New Year. On behalf of the staff here at St. Hyacinth, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a joy filled New Year!
Finally, Mrs. Gloria Alvarado, our Parish Administrator has decided to retire and spend more time with her family. We want to wish her all the best. Please thank Mrs. Alvarado for her years of service to STHY. As one chapter closes here at STHY, another opens, please welcome Deacon John Rapaki to STHY as our new Parish Administrator. Deacon Rapaki will be starting his new duties at STHY soon.
Happy Fourth Sunday of Advent and Merry Christmas,
God Bless,
Fr. Reginald Samuels