Christmas Eve is next Sunday, 24 December. It is also the Fourth Sunday of Advent. To fulfill your obligations as to the precept of the Church for Mass attendance, you will need to attend one of the following Masses…
Saturday, 23 December 4:30 p.m. (at Our Lady of Peace)
Sunday, 24 December 7:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. (at Our Lady of Peace), 10:00 a.m. (at Notre Dame)
And one of the following Masses for Christmas…
Sunday, 24 December 4:00 p.m. (at Notre Dame), 6:00 p.m. (at Our Lady of Peace)
Monday, 25 December 7:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. (both at Our Lady of Peace)
New Year’s Day in 2024 is NOT a Holy Day of Obligation since it falls on a Monday. Masses for New Year’s weekend are as follows.
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph:
Saturday, 30 December 4:30 p.m. (at Our Lady of Peace)
Sunday, 31 December 7:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. (at Our Lady of Peace), 10:00 a.m. (at Notre Dame)
For the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God:
Monday, 1 January 8:30 a.m. (at Our Lady of Peace)
A reminder that the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass at Notre Dame de Lourdes will commence on Sunday, 7 January.
Today, 17 December we begin the season of Late Advent. The Rose-colored candle signifies the joy of the season and the special O antiphons of vespers draws us deeper into the mystery of the expectation of the Messiah. The O Antiphons were composed in the ninth century, the heart of the Dark Ages, to educate the faithful of the meaning of the Advent season. The hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” sets the O Antiphons to music for easier recollection.
The O Antiphons introduce the Canticle of Mary from 17 December through 23 December. They are in chronological order: O Wisdom, O Lord of Might, O Rod of Jesse, O Key of David, O Dayspring from on High, O Desire of Nations, O Emmanuel. Originally these antiphons were written in Latin, O Sapiens, O Adonai, O Radix, O Clavis, O Oriens, O Rex, O Emmanuel. When listed acrostically in reverse chronological order they form a Latin sentence: ERO CRAS… Tomorrow (cras) he will be (ero). This was a creative way to remember the teaching of the Advent season during a dark period when formal education was extremely limited. The same would happen centuries later when the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was created to educate the faithful during the post reformation period.
Oregon Catholic Press, our Missal service, offers the following Scripture references for “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”. Exodus Chapters 6 & 19; Isaiah 7, 11, & 22; Micah 5; Proverbs 1; Sirach 24; Wisdom 8; 1 Corinthians 1; Ephesians 2; Hebrews 1; James 3; John 8; Luke 1; Matthew 1; Revelation 3 & 15; Romans 15.