Advent and Christmas at HNOJ | Holy Name of Jesus

Each of us grew up with a different way of counting down the days to Christmas. Some families listened to Christmas music by day and watched Christmas movies each night. Other families lit the purple and pink candles of an Advent Wreath week after week until it is almost Christmas. Some of us slowly opened one door at a time on a family advent calendar. Whatever your tradition, the waiting in anticipation of the celebration of Jesus’ birth was one of the great joys of childhood.

In our HNOJ family, we mark the days in waiting for Jesus to come by processing candles and incense in the dark and prayerfully placing them in our large Advent Wreath. We anxiously wait for Jesus to appear in our nativity scene in the corner of our sanctuary. As we sing quietly, wait for Jesus, and witness the lone candle shining in the darkness, we are reminded that no matter how dark things might see, the Light of the World is coming.

We welcome you to experience Advent and Christmas festivities at our parish and school throughout the month of December.

Advent Season Schedule 2023

Advent Confessions
Saturdays 8:30 a.m.
Wednesdays at 5:15 p.m.

Advent
First Sunday of Advent, Dec. 3
Second Sunday of Advent, Dec. 10
Third Sunday of Advent, Dec. 17
Fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 24

Masses for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
Saturday, Dec. 23, at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 24, at 9 a.m.

Holy Day of Obligation

Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Friday, Dec. 8, at 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Christmas Season Schedule

Christmas Liturgies

Sunday, Dec. 24
4 p.m. – two concurring liturgies
6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Join us for caroling before each Mass

Monday, Dec. 25
9:30 a.m.

Christmas Eve – Sunday, December 24, 2023
4 p.m. Mass in the Church – School Choir with Handbell Choir (Piano and Organ)
4 p.m. Mass in the GSC– Sunday Evening Band (Guitars, Keyboard and Drums)
6 p.m. Mass in the Church – Sunday Evening Band (Guitars, Keyboard and Drums)
10 p.m. Mass in the Church – HNOJ Choir, String quartet, flute, oboe, tympany, piano, organ

Christmas Day - Monday, Dec. 25
9:30 a.m. Mass in the Church – Contemporary Choir (Piano and Guitars)
Join us for a 15-minute prelude before Mass

Solemnity of the Holy Mother of God
Monday, Jan. 1, at 9:30 a.m.

Schedule Changes

School Christmas Break
Thursday, Dec. 21 – Tuesday, Jan. 2

Parish Offices Closed
Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 25-26
Monday, Jan. 1

Advent Daily Email

Below are Chris Kostelc's top pics for Advent resources:

Hallow App - Pray 25 challenge

https://hallow.com/pray25-2020/

Dynamic Catholic - Best Advent Ever
https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/advent/best-advent-ever.html

Word on Fire - Bishop Barron’s Daily Advent Reflections
https://www.adventreflections.com

USCCB Advent Calendar
https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/advent

FORMED.org

FORMED.org delivers some of the very best Catholic content through a website, as an app on your phone, or even on your TV with Roku. FORMED.org is free to all HNOJ parishioners.

Check out just a small sampling of the Advent resources present on FORMED. https://watch.formed.org/advent-1

Christmas Tree Trivia

Pope Benedict XVI said this in 2008 about Christmas Trees,
"With its loftiness, its green [color] and the lights in its branches, the Christmas tree is a symbol of life that points to the mystery of Christmas Eve. Christ, the Son of God, brings to the dark, cold, unredeemed world in which he was born, a new hope and a new splendor. If a man allows himself to be touched and enlightened by the splendor of the living truth that is Christ, he will experience an interior peace in his heart and will himself become an instrument of peace in a society that has so much nostalgia for reconciliation and redemption.”

USCCB on Christmas Trees:

The use of the Christmas tree is relatively modern. Its origins are found in the
medieval mystery plays that depicted the tree of paradise and the Christmas light
or candle that symbolized Christ, the Light of the world. According to custom, the
Christmas tree is set up just before Christmas and may remain in place until the
Solemnity of Epiphany. The lights of the tree are illuminated after the prayer of
blessing.

In the home the Christmas tree may be blessed by a parent or another family member, in connection with the evening meal on the Vigil of Christmas or at another suitable time on Christmas Day.

- USCCB (https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-andsacramentals/sacr...)

Patron Saint of Christmas Trees - St. Boniface
In one of the earliest stories relating to the Christmas tree, the eighth-century Catholic missionary, Saint Boniface, is said to have cut down an oak tree sacred to the pagan god Thor. An evergreen, fir tree grew in its place, which Boniface
said symbolized the everlasting nature of Jesus Christ.

A longer version of the story with much more detail can be found at (https://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-is-the-origin-of-the-christmas-...)

Christmas Tree Blessing
Use the following blessing to bless your Christmas Tree at home. From the USCCB

When all have gathered, a suitable song may be sung.
The leader makes the sign of the cross, and all reply “Amen.”
The leader may greet those present in the following words:
Let us glorify Christ our light, who brings salvation and peace into our midst, now and forever.
R/. Amen.
In the following or similar words, the leader prepares those present for the blessing:
My brothers and sisters, amidst signs and wonders Christ Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea: his
birth brings joy to our hearts and enlightenment to our minds. With this tree, decorated and adorned,
may we welcome Christ among us; may its lights guide us to the perfect light.
One of those present or the leader reads a text of sacred Scripture, for example, Titus 3:4 (lines 4-7)
or Ezekiel 17:22 (lines 22-24 4; I will plant a tender shoot on the mountain heights of Israel.)
Reader: The Word of the Lord.
R/. Thanks be to God.
The intercessions are then said. The leader says:
Let us ask God to send his blessing upon us and upon this
sign of our faith in the Lord.
R/. Lord, give light to our hearts.
That this tree of lights may remind us of the tree of glory on
which Christ accomplished our salvation, let us pray to the
Lord. R/. Lord, give light to our hearts.
That the joy of Christmas may always be in our homes, let
us pray to the Lord. R/. Lord, give light to our hearts.
That the peace of Christ may dwell in our hearts and in the
world, let us pray to the Lord. R/. Lord, give light to our hearts.
After the intercessions the leader invites all present to say the
Lord’s Prayer.
The leader says the prayer with hands joined:
Lord our God,
we praise you for the light of creation:
the sun, the moon, and the stars of the night.
We praise you for the light of Israel:
the Law, the prophets, and the wisdom of the Scriptures.
We praise you for Jesus Christ, your Son:
he is Emmanuel, God-with-us, the Prince of Peace,
who fills us with the wonder of your love.
Lord God,
let your blessing come upon us
as we illumine this tree.
May the light and cheer it gives
be a sign of the joy that fills our hearts.
May all who delight in this tree
come to the knowledge and joy of salvation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
The lights of the tree are then illuminated. The leader concludes the rite by signing himself or herself
with the sign of the cross and saying:
May the God of glory fill our hearts with peace and joy, now
and forever.
R/. Amen.
The blessing concludes with a verse from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”:
—From Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers

A note about incense

We will be using incense at the 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday Liturgies during the season of Advent. For those with sensitivities, you may wish to consider joining us at our 5 p.m. (Saturday) and 8:30 a.m. Liturgies where we will refrain from using any incense.

Incense will be used at the 10 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. There will be no incense at the 4 or 6 p.m. Christmas Eve Masses, nor the 9:30 a.m. Mass on Christmas Day.