Archbishop William E. Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore

St. Matthew Roman Catholic Church

“Rich in Tradition, United in Mission, Blessed with Diversity.”

Fourth Sunday of Advent & The Nativity of the Lord

December 22 & 23, 2018; December 24 & 25, 2018

Mass Times: Holy Day Mass times vary; please see our bulletin and our website.

Weekdays (Rectory Chapel) Monday – Thursday – Saturday 9:00 AM

Tuesday – Friday 7:00 AM

Weekends – Saturday 5:00 PM Vigil Mass

Sunday 8:45 AM – 11 AM

Confessions:

Saturday 4:00 – 4:30 PM or by appointment with the Pastor.

Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, Anointing of the Sick, and RCIA:

Please call the church office.

New Parishioners:

Please pick up a registration form at the exits of the church, on our website, or contact the church office. Please also indicate if you wish to receive Offertory envelopes.

5401 Loch Raven Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21239 Office: 410-433-2300 Fax: 410-433-5263 Website: www.stmatthewbaltimore.org Parish Office Hours: Monday – Friday: 8 AM – 4 PM Closed on Holidays

Parish Staff:

Rev. Joseph L. Muth Pastor

joemuth2848@gmail.com ext. 102 Rev. Michael Schleupner Visiting Clergy

fathermikeinbox@gmail.com Mr. Rudy Dehaney Coordinator, Youth and Young Adult Ministry

rudy.dehaney@archbalt.org 410-209-0302 Mrs. Patricia DeLisle Minister of Liturgical Music

pattydelisle@outlook.com ext. 100 Mr. Christopher Heemann Office Manager

cheemann@archbalt.org ext. 101 Ms. Barbara Metz Coordinator of Social Ministry

bjmetz51@gmail.com ext. 104 Mrs. Robin Novak Accountant

thernovaks@comcast.net ext. 103 Sister Andre Rothschild, CMS Coordinator of RCIA

andre.cms1964@gmail.com 410-323-1469 Mrs. Dorris van Gaal Director of Faith Formation

dorris.vangaal@archbalt.org 410-254-1687 www.neccbalt.org Pat Shannon Jones Director, Immigration Outreach Service Center

pat@ioscbaltimore.org 410-323-8564 www.ioscbaltimore.org Mrs. Fametta Jackson Principal, Cardinal Shehan School

fametta.jackson@archbalt.org 410-433-2775 www.cardinalshehanschool.org

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT: DECEMBER 22 & 23, 2018 THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD: DECEMBER 24 & 25, 2018

The Immigrant's Apostles Creed:

I believe in Almighty God,

who guided the people in exile and in exodus,

the God of Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon,

the God of foreigners and immigrants.

I believe in Jesus Christ, a displaced Galilean,

who was born away from His people and His home,

who fled His country with His parents when his life was in danger.

When He returned to His own country, He suffered under the oppression of Pontius Pilate,

the servant of a foreign power. Jesus was persecuted, beaten, tortured, and unjustly condemned to death.

But on the Third Day Jesus rose from the dead,

not as a scorned foreigner, but to offer us citizenship in God's Kingdom.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the eternal immigrant from God's Kingdom among us,

who speaks all languages, lives in all countries,

and reunites all races.

I believe that the Church is the secure home

for foreigners and for all believers.

I believe that the Communion of Saints begins

when we embrace all God's People in all their diversity.

I believe in Forgiveness, which makes us all equal before God,

and in Reconciliation, which heals our brokenness.

I believe that in the Resurrection

God will unite us as one people

in which all are distinct and all are alike at the same time.

I believe in Life Eternal, in which no one will be foreigner

but all will be citizens of the Kingdom

where God reigns forever and ever.

Amen.

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Masses: Christmas Eve: 5 PM and 7:30 PM at St. Matthew and

10 PM at Blessed Sacrament

Christmas Day: One Mass at 10 AM at St. Matthew

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Vigil Mass on December 31st): 5 PM at St. Matthew

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Mass of the Day on January 1st): One Mass at 10 AM at St. Matthew

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God is a Holy Day of Obligation.

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Have a wonderful Christmas Season and Celebration!

Fr. Joe

Saint Matthew Prayer List: Bernard and Illa, Bernard and Amelia Adams, Carol Augustine, Jim Augustine, Nancy R. Bach, Jackie Balda,

Bonnie Bethea, Victoria Borland, John Byrnes, Andrea Bryant, Brandon Bryant, Randy Capone, Peg Collins,

Ginny Daly, Rock Davis, Lynn Dunfelder, Ed Flannigan, Dorothy Grove, Joscelin Hancock, Seaton Haney,

Gwen Heemann, Kerry Heemann, Steven Heemann, Dawn Hubner, Agnes Hvisc, Wendy Kaminski, Edward

Kline, Kimberly Lhotsky, Tom and Rosemary Peddicord, Butch Podgurski Mildred Powell, Barbara Reid, Susan

Ritter, Archer Senft, Casey Seymour, Rose S. Sheheen, Roberta Silver, Myrtle Stanley, Charles Supik, Randy

Talbert, Larry Temple, Ruth Toro, Maria Volck, James Waller, Michael Walsh, Mary Lou Weiner, and Alfred

Lee-Young.

Scripture Readings For This Week (December 23rd – 30th): Sunday, December 23 Mi 5:1-4 Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 Heb 10:5-10 Lk 1:39-45 Fourth Sunday of Advent. From Bethlehem shall come one who will rule Israel (1). Born of Mary, the Servant of the Lord (3), He will protect and save us (Ps), offering Himself once and for all in doing the Father’s will (2). Monday, December 24 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29 Lk 1:67-79 Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent. The Kingdom of David will last forever (1, Ps) in the person of Jesus, the Dayspring from on High (2).

Is 9:1-6 Ps 96:1-3, 11-13 Ti 2:11-14 Lk 2:1-14 Vigil of The Nativity of The Lord. Darkness is scattered (1) for God’s grace has been revealed (2) in the birth of The Messiah (Ps, 3). Tuesday, December 25 Is 52:7-10 Ps 98:1-6 Heb 1:1-6 Jn 1:1-18 The Nativity of The Lord. God has spoken to us through his Son (2), the Word made flesh (3). Thus has salvation been revealed (1, Ps) to all the nations. Wednesday, December 26 Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 Ps 31:3-4, 6-8, 16-17 Mt 10:17-22 Saint Stephen, the First Martyr. Filled with the Spirit (2), Stephen entrusts his life (Ps) to the Lord for the sake of the Gospel (1). Thursday, December 27 1 Jn 1:1-4 Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12 Jn 20:1-8 Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist. John testifies to what he has seen (1): Jesus Risen from the dead (2). And so, let us rejoice (Ps)! Friday, December 28 1 Jn 1:5 – 2:2 Ps 124:2-5, 7-8 Mt 2:13-18 The Holy Innocents, Martyrs. The massacre of the Innocents (2) bears witness to the Blood of Jesus which cleanses us from sin (1) and frees us from death (Ps). Saturday, December 29 1 Jn 2:3-11 Ps 96:1-3, 5-6 Lk 2:22-35 Fifth Day Within The Octave of The Nativity of The Lord; Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr. Jesus is the Light (2) who scatters the darkness of hatred and sin (1) among all peoples (Ps). Sunday, December 30 Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 Ps 128:1-5 Col 3:12-21 Lk 2:41-52 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Family life (1, Ps) is rooted in the unconditional Love of God (2) as witnessed by The Holy Family (3). Mindful of his Covenant (Ps), God blesses the Faith of Abraham and Sarah (2) in their Son, Isaac (1). The child Jesus and his parents are blessed by Simeon (3).

All Parishes and Archdiocesan Schools use VIRTUS, a

compliance management system for all volunteers,

employees, and Clergy who work with minors in

compliance with the AoB Policy for the Protection of

Children and Youth. Please visit our website

(www.stmatthewbaltimore.org) for details and

instructions for compliance.

During the Season of Advent, we hope and repent as

we prepare to welcome Jesus. We show acts of

kindness and we wait for the coming of God’s

Christmas Gift.

As Christmas approaches this week, we prepare for

the gift of Jesus. “What might God want you to have

this Christmas?” Be open to what God has for you.

“In memory of those who have lost their lives to violence in Baltimore City, may God grant them peace, and

bring healing to their loved ones and to the City of Baltimore, we pray:”

Here are the names of the homicide victims from 12/7 through 12/13:

Daniel Battle, 42

Ebony Moore, 25

Edward Callaway, 32

Albertus Nelson, 58

Sacrificial Giving:

December 15 – 16: Offertory: $7,212.24

Loose Offertory: $2,066.00

Total: $9,278.24

Extraordinary Repairs: $2,626.00

Christmas: $275.00

Mass Attendance:

December 15 – 16:

5 PM: 8:45 AM: 11 AM:

70 106 195

Total: 371

Sunday, December 23:

8:45 AM: Respect for all life from conception to natural death 11:00 AM: For the Parish*

Monday, December 24:

Eve of The Nativity of The Lord

Tuesday, December 25:

The Nativity of The Lord

Thursday, December 27:

9:00 AM: For peace throughout the world and an end to violence in our

streets, city, and schools*

Friday, December 28:

7:00 AM: Randy Capone*

Saturday, December 29:

9:00 AM: Dorothy Grove*

5:00 PM: President Donald Trump*

“THANK YOU” to all who brought items for the Annual Men's Christmas

Party at Our Daily Bread. We collected 92 shirts, 185 pairs of

socks, 24 knit hats and 10 pairs of gloves for homeless men in

Baltimore.

Your donations are very much appreciated! Remember…casseroles are needed every month. Pans and recipes are available at the church exits.

Background on the Readings for Mass during the Christmas Season:

Solemnities, Feasts, and Sundays:

For the vigil and the Masses of Christmas both the prophetic readings and the others have been chosen from the

Roman tradition.

The gospel on the Sunday within the octave of Christmas, feast of the Holy Family, is about Jesus' childhood and

the other readings are about the virtues of family life.

On the octave of Christmas, solemnity of the Mary, Mother of God, the readings are about the Virgin Mother of

God and the giving of the holy Name of Jesus.

On the second Sunday after Christmas, the readings are about the mystery of the Incarnation.

On the Epiphany, the Old Testament reading and the gospel continue the Roman tradition; the text for the reading

from the apostolic letters is about the calling of all peoples to salvation.

On the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the texts chosen are about this mystery.

Weekdays:

From 29 December on, there is a continuous reading of the whole of 1 John, which actually begins earlier, on 27

December, feast of St John the Evangelist, and on 28 December, feast of the Holy Innocents. The gospels relate

manifestations of the Lord: events of Jesus’ childhood from Luke (29–30 December); passages from John 1(31

December–5 January); other manifestations from the four gospels (7-12 January).

*Taken from the website of the Liturgical Office.