Feast Day: December 26^th | Titles: Deacon, Apologist, Martyr, Protomartyr | Patronage: Altar Servers, Bricklayers, Deacons, Masons, Casket Makers, Headaches | Attributes: Wearing Dalmatic; Holding Censer, Martyr’s Palm, Gospel Book, Miniature Church; Surrounded by Stones.

Good King Wenceslas, it is said, looked out on the Feast of Stephen. The famous carol which begins with those words was composed in the 1830s by John M. Neale (an Evangelical Minister, who, loving Catholic Liturgy, Latin hymns, and religious life, was roundly persecuted by his congregation). The aforementioned Good King looked out from his castle in Bohemia in the 930s, and if he had followed his usual routine, would have already attended Mass, perhaps helping to grind the wheat to make the hosts, and had probably given a few hours to prayer earlier that morning in the darkened and unheated church. The Feast of St. Stephen was celebrated throughout the Church by the 330s when we find him included by name (along with St. John, Ss. Peter and Paul, and often St. John the Baptist) in the Eucharistic Prayers of Rome, Egypt, and Byzantium. But St. Stephen himself barely made it into the 030s. 

Stephen, his name meaning “crown” or “wreath” (the word often used to describe someone of honor) was one of the first deacons of the Church, which in those early years had barely yet expanded past the city of Jerusalem. Certainly, many of those who had been converted by St. Peter’s words on Pentecost had carried the Good News of the coming of the Christ back to their homes, but the Apostles were still mostly just preaching in the Temple, and from house to house in the Holy City. It was because they were so busy preaching the Word that they enlisted the help of several men who had known Jesus Himself to be deacons, servants, of the Apostles, directed especially to the care of the poor, and one of those was Stephen.

How did St. Stephen celebrate Christ’s coming? Well, he was not there for Jesus’ birth, but being a friend and disciple of Our Lord, he certainly had pondered again and again the details of Jesus’ death, and the wonder of all the early disciples at His resurrection. Recall Stephen’s words in Acts 7, where he goes back through the entire history of Israel and points out how God had directed their steps all along – Abraham’s sacrifice, Joseph’s survival, Moses’ encounter at the Bush; the Tabernacle in the Desert and the Temple of David and Solomon – and now, Stephen proclaimed, God had intervened and saved, and directed and fulfilled again, in Jesus, and in an utterly unprecedented way. All those previous encounters with God were only a glimpse, an anticipation, of the closeness that He actually wanted to have with His people! God is not content with a relationship of bushes, and tents, and sacrificial lambs.

The Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands. He dwells in us. He dwells with us. He dwells among us. Jesus, Stephen knew, was real, and is real; was alive, and is alive; had come, and still comes. As that first deacon proclaimed this to the astonishment of the bystanders, the Holy Spirit opened his eyes to see heaven, the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. Stephen saw the veil pulled back, and the closeness of God revealed, and notice what happens next:

Not just his suffering, the hurled stones, and Saul standing by, but notice that Stephen plays out in his own life and death, the life and death of His Savior. He, like Jesus, spoke of the Son of Man at the righthand of God. He, like Jesus, for that claim, is made an outcast, and taken out of the city to die. He, like Jesus, begs the Heavenly Father to forgive his persecutors. And he, like Jesus, gives His Spirit over to God.

The coming of Christ is not just about God become like us. It is also about us becoming like God. We cannot embrace the child in the manger, if we will not embrace Christ upon the cross. But if we are willing to go to Bethlehem and Jerusalem, to the crib and the cross, to receive the Spirit and a share in Our Lord’s suffering, then we with Stephen, and Saul, and Wenceslaus and Abraham, will see God with us, not just in the past, nor just in heaven, but with us – with you, and me, and our families – today.

– Fr. Dominic Rankin was ordained a deacon, like St. Stephen dedicated to service of the Church, 5 years ago. It was on the feast of St. Wenceslaus, on September 28^th 2017. He was not martyred after giving his first homily, nor has he hiked miles in the snow to deliver food to the hungry. Thankfully, God can make a saint of him yet.

The two holiest people in the history of the Church were not priests, deacons, nuns, or hermits in the desert. No, they were a married couple – Mary and Joseph! I recently saw a quote to this effect by St. Josemaria Escriva. I can’t seem to find the exact quote at the moment, but you get the drift. Sometimes people wrongly assume that the clergy and religious are the holiest people in the Church. While it’s true that being called to the priesthood or religious life is a great gift from God, and a sign of the kingdom of heaven, this does not mean that married or single lay people are called to holiness any less than the clergy. 

In the last part of this semester, I showed a short video series by Sr. Miriam James Heidland to my students at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School. It was called Behold and was a series of meditations about encountering God in family life. I was struck by the meditations which centered on the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. One of the most profound aspects of the Incarnation is that Jesus chose to become a baby in the context of a family, growing up with a mom and dad, and being obedient to them. Maybe this is the lesson that our generation needs to learn from the Christ child. Nobody’s family is perfect, and that’s ok. Our families are an immense gift from God, and our parents are the ones who teach us what God is like – as tender and caring as our mother, as strong and protective as our father. Love starts in the family, and having a faithful family is the best way to pass on the faith to the next generation.

This is my third year of priesthood, and in some ways, it seems like a long time ago that I was ordained and assigned to the Cathedral as a new priest. I probably would not have guessed that I would be here for more than two years, but here I am, and happily so! I am so blessed to be here at the Cathedral with our bishop and three brother priests. We have a great parish staff and parish community to walk with on this journey of faith every day. This year, some of you may have noticed that my responsibilities have shifted a bit. I don’t celebrate quite as many parish Masses as I used to, as I focus my time on ministry at SHG along with studying some canon law online. I still do my best to be present at as many parish events as I’m able to. 

Speaking of families, I have been especially grateful for my family this year. My brother and his wife welcomed their sixth child in November, and I had the privilege of baptizing him on Thanksgiving Day at my home parish! This is now the third niece/nephew that I have baptized. One challenge is that my brother was away for much of this year with the military, so I have had to be more intentional about staying in touch via phone calls. I am blessed to have a sister who lives in town, but I could always be more intentional about staying in touch with family. 

As we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s give thanks for our families, even if they aren’t perfect. Maybe some forgiveness or even some good boundaries could improve relationships. Whatever the case may be, I invite you to consecrate your family to God in your heart. As you pray, imagine yourself with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the stable in Bethlehem. Allow them to draw you into their communion of love, centered on Jesus. Mary brought Jesus into this world, and Joseph protected them on their flight into Egypt. They intercede for us now from heaven. May Mary and Joseph pray for us to experience healing and wholeness in our families. Parents – don’t be afraid to let some activities go to focus more on family time, especially time together at Mass and in prayer. If your children don’t experience closeness in the family, where will they experience it? If you don’t teach them to pray, then who will? Don’t be afraid to be who God wants you to be. He will help you to do it with his grace! 

May the Lord Jesus bless you all in this new year of growing in his love. 

“ ’Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means ‘God is with us.’ “ (Matthew 1:23)  We hear these words in the Gospel account today of St. Joseph being visited in his sleep by the angel.  The child in Mary’s womb is the one about whom Isaiah prophesied, the one whom the people of Israel had longed for for centuries.  Now, He is finally coming!

But even before His birth in Bethlehem in Christmas, Emmanuel, God-with-us, the long-awaited Messiah was with Mary and Joseph in an intimate way.  For Mary, the conception of Jesus in her womb meant that God was with her in a way as He grew in her very womb.  Because of his proximity to Mary, Joseph would have also had a unique experience of God already being with him.  Though not visible yet, He was truly present, just as any child is in the womb of their mothers.  From the first moment of conception, human life is there, a fact I have no doubt Mary and Joseph appreciated.

Perhaps I have shared this image with you in a homily or some other way in the past couple of years, but in these final days of Advent, I like to picture Mary and Joseph as they journey together toward Bethlehem.  The journey by foot from Nazareth to Bethlehem likely took a few days.  I can picture them settling in for the night after a long day’s journey.  Since they are not at home, Jospeh is likely very attentive to their surroundings, possibly even keeping watch while his pregnant wife sleeps.  Just imagine Joseph, watching Mary as she slept, seeing her, but also knowing that Emmanuel was there with them, hidden in her womb.  You could say that Joseph was probably one of the first in the history of the Church to pray in adoration in the presence of Jesus Christ – body, blood, soul, and divinity, in form slightly different from the Eucharist, of course, but in the same reality of His being truly and really present.  What peace there must have been in his heart as he looked lovingly on his wife with his physical eyes, and as he looked lovingly on His Savior with his eyes of faith.

In this final week of Advent, I invite you to pray with this image of Joseph gazing upon Mary, and adoring Jesus even though He cannot yet see Him face to face.  And what better place to do this than in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, when exposed for Eucharistic Adoration, or when He rests in the tabernacle.  We look upon Him, not yet being able to see Him face to face, but believing that He is truly present.  Only when we get to Heaven will we have the privilege of seeing Him in His glory, but until that time, seeing Him as He remains hidden behind the form of bread and wine (but truly present) in the Eucharist, and then receiving Him in Holy Communion, that is enough for us.  For He is Emmanuel, God with us!  Let us rejoice in this beautiful gift, and may His presence among as we approach Christmas grant us that same peace that Mary and Joseph knew as they prepared for His birth.

Father Alford     

The readings that we as Catholics use at Mass are not chosen by the priest or members of our parishes. Instead, the Roman Catholic Church around the world has a standard set of scripture readings which the Church has compiled in a set of lectionaries, or books of readings. There are two different sets of “cycles,” as they are called. The first cycle is read on Sundays and is repeated every three years. A different set of readings is read on weekdays and is repeated every two years. This means that after attending Sunday Mass for only three years, a Catholic will have heard large portions of the Gospels, Old Testament texts, and New Testament texts.

At the Second Vatican Council, one of the desires of the gathered bishops was to make scripture more accessible to Catholics around the world. A primary way to accomplish this was by greatly expanding the variety of readings at Mass and reworking the lectionary. In fact, it is widely recognized that the Catholic lectionary is a work of great genius, and several other Christian denominations also use the Catholic lectionary, such as some Lutherans. (There are exceptions to this, such as some books that are not considered canonical). The readings during seasons like Advent and Lent help us to open our hearts more widely to the spirit of the season that the liturgy is trying to convey to us. 

There are some exceptions to the rule that every church has the same readings around the world. When a saint’s feast day is celebrated on a weekday, it is optional to use readings specific to that saint. Generally, priests choose to use the daily readings to maintain the coherence of the scriptural text over several days. However, it is permitted to use the optional readings at the preacher’s discretion. Another exception to the rule of universal readings will be found in Eastern Catholic Churches. This could be the topic for another article, but the Catholic Church is not a homogenous entity, but rather a unity of many Churches. We are members of the Latin Catholic Church, but there is also the Eastern branch of the Church, made up of around 23 other Catholic Churches. They are also Catholic but not part of the Latin tradition. Many of these churches would have their own lectionary cycles because they are part of a different liturgical tradition than the Latin Church. These are different than and not to be confused with Orthodox Churches. 

There are few Eastern Catholic Churches in our part of the world. In fact, I am only aware of one Eastern Catholic parish in our diocese, and it may be closed by now. However, in Eastern Europe and Asia there are many Eastern Catholic Churches. If you are travelling abroad or even elsewhere in the country, you are free to attend an Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgy (Mass). The readings may be different, and the liturgical tradition will be different, but it is still the same Mass. Just make sure that you see the word “Catholic” somewhere in the name of the parish! We are blessed to be part of a Universal Church – a Church which has expanded not only across the world, but also across time for two thousand years. Our Faith is truly a gift from God, and it is a blessing to have the Mass available to us wherever we go around the world! 

Feast Day: December 25^th | Titles: Virgin, Martyr, Deliverer from Potions [“Pharmakolytria” (consider “pharmacy”, “pharmaceuticals”)] | Patronage: Martyrs, Weavers, Widows, Those Suffering from Poison | Attributes: Palm Branch, Martyrs-Cross, Medicine Pot

There are about a dozen saints and blesseds whose feast day is on December 25^th, most because they died on that day, whether from natural causes or because they were martyred. The woman who we get to know today was one of those given the martyrs crown, and though after Vatican II she has not retained a Mass of her own on December 25^th (the various Masses of Christmas are the only ones a priest can celebrate on the 25^th) she is still mentioned in the Roman Canon for which reason we consider her life today.

She comes at the end of the list of saintly women named during the prayer called the “Nobis Quoque”. This Latin phrase refers to the prayer that the priest says after praying for the deceased, he strikes his breast saying “To us, also, your servants, who, though sinners, hope in your abundant mercies, graciously grant some share and fellowship with your holy Apostles and Martyrs:”, going on to list John the Baptist and many other martyrs venerated early on in Rome. Here’s the amazing thing, if you look through that list, you find characters from all over the early Christian world, men and women, some of them martyrs, some of them apostles, some miracle-workers, some great teachers of the faith. Even just looking at the women, you have two from Africa (Felicity and Perpetua), two from Sicily (Agatha and Lucy), two from Rome (Agnes and Cecilia), and Anastasia, whose father may have been Roman, but who lived and died in Sirmium, now in Serbia.

I offer instead of my own biography, excerpts from a Akathist given in veneration of St. Anastasia. An Akathist is a chanted hymn-homilies with interspersed litanies, to a particular biblical character or saint. They originated in the Byzantine side of the Roman Empire in the 500s, and so seem a fitting way to recall our saint from Sirmium.

Kontakion 1: To the chosen saint of Christ, the all-blessed Great Martyr Anastasia, we bring praiseworthy singing, as she who has much boldness to the Lord, deliver from all troubles, sorrows and illnesses, the faithful who cry out freely with love: Alleluia.

Ikos 1: You have become like an angel with a pure mind, having had your mind upon Him, Who is the Creator of all visible and invisible creation, eternal from the beginning and the One desired by all the righteous; we, praising your wise teaching from the holy martyr Chrysogonus, cry out with love:
Rejoice, you who loved the faith of Christ; Rejoice, you who followed the piety of your mother Fausta. Rejoice, you who preserved the purity of your virginity; Rejoice, you who were always guarded invisibly by the angels. Rejoice, for you have drawn near to God by your purity; Rejoice, all-blessed Great Martyr Anastasia, holy visitor and intercessor for our souls in prison.

Kontakion 2: Saint Anastasia, beholding the many Christians suffering in dungeons for the name and teachings of Jesus Christ, began to serve them with zeal, but was helped by God to comfort and heal them, singing with reverence: Alleluia.

Ikos 2: O godly-wise Anastasia, you reasoned that this whole world is passing vanity and corruption, and for this, you despised precious clothing and possessions, and secretly clothed beggars, entering the dungeons to serve as a confessor of Christ; we follow her in our minds, and we appeal to her with love: Rejoice, imitator of Christ; Rejoice, visitor of prisoners in the dungeon; Rejoice, consoler of the confessors of Christ; Rejoice, you who have spent your gold and silver on them; Rejoice, by them who have acquired the Kingdom of Heaven; Rejoice, you who washed the hands and feet of the saints and cleaned their hair. Rejoice, you who healed their ills and honestly buried their bodies; Rejoice, all-blessed Great Martyr Anastasia, holy visitor and intercessor for our souls in prison.

Kontakion 3: Strengthened by power from above, holy martyr, you blessedly served the saints, and shamed the hater of every virtue the devil, enduring enslavement from your impious husband; we, praising your goodness, Anastasia, sing along with you: Alleluia.

Ikos 3: Have great love in the Lord for all who suffer for the Name of Christ in dungeons; we, marveling at her courage, crying to her: Rejoice, chosen bride of Christ; Rejoice, diligent keeper of the commandments of Christ; Rejoice, for you have fulfilled this not in words alone, but in deeds; Rejoice, you who were ready to lay down your life for your friends; Rejoice, for you have received much bitterness for Christ; Rejoice, for you have become like a strong diamond through your patience. Rejoice, all-blessed Great Martyr Anastasia, holy visitor and intercessor for our souls in prison.

– Fr. Dominic Rankin notes that this hymn continues to Kontakion 13 (!), and the whole thing would then be repeated three times (!!). We would need a longer bulletin to print it all, and probably a longer attention span if I were to sing it for my homily… Perhaps the lesson Anastasia teaches us this week is of generosity, not only to our fellow Christians, and not only in risking of our earthly life for Christ, but also, simply, to Our Lord in the time we dedicate to prayer, and to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.