Dear Saint Teresa Parishioners,
Please take the time to look over the announcements and articles this week. Note: the parish office will be closed December 31st and January 1st. May God richly bless your New Year!
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Handy Links:
- Eucharistic Adoration Sign-up
- Parish Website
- Parish Facebook Page
- Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House Schedule
Attachments:
(Bulletin Advertisers will be attached to the next e-mail: the file was misbehaving today)
:: NEW & UPDATED PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS ::
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Falls on January 1st each year. There is no better way to welcome the New Year than by honoring the Mother of God and the sacrifices she made to bring Our Savior into the world. Join us for a special 11pm Vigil Mass. It is a beautiful, candle-lit, prayerful way to “ring in” the New Year of 2021 … peacefully and in the presence of Our Lord.
Solemnity Mass Times:
- December 31st Vigil Masses are at 5:30pm & 11pm
- January 3rd Holy Day Masses are at 8am and 10am
Epiphany Home Blessing
Blessed chalk and Prayer Booklets are available at the Southwest Exit (toward the parking lot) of the church. Take the time to carry on this tradition of blessing our homes at the New Year! For more information, see the article printed in the upper left hand corner of this bulletin (or lower in this e-mail message).
Eucharistic Exposition: Our next session will run Jan 3 through Feb 16. We have quite a few openings, so please prayerfully consider signing up for a holy hour for the next 6 weeks. It's a great way to grow in peace and holiness! The Schedule/Sign-up is HERE.
The Knights of Columbus, Fitzgerald Council 833 offers their sincere thanks for the generosity of the parishioners of St. Teresa Parish for their support of the Candy Cane program again this year. Because of you, all the requests from the Giving Tree have been fulfilled. We received $230.00 from the four Masses the weekend of Dec. 19th and 20th. May God bless all of you and keep you safe.
Seminarian of the Week
Jacob Knutson is the son of Thomas and Patricia Knutson from Sts. Peter & Paul in St. Paul, Nebraska. He is studying Pre-Theology 1 at St. Gregory the Great. Remember to pray for Jacob and for his formation.
Lost & Found
The Lost & Found cabinet is in the vestibule on the North side (and is labeled). Please check this cabinet for items you may be missing. There are children’s books, toys, and clothing, devotionals and breviaries, rosaries, and many other items. All items will be given to the Thrift Store on January 31st, 2021.
Welcome by Baptism: Herbert Chase Johnson, son of Chase and Ginger. Congratulations!
Joined in Marriage: Alexander Vasa and Megan Kopetzky, December 26, 2020. Congratulations!
Thrift Shop Notes:
The shop is CLOSED until Jan 8-9.
Parish Office Hours
Christmas Week & New Year
December 28, 29, 30: 9am-4pm
December 31st and January 1st: Closed
How to Bless Your Home With Epiphany Chalk
by Philip Kosloski, from Aletia.org
It is a powerful blessing that lasts the whole year.
Each year around the feast of the Epiphany many parishes throughout the world participate in an annual blessing of chalk. It is an ancient tradition that not only places God at the entrance of your home, it places your entire family under his protection.
The Epiphany blessing of chalk and homes is a centuries old tradition where priests would visit each home in their parish after the Feast of the Epiphany. Over time it became more difficult to accomplish such a feat as parishes became larger and larger and priests were stretched thin. For this reason it became an accepted tradition that a member of the household is able to lead this blessing in place of the priest.
The blessing has biblical roots, deeply tied to the Passover in the book of Exodus:
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt … “take some of the blood [of the lamb], and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it … The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” (cf. Exodus 12:1-13)
It is no coincidence that the Epiphany blessing is traditionally written on the lintel of the main doorway and even some of the prayers echo God’s words of protection that he gave to Moses. While the Epiphany blessing was not given in the same manner as it was to Moses, the Church provides it for our own spiritual benefit. The Church desires our salvation and so gives us beautiful sacramentals to assist us along the path to Eternal Life.
Traditionally a priest blesses chalk on the Feast of the Epiphany by saying the following prayer (from the Roman Ritual):
Bless, + O Lord God, this creature, chalk, and let it be a help to mankind. Grant that those who will use it with faith in your most holy name, and with it inscribe on the doors of their homes the names of your saints, Casper, Melchior, and Baltassar, may through their merits and intercession enjoy health in body and protection of soul; through Christ our Lord.
The chalk is then distributed after Mass. (Ours is in a basket at the southwest exit—the exit closest to the parking lot—with a pamphlet of instructions for the Home Blessing.) Once you acquire the blessed chalk, either a priest or another member of the household can bless the home [following the instructions in the pamphlet].
It is a beautiful blessing, one that brings many graces upon those who practice it in faith and is an added protection against any spiritual enemies that may be lurking around.
:: REPEAT PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS (for your convenience) ::
Go On Pilgrimage With Saint Joseph This Christmas Season!
At the exits of the church, you will find a guide—complete with a checklist—that will lead you through the visitation of seven Lincoln churches. For each visit, a prayer is offered with attention to one of the seven sorrows and one of the seven joys that Saint Joseph experienced in his earthly life. Round up the family and take advantage of the Christmas Season to come to know better Saint Joseph, foster father of Our Lord.
Father Hottovy, Father Raminedi, and Father Kipper offer their gratitude for all of the cards, gifts, well wishes, prayers, and goodies that were given during Advent, for Christmas. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity!
Many thanks to those who took time to make our church beautiful for the Nativity of the Lord! Many hands were busy cleaning, putting up trees, preparing the altar, and decorating. As a result of your hard work, the church is a beautiful setting for adoration and worship!
Thanks to our musicians and choirs for providing music for Christmas Masses; we are so very grateful for the beauty you have added to our celebration!
Note: the large Christmas arrangement in the main entryway (vestibule) of the church is a memorial for all those who have died this past year due to COVID. It is also dedicated to all of the faithful medical and healthcare workers of our parish.
Community Announcement
Operation Lifesaver Nebraska wants to spread the word in the city of Lincoln: On January 1, 2021, BNSF Railway will begin operating trains on the tracks that run along Hwy 2 between Lincoln and Nebraska City. The tracks have been out of use for 17 years; it is important that we are aware of this change.
:: NEW DIOCESE-wide ANNOUNCEMENTS ::
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:: REPEAT DIOCESE-wide ANNOUNCEMENTS ::
What does the Word of God teach about how we are to speak to and about others? The Emmaus Institute for Biblical Studies is presenting Redeeming Communication: Christian Speech in a Hostile World, from 9am-12pm on Saturday, January 23, at St. Michael Parish in Lincoln. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. Learn more and register at www.emmausinstitute.net.