Overheard in the Sacristy

The Holy Father will preside at the first vespers at the year’s end in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Wednesday 12/31/08 12:00 p.m. ET and 9:00 a.m. PT
Wednesday 12/31/08 5:00 p.m. ET and 2:00 p.m. PT

Mass of the Epiphany with Pope Benedict XVI from St. Peter’s Basilica.
Tuesday 01/06/09 4:00 a.m. ET and 1:00 a.m. PT
Tuesday 01/06/09 12:00 p.m. ET and 9:00 a.m. PT
Tuesday 01/06/09 6:30 p.m. ET and 3:30 p.m. PT

Utah store has bone to pick with shoplifting dog

MURRAY, Utah – A thief remains at large after pulling off a daring heist — in the pet food aisle.

Surveillance video at a supermarket in this Salt Lake City suburb caught a dog shoplifting, KSL-TV reported Wednesday.

The video showed the dog walking in the front door of Smith’s Food & Drug in Murray, and heading straight to Aisle 16, the pet food aisle, where it grabbed a bone worth $2.79.

The thief wasn’t even perturbed by a face-to-face confrontation with store manager Roger Adamson.

“I looked at him. I said ‘Drop it!’” Adamson said. “He looked at me, and I looked at him, and he ran for the door and away he went, right out the front door.”

And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him. And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, He also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; Because my eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed. — Luke 2:25-35 Douay-Rheims

Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovero, Primate of Spain, Prefect-Designate of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Cardinal Arinze’s successor)

The wise Pope Benedict knows exactly what this will mean to the Church in years ahead.

Pope Benedict XVI delivers his Urbi et Orbi (to the City and to the World) message in St. Peter’s square at the Vatican, Thursday, December 25, 2008. The Pontiff, in his Christmas message, warned that the world was headed toward ruin if selfishness prevails over solidarity during tough economic times for both rich and poor nations. Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope declared that the “heart of the Christian message is meant for all men and women.” (AP Photo Alessandra Tarantino)

2:00 a.m. Thursday, December 25:

Just got home from offering Midnight Mass in the Extraordinary Form. About 300 people, aged 2 to 90 years, were in attendance. The majority were under 50 with little recollection or experience of the Traditional Latin Mass. The choir was superb! The Acolytes were flawless.

Earlier at 5:00 p.m. children from the religious education program presented their Christmas Story  to a packed house replete with angels, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, and of course, the requisite Magi. Narration and dialogue was interspersed with Away In A Manger, Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, Go, Tell It On The Mountain, We Three Kings, and Silent Night.

All-in-all, a great way to celebrate His Holy Birth.

Must get some sleep; next Mass in eight hours.

UPDATE:

The 10:00 a.m. quadlingual* Mass went well. The music was perfect. The faithful were joy-filled. Handshakes, hugs and Merry Christmas all around.

*English, Spanish, Latin, and German (”Fröhliche Weihnachten!” in honor of our Holy Father Pope Bendict XVI.)

A Blessed Christmas to All!

St. Apollonia, who died in the year 249, was martyred for not renouncing her faith during the reign of Emperor Philip. The account of the life of St. Apollonia was written by St. Dionysius to Fabian, Bishop of Antioch. Apollonia had all her teeth knocked out after being hit in the face by a Christian persecutor under the reign of Emperor Philip. After she was threatened with fire unless she renounced her faith, Apollonia jumped into the flames voluntarily. She is considered the patron of dental diseases and is often invoked by those with toothaches. Ancient art depicts her with a golden tooth at the end of her necklace. Also in art, she is seen with pincers holding a tooth.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

5:00 p.m. Family Mass/Children’s Pageant |12:00 a.m. Traditional Latin Midnight Mass

Thursday, December 25, 2008

10:00 a.m. Bilingual Mass

Saturday, December 27, 2008

5:00 p.m. Feast of the Holy Family

Sunday, December 28, 2008

8:00 a.m. La Sagrada Familia |10:00 a.m. Feast of the Holy Family

Thursday, January 1, 2009

10:00 a.m. Mary, Mother of God | Holy Day of Obligation

Saturday, January 3, 2009

5:00 p.m. The Epiphany of the Lord

Sunday, January 4, 2009

8:00 a.m. La Epifania del Senor | 10:00 a.m. The Epiphany of the Lord

Saturday, January 10, 2009

5:00 p.m. The Baptism of the Lord

Sunday, January 11, 2009

8:00 a.m. El Bautismo del Senor | 10:00 a.m. The Baptism of the Lord

The introit antiphon for the 4th week in Advent is Rorate Caeli:

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just One: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior. — (Ps. 18. 2). The heavens show forth the glory of God: and the firmament declareth the work of His hands. V.: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior.