CCATHEDRALATHEDRAL N NEWSEWS December 2012 Volume 18 Issue 5 Tulsa, Oklahoma

Holy Family

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Identification Statement: The Cathedral News Issue 5 December 2012 (USPS 022-729) is published 10 x per year (monthly, except for June and July) by Holy Family Cathedral at 122 W 8th St., Tulsa OK 74119-1402. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CATHEDRAL NEWS, PO BOX 3204, Tulsa, OK 74101-3204.

Dear People of Holy Family Cathedral Parish,

It is hard to realize that Thanksgiving is over and Advent is upon us. That of course also

means that Christmas is right around the corner. During this Year of Faith that the Holy Father

has asked us to observe, we are providing some books for your reflection. They are called Little

Blue Books and are available at the doors of the Cathedral. Each one of you is welcome to take

one and use it for reflection. It is designed to take about six minutes out of your day and give

them to God. Please let me know what you glean from these few minutes a day with God.

Also we included in last month’s Cathedral News the financial report concerning our present

situation. Certainly the summer months went very well and the added income came in line with

the need. As usually happens, October fell off for some reason and the needs continue to climb.

So we now await the generosity of Christmas. As you know our yearly solvency is greatly depend-

ent on the Christmas and End of the Year donations. So PLEASE REMEMBER TO GIVE THE

CHURCH A CHRISTMAS PRESENT THIS YEAR.

I sincerely hope and pray that this Advent and Christmas Season find each of you well and your

families well also. Please keep the parish and school in your continued prayers. May you have a

Blessed Christmas following a grace filled Advent Season.

Sincerely in the Holy Family,

Msgr. Gregory A. Gier

Rector

The The

Rector’s Rector’s

ReportReport

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Cathedral News deadlines: Please submit articles and announcements to the Cathedral News by the 15th of the preceding month.

Email mikemalcom@gmail.com or send your article to Mike Malcom at the parish office.

COVER : T H E IC ON OF TH E NEW AD V EN T WA S C REAT ED BY F R. WI LLI A M

MC NI C H OLS S .J . FOR POP E J OH N PA UL II D URIN G HI S V I SI T T O DENV ER

I N 1993. IT I S T H E OFFI C I A L I CON OF TH E ARCH D I OC ESE OF DEN V ER. HOLY

F A M I LY CA T H ED RA L D I SP LAY ED TH E I CON B RI EFLY IN 1997.

CHRISTMAS EVE:

MONDAY, DECEMBER 24

3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Confessions

5:00 p.m. Children’s Mass

7:30 p.m. Vigil Mass with Motet Choir

11:00 p.m. Christmas Carols

12:00 Midnight Mass with Full Choir

CHRISTMAS DAY:

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25

8:00 a.m. Mass

10:00 a.m. Mass with Motet Choir

12:00 p.m. Mass with Motet Choir

[No 5:00 p.m. Mass]

MARY, MOTHER OF GOD:

MONDAY, DECEMBER 31

5:00 p.m. Mass

TUESDAY, JANUARY 1

8:00 a.m. Mass

10:00 a.m. Mass

12:00 p.m. Mass

5:00 p.m. Mass

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I sought my Lord on Christmas Day in a stable where He lay. I heard He had the Gift of Peace to fill each heart with Grace increased Inside I found a naked Child broken, hungry, much defiled. “Where is my Lord?” I dared to ask- much perplexed by this masque. The Child glanced up. He began to speak: “I am the One you came to seek. “You thought to find a royal prince arrayed in gold and frankincense. “Yet you passed Me by on the road shivering, naked in the cold.

“Saw Me begging in the street pleading for some bread to eat. “You turned your eyes from my abuse sold for a pittance to evil amuse. “There was My Peace at every turn but every offer you chose to spurn. “Instead you rushed to find a ‘prince’ not having heart or time to mince. “For, you see, My Peace is within your reaching but must be found in those beseeching. “So, I give to you My way of Peace Go, now - and give it to the least. “Then you will know you have found the way to celebrate by coming on this Christmas Day!”

A Poem by Martin Reidy

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A little food for thought before beginning this

Christmas narrative: St. Augustine had a child, a

son, who he described as “the sweet fruit of my sin.”

What was the child's name? Meanwhile, back at the

stable...

The story of the stable, or creche, is as old as St.

Francis who began the custom of a Nativity scene

circa 1223 in Crecio, or Grecio, Italy (both

spellings are given) when he set up a

Nativity scene for Midnight Mass in a

hollow on the side of a hill. And the

rest, as they say is history. Sani-

tized through the centuries the

original scene, in a cold and smelly

hollow located probably below a local

inn, was no fit place to give birth to a child.

The description of swaddling clothes belies

the fact that the clothes were more akin to strips

of cloth to wrap or swaddle the Child Jesus. His first

admirers were the dregs of society: shepherds who

were a class of workers a step above a swineherd.

Any protection offered by this stable from the ele-

ments was purely accidental.

However, survive He did and in accordance with

Jewish Law Jesus was offered to the Father (God)

in a ceremony called Pidyon HaBen or, Redemption

of the Son (or First Born) in what we call the Feast

of the Presentation in the Temple. Criteria for this

acclaim was that the child be:

• the first born of the mother,

• neither a Kohanim (priest) or Levite,

• a natural birth (no C-section), and that

• the mother had never had a miscarriage more

than 40 days into her pregnancy.

Notes from the Knightstand BY MA RT I N REI D Y

This offering back to the Father occurred

thirty-one days after the day of birth, and five

shekels of silver were paid to "redeem" the

child from obligatory Temple service. This

Temple ceremony and requisite Law evolved

from Exodus where God demanded of the

Jews the dedication of their first born male

child in thanksgiving for their deliverance out

of Egypt. Thus, the first born child fulfilling

the criteria set forth became, in

effect, a gift to God.

However, Mary and Joseph

according to tradition lacked

the five silver shekels and so, in

a way, Jesus was not redeemed

from His Temple service of which we

now know to be His life and eventual Cru-

cifixion to redeem all of us before the Father.

So, in a way, all of you who have donated so

generously to our- pleas for “five silver shek-

els” to underwrite our various and sundry pro-

jects - Ultrasound, Turkey Drive, Homeless

Project to name but a few - are, in your own

way, a gift to God and for which we are very

grateful. We do say that, indeed, you have

found the Way to celebrate the Peace of

Christmas come this Christmas Day! So it is

that we also say to each of you may you have

a Blessed and Merry Christmas.

Uh, Yes! - The name of Augustine's son?

Adeodatus: Gift to God! Pax

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The Inquirers in RCIA reached their first

official conversion milestone, the Rite of

Acceptance, at the Feast of Christ the

King on November 25. This was the mo-

ment the unbaptized chose to become

Catechumens. Those already baptized in

other ecclesial communities became

Candidates. They each had a sponsor

who verified their interest in the Church.

The entire congregation encouraged them

to pursue further study into the Catholic

faith. The sponsors placed a simple

corded wooden cross around each in-

quirer’s neck as a symbol of Christ’s sac-

rifice for all of us. At this point they be-

came members of our community - al-

though they are not in full communion

with us. They cannot receive the Eucha-

rist but they do have many other rights as

members, such as being married or bur-

ied in the Church. They will continue their

study of our faith as they seek to become

fully in union with us at the Easter Vigil

next spring.

They have learned many of the basic

tenets and structure of the Catholic

Church, including embracing both Scrip-

ture and Tradition. This Tradition is con-

sistent with what the apostles taught

during those early years of the Church.

While the Bible holds much of what God

has revealed to us, Jesus taught his fol-

lowers many things that are not recorded

there, and showed them how to worship

and continue the faith. The classes on

Church History revealed how much of this

was finally written down and authenti-

cated by Church fathers and the applica-

tion of these early forms continue to be

used by the current Church leaders to

maintain consistent, true beliefs.

The First Transition: The Rite of Acceptance BY T H E RCIA MI N I ST RY T EAM

There is still time for new inquirers to

join this year’s inquiry sessions. The

regular schedule continues on Wednes-

day evenings at 7pm. in the Halpine

Room. A calendar of topics is available on

the Holy Family website, along with many

other useful items related to RCIA. For

those entering at these later times, we

have DVD recordings of the topics to en-

sure they are not left out of the presenta-

tions. These provide the lesson, but at-

tending the actual sessions brings a

much fuller understanding of each topic.

After the Rite of Acceptance, we begin

reserving several rows each Sunday at

the 10:00 Mass for these catechumens

and candidates so they get an opportu-

nity to clearly view the Mass, and are visi-

ble to the congregation who became their

church family. The folks filling those

pews are not the entire group, as many

attend other Masses. Be sure to welcome

them into our family and encourage them

in their studies.

MON SI GN OR GI ER T EA CH ES RCIA C LA SS T O A ROOM FULL OF IN QUI RERS.

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Catholic Charities gave away 14,000 coats last year!

The Cathedral’s annual Coats & Blankets Drive is our par-

ish’s way to participate in this corporal work of mercy.

The final date to bring items to the Cathedral is December

9. If you cannot bring a coat to Holy Family by Dec. 9, you

may drop it off at any Yale Cleaners before year’s end.

The parish youth group will take the coats and blankets to

Catholic Charities: time and date to be announced.

From the Diocese: It is the policy of the diocese to prohibit any weapon inside any building owned or occupied by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa, Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma, Bishop Kelley High School, or any parish within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa.

The Little Blue Books in the back of the church are free for you

to take. They contain a series of daily reflections for this year’s

Advent and Christmas seasons.

2013 Calendars: The parish will not be distributing calendars at

the end of the year. The previous sponsors for the calendar have

withdrawn.

Women’s Club: The Women's Club December luncheon is Thurs-

day, Dec. 6. It is a catered lunch at Holy Family Cathedral Heiring

Auditorium after the 12:05 Mass. Cost is $16 per person. You

may pay at door or send a check to Paulette Barnes. Reserva-

tions are needed.

The Knights of Columbus sponsor a pot luck dinner and the

showing of a full length Catholic or Christian movie on the first

Friday of the month. The pot luck dinner starts around 6:30 p.m.

and the movie begins around 7 p.m. The kitchen area is open

before the 5:05 p.m. Mass for anyone wishing to drop off their

dish before Mass.

The 55+ Group will meet at the Cathedral in the Halpine Room

for our Christmas Lunch at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December

12. Please bring a covered dish and small inexpensive un-

wrapped toy for Catholic Charities.

RCIA sessions are on Wednesdays at 7p.m. in the Halpine

Room. All those interested in the Catholic faith are invited, in-

cluding Catholics who have fallen away from the Church and

have questions or concerns. These classes are free and require

no obligation or commitment...Just come learn what it means to

be Catholic.

The Women’s Club announces that the price of the Cathedral

prints has been reduced in time for Christmas: $50.00 per print.

Some of the prints are signed by the artist. They also have note-

cards: $5.00 per package of six.

Parish News and Events Diocesan Notice

L A ST Y EA R, PA RI SH I ON ERS B ROUGH T B AG S OF C OA T S T O CA TH OLIC CH A RIT I ES.

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Holy Family Cathedral

P.O. Box 3204

Tulsa, OK 74101-3204

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