1. Art and Diseño

December 21/25, 2014
Fourth Sunday of Advent / The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH
6300 McKenna Drive, Mobile, Alabama 36608
Email: [email protected] ! Website: www.CorpusChristiParish.com
TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Parish Office:
342-1852 • Fax 342-6313
School Office:
342-5474, ext. 1 • Fax 380-0325
Rel. Ed. Office: 342-5474, ext. 7 • Fax 380-0325
Full-Day Care: 342-2424 • Fax 343-3119
Youth Ministry: 342-1852 • Fax 342-6313
PASTORAL STAFF
Very Rev. James F. Zoghby, V.F., Pastor
Rev. John S. Boudreaux, Associate Pastor
Deacon Arthur W. Robbins, Deacon
Sr. Donna Cooper, R.S.M., Visitation Chaplain
Mrs. Linda M. Hawkins, Pastoral Assistant
Mrs. Joan T. McMullen, School Principal
Mrs. Diane M. Stoyka, Parish Catechetical Leader
Mrs. Judi B. Ankiewicz, R.C.I.A. Coordinator
Mrs. Colleen DeVoe, Youth Ministry Co-Director
Mrs. Brenda Martens, Youth Ministry Co-Director
Mr. Matthew F. Purvis, Music Director
Mr. C. Russell Kirkpatrick, Gym Manager
TO REGISTER AS A MEMBER OF THE PARISH
Please fill out a Census Form. Census Forms are
available in the church vestibule and parish office.
COMMUNITY CENTER RENTALS & SERVICES
For rental information and kitchen services, please
call the parish office at 342-1852 or 342-1420.
SUNDAY MASSES
Vigil:
5:30 p.m. Saturday
Morning: 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.
WEEKDAY MASSES
6:30 a.m.: Monday through Friday
8:15 a.m.: Monday through Saturday
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Saturday: 5:00 p.m. and by request, particularly
after the 6:30 & 8:15 a.m. weekday Masses.
BAPTISM, MARRIAGE, ANOINTING OF SICK
Please call the parish office (342-1852) or information
and scheduling baptism, marriage, anointing of sick.
ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (R.C.I.A.)
Please see published schedule for specific dates and
times, or call the parish office (342-1852).
SUNDAY SCHOOL (C.C.D.) Grades K–12, Sundays
during school year, 10:05-10:55 a.m. in school bldgs.
SCHOOL, SACS-accredited for Grades 3K through 8.
For info & registration, please call the school office.
CHILD CARE CENTER, for 6-week to 2-yr. olds. For
info & registration, please call 342-2424.
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT / THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD (CHRISTMAS)
Christmas Mass
Schedule
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24
4:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
CORPUS CHRISTI SCHOOL
O p e n Ho u s e
Sunday, Jan. 11: From 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., representatives will
welcome visitors for tours of the school and campus.
Personal Tours at other times can be arranged by calling
the school office, 342-5474, ext. 1.
Christmas Day, Dec. 25
7:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
No 6:30 a.m. Mass on Wednesday, Dec. 24.
The Octave Day of the
Nativity of the Lord:
Mary, Holy Mother
of God
www.CorpusChristiParish.com/School
ADULT RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION (R.C.I.A.)
Presented by Fr. James F. Zoghby
Continuing education for Catholic and other
adults who would like to learn more about
and/or join the Catholic Church. Meetings are
in the Adult Ed. Room in the Community
Center, W ednesdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Holy Day Mass Schedule
Classes will resume Wednesday, Jan. 7.
Wed., Dec. 31: 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass
Thurs.., Jan. 1: 10:00 a.m. Mass
Wednesdays, Jan. 7-28: A series of 4 classes on LITURGY (the
prayer life of the Church) and MORALITY (living the Christian life).
LITURGY: The prayer life of the Church: The difference between
liturgy (Mass, Sacraments, Official Prayer [Liturgy of the Hours]) and
popular devotions (rosary, stations of the cross, novenas, etc.); a
historical overview of the development of both the liturgy and popular
devotions. Apparitions. Religious articles, aids to prayer and
contemplation.
Last Rites and the Sacrament of the Sick.
Communion in the hand or on the tongue? Changes in the Mass.
Holy water, making the sign of the cross, genuflecting. What’s
different about Confession today? Communal reconciliation services.
MORALITY: Living the Christian life. Making moral decisions.
Conscience & Church teaching.
Marriage Annulments.
Controversies. Information on moral issues in Catholic publications.
Spiritual growth of the Church and its members.
The Parish Office will be closed
Dec. 24, 25, 26 and Dec. 31 & Jan. 1.
Calendars for 2015
The 2015 church calendars are available in the vestibule.
Extend a personal invitation . . .
If you know someone who has left the Catholic Church or
someone who may want information or who may have
questions about the Catholic Church ... Extend a personal
invitation to them to call 342-1852 to speak with one of the
priests who will be more than happy to take time to answer
questions and provide information. Also extend a personal
invitation to them to come to one of the Masses, or to come
to our Adult Religious Education Classes. Or extend a
personal invitation to fellow Catholics to learn more about
their Catholic Faith in our continuing Adult Education
program, or to phone or make an appointment with one of
the priests to discuss any question, or request information.
Your personal invitation could make
all the difference in the world.
Starting Wednesday, Feb. 25: The overview series of 6
classes will run through April 1 including Introduction, Bible,
Church, Liturgy, Morality, Concluding Session.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Christmas Holidays / No Classes: Dec. 21 through Jan. 11.
Info: at [email protected] or 342-5474, ext. 7.
CORPUS CHRISTI SCHOOL
Classes resume Monday, Jan. 5.
Partners in Education – Recognition
This Sunday, Dec. 21
3rd Sunday 5:30 p.m. Mass
During the school year (Sept. to May), we have an extra Sunday
Mass the 3rd Sunday of each month. High School students serve.
Receive Emails from the Parish
Please send your email to [email protected].
Students & staff member recognized at the Nov. 11h School Mass for outstanding
performance in the prior month, and the businesses that recognized them:
Kinsey Pennington, 2nd Grade — Knights of Columbus
Colin Dalton, 5th Grade — Professional Estimating Services
Rachel Brooks, 7th Grade — Mobile Memorial Gardens
Angela Pitts, Teacher — Payne Environmental Services
To join the Partners in Education group, call School Principal
Joan McMullen, 342-5474, ext. 1, or Richard March, 401-0466.
CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH, MOBILE, ALABAMA
DECEMBER 21/25, 2014
A Christmas Baby Shower
Special Thanks to
for newborn babies to two-year olds
for 2B Choices for Women Crisis Pregnancy Center
Mobile’s Assistant Chief of Police Joseph Kennedy
and Lt. David Mercurio, MPD
Diapers of all sizes, especially sizes 3, 4 and 5, are needed. Also
needed: Items, such as baby wipes, shampoo, wash, powder, oil and
bottles. Please no food or formula. Thanks to all who have been
donating year-round at Corpus Christi. 2B greatly appreciates your
donations to help babies and women. Please place donations in the
designated box in the vestibule through all Sundays of January.
High School Youth
Sunday, Dec. 21: All high school students are invited to join the
Corpus Christi High School Youth Ministry for the 5:30 p.m. Mass,
followed by our annual potluck and $1 dirty Santa party. No dollar at
this meeting — just your $1 gift for the Dirty Santa.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Poor Box, Food, Clothing donations put in the designated places
in the vestibule are distributed by our St. Vincent de Paul Society.
“In-Need” Drop Box next to the food pantry box in the vestibule. Fill
out a card, and deposit it in the locked drop box. Your info will be held
in strict confidence and a member of our society will contact you.
Join the Society of St. Vincent de Paul by attending a meeting.
Meetings: 1st & 3rd Wed., 6:30 p.m., Com. Ctr. Conf. Rm. (2nd Flr.)
To obtain assistance, call 432-5173 and leave name & phone no.
Widowed Persons’ Support Group
For information call parishioner Glen Porter at 666-8977.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
Meeting: 2nd Tues., Jan. 13, at 7 p.m., at the Parish House.
Contact: Grand Knight, Cosmo Comiskey, 508-0547.
Attention: All
Altar Servers!
Scheduling Forms are
available in the vestibule.
Each server must select only ONE
Mass time. Servers will always be
able to substitute at any Mass time,
but they must select only one Mass
time to be scheduled for.
High School servers are asked to complete one of the Altar
Server scheduling forms in the vestibule.
Grade School servers’ parents are asked to complete the
Altar Server scheduling forms for their children.
Scheduling will begin in January!
Help keep YOUR CHURCH neat!
When leaving your pew after Mass, please take the song sheets,
bulletins, and other materials with you! This will be very helpful to
volunteers who tidy up the church after Mass. Thank You!
Corpus Christi is especially grateful to parishioners, Assistant
Chief Joe Kennedy and Lt. David Mercurio of the Mobile Police
Dept. for their generosity in providing security, gratis, during the
Christmas Eve Masses, patrolling Corpus Christi's parking lots.
Wednesday Night Dinner
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Banquet Hall
$9.00 for Adults ! $4.00 for Children (Age 12 & under)
Dec. 24-31: No Wednesday Night Dinners [Christmas Holidays).
Must RSVP no later than TUESDAY EVENING
Return an RSVP Card, or call 342-1852 or email
[email protected]
Men of St. Joseph
Tuesdays, 7 to 8 a.m. in the Family Room
Also Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m. in the Parish House
All men are welcome to meet for prayer, reading the Gospel, and discussion.
Info: Damian Bell, 639-2522 or 367-4486 or [email protected].
Wed Evening Info: Walter Bracewell, 599-1650 or [email protected]
Women of Mary
Wednesdays, 7 to 8 p.m.
Room 3 (2nd Floor of the Community Center)
All women are welcome to meet for prayer, reading the Gospel, and discussion.
Info: Sr. Deborah Kennedy, R.S.M., 753-4872.
Tuesday Women’s Bible Study
10:00 a.m. in the Adult Ed. Room
Introduction to the Bible, Overview of the New Testament
and a Study of the Gospel of John
Info: Judi Ankiewicz, 344-0321 or leave a message at parish office
Thursday Women’s Bible Study
SYMBOLON video series presenting the Catholic Faith.
Info: Joanne Donaghey at 251-554-6753 or [email protected] or
Penny Claiborne at 904-868-0063 or [email protected] or visit
www.symboloncatholic.org and www.lighthousecatholicmedia.com,
High School Confirmation Schedules
10th Graders (Class of 2017)
Jan. 31, 2015: 10 am-4:30 pm Visitation Monastery retreat. Lessons 2,3,4.
9th Graders (Class of 2018)
Feb. 8, 2015: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Spirit Day. Lessons 5 & 7.
Info: Email [email protected] or call 342-5474, ext. 7.
Please support the advertisers
on the back of the bulletin
Their ads enable us to have our bulletins printed at no cost to
the parish. Ads are purchased through Diocesan Publications.
For info contact them at 1-800-292-9111 or www.diocesan.com.
CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH, MOBILE, ALABAMA
Having problems with your toddler?
Want to learn how to manage
problematic behaviors?
Want to learn how to parent better?
Circle of Security
DECEMBER 21/25, 2014
Thank You and God Bless You
God bless all who tithe and contribute to support God's work here,
and those who make a special bequest in their will for Corpus Christi.
Tax-Saving Tip: A direct donation of appreciated shares of stock will
benefit not only the church but also the donor: The church receives
the shares, and the donor saves by not having to pay the capital gains
tax, and by being able to deduct the full amount of the value of the
stock to reduce his/her income tax. For info, or to transfer shares of
stock to Corpus Christi Church, contact your stockbroker, or call
Selena Hemphill at Morgan Stanley at 470-1084 or 800-624-7814.
Teaching Parents To Attend To The Child’s Needs
Offering Envelopes
FREE 8-Week Course
If you wish to use Offering Envelopes, just notify the
parish office (342-1852). An initial set will be sent to
you right away, and then, every two months, you will
receive a two-month’s supply of envelopes.
presented by
Madeleine Blancher, M.D.
Pediatrician
Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 14
6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
In The Parish House
Registration Required.
To register, call the parish office: 342-1852.
Class Size Limited.
AA — Alanon — OA — CODA
AA: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Cougar Den.
Alanon: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg.
OA: Sat., 9 a.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg.
CODA: Tues., 6:45 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg.
Online Giving
With Online Giving make a one-time contribution or
set up a recurring automatic withdrawal from a
checking or saving or credit card account: Use a
computer, tablet or smartphone to go to
www.CorpusChristiParish.com; click “Church”; then
click the green Online Giving icon on the side left of the church’s
homepage. Follow the instructions to contribute to the tithing or
building fund or special collections. For assistance, call 1-800-3482886, ext 4, or the parish office, 342-1852.
Welcome, New Parishioners
Bryant & Keri Jones and their sons, Brighton and Ian
Kirstie Skinner
BAPTIZED IN CHRIST
Aaron Anthony Harris
(son of Nicholas Adam Harris & Amber Michelle McCollough-Harris)
Flowers
The flowers before the altar this weekend
are placed in memory of
George A. Fadalla
Given by his family.
Flowers
The flowers before the pulpit this weekend
are placed in honor of
Andre Colletti’s 19th Birthday
Given by the Colletti family.
FIRST COLLECTION TODAY for tithing offerings.
SECOND COLLECTION TODAY for Christmas Flowers.
DEC. 8TH IMMACULATE CONCEPTION HOLY DAY: $1,409.26
RETIRED RELIGIOUS COLLECTION & ONLINE: $3,821.45
DEC. 14TH BUILDING FUND DONATIONS & ONLINE: $777.50
DEC. 14TH TITHING COLLECTION & ONLINE: $25,886.26
Merry Christmas!
The Christian Community of Corpus Christi Catholic Church
rejoices that we have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with
all who are gathered here. If you’re not a Catholic and would like
more information about the Catholic Church, please call 3421852 to speak with one of the priests. If you are a Catholic who
has been away from the Church because of past hurts or
difficulties, please call one of the priests (342-1852) to talk it
over. Returning to the Church and the sacraments of God’s love
may be far easier than you think.
We give thanks to God this Christmas for everyone at Corpus
Christi Parish and for the opportunity to serve you. We thank
God for all who materially and spiritually nourish the Body of
Christ here at Corpus Christi as we continue to grow as the Body
of Christ.
May God bless you, your loved ones and all the world with the
peace only God can give. Merry Christmas!
Gratefully in Christ,
Fr. James F. Zoghby Fr. John S. Boudreaux Dn. Arthur W. Robbins
1. God’s love for us is gratuitous, free. Sometimes
we are given the impression that God loves us because
we perform good deeds, because we live a good moral
life. The Scriptures tell us that such is not the case.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior
appeared, he saved us; not because of any righteous
deeds we had done, but because of his mercy.”
Titus 3:4-5
The Gift of Christmas
L~O~V~E
Dear Padre,
Can you give me a simple explanation of the
real meaning of Christmas?
Aimee
Dear Aimee
The feast of Christmas is a feast of love! It
commemorates the birth of Jesus: Emmanuel, God-withus, the Word of God made flesh. Its surpassing message
captures our hearts: See how much God loved us! “The
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,
and we have seen his glory: the glory of an only Son
coming from the Father, filled with enduring love” (Jn
1:14).
Nothing is more important for us to grasp than how
much God loves us. It makes all the difference in our
lives. The awareness of God’s love warms us when our
hearts are cold and dreary, strengthens us when we are
weak and wavering, holds us up when we feel like
falling down. We cannot be faithful disciples of Jesus
unless we recognize God’s love for us. When we do
recognize it, we can become saints!
The Qualities of God’s Love
When we speak of God and his love, we speak of
great mysteries. Even though we cannot understand
everything about God and his dealings with us, we CAN
understand some things.
2. God’s love for us is unconditional. Conditional
love is partial love. “I love you because you are smart
or beautiful or humorous.” The implication is that I
won’t love you if you somehow become dumb or ugly
or grumpy. It is not so with God. Not even sin can
make God stop loving you, although sin may stop you
from responding to God’s love. As someone put it:
“God says, I want to love you. That is all. I just want
to love you. If you choose to leave me, I will not stop
you. I will leave you free, but I will always love you.
There may be a time when you will put something
between our love for each other. There may be that
time in your life when you separate yourself from my
love, but never believe that you have lost my love.
You can refuse, but you can never lose my love.”
3. God’s love for us is everlasting. In a tender
analogy, easily appreciated by almost everyone, the
Scriptures compare God’s love for us to the love a
mother has for her child. “Can a mother forget her
infant, be without tenderness for the child of her
womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget
you (Is 49:15). St. Paul writes that neither death nor
life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the
present nor the future, nor powers, nor height nor
depth nor any other creature, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ
Jesus, our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
The way we think about God, the image we have
of him, is very important for our moral life. If we
think of God in a negative way, then our response to
him will be minimal and joyless. If we believe that
God’s love and goodness are dependent on our own
good actions, then we will easily doubt his love and
goodness. If, on the other hand, we really believe in
God’s free, unconditional, and everlasting love for us,
then we will be eager and willing to live a life of love
in response.
The Padre, Fr. Dan Lowery, C.SS.R.
Every Child
Asks For
Our Love
We draw near this night to
the child of Bethlehem to the
God who for our sake chose
to become a child. In every
child we see something of
the Child of Bethlehem.
Every child asks for our love. This night, then, let us
think especially of those children who are denied the
love of their parents. Let us think of those street
children who do not have the blessing of a family home,
of those children who are forced to become soldiers and
made instruments of violence, instead of messengers of
reconciliation and peace. Let us think of those children
who are victims of the industry of pornography and
every other appalling form of abuse, and thus are
traumatized in the depths of their soul. The Child of
Bethlehem summons us once again to do everything in
our power to put an end to the suffering of these
children; to do everything possible to make the light of
Bethlehem touch the heart of every man and woman.
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Francis:
Christmas is the encounter with Jesus.
God has always sought out his people, led them, looked
after them and promised to be always close to them.
The Book of Deuteronomy says that God walks with us
- he takes us by the hand like a father does with his
child. This is a beautiful thing. Christmas is God’s
meeting with his people.
Christmas speaks of tenderness and hope. When God
meets us he tells us two things. The first thing he says
is: have hope. God always opens doors, he never closes
them. He is the father who opens doors for us. The
second thing he says is: don’t be afraid of tenderness.
I will be God’s own Joy to the World
to all I meet this Christmas season.
I will be God’s own Joy to the World
to the family I love and live with.
I will be God’s own Joy to the World
to the strangers I meet this wondrous season.
I will be God’s own Joy to the World
to the church where I gather this blessed season.
I will be God’s own Joy to the World.
When Christians forget about hope and tenderness they
become a cold Church, that loses its sense of direction
and is held back by ideologies and worldly attitudes,
whereas God’s simplicity tells you: go forward, I am a
Father who caresses you. I become fearful when
Christians lose hope and the ability to embrace and
extend a loving caress to others. Maybe this is why I
often speak about children and the elderly, about the
most defenseless. Throughout my life as a priest, in
parishes, I have always sought to transmit this
tenderness, particularly to children and the elderly. It
does me good and it makes me think of the tenderness
God has towards us.
Back in 2000, in Bethlehem, Pope John Paul II said that
God became a child who was entirely dependent on the
care of a father and mother. This is why Christmas
gives us so much joy. We don’t feel alone anymore.
God has come down to be with us.
Blessed art thou, O Christmas Christ,
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
Christmas is a feast of joyful hope, for God has
become one with us in the person of his Son, true
God and true man. He showed his love for us by
becoming part of our world, with all its conflicts, its
suffering and its poverty. Jesus is truly “Emmanuel”:
“God among us.” Jesus is God with us. This is the
great gift which he brings: a divine love which heals
and transforms our hearts, overcoming all uncertainty
and pessimism. Our joyful contemplation of the
mystery of Christmas should make us realize that, as
God has become one of us, we too are called to
become like God: humble, close to others, especially
the poor, and ever attentive to their needs. This
Christmas, let us ask Mary, Mother of Jesus and our
Mother, to help us see in our neighbor the face of
Jesus, God made man. May we be in this world a ray
of that light which shone forth from Bethlehem,
bringing the joy and peace to the hearts of all men
and women.
The birth of Jesus brings us the good news that we
are loved immensely and individually by God – and
God not only helps us to know this love for each of
us, but also give communicates this love to us.
If Jesus has become one of us, then whatever we do
for our brother or sister, we do for him. Jesus
himself reminds us: he who has fed, welcomed,
visited, loved one of the smallest and poorest of
people, has done it for the Son of God.
that thy cradle was so low that shepherds,
poorest and simplest of earthly folk,
could yet kneel beside it,
and look level-eyed into the face of God.
A Prayer Used in Uganda, Africa
Today our Savior is born: let us rejoice!
Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life.
The fear of death has been swallowed up;
life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.
No one is shut out from this joy: all share the same
reason for rejoicing.
Our Lord, victor over sin and death,
finding no person free from sin,
came to free us all.
Let the saint rejoice, seeing the victory at hand.
Let the sinner be glad, receiving the offer of
forgiveness.
Let the pagan take courage, now summoned to life.
St. Pope Leo the Great
Let us seek to be like Christ,
because Christ became like us.
Let us seek to become gods through him since he
himself, through us, became a man.
He took the worst upon himself to make us a gift of the
best.
St. Gregory of Nazianzen
“By the mystery of this water and wine, may we
come to share in the divinity of Christ,
who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”