December 18, 2016 - Fourth Sunday of Advent

Rev. M. Keith LaBove, Pastor Parish Website: www.stpat.org

stpat.org@gmail.com

Office Hours

Monday – Thursday: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm; Friday 8:30 am – 12 noon Celebration of the Eucharist

Saturday: 4:00 pm – Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 am Monday through Friday: 7:30 am

Holydays of Obligation: 7:30 am only Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday: 3:00 – 3:30 pm and Weekdays: 7:00-7:25 am (and by appointment)

Baptisms

Seminars are held every other month - register

by calling the office. At-tendance is suggested

during pregnancy.

Anointing of the Sick The Church recom-

mends this sacrament for those who are grave-

ly ill or in danger of death. Call the priest to

arrange a visit.

Weddings

Arrangements must be made at least six

months in advance to allow time for prepara-

tion and planning.

406 East Pinhook Road Lafayette, LA 70501-8727

Phone: (337) 237-0988

Welcome to St. Patrick Church

Fourth Sunday of Advent December 18, 2016

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Saturday, December 17--Vigil of the Fourth Sunday of Advent 4:00 PM: Cecil & Eva Mae Hebert; Dr. & Mrs. Leonard Rolfes; Bernice Bower; Jerry Virgadamo Sunday, December 18--Fourth Sunday of Ad-vent 8:30 AM: Robert Chastant & Evelyn; Eddie Upton; Lionel Pitre; Cecile Pitre; Rita Keller; Phil Simon; Bud & Euna Arceneaux 10:00 AM: Parishioners of St. Patrick’s Monday, December 19--Late Advent Week-day 7:30 AM: Rufus & Scott Mouisset Tuesday, December 20--Late Advent Week-day 7:30 AM: Special Intention

Wednesday, December 21--Late Advent Weekday 7:30 AM: Dr. Tommy Comeaux & Dorinne; Col. Clark Comeaux & Catherine (living); Col. Kimberly Fedele (living) Thursday, December 22--Late Advent Weekday 7:30 AM: Esther Metz Friday, December 23-- Late Advent Weekday 7:30 AM: Dr. Charles Stewart

They shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”

— Matthew 1:23

Non-Liturgical Devotions Daily Rosary: Monday - Thursday 6:55 a.m. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena: Tues-day 7:15 a.m. Rosary for Priests: Wednesday 7:00 a.m. Chaplet of Divine Mercy: Thursday 7:15 a.m. Pro-Life Rosary: 1st Friday of the month 7 a.m. Shamrocks—Friday, December 23: No clean-ing this week. We appreciate every volunteer who participate in this Ministry throughout the year!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Lord our God, by your gift the Virgin Mary welcomed and carried within herself the Word made flesh. Grant that we also may be bearers of Christ, and await with patience the revelation of his all-powerful love. Hear us, God, blessed for ever and ever. Amen. —Proclaiming All Your Wonders

The Christmas Readings A glance at the missalette will make clear that there are 4 different sets of readings for Christmas Masses, intended for different times. This would be great if one went to all four of the Masses -- one would hear the entire story, including the rather different Gospel from the beginning of John's Gospel. So why do we do the readings for Mass during the Night at all our Masses? Because no one goes to all four, and most people want to hear about the child and the inn and the swaddling clothes and the manger, whether they go to Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. You can always grab your bible and read "the rest of the story". Christmas Poinsettias Please call the office at 237-0988 as soon as possible if you would like to donate Christmas Poinsettias in memory of a loved one. Names must be in for next Wednesday!

Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24: 4 & 6 p.m.

Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec. 25: 8:30 & 10 a.m. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

New Year’s Eve, Saturday, Dec. 31: 4:00 p.m.

New Year’s Day, Sunday, January 1: 8:30 & 10a.m. Come, Lord Jesus! We have an active group that meets on Tuesdays, at 6 pm, in the classroom directly behind the Church (across from the restrooms). Anyone interested who missed the previous meetings is welcome to attend, even if you are not sure about continuing. Resources for the program are available for purchase at the Come, Lord Jesus! office at 1804 West University Ave, Lafayette. Call: 337-233-6277 Remember Me Support Group—December 19 - 6:30 pm This is a faith-based support group for care-givers, family and friends of individuals who are coping with dementia/Alzheimer’s. The group meets at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, Lafayette. For fur ther details contact the par-ish office at 337-234-1483 Runnin’ Revs vs. Slamin’ Sems Basketball Game Come cheer on your favorite team when the Lafayette Dioc-esan Priests battle the Diocese Seminarians on Monday, December 19, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the Cathedral-Carmel Gym, 848 St. John Street, Lafayette, for their 11th annual basketball game. Sponsored this year by the Lafayette Knights of Columbus Council 1286, this always popular, fun-filled, family event helps promote and support priestly and religious vocations. Admission is $5 per adult and $1 for those under 18. Concessions will be available. Put it in your calendar today. Food for the Journey Due to the early date of the first Tuesday of January 2017, the January session of “Food for the Journey” will not be held. Our February session of “Food for the Journey” is scheduled for Tuesday, February 7, 2017. Information on the February session will be forthcoming. Thank you for your understanding!

Healing Hearts “Healing Hearts” is a Support Group for women whose re-lationships have been affected by pornography or sexual addiction of a loved one. Meetings are held in the evening during the week for 1 hour and 30 minutes, in Lafayette. This is a highly confidential group. Confidentiality state-ment must be signed by all members before the place and time of meeting will be disclosed. Please call 337-404-6113 Voicemail and the group facilitator will return your call as soon as possible.

Christmas Project Heifer International Go Hog-Wild This Holiday Season!

Give the most unusual gift anyone has ever given them… A Pig in Their Stocking! Because each pig has so many piglets, the impact of your gift will quickly grow with each new generation an each additional family who receives its offspring. Pigs.….$120.00 each; buy a share of a pig.….$10.00 Donation sheets are available under the stairwell. Make checks payable to St. Patrick Church. All donations will be sent to Heifer International at the beginning of the year. Heifer International meets the BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards for Charity Accountability. For additional information please visit their website: http//www.heifer.org/ Annual Christmas Social - Thank You We would like to thank Geneva Phillips and Maggie Sonnier, Chair Persons for this year’s Christmas So-cial, and all the volunteers who came in Saturday morning to set up and decorate the Parish Hall and transformed it into a beautiful Christmas Dining area. The food was delicious as always and all in attendance had a good time visiting. We are grateful for your presence at this joyful event! Choir Director Position St. Mary Mother of the Church, 419 Doucet Road, Lafayette has a position opening up for Choir Director. The Adult Choir rehearses once per week, sings at the 11:00 am Sunday Mass and all special Liturgical events during the year. For more information or to ap-ply, please contact Deborah Duhon, parish organist at 981-3379 ext. 250 Integrity of Heart Men struggling with sexual compulsivity and/or an addiction to pornography now have a confidential sup-port group right here in Lafayette. Weekly meetings are held for an hour and fifteen minutes. STRICT CONFIDENTIALITY is observed by all members and a Confidentiality Statement is signed by each member after an initial meeting with the facilitator. Call and leave a confidential message at 337-944-9860 and the group facilitator will return your call and give you more information. STEWARDSHIP OF THE PAST WEEK Our Response to God’s Generosity to Us Offertory………………………… $ 4,417.71 Imm. Conception (Needy)…… ….$ 833.74 Heifer International……………….$ 1,300.00 (to date) Thank You! The second collection this weekend is for the Retire-ment Fund for Religious

Date

Saturday, December 24 4:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 25 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, December 25 10:00 a.m.

Lectors Brenda DeMette—Robin Roy Ken Phillips Robert Andrus

Eucharistic Ministers

Jerry Boudreaux—-Peggy Spruill Dee Boudreaux—Susan Cain Janell Venable—Candis Thompson

Geneva Phillips Suzanne Lavergne Maggie Sonnier

Kay Hampton Ted Hampton Monica Mullins

Altar Servers Harold Guilbeau—George Eaton Harry DeMette

Fred Vallot Debra Carroll

Ushers George Guidry—Oren Spruill Kathy Kalweit—Joyce Stelly

Rachelle Trahan Keith Toups

Ben Berthelot Lionel Jeanmard

Liturgical Roles for Christmas

Readings for the Week

Monday Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25

Tuesday Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-4ab, 5-6; Lk 1:26-38

Wednesday Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45

Thursday 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Lk 1:46-56

Friday Mal 3:1-4, 23-34; Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-10, 14; Lk 1:57-66

Saturday 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Lk 1:67-79

Sunday Night: Is 9:1-6; Ps 96:1-3, 11-13; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14

From the Pastor’s Desk

Finally. That is always the word that comes to mind when we reach the 4th Sunday of Advent. It took us three weeks, but, finally!, we hear about the woman who is pregnant with the Child to be born. Maybe that’s part of the anticipation of Advent — waiting to hear the beginnings of the Christmas story, waiting to hear the begin-nings of the story of the Incarnation.

This weekend we find Joseph at the heart of Matthew’s account, as he makes a life-altering decision for himself and his betrothed. Learning that his fiance is with child, he determines to “divorce her quietly”. This is a huge decision for Mary, since to strictly follow the law would have meant that Mary would have been stoned to death. Following the counsel of an angel who spoke to him in a dream, he does neither, but instead, “took his wife into his home”.

What if we, during this last week of Advent, tried to follow his example, and take Mary into our home. What if we were to walk with Mary during this last week of her pregnancy, as she approaches the day of giving birth to the Savior of the world. Suppose we allow into our hearts this woman who herself trusted in the message of an angel, living as a handmaid of the Lord.

There is great promise here. If we are going to truly welcome Mary into our hearts and home, it will be necessary to be attentive to her wishes. In hospitality, we will need to set aside our own agenda, and attend first and foremost to her needs. We will need to share in the joy and anticipation of the impending birth, even as we help her up out of the chair, and rub her swollen feet in the evening. We will need to mold our lives around the life of one does not her own will, but the will of God.

Taking Mary into our home will mean striving to be as open to God’s will for us as she was to His will for her. What an opportunity it would be to accompany one who announced to the angel, “Let it be done unto me as you say”. What better teacher might we hope to find, who can teach us about walking in the ways of the Lord?

St. Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Jesuits) wrote a prayer that might help us enter into this last week of Advent, and help us to take Mary into our hearts and home. It is called “The Suscipe”:

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my entire will, all I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace. That is enough for me.”