The Catholic Church of

St. Mary the Virgin

      Candlemas Day, or the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, is celebrated each year on the 2nd of February, exactly forty days after Christmas. The earliest account of the feast is described by a fourth century pilgrim from Spain named Egeria . She visited Jerusalem around the year 380 and wrote about this feast day in her diary, recording that a solemn and magnificent celebration of the Holy Sacrament was held at the Basilica of the Tomb of Christ. In 542, the Emperor Justinian ordered that it be observed at Constantinople as an act of thanksgiving for the ending of the plague in that city and from there it spread throughout the East. Candlemas was then called the Hypapante or 'Meeting', referring to the meeting of the infant Jesus with the aged Simeon and the holy widow Anna, daughter of Phanuel, in the Temple as described in the 2nd chapter of St. Luke's Gospel. The story of Simeon's recognition of the Lord continues the theme of manifestation that is seen at Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. Simeon foretold at that same time that Mary's Son would be a sign of contradiction and that a sword would pierce her own soul that out of many hearts thoughts would be revealed. (Luke, 2:34-35)
      In the Western church, the growing devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary led it to be regarded as a day in her honor rather as well as that of Christ, her Son; it was and still is called the "Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary" in commemoration of the days of her purification, forty days after the birth of her Son, as required by Jewish law (chapter 13 of the Book of Leviticus). The Blessed Virgin Mary, of course, preserved her virginity unimpaired before, during, and after the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. She did not come under the prescriptions of the Levitical Law, yet in a spirit of humility and obedience to do what was required of them, she and St. Joseph complied with the requirements of the law which also stated, "Consecrate to me every first-born among the Israelites ... It belongs to me." (Exodus 13:2) 
      The name Candlemas comes to us from England and refers to the custom of blessing and distributing candles in procession before the celebration of Holy Mass.  Pope Sergius I (687-701) established this procession for this feast, and it gradually took on a penitential character. Another development for Candlemas is the color of vestments. Today the priests wear white, but before 1960 the priest would wear black, and then later violet vestments for the Candle blessing and lighting procession. Pope Benedict XVI (then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) explains the reasoning for this in his Seek That Which is Above: Meditations Through the Year: 
      In Rome this candle-lit procession supplanted a rowdy, dissolute carnival, the so-called Amburbale, which had survived from paganism right into Christian times. The pagan procession had magical features: it was supposed to effect the purification of the city and the repelling of evil powers.... Thus, the element of encounter, again, was evident in this procession: the pagan world’s wild cry for purification, liberation, deliverance from dark powers, meets the “light to enlighten the Gentiles,” the mild and humble light of Jesus Christ. The failing (and yet still active) aeon of a foul, chaotic enslaved and enslaving world encounters the purifying power of the Christian message (pp. 26-27).
      On February 2, 1974, Pope St. Paul VI promulgated his Apostolic Exhortation, Marialis Cultus, regarding devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In paragraph eight of this document, he specifically makes reference to this feast day, "The Feast of February 2, which has been given back its ancient name, the Presentation of the Lord, should also be considered as a joint commemoration of the Son and of the Mother, if we are to appreciate its rich content."
      Candlemas falls on a Thursday this year, and we will have the Blessing of Candles at the Noon Mass on that day. Come and be a part of this beautiful celebration.

Faithfully, Your Friend and Pastor
Fr. Christopher C. Stainbrook
 

     That all may be one: as thou, Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. (John 17:21)
Known as the “Octave of Christian Unity” as well as the “Chair of the Octave of Christian Unity” the week which lasts from January 18th through January 25th has been virtually forgotten even while it is kept as a more informal “Week of Christian Unity” in the modern Church. Sadly, the aftermath of Vatican II has obscured the primary purpose of this Octave: to pray and work for the conversion of those outside of the True Faith (i.e., the Catholic Faith). What is this Octave, or week?
     In 1898 Rev. Lewis Thomas Wattson, a clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal Church, established the Society of the Atonement, an Episcopalian religious community whose purpose would be to bring the Franciscan life to the Anglican/Episcopalian Church. Working with Lurana Mary White, (who had established an Anglican Sisterhood which joined his community), both would convert to the Catholic Faith in 1909, after having preached the primacy of the Roman pontiff for several years. 
     In fact, the Vatican took at that time an unprecedented step to accept the members of their society as a corporate body, allowing the friars and sisters to remain in their way of life. Father Paul   Wattson, as he was then known, would continue to labor for the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement and for Christian Unity until his death on February 8, 1940. The same is true of Mother Lurana who would labor for this purpose until her death on April 15, 1935, at age 65. A legacy of their work is the establishment of the Octave of Christian Unity observed each January since first established by Father Wattson in 1908. Each day of the Octave has its own special intention:
18 January, The Feast of Saint Peter's Chair at Rome: The       union of all Christians in the one true faith and in the Church
19 January: The return of separated Eastern Christians to communion with the Holy See
20 January: The reconciliation of Anglicans with the Holy See
21 January: The reconciliation of European Protestants with the Holy See
22 January: That American Christians become one in union with the Chair of Peter
23 January: The restoration of lapsed Catholics to the sacramental life of the Church
24 January: That the Jewish people come into their inheritance in Jesus Christ
25 January: The Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul: The missionary extension of Christ's kingdom throughout the world
     In 1993, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity issued a “Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms for Ecumenism, and explicitly encouraged participation in the (now renamed) “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”. 
     In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI issued the Apostolic Constitution “Anglicanorum Coetibus” (or “Groups of Anglicans”) which established the Personal Ordinariates as a pastoral response to "repeated and persistent inquiries from Anglican groups worldwide who were seeking to become Catholic.” The Ordinariates (one in England and Wales, one in North America and one in Australia and the Pacific Rim), provide a way for these groups to enter in "corporate reunion"; that is, as a group and not simply as individuals, and allowing them to retain their English liturgical heritage and traditions. Father Wattson’s dream had been realized.
     Bishop Lopes often describes the Ordinariate as “Realized Ecumenism”, as the erection of the Ordinariates allows Father Wattson’s original venture of bringing his Community of the Atonement into the Catholic Church as a body, and his vision for other corporate bodies, (ie. Episcopal Parishes and groups) to be able to follow his example, into a reality.  
Our own parish comes from an Episcopalian beginning (St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church), as do the other two Ordinariate Communities located within the territorial Diocese of Fort Worth: St. Thomas Becket coming from St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, and St. John Vianney coming from the Episcopal; Church of the Holy Comforter in Cleburne. 
      Why not use this week as an opportunity to pray for our separated brethren outside of the Church, that indeed, one day “we all may be one”?

Faithfully, Your Friend and Pastor,
Fr. Christopher C. Stainbrook
 

   The beginning of the year is often a time for New Year’s resolutions, and it occurred to me that some of our parishioners and guests may want to make "Church resolutions" as well. Here, then are some “Ordinariate Etiquette” examples for us to review and implement. Each of these has been brought to my attention in one way or another, and I thought this January letter would be the most appropriate way to address all of them.
1. While the Catholic Church of St. Mary the Virgin does not have a “dress code” per se, we do feel that we should all be in our Sunday best for the Masses on Sunday, (it helps to imagine how you would dress if invited to a banquet given by a celebrity or high government official, and recall that the  Sunday Mass is a banquet far more important than any earthly one, and that Christ Himself is the host). We should also make every effort to be as neat and clean for the weekday Masses as possible. For example: unless one has a beard (or is growing one) men should always shave before approaching the altar at any time. One wouldn’t appear before a trial judge, or even a performance review board at work, without taking this basic step, and every time we approach the altar, we approach the One who will return to judge the world.
2. Communion is received on the tongue at our church and kneeling whenever possible. This practice shows the greatest reverence before God, and consideration for our fellow parishioners. The guide below on how to receive Communion can be very helpful.

3. It is very frustrating for our handicapped parishioners and guests to find all the reserved spaces occupied by cars without the special handicap decal or license plate. Parking can be a challenge for all, we know, but unless your car has a handicap decal or license, we ask you to please do not occupy these spaces.
4. We are excited for our new playground to be started, but until that time; parents, please do not let your children climb the trees next to the parish hall. Our horticultural experts here at the church tell us that it can be very damaging to the trees themselves, and, more importantly, we don’t want any of our little ones to be hurt by falling out of a tree and landing on the concrete! Please encourage your children to play in the grassy areas by the church itself (where we hope our playground will be)
5. Please accompany your children when they need to use the restroom. Since there are no bathrooms in the church itself, it is very prudent (and a part of our Child Safety Guidelines) that our children are not wandering alone in the parish hall and parking lot. 
   I am sure that there are other “Ordinariate Etiquette” practices we can follow (maybe I’ll write another bulletin article about them in six months’ time and entitle it something like “St. Mary the Virgin’s Summer Solicitudes") but for now, let us resolve to honor God when in His habitation here on earth, and practice these thoughtful courtesies for, and with, each other.

Faithfully, Your Friend and Pastor,
Fr. Christopher C. Stainbrook
 

    Like millions of other people around the world, both Catholic and non-Catholic, I have been deeply affected by the death of Pope emeritus, Benedict XVI, last Saturday. I was ordained during his pontificate, and, of course, he was the Pope who established the Ordinariate (first in 2009 for England and Wales, and then 2012 for the Americas and the South Pacific and Japan) All of us at our parish of the Catholic Church of St. Mary the Virgin have been impacted by his generous actions and loving heart. 
     
    If you have attended any of the weekday masses this past week, you saw that they were often “Requiems for a Deceased Pontiff”. These Requiem Masses will continue this week on days when there are no major solemnities to be celebrated. Last Thursday, January 5th, the scheduled date for the Papal Funeral, the churches in the Ordinariate also began a 9-day Novena for the soul of Pope Benedict. This 9-day period is called the the Novemdiales - nine days of "official" mourning by the Church beginning on the day of the Pontiff's funeral. They will be read after the Post Communion collect prayers at these masses. These Novena prayers are also available at the Ordinariate Webpage www.ordinariate.net  

   
     Today, as mandated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (the USCCB), we are commemorating the Feast of the Epiphany (one of the oldest liturgical celebrations in the Church calendar, predating even Christmas). The word “Epiphany" itself means manifestation orrevelation. In the Christian tradition, it is the story of the revelation of God's love in the child born in Bethlehem, the child who is both fully God and fully man. Epiphany (or Theophany, as it is known in the Eastern Rite Catholic Church, such as St, Basil’s in Irving), also known as Three Kings' Day, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God in His Son as human in Jesus Christ. This revelation is meant for all people, as symbolized by the arrival of the visitors from far away. We are all familiar with the three gifts of the Magi: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Catholic Church teaches that they are symbols of who Jesus is: the Gold acknowledges His royal dignity as the King of the Universe, Frankincense proclaims His Divinity and High Priesthood, and Myrrh is the foretaste of His redeeming death and burial.
Thus, Epiphany is the culmination of the Christmas season, not its ending. Recovering historical Epiphany tradition - such as baking a Kings' Cake, or marking a door lintel with blessed chalk, in the Magi's blessing (this year of 20+C+M+B+23) - can help all of us interpret the Christmas season most fully. 

     Today is also the perfect opportunity to say “Thank You” to all who worked so hard to make our Christmas Celebrations and the Epiphany Pageant (which we celebrated on Friday, January 6th, the traditional date of Epiphany). I am so grateful to our Altar Servers, Altar Guild, Choirs, Cleaners, Greeners, Decorators, Hospitality Coordinators, Ushers, and anyone whom I may have inadvertently left off this list. I wrote last week about how special this parish is, how we are more than a community, we are a family - and our pre-Christmas Preparations and our Christmas Celebrations have once again demonstrated how true this is.

With my every blessing for a Happy and Holy New Year of our Lord, 2023,


Faithfully, Your Friend and Pastor,

Fr. Christopher C. Stainbrook
 

    I am deeply moved by the generosity shown to me by our parishioners who presented me with such a munificent Christmas gift on Christmas Eve.  
The Parish of St. Mary the Virgin is a very special and loving community - indeed, more than a community - we're a family - and I am blessed and honored to be your priest. 
    May the Spirit of Christmas remain with all of us, not just during the 12 days of Christmas, but throughout the entire year. 
    I look forward to accomplishing great things with you for St Mary the Virgin this year of Our Lord 2023!  
Thank you very much for all you do for, and are to me, your most fortunate Pastor.

Faithfully, and affectionately,

Fr. Christopher C. Stainbrook 





                   Regular Schedule
Sunday, January 1, Mary the Holy Mother of God
8:00 a.m. Low Mass
10:30 a.m. High Mass
1:00 p.m. Low Mass with Hymns

Friday, January 6, Epiphany Pageant:
Epiphany Pageant followed by Knights of Columbus Celebration in the Parish Hall starting at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 8, Epiphany of the Lord Celebration
8:00 a.m. Low Mass
10:30 a.m. High Mass
1:00 p.m. Low Mass with Hymns

Parish Office closed : January 2nd