OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP CHURCH

ELLICOTT CITY, MARYLAND

www.olphparish.org

A DVENT & CHRISTMAS 2014

he season of Advent is Gods gift to

us, a special time to prepare our
hearts for the coming of Christ. His
coming, as the saints
remind us, is three- fold:
His first coming in
history, when He was
born in Bethlehem, His
coming to us each day
through grace and the
Sacraments, and His
coming again at the end
of time. Advent prepares
us for each of these: to
celebrate with joy His
humble birth in the
stable, to open our hearts to receive Him now
in the Sacraments, and to make us ready for
when we will stand before Him at the end of
Prepare Your Heart to Receive the Lord at
Christmas

Receive Gods Mercy in the

Sacrament of Reconciliation
We need the Lords mercy! Dont miss out on these
opportunities t o b e f o r g i v e n and experience the
greatness of Gods love for you:
Regular Weekly Confessions
- F r i d a y s 4 : 3 0 - 6 : 0 0 p m a n d Saturdays 3:004:15pm
Howard County Regional Advent Penance Services
- Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at 7:00pm at the
Church of the Resurrection in Ellicott City
- Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 7:00pm at St.
John the Evangelist in Columbia (Wilde Lake
Center)
A large number of priests will be available at both
services! You can find a helpful guide to Confession on
our
parish
website
at
www.olphparish.org/sacraments.

our lives. May this season of grace help you

to prepare in very practical ways for each of
these three comings of Christ. Without
preparation to open
our hearts, the power
of these events will
never be unleashed
in
our
lives.
Christmas will come
and go, but we will
remain unchanged as
Gods love passes by
unanswered.
This
Advent may we each
receive the grace to
prepare well and be
ready to open our hearts wide to Christ and
the power of His love to change us, bring us
joy, and make us new.
Daily Mass
Join us Monday thru Saturday at 8:15am for daily
Mass (and Thursdays at 9:30am for our School Mass)
to enter more deeply into the season by reflecting on
the Scripture readings that foretell the coming of
Christ, and then receive Him in the Eucharist. This is
a great way to build-in time with the Lord during the
busyness of December.

Spend Quiet Time with Jesus during

Eucharistic Adoration
Every Friday from 9:00am until Saturday
at 8:00am we have the opportunity to
pray before Jesus truly present in the
Blessed Sacrament during Eucharistic
Adoration. With faith in His words
This is my Body, we come before Him
and enter His presence. In the midst of the
holiday rush, stop into the church, slow
down, and spend some quiet time with
Jesus as He invites you to open your heart
to Him and speak with Him in prayer or
simply enjoy resting in His presence.

St. Vincent de Paul

Christmas Giving Tree Program

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Monday, December 8

Two Giving Trees will be setup in the church narthex

with hundreds of gift tags waiting to be taken on the
weekend of Nov. 29/30. Please help make a joyful
Christmas for the needy children in our area. This year
your gifts will bring joy to children at St. Wenceslaus
in East Baltimore, St. Veronicas in South Baltimore,
Sarahs Hope shelter for mothers and children, and
Grassroots here in Howard County. Please follow the
instructions found on the printed flyer (and our
website) and return your gifts to the c h u r c h n o
later than the 11:00am Mass on Sunday, Dec. 14!

A Holy Day of Obligation

Three Masses will be celebrated:
Monday, December 8: 6:30am, 9:30am & 7:00pm
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is
celebrated each year on December 8 and is a holy day
of obligation. This beautiful feast celebrates one of
Gods greatest works: the conception of Mary without
sin in the womb of her mother, St. Ann. In preserving
Mary from the stain of sin, the Lord prepared her for
the special role she would have as the mother of Christ
our Savior. This feast is a wonderful prelude to our
Christmas celebrations.

Eucharistic Holy Hour

Festival of Praise
Friday, December 5 a t 7:30 pm

Join us for a great night this Advent as we welcome Dr.

John Bergsma to OLPH as he presents "Bible Basics for
Catholics"! Dr. Bergsma is two-time teacher of the year
at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and comes
with a fresh, fun, and authentically Catholic introduction
to the "big picture" of salvation history. This overview
of the Bible is based on Bergsma's wildly popular
introduction to theology course at Franciscan University,
where he is a colleague of Scott Hahn.

When we praise God we can experience joy, peace, love,

healing, forgiveness, and freedom through His Grace.
No matter where you are ion your conversion journey,
Jesus will meet you there. Invite Him into your heart
and your life.
He longs to be with you just as you are!
Scripture readings, music and reflection will gently and
beautifully help guide you in praise and prayer in the
presence of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.

Greccio Living Nativity

at the Shrine of St. Anthony
December 6 and 7 at 7:30pm
Join the Franciscan Friars at the Shrine of St. Anthony
for the Greccio Living Nativity to celebrate the
coming of the Christmas Season. The nativity scene
is a deep tradition within the Franciscan order dating
back to when St. Francis popularized the Nativity
Scene in a town called Greccio. Our Living Nativity
is located at the hay barn and features
carols,
adoration, and refreshments. There is no charge for
this event. For more info call (410) 531-2800.

Blessing and Lighting of the

Parish Christmas Tree

Sunday, December 14 following 5:00pm Mass

OLPH Annual Breakfast with

Santa Sunday, December 7 from
8:00am-12:00pm
Join us for a delicious breakfast buffet, the S e c r e t
Santa Shop, kids crafts, raffle trees and photos with
Santa til 11:00am. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for
children ages 3-12, $7 for seniors, and FREE for
children under 3. Visit olphschool.org for more info!

Bible Basics for Catholics

Wednesday, December 10 at 7:30pm

Join us outside the Church f o l l o w i n g t h e 5 : 0 0 p m

M a s s . The Christmas tree has a beautiful history in
our celebration of the Birth of Jesus. Take a break
from the hectic running around, join us and keep the
true meaning of the Christmas tree alive! All are
welcome!

Christmas Parish Family Dinner Night

Friday, January 2 from 5pm-8pm
Mark your calendars for our next OLPH Family
Dinner Night as we continue our Christmas
celebrations. Our kitchen crew has a wonderful meal
planned so take time to relax with family and friends
and join us for a great night. Dont let Christmas end
too early join us for our Christmas Parish Family
Dinner Night! RSVP at www.olphparish.org/dinner

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS
MASS SCHEDULE

Christmas Eve Masses

Wednesday, December 24, 2014
4:00pm - Church
4:00pm - Parish Center
6:00pm - Church
8:00pm - Church (Traditional Choir)
12:00am Midnight - Church

A musical prelude will begin 20 minutes before each

Christmas Eve Mass.
The Childrens Christmas Program will begin at 3:30pm in the Church

Christmas Day Masses

Thursday, December 25, 2014

9:00am - Church (Organ and Cantor)

New Years
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

A Holy Day of Obligation

New Years Eve
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
5:00pm Vigil Mass for the Solemnity
8:00pm to Midnight Eucharistic Adoration
12:00 am Midnight Mass
Start the New Year in a different way! Join us for Eucharistic
Adoration on New Years Eve followed by Candlelight Mass at
Midnight for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Stay
afterwards as we toast the New Year!

New Years Day

Thursday, January 1, 2015
9:00am Mass for the Solemnity