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November 27, 2020Sunday, November 29th at 5pm
Praise and Worship in the Churchyard
Great music, okay cheese, and cheap wine
Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary
Tuesday, December 8th
Holy Day of Obligation – Masses at 8am and 6pm
Monday, December 14th from 5:30 to 6:30pm
Advent Adoration and Confessions
It is the beginning of a new Church year as we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent. I love new beginnings, especially in this time of pandemic. Life is different and perhaps this Advent we can revert to a quieter, more reflective season that some of us new before Christmas got so commercialized. In recent years, December has not been my best mental health month. I mean, I love all the Christmas activities, but it’s gotten to be too much. One can get a little crazy trying to get it all done – from decorations to gift shopping, visitors to parties. The busyness of the Christmas season has become exhausting and has often left some of us a bit overwhelmed. The busyness can also snuff out the importance and the why for all that we are doing. Why are we eager to give gifts to those we love the most? Why are we taking an entire month to prepare to celebrate and open gifts? Sometimes the reason for the season gets lost in the midst of the busyness. So, as the virus spikes again, I’d encourage you to embrace a less social life this Advent in order to pause and remember Jesus. Be intentional about making this happen. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Build on Thursdays Feast: At the end of each day, take five minutes to place yourself in God’s presence and as you review the events of your day, thank the Lord for two specific moments of grace in your day. A kind word, an act of love, a little sacrifice you were willing to make, a beautiful sunset, a call from a friend, a good meal, etc.
2. The Eucharist is named for the Greek word for “thanksgiving” because it is the perfect act of giving thanks to God. In addition to Sunday Mass, make a commitment to partake in at least one other Eucharist during the week.
3. Sign up for our on-line Advent program, The Road to Bethlehem – designed to lead you into an encounter with Christ and his love this Advent. It can be found on FORMED, which is a great Catholic resource site that the parish subscribes to and is free to our parishioners. The site has some awesome daily reflections, videos, bible study, faith formation and more. To get started access the site, http://formed.org/signup, enter the parish code XGNF37, and enter your name and email. It’s that simple! Enjoy!
I am always grateful for those parishioners who make a special end of year contribution to the parish. I know that some in our faith community are struggling with the economic challenges of this pandemic, so we rely on those who do have the means to help our faith community get a little closer to a balanced budget. Thank you for your faithful stewardship!Congratulations to Cathy Anderson and Johnny Hosti who are this year’s recipients of the Bishop Gartland Award. Bishop Parkes will be bestowing the Awards next Saturday during a special Mass at the Cathedral. I’ll have more on the Gartland Awards in my Tuesday notes.
Bringing the Gospel Home: Prayerfully read -- Mark 13:33-37
As vigilant gatekeepers watching for the Lord of the house, what signs do you observe that tell you God is present in the world today and in your life?