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December 2, 2022Penance and Pizza
Monday, December 5th beginning at 5pm
Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary
Thursday, December 8th -- Holy Day of Obligation
Vigil Mass at 6pm on Wednesday and at 8am on Thursday
Advent is a great time to prepare ourselves to welcome Christ by making sure that there is nothing in our life which pushes him away from us or leads us away from him. And there is no better way to prepare the way of the Lord and to ensure that we are welcoming him
each day into our lives than to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession.
When we confess our sins, we let them go and, by acknowledging them, we allow God to give us that particular grace and strength which we need to overcome our weaknesses and faults. I know for some it is difficult to confess. Maybe it has been a long time, or we forget how to celebrate the Sacrament correctly. Maybe we are embarrassed by our sins, or afraid to admit we have done wrong, or maybe we do not even know where to start. Well, have no fear! The priest is always there to help you and the power of God can overcome every sin.
God does not want to condemn us, but to forgive and heal us. Christ has given us this Sacrament for this very reason. This Monday, we will have a communal Penance Service from 5:00pm to 6:15pm. There will be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during this time but not a formal prayer service. A couple of extra priests will be on hand so there shouldn’t be a long wait. Afterwards there will be Pizza in the gym and hopefully a visit from good Saint Nick. Folks are usually pretty good about celebrating the Sacrament during Advent and Lent. I’m hoping for a good turnout.
This Thursday, December 8th, is a Holy Day of Obligation. It is the Feast Day of our National Patron, Mary Immaculate. It is always a Holy Day because America is under the protection of Mary. And yes, it is still a serious sin to miss Mass on a Holy Day or Sunday without a grave reason. Vigil Mass is at 6pm on Wednesday and on Thursday Morning at 8am.
-- Fr. JerryDecember 4, 2022
Second Sunday of Advent
Is 11:1-10 | Rom 15:4-9 | Mt 3:1-12
GROW AS A DISCIPLE | PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE
GROW: Harmony. It can seem so elusive in these times when our newsfeeds bombard us with reminders of what’s wrong with our world: War, political conflicts, hunger, injustice, violence. We may also experience discord in our homes or within our hearts. Perhaps that is why the beautiful imagery in Isaiah’s prophecy, where Isaiah envisions a world transformed by the coming of the Messiah, strikes a chord as we prepare for Christ’s coming: We picture the wolf lying beside the lamb, and the calf with the lion. All will be right with the world. As we reflect on the areas in our lives that lack harmony, we are reminded to focus on Jesus and the Father, the source of all good. Through prayer and reflection on our Advent readings, we can “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”
GO EVANGELIZE | PRAYER, INVITATION, WITNESS, ACCOMPANIMENT
GO: I have a “smart” alarm clock. To shut it off, I just have to say, “Alexa, turn off my alarm.” Easy, right? Well, too easy, it turns out, because lately I’ve slept right through the one-sided conversation. But it’s hard to miss John’s wake-up call: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Perhaps, though, we’ve become complacent; we’ve heard it so often that we skip right past it. That can happen during Advent, this season of preparation and, yes, repentance. I love our family traditions – candy every day, in the morning!; our well-worn Nativity set; lighting the Advent candles; Christmas concerts and gatherings. None of those are bad, of course, but in the blur of the season we must be challenged by John the Baptist’s words to prepare not only our homes but our hearts for Christ’s coming. During this season, we can examine our lives to separate the wheat from the chaff, focusing on those things that bring us closer to the Lord and one another. As St. Paul encourages the Romans, “Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
PRAY: St. Paul’s words above give us pretty clear instruction for how to live out our faith by welcoming others as Christ has welcomed us. Reflect on these words during daily Advent reflection this week: When have we welcomed others in our lives – and truly loved them? How can we do that for someone in the coming days?
