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December 10, 2021Advent Reflection and Reconciliation
Sunday | December 12th | 5:00pm
Holy Hour in Church
A very basic Catholic practice during Advent is to confess our sins and seek out God’s great mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There will be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from 5:00 to 6:00 on Sunday during which Deacon Bob Larcher will offer an Advent Reflection. Since Advent as a spiritual season often gets lost in the midst of a busy and secular culture, I encourage you to be a person who is serious about your faith and focus on Christ for this one hour during which Fr. John Lyons and I will be hearing Confessions. If it has been a while since you’ve confessed your sins, you only need to be able to “name” your sins and Fr. John or I will be happy to lead you through the details of celebrating the Sacrament.
Reflect: The Diocesan Listening Session
Monday | December 13th | 7:00pm
St. James Parish in Savannah
In the month of December, I look forward to the five Listening Sessions still to take place. During this time of ‘Reflect’-ion, it has been a wonderful experience to hear about your love for our Catholic faith. I am energized by your desire to ‘walk together’ as we dream about the future, and I am grateful for the sharing that has taken place.
-- Bishop Stephen Parkes | December 2021
The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday. This is the Sunday that we wear pink vestments and light the pink candle on the Advent wreath as a sign of our joy. Gaudete is the Latin word for "let us rejoice." These words are found in the Entrance Antiphon for this day, which are taken from Philippians 4:4,5: "Gaudete in Domino semper" ("Let us rejoice in the Lord always").
Blessed Julian of Norwich once wrote: The greatest joy we can give Almighty God, is to live life joyfully. The late Fr. Bernard Haring, one of the great Vatican II theologians once said: "The spirit of joy is an infallible sign that one is a Christian." The worst advertisement for Christianity is a gloomy pessimistic face. The philosopher, Nietzche, once said: If you Christians want me to believe in your redeemer, you will have to look more redeemed."
And admittedly at times, I don’t allow my inner joy to bubble up to the surface. My childhood nickname was “Happy.” When Sister Ann Williams, my eighth-grade teacher, heard the other students calling me Happy she said to me, "If you are Happy, you ought to notify your face."
Gaudete Sunday is a great day to start handing out our parish Christmas gift. Chris Stefanick’s Living Joy: 9 Rules to Help You Rediscover and Live Joy Every Day equips you with the wisdom you need to experience joy to the fullest. Please take a copy home. In this book you’ll learn why:
- Gratitude is the first key to unlocking deep joy
- Silence creates space in your life for happiness
- Rest, friendship, and fun are integral to joyful living
On the Way Home: On this Gaudete Sunday what about your Catholic faith gives you joy? How do you experience that the Lord is near?
