Dear Parishioners:
The Holy Season of Advent begins this week with our celebration of the First Sunday of Advent and the Blessing of the Advent Wreath. Advent has a dual focus on Jesus’s coming, both in his first coming among us as a man and his coming at the end of time.
This twofold approach to the season allows Advent to teach us about God’s presence among us. In Advent, we learn that God is the basis of hope, and that such hope is the basis for increasing our love of this life. During this Jubilee Year of Hope, we are called to be a people of hope.
So often we reduce hope to wishful thinking: “I hope I win the lottery” or “I hope the Patriots go to the Super Bowl.” This type of reduction of hope has removed the virtue’s central character. Hope without a guarantee is just wishful thinking.
Hope needs some guarantee if it is to be truly hope. If eternity is present already in Christ, then hope finds its guarantee in him. We have hope because we already see the effects of Jesus in our lives and in the life of the Church. Hope gives us the ability to see Christ in all, to encounter him in prayer and the sacraments, and in the Scriptures.
All this gives our lives an enduring character. Christian hope says life is not fleeting but enduring because it is united to Jesus’s own life. Advent is the training ground of hope — of recognizing God’s presence as saving — in the face of whatever is fleeting and passing.
Advent is the season of hope. Pope Benedict XVI said: “Advent is par excellence the season of hope in which believers in Christ are invited to remain in watchful and active waiting, nourished by prayer and by the effective commitment to love. May the approaching Nativity of Christ fill the hearts of all Christians with joy, serenity, and peace!”
If we are to be the people of hope that Advent calls us to be, we must commit to practical and spiritual Advent preparation. First, begin with more personal prayer time. Take up some spiritual reading and reflection. Advent reading materials are available in the vestibule to assist with this.
Secondly, seek Christ in the Sacraments, especially Mass and Confession. Faithfully attend Sunday Mass during Advent, pray with the Sunday Gospels, consider coming to Daily Mass, and make a good Confession.
Finally, strive to be more charitable during Advent. In a world that reduces the birth of the Son of God to crass commercialism, consumerism, and materialism, take the time to remember Christ in the poor and needy. Be generous toward a good Catholic Charity, visit a relative, friend, or neighbor who is lonely or sick, send a card or note to the neglected out-of-state friend or relative, and be more patient and kind with your words and deeds.
Such Advent preparation is truly a sign of hope and prepares us for the coming of Christ. While the world around us goes crazy for the secular celebration of Christmas, let’s strive to be a people of Advent.
As Saint Padre Pio says, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”
Hopefully, the new hymnals are in the pews this weekend, as they were scheduled to arrive on time! The old Worship Hymnals are over 12 years old, the bindings are loosening, and the selection of hymns is not very good. We have purchased 600 St. Michael Hymnals for a cost of $11,000. The Worship Hymnals cost $12,000 when purchased 12 years ago!
Our Music Director, Mr. Henri St. Louis, recommended the St. Michael Hymnal as it is used at the Our Lady of Providence Seminary, where he also directs the music. This is the latest edition and includes a wide selection of traditional and well-known hymns.
The new hymnal does not include the readings, so more missalettes are available in the pews. The old hymnals will be donated to a church or institution that needs them. So open up the hymnal and sing with gusto! As St. Augustine said: “When we sing, we pray twice!”
We congratulate and thank our 14 new OLM Altar Servers who begin their service this week! A Blessed Advent! Prepare the Way of the Lord! Be well. Do Good. God Bless. Go Pats!