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Dear Friends in Christ,
Happy New Year! Advent is the beginning of the church’s new year which we schedule around the liturgy that gathers us week in and week out. Our new church year begins with a holy time of longing in watchful hope for the savior to come again, at Christmas time and the end of time. That requires of us a sense of waiting patiently for the Lord, which Bishop Robert Barron notes is “very hard for most of us. I suppose we human beings have always been in a hurry, but modern people especially seem to want what they want when they want it.”
But Advent invites us to practice patience, to wait in prayerful hope, and to join in the great men and women of our faith tradition, raising our eyes with vigilance for God’s salvation—and receiving in our hearts, the amazing grace of the incarnation. God is with us! God comes to save us! God loves us!
So, let’s be sure to generously sprinkle the holidays which have already begun with the sacred seasoning of Advent; lighting our wreathes; making more time for prayer; coming regularly to Mass; listening to the voice of the prophets; caring for the needs of the poor*, and longing for peace and goodwill to come upon the earth. Let all of that begin with you and me!
Blessings of Advent peace and hope to all!
Fr. William Heric, Pastor
*December 3-4 is CCS, Catholic Community Services weekend. Please give generously to this social outreach ministry in our archdiocese. Thank you!
