Dear Friends in Christ,

Happy New Year! Today, we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. And with that, we begin a new Church year. This year, we will be reading from the gospel of Matthew. As we listen today to all of the readings chosen for us on this First Sunday of Advent, you might notice right away, there is no mention of Christmas. That is because the season of Advent, is two-fold in character. While it is absolutely a time for the faithful to prepare to remember and celebrate Christ’s first coming to us at Christmas, it is also a time for us to prepare ourselves for the glorious Second Coming of Christ at the end of time. So before we get to Christmas, we have a little work to do!

I always like to think of Advent as a mini retreat. Of course, the Second Coming of Christ is part of the great mystery of our faith. We mention and celebrate this mystery each and every Sunday. But Advent gives us a particular reason to pause and meditate on this mystery a little more than we might ordinarily do. The readings this Sunday, reflect this reality and mystery. In addition to this apocalyptic theme in the readings, we will hear once again about John the Baptist, the Blessed Mother and this year because of the gospel of Matthew, Saint Joseph. It is my hope and prayer for all of us, that we enter into this holy season with enthusiasm, excitement, anticipation, and great hope.

Tonight, we will have our parish Advent Reconciliation service. Please come. There will be eight priests here to hear confessions. As I have mentioned at mass, all of these men are wonderful priests. They will not yell at you if you have been away from the sacrament for years. They will welcome you back! The service begins at 4 pm. I will look forward to seeing you tonight.

We have a number of activities coming up during this season. The Christmas home tour, the young adult Christmas party, and the special choir presentation, just to name a few. Please check The Window for all dates, times and other information regarding these activities.

It is my hope and prayer that the Lord Jesus will find us ready with hearts opened in welcome as we enter into this special season of the year.

Sincerely in Christ,
FJ

Advent Reconciliation Service
Examination of Conscience: (In Silence)

• Are you a person who always needs to be right, even at the expense of relationships?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Are you a person who can gossip about others?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Are you a person who doesn’t make enough time in your life for prayer and reflection?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Are you a person who can let the busyness of life get in the way of attending mass regularly?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Are you a person who finds it difficult to identify sin in your life?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Are you a person who spends more time thinking about yourself and your own needs than others?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Do you struggle believing that God really loves you?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Do you have a short fuse and anger easily?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Are you a peacable person or do you use language that might foster division?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Do you want and desire a deeper faith in the Eucharist?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Do you need more patience with those you love?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Have you been unfaithful in your commitments and promises to others?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Do you hold onto grudges?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Do you help foster unity in the Church or do you talk negatively about the Church and its leaders?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?

• Are you grateful for the gifts God has given you or do you covet the gifts of others?
Do you need more of God’s grace in your life?