A Word from Your Pastor - December 7 Second Sunday of Advent

Dear Parishioners:

The call of Advent is to look beyond our present circumstances.  We are waiting for something to occur that will take us out of ourselves and into a way of living that is entirely new and different from our common experience.  The temptation we face is to keep our eyes fixed on ourselves and to be motivated by fears and limitations that serve to bind us to the status quo.  In the Scriptures this weekend, we meet John the Baptist shouting out Isaiah’s cry: “Prepare the way of the Lord!”  God wants us to open our hearts to receive Him and all that He offers.

What holds us back is sin.  The response we are called to make is to repent and to open ourselves to forgiveness.  God offers healing, Mercy, comfort and He invites us to a new resolve, a commitment to live in such a way that He can be at home with us.  In Advent, we look toward the Coming of Christ at the end of Time and we recall His Coming through the Incarnation.  We also seek Him where He promises He will always be found:  in the Sacramental Life of the Church.

What holds us back is a failure to put God first in our lives and to be witnesses of Faith by the manner of our choices.  I invite you to renew your commitment to the Lord: Make Sunday Mass a priority for your family.  Take the opportunity this week to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation at our Parish Penance Service this Wednesday evening.  Consider devoting some “extra” time to prayer, attending an extra weekday Mass, spending time with the Lord in the Eucharist through Wednesday Adoration.

What holds us back is selfishness and attention to our own wants and desires.  I encourage you to discover a way to reach out to those in need.  Many opportunities are suggested through the Parish.  St. Vincent De Paul and the Knights of Columbus call for donations to the St. James the Less Food Pantry.  The Coats for Children for Christmas is funded through St. Vincent DePaul.  Sandwiches are made for the Soup Kitchen one Sunday a month.  The Women’s Club and Youth Group sponsored a presentation on the Passion Center for Children in Malawi, Africa.  Donations may be made to this worthwhile effort to serve the poor.  You could make plans to be part of the outreach to Guatemala next summer.  We have already funded the education of two students in the Holy Land.  You can continue to assist with the special needs in this part of the world by purchasing Olive wood items in support of Bethlehem families.

The possibilities are endless!  Advent is an invitation to grow in the Life of the Spirit.  Do you hear the Lord’s call?