We have begun Advent, which always calls for preparing, looking ahead and waiting. This year we are preparing, anticipating and waiting in a unique and powerful way. We are all hoping for medical advancements that will help a world in crisis to heal. Sometimes we offer a wish for people to ‘get better’ when they are sick. Other times we say that we want to ‘get better’ to improve. God becoming one of us in the magic of the Incarnation at Christmas made the world so much better, and the changes we are looking for now amidst a world-wide pandemic will help our world to get better—to recover, to heal.
In the meantime, we are in a crisis of health so powerful that it has affected our spirit, our mental health, our jobs, careers, and limits contact with an extended circle including family, friends, and affects dining out, attending sports events, entertainment and much more, including, certainly, church.
We have been socially distanced, increasingly more isolated, and with those restrictions have come a host of other feelings such as cramped, confined, tethered, isolated and bored, just to name a few.
So where is God in all of this? Where is Christ? Well this Advent we want to restate that Christ is in the middle of it all. Our Advent challenge is to recognize his presence in the milieu of the drama that is human life. And this year we have more drama than ever.
We will be repeating quite a bit this Advent and Christmas that In crisis, Christ Is, and the logo and sign that accompany much of our Advent/Christmas information sharing and other promotions conveys this in a very creative way. Adding an H after the first C and a T after the first S tells us that In crisis, Christ Is.
We are also expanding the statement that we use as both a welcome and a reminder of who we are before Mass that has been used as a mantra in many other communications and prayers: “We are in this TOGETHER.” Now, because of the Covid challenges, with confidence that Christ is with us as we navigate current challenges, we will be adding, “And we will get through this STRONGER.”
We are in this TOGETHER.
We will get through this STRONGER.
Mary
Each Advent, Mary the Mother of Jesus plays such an important role as we remember that she bore Jesus in her womb and gave human birth to him at Christmas. Two additional Feasts of Mary will take place this coming week. Tuesday is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and we will offer Mass that day at 9:00am. Please register to attend as you would any other Mass. This feast helps to clarify and celebrate that, from the moment of her conception, Mary was designated in a very unique way to bear and give birth to our savior. She said “yes” to this role and continues to be an example of fidelity to God’s call despite challenges.
On Saturday, December 12 we celebrate the Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe. We will not celebrate the feast that day, but this feast helps us to recall that Mary appeared four times to a simple man named Juan Diego on a hill called Tepeyac outside of Mexico City in December 1531. These apparitions have been authenticated by the church following years of investigation. The image of Mary that was emblazoned on Juan Diego’s tilma (a heavy sarape), as well as the message to pray for peace, has lasted until today.
Holy Family Masks
Perhaps you have seen one of us wearing a stylish Holy Family mask recently? They are available for purchase in either blue or white for $10. Simply call Debbie at our Front Office between 9:30am and Noon on Tuesday mornings to place your order.
Christmas Mass Registration
We will begin taking reservations for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses on Tuesday, December 15.