Some Special Offerings This Advent
Here are some activities and points of reflection to deepen your Advent spirituality this year.
All Parish Reconciliation Service – Wednesday, December 17, 7pm in Church. This is a service combining large group and one-on-one with one of several priests. Scripture, Music, Examination of Conscience and Act of Contrition are done together; Individual Confession, Penance and Absolution are done privately.
Bethlehem Marketplace – Come to Holy Family and step back in time at our Bethlehem Marketplace on Sunday, December 21 from 10am – 1pm. You will get a taste of the town of Jesus at the time of His birth in our multitorium and then experience live animals in our courtyard. All are welcome, but volunteers are needed in the days leading up for preparation, as well as on the day of the event. Please go to the QR code on the Family Faith Bulletin page, on our website, or email Karen McHale in the Family Faith Office at
kmchale@holyfamilyparish.org.
Holy Family Catholic Academy Christmas Programs
Thursday, December 11-
Kindergarten-Grade 5, 2pm and 6pm.
Friday, December 12- 3-year-olds at 9:15 am,
and 4-year-olds 10:15 am
ALL WILL TAKE PLACE IN CHURCH.
Luke to Matthew
Advent starts a new church year ‘2025-’26, and thus we will be hearing mostly from another of the three Synoptic (viewed together, with similar structure) Gospels, Matthew, along with Mark and Luke. The Gospel of John has a completely different structure. This past year we were on a journey always toward and seeking Jerusalem with the Gospel according to Luke.
Some Background on Matthew
The Gospel was written, as the other four, ACCORDING to Matthew, not necessarily written by Matthew. The same is true of the Gospels according to Mark, Luke and John. There were two significant sources that influenced the writing; the Gospel of Mark (written 70 AD) and a group of common quotes called simply Q. The primary audience was Jewish people and Jewish converts to Christianity in Jerusalem. It was written between 80-90 AD in Antioch, Syria (modern day Turkey).
Major Themes of the Gospel ACCORDING to Matthew
• Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Prophecy
• A Consistent proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven
• Righteousness and the Law
• Jesus’ identity as Messiah, Son of David, and Son of God
• The nature and demands of Discipleship carried out in the Church
• Universal Mission of Discipleship – Jesus’ great commission to the eleven
Discipleship ends the Gospel: “Go therefore and make disciples of all Nations…baptizing…teaching…assuring them of His eternal presence. (Matthew 28:16-20)
Implications for us to BE MORE
These themes can help us in advancing our evangelization initiative to BE MORE in the following ways:
• Greater trust in our grounding in the Old Testament
• A greater awareness of ourselves as disciples
• A greater awareness of the Kingdom that is here – in our midst – right now, and to use our Cross of New Life as a reflection piece because Jesus’ vision for us is beyond what is here. His gaze is beyond His gesture and His vision for us as a community, and as individuals, is that we can BE MORE than we are.
• A greater urgency to accept the challenge of Jesus to go and make more of life and to engage more people in our mission NUMERICALLY and SPIRITUALLY.
• To trust the eternal nature of our ultimate goal of the Kingdom of Heaven.
All things for us to ponder during this season of Advent.