Preparation: We prepare to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord on the 25th of December. The Christmas season begins with Christmas! On this second Sunday of Advent, we are invited to remember that the long-awaited Messiah of God (the Anointed One or Cristos) came to Israel; but his coming was not as expected. He came not in power but in humility, in obedience and in the strength of the spirit. Advent (from the Latin adventus, the coming) is the season for us to remember the great gift given... all that the Lord God has revealed to us in and through the coming of the Lord Jesus, at his birth in Bethlehem.
During this Advent season, we are called to reflect on our faith in the Lord and to prepare our minds and hearts for the beautiful celebration of his birth at the Mass dedicated to that birth... Christ - Mass.
Adventus: the liturgical season of preparation and anticipation.Preparation: We prepare to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord on the 25th of December. The Christmas season begins with Christmas! On this second Sunday of Advent, we are invited to remember that the long-awaited Messiah of God (the Anointed One or Cristos) came to Israel; but his coming was not as expected. He came not in power but in humility, in obedience and in the strength of the spirit. Advent (from the Latin adventus, the coming) is the season for us to remember the great gift given... all that the Lord God has revealed to us in and through the coming of the Lord Jesus, at his birth in Bethlehem.
During this Advent season, we are called to reflect on our faith in the Lord and to prepare our minds and hearts for the beautiful celebration of his birth at the Mass dedicated to that birth... Christ - Mass.
Anticipation: Along with preparation, the season of Advent has another focus, another "heart". During Advent, the Bishops of the Church ask us to ponder the ultimate consummation of history, when Christ will come to bring his mission to completion. This "end of history", this "second coming" was proclaimed by the early Church and is proclaimed anew by every disciple of the Lord Jesus today. We anticipate the ultimate consummation of God's plan for humanity. No one knows the day or the time of this coming, this adventus. We wait, in anticipation; and in the strength of our faith, our hope and our love we look to the coming of the Lord.
During this Advent season, as we anticipate the complete victory of the Lord's Church over the darkness, we might think of ways that we can share our faith with others. Many of our neighbors do not have a faith perspective. The "holiday season" for them is simply a time for the buying and selling and consuming of the goods of the earth. Let us share with them the great gift given (the life of Jesus of Nazareth), the great gift lived (the Presence of the Spirit in the Church), the great gift promised (the end of history, love's eternity... the Kingdom of God).
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On Monday the 8th, our Bishops have asked us to come together for Mass, to remember the Immaculate Conception. In this holy day of obligation, the Church affirms Mary's place in the history of our salvation. There will be Masses in English at 6:30, 9:15, 11:45 am and 7:00 pm. There is to be a Mass in Spanish at 7:00 pm, as well; and on Friday the 12th , we will celebrate a
During the following week, the parish family of SJN is called to gather together at 7:00 pm on Thursday, the 18th of December, for our Advent Penance Service. What better present to give one another, than a true repentance from sin and a renewed turning toward the Lord. Join me in this sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation on the 18th, at 7:00 pm.
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A last comment today: I want to re-establish the Pastoral Council of SJN. I am hopeful that some of you reading this column might be willing to serve. Applications are available at the office and on our web site. Applications are also available on the table in the narthex, next to the cry-room. Please consider assisting me in the leadership of the parish as a member of the Pastoral Council. The dead-line for these applications is the 7th of January. Hope all had a great St. Nicholas day!
AMDG
Msgr. David Talley
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