Make Way!
Advent's second Sunday
Announcements for December 5, 2020:
Although it looks to be a cold and windy day, I expect our 11:00am Sunday Mass to be outside, in front of the church, this weekend. I will send a text if anything changes - let me know if you want to receive these text notifications from us.
A reminder to please bring back gifts for the giving tree this weekend... and a big thank you to everyone who took tags!
Find all of our announcements (and more) now in one place: our Parishioner Portal. (Scroll to the bottom of any page on our website to find the link.)
Please be in touch with me if you need anything at all, or if you'd like to share any questions or concerns.
Dear Saints,
As you know, I love John the Baptist. Things are are never dull when he's around... and he's back this weekend!
We find reference to John the Baptist in the work of Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, but most of what we know about him comes from the canonical Gospels.
In the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we find John fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah: He is the "voice of one crying out in the desert..." in preparation for the rule of God's anointed king.
My favorite translation of that prophecy reads, "A shout goes up in the desert: Make way for the Lord! Clear a straight path for him!"
Make way for the Lord! Is there a better Advent theme than that?
John calls the crowds to repentance. It's worth our while to consider what that means.
The Greek word translated as repent is metanoia. The full sense of the word implies a change at the very center of one's being, and includes a change in one's way of life.
The kind of life change we're called to is not just challenging - without Jesus it's impossible. Only with Jesus, who lived God's way of life perfectly and gives us the strength to follow him in faith, can we turn from our own (self-seeking) ways to God's (self-giving) way.
The Church makes John's exhortation her own this Advent: Repent! Clear a straight path for our coming king!
I look forward to seeing you very soon, my friends.
Christ's Peace,
Father Daniel
δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
PS Our Marian Antiphon for the Advent season is the Alma Redemptoris Mater. Check it out here.
PPS Although not a Holy Day of Obligation this year, Masses for The Immaculate Conception are on Monday at 7:00pm, and Tuesday at 8:00am, 12:00noon, and (Spanish) 7:00pm.
Preparing for Mass?
Check out this weekend's readings:
Second Sunday of Advent
