Bulletins from December 2023

The Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth – Jesus, Mary and Joseph – encourages us in our familial relationships; it does not condemn us for being less than perfect. What the feast does is to place before us virtues, which we can aim toward in our lives: “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another” (Colossians 3). To use a common expression, we cannot let our pursuit of the perfect be the enemy of the good. No family is perfect, but all of us and our families are called to a love, “that binds [the virtues] together.” As we celebrate in this season the Incarnation, the coming “in the flesh” of the Lord Jesus, we keep in mind that, like us, He was born into and nurtured by a family, for He was a real human person while, at the very same time, being also truly God.

Dear Parishioners, During this time, we have looked back to the hopeful preaching of the prophets and the coming – of – time of the Lord Whose Birth we now celebrate. This season also invites us to look towards the future, when the Lord will come to us again – at the end of our time on earth and on the day that time meets eternity. We should welcome those appearances of the Lord Jesus with the same joyful expectation of our Christmas celebrations. Finally, on these days – and all days – we hear the invitation to recognize the Lord among us: Now the Lord comes to meet us, in every person and in every time, so that we may receive Him in faith and charity as we bear witness to the glorious hope of God’s reign. – Advent Preface I-A, Portuguese Roman Missal May the Lord – present in our midst – enlighten the path of your lives now and always! Christmas prayers and blessings from all of us to all of you Sincerely,

This year, the last Sunday of Advent is also the last day of the season that helps us prepare for Christmas. Our reading from the Gospel of Luke begins with these words: “The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.” So begins the story of the mystery of our salvation in Christ. What seemed impossible is not only real, but becomes foundation of that salvation. Mary’s question, “How can this happen?” is answered by the angel: “Nothing will be impossible for God.” We do not have long to reflect upon this gospel account, for in a few short hours, we will celebrate the Birth that we believe changed the trajectory of the universe. And this, in the most unexpected ways: born of the Virgin, lying in a manger. God continues to do the impossible, even today and in our lives and our world. God’s work is veiled in mystery; we cannot immediately perceive the Lord’s presence or His ability to change hearts. Every time a person chooses reconciliation over confrontation, peace instead of war, dialogue in place of shouting, God is present. As we prepare to enter into our Christmas celebrations, may we be open to the mysteries that God is working in each of our lives.

The Third Sunday of Advent has traditionally been given the name, “Gaudete,” Latin for “Rejoice.” It is the Sunday of the rose/pink candle of our Advent Wreath. On this day, the Church gives us these words of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians as our second reading: Brothers and sisters: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil. May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it (1 Thess. 5:16-24). The First Letter to the Thessalonians is nearly as old as Christianity, as it is the first book of the New Testament to be written. In spite of persecution, Saint Paul encouraged the Church of Thessalonica to rejoice. This should not be lost on us, even as we wade through the challenges of 2023. May this Sunday find us rejoicing in the Lord who is ever near to us and rejoicing in the nearness of those we love.

In the biblical television series, The Chosen, the Apostles refer to John the Baptist as “creepy John.” I do not think this is done to disrespect John, but to illustrate for the viewers how truly radical was John – in his lifestyle and in his mission. He proclaimed repentance and pointed to Jesus, the Lamb of God. He called his hearers to change their lives. He knew that his was the “voice that cries in the wilderness.” As I mentioned in my homily last weekend, Advent (and, in fact, the whole of Christian faith) is counter-cultural. We are not called to dance to the drummers of society, but to hear the words of Saint John the Baptist and the prophet Isaiah. Both called their hearers to repentance, to “ready the way of the Lord.” We cannot do this without taking an honest look at our lives. While it is easy to get wrapped up in all the ways we prepare our homes for Christmas, do we take the time to prepare ourselves for the many times that the Lord breaks into our lives each and every day? Advent is a graced time because it offer us just such an opportunity. Let us make the most of this short season!

Advent begins, not looking back to the Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, but to the Lord’s coming at the end of time, with the warning, “Be watchful! Be alert!” This season’s focus it threefold: The coming of the Lord at the end of our lives and the end of time; the historic coming of Jesus, born of Mary, loved and cared for by Joseph; and the daily breaking-in of the Lord into our lives and the life of the world. It is easy for us to look to the events at Bethlehem to the exclusion of the others, but to do so is to miss the lessons that Advent teaches us. Advent this year is the shortest it can possibly be, since the Fourth Sunday falls on Christmas Eve. Let us use these few weeks wisely, so that when Christmas comes, we may again recognize in Emmanuel, God who is always with us!