A new Liturgical Year - DECEMBER 2, 2006

This week we celebrate the beginning of the liturgical year. We begin as always with Advent where we both celebrate Christ’s birth and anticipate the second coming. This powerful season celebrates a truth about God. We believe that through the revelation of God in human and divine infant, all of creation is reconciled to God. The words of the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” speak our story. We long for ransom from the shackles that bind us to certain ways of living. We long to be saved as a community and a nation from oppression and the lure of cultural seductions that place us in exile from God’s love and friendship.
During Advent we offer many opportunities to live our faith. Giving Tree donations, toy drives, Advent visits to homes, the Sacrament of Penance, the Cantata on December 18 are just some of the events we offer for us to prepare the way of the Lord in our lives. Notice the richness of God’s word during this season. I end with one of my favorite biblical quotes, “The Lord, your God is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness and revere you in His love.” (Zephaniah 1, 5)

Fr. Bob Hawkins - DECEMBER 2, 2006