Dear Friends,
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Phil 4:4-7
These words of Saint Paul to the Philippians (our second reading) focus our attention to the celebration of this Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday. This weekend marks a shifting of our Advent focus from pondering the coming of our Lord to celebrating that of the Lord is near.
Being that Christmas is less than two weeks away, our stress levels may be heightened in accord with what we have already been able to accomplish and what remains to be done. But Saint Paul is focusing our attention to what is essential, necessary, and the antidote to the concerns that can overwhelm us at this time of year.
When we turn to the Lord to rejoice in Him and trustingly turn to Him in prayer and petition with thanksgiving in our hearts, we enter into the peace that only God can give and the joy of being His beloved child. More than ever, in the midst of everything going on around us, we need to embrace this message and this gift which is beyond us and our world, but which God gives so freely and completely.
One sure way to rejoice in the Lord is to go to confession and receive His mercy and healing. As someone recently said, sacramental confession brings so much peace and makes one’s spirit lighter through the grace God pours out into the soul. God wants to do this. He waits to do this. Let’s run to Him and receive His grace wholeheartedly.
Confessions are being heard after the Sunday Masses during Advent, in Chapel. On Wednesdays, we hear confession after the morning Masses. On Saturday, December 18, confessions will be heard between 8:00- 8:45 am and 3:00-4:15 p.m. All those times in Chapel. Our Advent Confession opportunity with the assistance of additional priests is set for Tuesday, December 21, 4:00-5:00 p.m. (a new time) and 7:00 p.m., in Church. Our priests are also available by appointment. Come, receive and experience “…the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding…”
God bless you, God love you,
Monsignor McCulken
