November 27, 2020

Dear friends in Christ,

This Sunday we enter the holy season of Advent, a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. As we prepare to recall his birth in time, we prepare our hearts for that unknown time when he will come again in glory. In these darker days we especially long for Christ, his coming, and the hope and light he brings.  As we begin the season of Advent, I offer to you this reflection, given by Pope Benedict in 2008, which I think helps us to understand some of the deeper meaning of this holy season of waiting for the coming of the Lord:

Today on the First Sunday of Advent, we enter that four-week Season with which a new liturgical year begins and that immediately prepares us for the Feast of Christmas, the memorial of the Incarnation of Christ in history. Yet, the spiritual message of Advent is more profound and already orients us to the glorious return of the Lord at the end of our history. Adventus is the Latin word that could be translated by “arrival”, “coming” or “presence”. In the language of the ancient world it was a technical term that indicated the arrival of an official, and especially the visit of kings or emperors to the provinces, but it could also be used for the appearance of a divinity, which emerged from its hidden dwelling-place and thus manifested its divine power; its presence was solemnly celebrated with worship. 

By using this term, “Advent”, Christians wanted to express the special relationship that bound them to the Crucified and Risen Christ. He is a King who, having entered this poor province called earth, made us the gift of his visit and after his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven desired in any case to stay with us; we perceive his mysterious presence in the liturgical assembly. Indeed, in celebrating the Eucharist, we proclaim that he did not withdraw from the world, that he did not leave us alone and, even though we cannot see and touch him as with material and tangible realities, he is in any case with us and among us. Indeed, he is in us, because he can attract to himself and communicate his life to every believer who opens his/her heart to him. (emphasis added) Thus, Advent means commemorating the first coming of the Lord in the flesh, with his definitive return already in mind, and, at the same time, it means recognizing that Christ present in our midst makes himself our travelling companion in the life of the Church who celebrates his mystery.

This knowledge, dear brothers and sisters, nourished by listening to the Word of God, must help us to see the world with different eyes, to interpret the individual events of life and history as words that God addresses to us, as signs of his love that assure us of his closeness in every situation; (emphasis added) this awareness, in particular, should prepare us to welcome him when “he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end”, as in a little while we shall repeat in the Creed. In this perspective, Advent becomes for all Christians a time of expectation and hope, a privileged time for listening and reflection, as long as we let ourselves be guided by the liturgy, which invites us to advance to meet the Lord who comes.

~POPE BENEDICT (2008)

Come Lord Jesus, come quickly and do not delay!  My prayer for us all is that this time of watching and waiting may help us open our hearts to the Lord.

Blessings on your week!

Fr. Johnson

PS.  As I wrote last week, from the start of the COVID outbreak, we have been livestreaming from our I-phone’s.  While this has worked in many respects, there are a number of limitations. We have ordered a new built-in livestream system which ‘hopefully!’ will be installed by Christmas. It will have several advantages: a couple of cameras, the ability to zoom and change camera angles, direct connection to the internet, and direct connection of the sound system into the video feed. All of this should improve the quality of the broadcast. It will also enable us to broadcast the Mass in a closed-circuit system to the parish hall, which will be particularly important for Christmas with regards to the social distancing requirements. The overall cost will be a little less than $15,000. If you are able to help with this financially with a special gift, it would be greatly appreciated. Just send in a check and put “Livestream System” in the memo. Thank you!!