3rd Sunday of Advent
~ These late Advent days are filled with many blessings! At the Mass, we hear the stories of all that happened before the birth of Jesus: the Annunciation to Mary; the Visit of Mary to Elizabeth; the Annunciation to Zechariah and the birth of John the Baptist; the Annunciation to Joseph; and the journey to Bethlehem before the birth of Jesus. You might take some quiet time on your own during these busy days to open your Bible to the beginning of the Gospel of Luke or Matthew and read these Gospels for your own prayer and reflection. The Great “O-Antiphons” also mark the Church’s prayer during these late Advent days. Most familiar to us in the song “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” but part of the Church’s ancient chant and prayer, the “O-Antiphons” call upon the Lord by various titles – O Wisdom, O Lord, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Dayspring from on High, O King of the Nations, O Emmanuel – and express our longing that this great God will come to save us. While we know that the Lord has already come and that the Lord is already with us, let us continue our fervent prayer that the Lord will come to us, especially to bring peace and justice to our broken and weary world. In the midst of the busy-ness and crazy-ness of these late Advent days, I encourage you, as best you can, to find and take some time for quiet, for prayer, for reflection, so that all of us can enter into the Christmas celebration with a peaceful heart and a serene spirit.
Next weekend is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and we will decorate the Church for the Christmas season after the 10:00am Mass. Please join us as we make our Church bright and beautiful! Christmas is a holy day of obligation, and Masses for Christmas will be celebrated at 4:30pm and 10:00pm on Christmas Eve, and at 9:00am on Christmas Day. As you know, we are happy to welcome Archbishop Rozanski to celebrate the Christmas Eve Night Mass on our 125th Anniversary. Looking ahead, the Feast of Mary, Mother of God is also a holy day of obligation, and Masses will be celebrated at 4:30pm on New Year’s Eve and at 9:00am on New Year’s Day. Please make time for these extra Masses, please come early, and please welcome our visitors and guests during the Christmas season!
Thanks for your generosity with Giving Tuesday, the St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Outreach, and the many works of charity offered during Advent. Thanks in advance for your generosity to the Christmas collection for Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. As we come to the end of the year, may I also ask that you consider an extra Christmas gift to the parish?
As we look forward to the New Year 2025, please consider requesting Mass intentions for your beloved dead or for special people you would like to remember at Mass. We are running short on Mass intentions for the year to come. While the Mass is always offered for everyone, it is a pious custom and a support to the priest to have a Mass offered for a particular intention. Throughout the year, remember to request a Mass intention when someone passes away, and know that the Mass can be offered for someone on a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. $10 is a suggested donation for a Mass intention. Please be in touch with Carmela in the parish office to arrange for a Mass intention.
Our school will finish this Friday for the Christmas holidays, and our students and teachers are anticipating a relaxing Christmas break! Please note that the school and parish offices will be closed after Friday and into next week so that our employees can enjoy this time with their family and friends. Please respect these holidays, and if you have parish business, take care of that after the New Year.
Know of my prayers for you and for all our parish family during these days, that the Lord Jesus might come into our hearts with his merciful love! Merry Christmas!