As we are celebrating THANKSGIVING Day this week, we can be GRATEFUL for all the blessings that God has poured upon each one of us, our families, our workplaces, and our parish in the last 12 months. Everything good we have in our lives comes from God. We have to be GRATEFUL to God, at all times, not only on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of our lives.
Should we be also grateful to God for what does not go so well in our lives? The last six months have been challenging. Many people have suffered and are still suffering. God does not want us to suffer. HE has given us a free will. We believe that by accepting our suffering for God’s Glory, we can be transformed and get closer to Him. I remember that I felt angry when last March we had no choice but to close our doors to all of you. This was painful for all of us. As six months have now passed, we see that we achieved many goals: we completed our CCD classes successfully, and Bishop Dorsonville came and confirmed all our candidates, a total of 35. Also, 50 of our children received their First Communion. By September with the installation of a new steeple, all the planned works of our 3-year Capital Campaign had been completed successfully. It was also a joy to have Archbishop Gregory to join us in the final celebration of our 40th anniversary in mid-September. I am also grateful to God for the help of each one of you as together we have been able to handle our challenging financial situation, cutting expenditures through greater use of volunteers and maintaining sufficient weekly revenues despite reduced Mass attendance. Thanks to many of you as volunteers, we have also reopened our church with new protocols in place to safely resume in-person Mass. The good news is that we have accepted this challenging situation, most of us have been able to move from Fear to Faith, and we have survived the temptations of despair, hopelessness, loneliness and isolation. The other good news is that, God willing, an effective vaccine will be available in the next few weeks. We can see the Light at the end of the tunnel.
This weekend, we celebrate the FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT. Our church looks different with the four banners of Advent: HOPE, LOVE, JOY, and PEACE anticipating each of the four weeks before Christmas. Our hearts should also look different. They should be renewed and opened to the Coming of Jesus. This Advent, we have chosen as parish theme: "PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD. COME LORD JESUS!” We will reflect on this theme of preparation, of readiness, of anticipation of Jesus' coming at each of the nine consecutive Masses before Christmas (see poster in Narthex). Advent is a TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE FIRST COMING OF JESUS CHRIST! After having meditated the last few weeks about the Second Coming of Christ, the Final Judgment, the End of Times, we are now entering a new beginning, a time to PRAY, a time to REPENT, a time to go to CONFESSION (see expanded schedule of individual confessions over the next two weeks), a time to be RECONCILED with God, a time to CONVERT, a time to BE READY for the coming of baby Jesus at Christmas.
This weekend, St Paul reminds us in his letter to the Corinthians (1:9): "God is faithful, and by Him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." GOD is faithful. HE never abandons us. HE is our refuge. HE is our Light and Salvation. HE is our HOPE. HE LOVES us so much that he sends us HIS SON to give us eternal life. Through His Son we are called to return to God the Father. Do you truly desire to be close to Jesus? Is Jesus your best friend? Is Jesus your daily guide? Is Jesus your mentor? Do you desire to follow Jesus? Is your greatest desire to be in union with Jesus now on earth and forever in heaven? Are you keeping your eyes fixed on heaven? Are you prepared to receive Jesus in your hearts? Together this Advent Season let us prepare to welcome Baby Jesus at Christmas! Let us prepare to welcome the newborn King! Let us welcome Jesus in the Eucharist at Mass. Let us anticipate the JOY of Christmas! Let us open our hearts to welcoming Jesus with great hope and love! Let us together prepare for Christmas as it were our first Christmas!