Search
Advent: Prepare
-
Message From Fr. CharlieThis weekend we conclude our Advent message series on how we can Prepare for Christmas. As we approach Christmas, we discuss how to truly prepare for the season, not by wrapping presents and planning gatherings, but by preparing our hearts anew for the true gift of Jesus and His merciful heart. This is a time for reflection on the arrival of Jesus, not just His birth, but His second-coming. Are you ready to meet Him? In this Advent series, we walk through ways to make this a spiritually enriching season by challenging lukewarmness, “Be vigilant”; by removing the obstacles to relationship with Jesus, Prepare the way”; by growing in joyful anticipation, “Be expectant”; and finally, as we “Prepare for the visitor” by considering how to invite our family into the deeper meaning of Christmas.
This weekend we celebrate the Fourth and Final Sunday of Advent. This Sunday is when we should be prepared for the visitor to come. In this weekend's Gospel we hear, "Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled”. Elizabeth was prepared to welcome her cousin Mary when she visited. John the Baptist was prepared for the visit of Jesus by welcoming him even when in the womb. To Prepare to welcome the visitors who might be coming to visit you, you can invite them to come with you to our Christmas masses. If you are traveling for Christmas then you can prepare by looking up the Christmas masses where you are visiting. I invite you to remember that since Christmas is a time for gifts that the gift that the baby Jesus wants is our presence in mass and for us to bring a visitor!
Thank you to everyone who has already filled out a commitment card for our parish mission of helping to Worship God, Serve Others and Form Disciples. If you are looking to make an end of the year contribution this is also the time to do so. If you are not yet signed up to give electronically then I invite you to commit to signing up to giving electronically here: https://www.givecentral.org/customizable-online- giving/1294/event/31959
If you are looking to learn more about managing your finances and would like to commit to a free course on how to get out of debt or to better manage your money then I invite you to commit to taking a FREE Wallet Win course at: walletwin.com/albert
Let us prepare for Christmas by welcoming the visitor,
Fr. Charlie