Advent! It begins this Sunday. A new liturgical year. A time to reflect on our God coming to us, in the flesh as one of us. There are rich readings that I encourage you to spend time with seeing how God prepared for the coming of His Son and for our salvation.
A few things to keep in mind that are happening in the next couple of days. Tuesday December 2nd the Knights of Columbus are having their “Light up for Christ” event at their clubhouse. That is a simple prayer service for the manger scene and social to follow. For our Religious Education evening on December 3rd they are hosting a “St. Nick Night” at St. Stephen school gym. All ages of children are invited. December 6th is the First Confession retreat for our second graders. Pray for them and their families as they celebrate this sacrament for the first time. Next weekend the Rosary Society is holding their Bake sale. December 8th is a Holy Day of obligation and a beautiful Mass that helps us grasp all that God has done for us and for our salvation. The school Mass is at 8 am at St. Peter. There will be a 5:30 pm Mass at St. Casimir and St. Peter.
There is always a call to go deeper in our life of faith. This Advent I would like to offer you a resource and focus using the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For this Sunday the virtue of hope is seen in our readings. As a virtue it needs to be practiced and put into action. The paragraphs I encourage you to reflect with are CCC #1817-1821. From 1817 “placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.” From 1818 “it takes up the hopes that inspire men’s activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven.” There is more, so do take some time and consider the deeper you can go in your relationship with Jesus.