I hope your Thanksgiving went well. It is always a good idea to grow in appreciation of the gifts that we have been given. Such a day calls us as a nation and as individuals to stop and see what is in front of us. That we are blessed and there are positives in our lives.
Looking ahead I encourage you to pray for our second graders on December 7th as they will be at their First Reconciliation retreat. Perhaps we can recall our own first time going to Jesus and asking for mercy. Such a day reminds us that we are not perfect and need grace; that there are areas in our lives that we struggle with and need grace to daily improve in.
On December 9th there will be a Mass at 5:30 pm at St. Peter to celebrate our patronal feast day of the Immaculate Conception. This feast day reveals God’s unfolding plan and Mary’s role in it. She is prepared by our Lord Jesus to become the Mother of God by being immaculately conceived so as to be stainless of sin and truly open to Gabriel’s greeting. Being
full of grace she can respond generously “Yes” to God’s invitation. As an exemplar she should encourage us all to seek the grace that we need, especially through the sacraments, that will help us say “yes” to God in our daily lives.
This weekend also is the beginning of the Advent season. Advent also begins the new liturgical year. The obvious change is the color of the vestments to purple. Liturgically that color is associated with the idea of penance. Unlike Lent, that is not the major focus for us. The waiting for the birth of Christ, our anticipation of that moment of glory is an aspect of penance.
On Sunday we notice that the Gloria is not sung which is another sign of giving something up in anticipation of the coming of Christ in the flesh. The devotion so often associated with the Advent season is the Advent wreath. It is a great way to visually see light gaining ground in the midst of darkness. It should also be that sign of growing in grace by our life of prayer in preparation for the coming of the Incarnation.
Happy Advent!
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