FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: "Advent awakens the moral memory to the most important facts of the human condition: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. These truths can be erased from memory by ignoring Advent altogether and celebrating Christmas early with little understanding of it. But then we would cease to be Christians entrusted with the memory of the human race." Fr. George Rutler QUOTE II “I have said these things to you, that when the hour comes, you may remember that I told them to you” (John 16:4).
Thanks S. D.
IN OTHER NEWS:
TOO LATE: This made it too late for most of us to be able to get the word out well: From the Diocese of Cleveland: Holy Father Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy celebration for a year beginning December 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, concluding on Sunday, November 20, 2016, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe.
Since the 15th Century, a Holy Door has been used as a ritual expression of conversion during Jubilee Years. Those who traveled to a cathedral or a basilica or a designated church for reconciliation entered through the Holy Door, crossing the threshold from sin to grace, from slavery to freedom and from darkness to light. The Holy Door is a tangible symbol and invitation to follow Christ, leaving sin behind and crossing the threshold into the light of Grace.
The opening of the Holy Doors of Mercy for the Diocese of Cleveland will take place at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist at 10:15 a.m. on December 13, 2015, just prior to the celebration of the 10:30 a.m. Mass. The faithful will be welcomed to come and cross over the threshold to experience God’s mercy. Bishop Lennon is encouraging at least two or three of the faithful from each parish be in attendance representing a gathering of the entire diocese at this Mass.
Parking will be available in the Cathedral surface lot (enter off Superior Ave.) and the Rockwell Avenue parking garage. For more information on this special liturgy, call the Diocesan Office for Worship at 216-606-6525 ex. 3630.
MORE ADVENT OPPORTUNITIES AT ST. SEBASTIAN: On Wednesday, December 16th from 5 to 8PM there will be priests available for confessions at St. Sebastian, St. Vincent, and St. Mary parishes.
During adoration on Tuesdays during Advent we will continue with our noon organ recitals. How awesome it is to be in the presence of Christ while listening to some wonderful music on our amazing organs!
On Sunday, December 20th at 7:30PM, our choir and Singer’s Companye will be performing the Christmas portion of Handle’s Messiah along with projections of scenes from the Christmas story. This should be great! I remember when I was a kid my Mother sang in Handle’s Messiah with the Magic City Singers in Barberton. It was a difficult thing to sit through as a young person but I am immensely thankful for the lessons of those days. There is so much for a young person to learn from such an experience; to start developing an appreciation for classical music, for Beauty, God; to learn how to behave at a concert, to learn patience and how to be still and pay attention; how to be an audience member that does not disturb others; all of which leads to an ability to meditate, which is an essential element of our faith life.
These programs are free and family friendly, so if the young ones in your family can only sit through part of the concert, you won’t feel as though you lost out on the cost of the ticket if you must leave! I hope to see you there.
Short video on Advent
7 comments:
Father -
Will there be no confessions at St. Bernard on the evening of Wednesday, 12/16? I understood there would.
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Greetings,
I might be wrong but I thought Fr. Reed said both of them would be at St. Mary since there is some sort of event at St. Bernard that night . . . If you find out otherwise I would appreciate it.
In the current St. B bulletin, it says there will be confessions at St. Bernard the evening of 12/16. But maybe there is a mistake. Thanks, Father.
If you find out about St. Bernard, could you please let us know, Father? I was planning on going there for Confession on 12/16 for my Christmas Confession duty. Happy Advent.
So we called St. Bernard -
It IS at St. Bernard and NOT at St. Mary!!!
Glad you asked!
Thanx Father! It is all I can do to shove myself through the Confessional door. If no one was at the church once I got my courage up to confess, I might have talked myself out of trying again.
So today's Gospel reading has my favorite snippet of the Bible, the often proclaimed but overlooked Luke 1:29. It's surrounded by so much great stuff that I get why I never hear about its meaning - when you're the opening act for "You're gonna have a Son!" You really just want to get to the main event.
But lots and lots of Monday and Saturday rosaries kept me focused on 1:29 and it brought me great comfort. Here's the woman who would shortly after become the Queen of Heaven - the woman who hadn't sinned yet and certainly didn't here - and her first reaction to Gabriel's "Hello" isn't confusion, but the feeling of being "greatly troubled"
That's such a real, legitimate, honest human emotion that it catches me more and more off guard the more I read it. OF COURSE that's her first reaction. I mean, 1:29 is before anything is asked of her, before anything is explained to her. It's one of those things that reminds me that these are real people and real events. She's troubled by the greeting. She works through it. She complies anyway. It's particularly inspiring when you have questions or troubles or problems. You're not alone. Mary felt troubled too. She's praying for you.
Awesome. I love Luke 1:29
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