Dear Parishioners, 

This Sunday we begin the Season of Advent, the time of prayerful and vigilant preparation for both - the celebration of Christ’s birth, and his second coming at the end of time. Advent is a time to take life a little more slowly and to focus on what we need to do to turn away from our sins, to get closer to God and to grow in holiness of life. 

Typically, and unfortunately, we tend to rush through the season of Advent. We seem to be always in a hurry, and we all have quite good reasons or excuses for why we are so busy. After all, we need time to decorate, to buy presents, to send Christmas cards, to bake those delicious Christmas cookies… As a result, it is so easy to totally miss this beautiful season and all the graces which it brings. If those material things capture our time and our heart, how can we be ready to celebrate Jesus’ coming into our lives? 

Advent gives us an opportunity to remember not only the child Jesus coming into the world to shatter darkness and to end sin, but also to anticipate his second coming at the end of time. This aspect of Advent gets lost all too often. When we take the time to truly prepare and anticipate His coming, then Christmas opens a new world to us. Advent is a time to recall the cry of the early Christians: “Come, Lord Jesus!” We join their cry as we too call out: Come, Lord Jesus! Come into our lives, come into our homes, come into our hearts, and come into our world to save us from all the evil around us! But first, we must come to Him in prayer, we must come to Him at Holy Mass, we must prepare ourselves with a good Confession, and we must commit ourselves to faithfully following our Lord and His commandments every day of our lives. 

I invite you all this Advent to be alert and watchful as we pray for the Lord Jesus to come again. Let us stop, let us pray, let us listen, and let us get ready for Jesus is coming! 

God bless. 
Fr. Gregg