Dear Parish Family,

We celebrate Gaudete Sunday this weekend! Gaudete is the Latin word for "rejoice". As we move through our Advent season it is right that we find every reason to rejoice in the Incarnation of our Lord this Christmas.

 

Isaiah announces that all of creation rejoices in God's salvation seeing the glory of the Lord in the works of healing and redemption. Think of all the various ways we give to those in need this holy season. We open new pathways of rejoicing in the gifts God has given us to share, and in the reception of those shared gifts with the families who need them.

 

St. James reminds us that rejoicing requires patience. Just as the farmer doesn't see the fruits of his labors immediately, we likewise need patience for our good works to bear fruit. When we try to rush spiritual or moral growth or take control of it without surrendering it to the Lord, we can easily grow disheartened. We should always rejoice with faith and hope that the Lord is up to something good with everything we give Him!

 

Finally, in the Gospel of Matthew today we hear St. John the Baptist during his imprisonment questioning whether or not Jesus is the Messiah. John is a model of the faithful patience we are called to practice even in the midst of healthy doubt and questions. He gave his entire life to proclaim the coming of the Messiah. John's fidelity cost him his freedom and his life, and the seeds John planted bore fruit after his death. In St. John the Baptist, we have an intercessor who sympathizes with our own wavering faith, yet nonetheless remains faithful and spurs us on to a patient endurance. Wait for the Lord to act. We will not be disappointed.

 

We will be celebrating Advent Vespers at St. Patrick's for 7 consecutive nights from December 17-23. Each night of Vespers starts at 7 pm and will last about 15-20 minutes. Vespers is the Evening Prayer of the Church from the Liturgy of the Hours, and we get to pray the "O Antiphons" during the octave leading up to Christmas. Please join us as we pray these ancient prayers together this Advent. Read more about the O Antiphons at https://www.usccb.org/prayers/o-antiphons-advent.

 

I'm excited to announce that we will begin celebrating a First Saturday Mass at St. Mary's starting in January! Every First Saturday of the month, we will have a Mass at 8:30 am to honor the First Saturday Devotion, which was requested of the faithful by Our Lady of Fatima. The First Saturday Devotion comes with special graces and promises of our Lord to those who undertake the devotion.

 

The requirements of the First Saturday Devotion are (1) go to confession within 20 days of the First Saturday Mass (remember we have last Wednesday confessions each month at St. Mary's from 6-7 pm, and confession on Saturdays weekly from 3-4 pm at St. Mary's and 3-3:30 pm at St. Patrick's), (2) receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday of the month (morning Mass, vigil Mass, or on Sunday), (3) pray five decades of the rosary, and meditate on the mysteries of the rosary for 15 minutes in addition to praying the rosary. Visit https://www.catholic.com/qa/first-saturday-devotion-requirements for more information about the Devotion and the requirements. May God bless you in a special way through the First Saturday Devotion!

 

Christmas is coming soon! We will celebrate Christmas Eve Masses at St. Mary's at 4 pm, 6:30 pm, and 10 pm and at St. Patrick's at 4 pm. Christmas Day Masses at St. Mary's are at 8 am and 10 am, and at 9:30 am at St. Patrick's. Keep in mind there is no 12 pm Mass at St. Mary's on Christmas Day and no morning Mass on the day after Christmas.

 

As we prepare for Christmas and the New Year ahead, I want to thank you for your support and welcome of young families at our Masses. I hear from young moms and dads that they come to St. Mary's and St. Patrick's with their young children because they know that we appreciate the sacrifices they make to bring their children to Church. We all know that children can get upset, throw tantrums, or even have occasional meltdowns (maybe we as adults do this too from time to time!). Please remember to thank the parents for bringing their kids to Mass and continue to show your understanding when they are struggling to keep their kids calm. A kind look and word go a long way, and any disruption at Mass that interferes with our own prayer can become a fragrant offering of our own as we sacrifice a bit of our own comfort and convenience for the sake of having our beloved children and their families come to Mass!

 

Blessings to you and your families as you prepare for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

I am yours in Christ,

Fr. Scott Goodfellow