Today we celebrate the shortest Fourth Week of Advent possible. It will end with our Christmas celebrations and Masses beginning this afternoon at 3:30 PM. The list is above.
I hope your Advent went well preparing for the coming of the Baby Jesus tomorrow on Christmas. We heard from the main characters in Advent for the past few weeks. Isaiah predicting his coming. Mary carrying him in her womb. John the Baptist pointing him out and preaching: Prepare ye, the way of the Lord. And tomorrow Jesus, the Son of God, the Second Person in the Holy Trinity becomes human.
A Big Thank You goes out to all who helped and participated in our Annual Pre-Christmas Party last Sunday. There was great food, music and fun for all. What a great rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas! The pot-luck was great, too. Let’s do it again next year!
We are about to begin our 90th year as a parish. We are looking for more history of the parish as well as ideas on how to celebrate this great anniversary. Why not spend a little time looking at the pictures of the priest and deacons who have served here? Maybe you will be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to contribute a great idea or two for this coming year.
There is a new community organizing effort taking shape in Northern Indiana. It is called NE-ICAN. I have attended two clergy meetings. It is an interfaith organization looking at systemic change for the better. The diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend backs this with groups in Fort Wayne, Elkhart and St. Joe counties. It should develop into a lay led organization to make things better for everyone. If you would like more info on this group, please see me, Father Len. This is a leadership development process.
Our first reading today is from the Book of Samuel. King David is about to build a permanent temple for the Ark of the Covenant, but the Prophet Nathan stops him and tells him that God wants David to build up a people devoted to God and if he does the reward will be great. Nathan tells him God’s message: “And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.” As Christians we say Nathan is talking about Jesus.
In today’s Gospel, the angel Gabriel tells Mary the same thing and asks her to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, and the descendant of King David. Mary’s YES changes history. God becomes a human being and shows us how to live in his love. With each invitation from God our answer should be the same as Mary’s: “May it be done to me according to your word.”
In our second reading, St. Paul tells the Romans and us the really Good News: “the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the onlt wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
One of the hallmarks of a Christian is joy. True joy comes to us when we are doing the work God created us to do, when we are being holy by bringing God’s love into the world around us. Come, Lord Jesus, help us spread your joy to the world!
The National Black Catholic Congress has published a Pastoral Plan of Action. It can be found on their website.
Let us continue to pray for peace in the world. Let us also pray for vocations to the church. Let us pray for the sick of the parish. Let us pray that all will come to respect life. Let us pray for one another and for the canonization of Father Tolton.