Today we begin a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent. The season of Advent is significant in two ways: It prepares us for Christmas, as we recall Christ’s nativity in Bethlehem and it is also a time when we look forward to Christ’s second coming at the end of the ages that is called Parousia in Greek; a word that means presence (especially after absence) or arrival. We are frequently reminded of the first meaning of Advent because we are surrounded by Christmas decorations almost everywhere, even though we have just initiated Advent. But in fact, the majority of advent liturgies are dedicated to Christ’s second coming and only the last 8 days refer to the mystery of the Nativity. During each Mass just after the consecration we profess our faith and expectation of the second coming of the Lord saying: “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again”. So too, Advent is a season of that joyful expectation.
In many churches and households throughout the world we keep the beautiful tradition of having an Advent wreath with 4 candles. The wreath is a part of our long-standing Catholic tradition; yet its origins are uncertain. It has an interesting and profound meaning. The wreath is made of various evergreens that depict the immortality of our soul and the new everlasting life promised to us through Christ, the eternal Word of the Father. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. Some tradition says that each candle stands for a thousand years to sum to four thousand years, which are said to pass from Adam and Eve to the Birth of the Saviour.

 

The Pope’s Prayer Intention for the Month

Pope Francis asks us to pray in the month of December for the elderly: “That people, who are involved in the service and transmission of faith, may find, in their dialogue with culture, a language suited to the conditions of the present time”.

Upcoming Observances

On December 6th there is an optional memorial of St. Nicholas. He was a historical Greek Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, so he is called Nicholas of Myra too. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. There are numerous stories about St. Nicholas and many of them refer to his legendary habit of secret gift-giving. One of the stories says that he gave secretly two golden spheres not to good people, as we usually say about St. Nicholas, but to those who had led a sinful life, so that they might give up their wicked way and live a holy life.

On December 8th we observe the Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There will be an additional Mass at 10 am in our church. In 1854 Pope Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary “in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin”. Only two people were without any sin: our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Mother. This feast refers to Mary’s sinlessness not to Jesus’ as some mistakenly think.

Immaculate Mary pray for us!

God bless,
Fr. Peter