A new year has begun – liturgically speaking. The First Sunday of Advent ushers in the start of a new cycle of scripture readings. This liturgical year we will hear the story of Jesus’ life primarily from the Gospel of Matthew. In last week’s article, I drew out some of the primary themes of Matthew’s gospel. So let us look now at the four weeks of Advent.

Advent has a two-fold character to it. It is a time of preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered, and likewise a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time. My experience is that most of us spend a lot of time and energy preparing for the celebration of the First Coming of Jesus in our Christmas celebrations. But it’s hard to do much preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus during Advent because our culture, marketing, and commercialization focus all our attention on the celebration of Christmas. The selection of our scripture readings for the first, second, and third Sundays of Advent turn our attention to the Second Coming of Jesus. It isn’t until the Fourth Sunday of Advent that our thoughts are turned to Christmas.

On the First Sunday of Advent, the prophet Isaiah turns our thoughts to “in the day’s to come”……a vision of a peaceful world where there will be no more war. That will be a reality when Jesus returns. In the gospel, Jesus gives a warning about the end of time. On the Second Sunday of Advent, Isaiah continues his vision of a world where everything is in harmony –don’t we long for the day! In the gospel, we meet John the Baptist who calls us to repentance. On the Third Sunday of Advent, Isaiah continues his vision of a world where healing will take place – and don’t we need that!! The gospel tells a story of John in prison, Jesus already born and doing miraculous things. It isn’t until the Fourth Sunday of Advent that we get to the Christmas theme.

I know it’s difficult with all the details of getting ready for Christmas….the shopping, decorating, cooking, cleaning etc. but I urge you in your interior life to take the slow movement toward Christmas that our Advent readings do to think and pray about the Second Coming of Christ. Then perhaps, when the Church’s Christmas Season comes (December 25 through January 12) you will have a little more energy to celebrate the First Coming of Jesus as the Church does, and not end your Christmas celebration as the commercial world does on December 26th!

Have a blessed Advent!

Fr Don

The scripture readings and prayers at Sunday Mass celebrate the birth, life, teachings, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus in a three year cycle. Each cycle begins on the First Sunday of Advent and ends on the feast we celebrate today, Christ the King. Today then, we end cycle C. During cycle C we have heard the story of Jesus as told from the Gospel of Luke. Next Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent we will begin cycle A and will hear the story of Jesus as told from Matthew’s perspective.

Some things to know about Matthew’s Gospel. He writes primarily to Jewish Christians around AD 80-85. He begins with a long genealogy of Jesus to establish Jesus as an heir to the promise of Abraham and as the Messiah King who has to come from the house of David. At the time Matthew wrote, Jews and Christians alike were in turmoil. The Romans had destroyed the great Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Christians were under suspicion and attacked by Jews, Romans, and even other Christians who had set themselves up as prophets. In this turbulent time, Matthew assures his audience that even though the world in which they must preach the Good News is a hostile one, with many temptations to turn away from Jesus, those who acknowledge Jesus will inherit the Kingdom of God.

Also, in Matthew’s vision, faithfulness to the Gospel ethic to love God and neighbor is the crucial determinant of whether a Christian will be invited into heaven. Finally, Matthew’s Gospel places emphasis on the concept of Church. It is in this Gospel that Peter is named the rock upon which the Church is built. Matthew also draws out the understanding of Christian discipleship and community as the fuller and deeper living out of the Jewish Law. Jesus himself says, “Do not think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17)

Year A then is dominated by two themes from Matthew’s account: urgency and uncompromising choice. Matthew begins our cycle A with warnings to stay awake for the coming of God, and ends it with judgment between those who followed a righteous path and those who did not. In between, Matthew exhorts us to watch, to listen, and to follow Jesus. One either follows Christ or does not; one either lives in the reign of God or dies apart from it.

This Thursday we celebrate our national holiday of Thanksgiving. We invite you, your family, friends and guests to start your celebration by coming to the greatest thanksgiving feast ever! We will celebrate the Eucharist on Thanksgiving Day at 9:00AM. Fr. Mark and I hope to see you there!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Fr Don

We welcome two new music ensembles who will be leading us in our Sunday worship once a month at our 10:45AM Mass. A newly formed OLM Youth Choir for children grades 3 through 8 made their debut two weeks ago. A newly formed adult ensemble Mercy Players made their debut last weekend. Any children in grades 3 – 8 who would like to join the OLM Y outh Choir are welcome to contact Carrie Nadziejko at cbeelner@msn.com. Rehearsals will be on Wednesdays when RE is in session from 6:00 to 6:30PM. Anyone interested in being a part of the Mercy Players should contact our Director of Music Ministries, Frank Sauter at franks@olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org to set up an audition. Our Adult Choir, which sings weekly at the 9:00AM Mass would like to welcome new members! Rehearsals are on Wednesday from 7:00 – 9:00PM. Contact Frank if you would like to join. We are always open to and encourage our parishioners with musical gifts and talents to praise God by sharing them with our parish community. We are still in need of someone to take leadership for forming and conducting a teen ensemble/choir to play once or twice a month at the 5:30PM Mass on Sunday. If there is anyone out there with that talent and desire, please contact Frank Sauter. Lastly, regarding music…..all our choirs and musical ensembles are not to take place of the congregation singing! Yes, choirs and ensembles at times can sing a meditation or solo piece, but their role is to lead and enhance the congregation in singing. You folks out in the congregation…..if God gave you a rotten voice – give it back! Pick up the red hymnal and sing anyway!! Those who sing pray twice!!

Advent is only three Sunday’s away followed by the Christmas season. Questions often arise about the placement of the Advent wreath and nativity scene. We follow the liturgical directives of the Church for the placement of the advent wreath and the nativity scene. While the Advent wreath may be placed in the sanctuary, the directives for the nativity scene state that: “If the nativity scene is set up in the church, it must not be placed in the sanctuary.” In our church, the sanctuary is the entire elevated platform and steps that are tiled on which are placed the Altar, Ambo, Presider’s and Deacon’s chairs. That is why our nativity scene was set up in the narthex last year and will be again this Christmas. Have a blessed week!

Fr Don

Have you ever wondered who can be saved? The answer is found in today’s Gospel story. A rich man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life? Jesus reminds him what the commandments are, only to have the rich man say, “I’ve kept all these from my youth.” Jesus’ response is a shocking one: “One thing remains for you to do: Sell everything you possess!” This is such a radical response that the people hearing it, including his disciples, ask: “Then who can be saved?” To answer their question, a story about another rich man named Zacchaeus is told. Only this time, the person is not a righteous follower of the law, but a man who is known by all to be a “sinner.” His sin is that he is the chief tax collection, a man who has gotten rich from colluding with the hated Romans and oppressing the Jewish people. But unlike the first rich man, who asked the question about how one can gain eternal life, Zacchaeus is open to the possibility of a new life, a transformed life, a life of hospitality and generosity and “glorifying God.”

Appearances can deceive us. Everything about the first rich man suggested the utmost piety. He’d followed all the commandments from the time he was a child. He was pious to the core. Yet he lacked one thing – the willingness to change his heart, and the longing to embrace a new way of living in total trust of God. We are told that he went away sad. At the same time, everything about Zacchaeus suggested corruption and wickedness. Yet he so wanted to see Jesus, he was so on fire to discover a new approach to life, that he almost made of fool out of himself by climbing a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus even though he was very short. And after he was able to see and to hear, he climbed down and enthusiastically welcomed Jesus into his home and into his heart. In fact, he was so changed by this experience that he promised to give away half his wealth and make restitution to anyone he cheated. Here is a rich man filled with joy! This Jesus tells us, is the answer to the question “Who can be saved?” Those who have a free and generous heart; those who do not allow themselves to become consumed by their possessions. Zacchaeus was saved that day because, although he was a little man, he had a giant heart!

Have a blessed week!

Fr Don