December 1 ~ 1st Sunday of Advent
As advised by parish council, I continue to tell my vocation story as I hope to get to know you and you get to know me, grateful for the warm reception so many of you offered me at Thanksgiving. The word Eucharist means thanksgiving, and following my ordination, I was able to share the gift of the Eucharist with others by offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It was also very humbling hearing confessions, having people reveal their consciences as they sought God’s mercy through me. Something new had happened in my life!
As Advent begins, we begin a new liturgical season. The first two weeks focus on preparing for the coming of the Lord at the end of time. In the Gospel the Lord reminds His disciples: you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. We prepare for His coming by living each moment in His friendship and by repenting of our sins, so that we may be found ready when the Master of the Household returns. During Advent, there will be many extra opportunities to receive the Lord’s Mercy in the sacrament. As a minister of God’s Mercy, beginning with my first assignment at Holy Angels in Sidney and teaching at Lehman Catholic High School, I have marveled at the wonders of God’s Merciful Love.
The second two weeks of Advent recount the events that led to the birth of the Savior in time. It is a season for journeying with Mary, who brought Christ to the world. The priest too brings Jesus to others. From Sidney to Rome to Cincinnati to Washington, I have always felt Mary’s maternal tenderness and guidance. She, I believe, accompanies priests as they accompany their People. She reminds us that we cannot have our vocation on our own terms; rather, we must surrender everything to God as we bring Christ to others. The People of God, like Mary, must also be missionaries, bringing joy to those around us.
Throughout my life, beginning with childhood, I have always enjoyed Advent. Most people anticipate Christmas with parties and decorations; as such, soon after Christmas, they take down their trees and ornaments, forgetting about the Christmas Season. Every family has its traditions. Some families celebrate St. Nicholas’ Day by hanging stockings, with children hoping for candy and not coal! Our family tradition was to prepare a Nativity scene as a family. My dad was very creative. One year, he made the Nativity Scene inside a model of the Lunar Module.
Another year, we made a three-dimensional bible, and placed the Nativity Scene within it, as if it were an illustration on the page. As we grew older, my brothers and I took over, even making a stained-glass window to accompany the Nativity scene. We didn’t put our tree up until mid-December, and we didn’t take down our Nativity scene until February 2nd.
I have fond memories of Advent and Christmas, of a time when we were poorer and things were simpler. How I long for that childlike innocence that looks forward in hope to the birth of the Savior! These days we are often consumed by materialism and driven by the frantic pace of life. We see the glow of lighted trees, and hopefully it reminds us of the coming of the true light into the world. I am happy to finally be back in a parish during this joyful season- happy to be able to spend it with you and your families. As we journey together through Advent, may we heed the words of Isaiah: Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Pray for Renewal: 12/5 Holy Hour Holy Hour of Reparation, Thursday, December 5
Historically, the First Friday of each month was a day for honoring the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Thursday before the First Friday was a day for making reparation for sins. Revealing His Sacred Heart, Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary: “Make reparation for the ingratitude of men. Spend an hour in prayer to appease Divine Justice, to implore mercy for sinners, to honor Me, to console Me for my bitter suffering when abandoned by My Apostles, when they did not watch one hour with Me.”
I invite you to join me in a Holy Hour of Reparation on Thursday, December 5, 2019, from 6:00-7:00 PM. The Holy Hour will involve some initial prayers; praying for healing for our Church, including victims of clerical sexual abuse; the Litany of the Sacred Heart; time for silence; and the Litany of Jesus Christ, Priest and Victim, as we pray for Shepherds formed after the Heart of Christ.
Pope John Paul spoke often of making reparation for the sins against life throughout the twentieth century and suggested that upon the “ash heap and rubble” of that century, through acts of reparation, we could lay a firm foundation for the “civilization of love.” Our Church and parish are in need of renewal, and we can never underestimate the power of prayer!
Fr. Fernandes