Fr. Jim First Week of Advent 11/29/20

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, We celebrate the first Sunday of Advent this weekend. It is the beginning of a new liturgical year. Advent is a period of preparing the way for an encounter with the Lord. There are three ways in which we encounter the Lord. First, we journey with the prophets, the Magi, and Anna and Simeon who waited upon the Lord with the expectation of encountering our Messiah, born in a manger in Bethlehem, and presented in the Temple in Jerusalem. Second, we journey with all Christians throughout the world who wait upon the Lord every time we encounter Jesus in the Word of God proclaimed, and in the Sacraments received. Third, we journey with all Christians who wait upon the Lord’s second coming to judge the living and the dead. All three of these encounters with the Lord require from us a disposition of hearts and minds ready and willing to encounter Him. This time of preparation each year ought to be approached as a mini retreat leading up to the Christmas season. Christmas begins on December 24th at the Vigil Mass and continues all the way until the Solemnity of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. We are encouraged to set aside time daily to reflect upon the Word of God. We are encouraged to practice disciplines that slow us down and allow us to be open more to God’s grace. Last year, we offered several ways in which we could corporately prepare for Christmas. This year, we will once again be offering opportunities to journey together as a community of faith. First, I will once again be leading morning prayer daily at 7:30 am Tuesday through Saturday. We will continue to pray the rosary and divine mercy chaplet daily Tuesday through Saturday at 9 am. We will continue to offer adoration of the Blessed Sacrament daily Tuesday through Saturday until 11 am. We will also offer the Become the Fire prayer gathering Friday, December 4th, at 7 pm in the church. We will be offering an evening of prayer, Scripture, and Song on Saturday, December 5th, at 6:30 pm in the church. For our homebound parishioners, all of these will be livestreamed through our website www.scholastica.church. It is my prayer that we will divert our attention from the distractions and temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and focus more on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Know that I will be praying for you and your families. Please continue to pray for me. Your brother in Christ, Fr. Jim Lowe, CC