Weekend of December 10/11, 2022
From the loneliness of his prison cell John the Baptist asks
of Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we
look for another?” The weeks before Christmas offer much
to be joyous about, celebrating with family and friends,
the glitter of seasonal decorations, the excitement of gift
giving and receiving. But in our midst there are the lonely
and neglected, the poor, the hospitalized, the wayward,
the shut-ins. There are those who feel that they have no
hope. To whom should they look? Discipleship in the
Lord includes being good stewards of others. Are there
those in our family, our neighborhood, our community to
whom we can reach out to show them a sign of Christ’s
presence in their midst?
Category: Parish News
Advent – A Season of Hope
Advent is a time of waiting and expectation; a season of quiet anticipation and
preparation. We are waiting for our Lord to come into the world as the baby
Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. We are also preparing for His
return, His second coming as the shepherd-king, to restore harmony and right
relationship to all creation. Advent is a season yearning for God to come and set
the world right with perfect justice, truth and peace. It is a season of hope.
Advent is a time to emphasize preparation through prayer. While Lent
emphasizes a spirit of repentance through prayer and fasting, Advent’s prayers
are prayers of humble devotion and commitment, prayers for deliverance,
prayers of gladness and joyful expectation, prayers that await the light of Christ
coming into the world.
We do not shrink from those Advent scripture readings that reveal a strong
prophetic tone of accountability and judgment. Christ’s disciples expect the Lord
to hold them accountable for what has been entrusted to them just as a spouse,
parent, teacher or supervisor holds us accountable. And just as the steward was
found faithful in small matters by the master, we too are confident that we will
be found faithful and will enter the joy of the Master. We have absolute trust in
the Lord’s countenance.
Assuredly, during Advent we anticipate the Lord’s coming with hope. It is
that hope, however faint at times, that keeps us from despair and the darkness
of sin and its destructiveness. It is a hope that urges us to be kind, loving and
compassionate toward one another. It is a hope that encourages our faith in a
merciful God who continues to pour His grace upon us.
We don’t know when Christ will come again to bring human history to its
completion. But we celebrate with gladness the great promise of Advent and
we rekindle that positive, joyful spirit within us because we know, as Zechariah
prophesied, that the light of Christ will shine on all who sit in darkness and the
shadow of death, and He will guide our feet into the way of peace.
Second Sunday of Advent
Weekend of December 3/4, 2022
In today’s Gospel reading John the Baptist warns his
listeners: “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
The Church’s yearly Advent herald is a call to repentance.
The season of Advent urges us to be open to a conversion
of heart. Christian stewards heed this call daily, and take
the need for conversion in their lives seriously. As a family
of faith, do we hear this call to conversion amidst the
massive holiday spending? The increase in credit card
debt? The urge to buy things that are not necessary? The
incivility on the roadways during the holidays? Are there
patterns in our own lives that need to be converted?
Advent Penance Services
Reconciling yourself to the Lord in preparation for His Coming is a vital part of the Advent Season. We, and our neighboring parishes, are hosting Advent Penance Services. Each event will start with a Communal Penance Service, followed by an opportunity for Private Confessions with 6-25 priests.
Monday, Dec 5 at 7 p.m. at Se. Elizabeth Seton in La Costa
Tuesday, Dec 6 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter in Fallbrook
Tuesday, Dec 6 at 6 p.m. at St. Peter in Fallbrook
Friday, Dec 9 at 7 p.m. at St. Mary Star of the Sea in Oceanside
Tuesday, Dec 13 at 7 p.m. at St. John in Encinitas
Wednesday, Dec 14 at 7 p.m. at St. Patrick in Carlsbad
Thursday, Dec 15 at 6:30 p.m. at St. James in Solana Beach
Monday, Dec 19 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mark in San Marcos (in English only)
Tuesday, Dec 20 at 12:30 p.m. at St. Francis in Vista
Tuesday, Dec 20 at 6;30 p.m. at St. Francis in Vista
Wednesday, Dec 21 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mark in San Marcos (in Spanish only)
The Blessed Virgin Mary: Our Model of Stewardship
During the Advent and Christmas seasons, we have a number of opportunities to reflect on and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is a model of stewardship par excellence. Mary teaches us the meaning of stewardship by her own life witness.
On December 8, we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the conception of Mary in her mother’s womb without the stain of original sin.
On December 12, we celebrate Mary as Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 1531 she appeared to Juan Diego on a hill outside Mexico City. A life-size figure of the Virgin as a young, dark-skinned American Indian woman with the face of a mestizo was imprinted on his cloak. The image gave the indigenous people of the Americas assurance that our Blessed Mother was loving and compassionate toward them.
On December 25, when we celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord, we celebrate the birth of Jesus through his mother, Mary. The Incarnation took place through Mary’s own flesh, and the infant Jesus was nourished by Mary’s own body.
On January 1, Mary is honored as the “Mother of God,” the greatest of her titles. This title is the foundation for every other title attributed to her as she became the mother of God from the instant Jesus was conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit.
First Sunday of Advent
Weekend of November 26/ 27, 2022 On this first Sunday of Advent Jesus urges his disciples to stay awake and prepare themselves for the Lord’s coming. Good stewards prepare themselves and await Christ’s judgment in joyous expectation. This attitude requires genuine spiritual maturity, of course; the kind that is cultivated by prayer, participation in the sacraments, loving attention to family and one’s communion of faith, and love for one’s neighbor. Are we prepared for the Lord’s second coming? Are we ready to receive Christ? Are we ready to look joyously for Christ’s judgment?