Dear Parish Family,
Happy Advent! Did you know the word Advent (Latin: adventus) simply refers to the "coming" of Christ? In his Advent reflection booklet, Timothy Cardinal Dolan talks about the three "comings" of Christ: Christ's coming in history, mystery, and majesty. The Lord has chosen to come to us in our human history at His Incarnation. He therefore revealed His desire to come and remain with us in the sacramental mysteries we celebrate (especially the mystery of the Eucharist). Finally, He promised to come again at the Second Coming in majesty, where the Kingdom of God will invite all creation to renewal and redemption.
All three comings of Christ are part of our Advent preparation and celebration, and our readings this weekend prepare us to be with Christ as He comes. We hear that the time is now to ascend the Lord's mountain. The Scriptures evoke an immediacy to be in the right place at the right time. We want to be where Christ is when He comes. The three comings are not only ways that Christ comes to be with us, but more directly they are the ways for us to be with Christ. With this in mind, Christ is ever ready for us to invite Him into our own personal history, into the mystery of this day, and into the majesty of our redemption as saints in the Kingdom of heaven.
Brothers and sisters, I wrote these brief Advent bullet prayers for you and for me because we all need them. Be encouraged as you recommit yourself to the Lord in a new way this Advent season.
Angel Scholarship Fund Presentation and Q&A with Accountants (Nov. 29 and Dec. 10):
Everyone benefits when we can turn taxes into tuition! Catholic education is more important than ever. The simplest way to support St. Mary School at no net cost to you as a donor is with the Angel Scholarship Fund. To engage the community at large, I would like to invite you to attend a short presentation and Q&A on the Angel Scholarship Fund in the St. Mary Parish Banquet Room. You can attend on Tuesday, November 29 at 6:30 pm OR Saturday, December 10 at 1:00 pm.
Contributing comes at no net cost to you as a donor since your donation comes from the state taxes you have to pay anyway. You can make a big difference here! I would love to see all parish and school families contributing to and advocating for the Angel Scholarship Fund. This is the low-hanging fruit that will make a huge difference for our school, parish, and local community. I cannot overstate the importance of this new tax credit scholarship and the lasting impact it will have with our full support. Please read the flyer in today's bulletin, come to one of the sessions, and visit https://stmarychardon.
Know of my prayers for you this holy season, and thank you for your prayers for me as I prepare for my pastor installation on Sunday, December 11.
I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow