In the Fourth Sunday in Advent the Church’s liturgy focuses on Mary, the Mother of God, and on her free acceptance of God’s will in her life which prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. As we have heard before, the late John Paul II called Mary the “Apostle of the Apostles” due to her fiat—her freely choosing to follow the will of God even at her very young age…the Gospel tells us that “she pondered” what all this meant when the Angel Gabriel told her that “she found favor with God.” A young woman—just a young a girl—being visited by an angel and told that she will bear a son which is to be conceived by the power of the Most High, and who will be the savior of the world. Faith, Trust, and Hope—all with capitals—had to be present in her as she said “be it done to me according to thy will…”
As Christmas draws near we are called to reflect on our Faith, our Trust and our Hope in God. What do we accept willingly and freely from Him? In whom do we place our lives and our future—our future salvation? The Lord is coming! Will we willingly accept being another “handmaid” of the Lord or will we turn our backs on Him and choose another “power?” Is our faith strong enough so that we can make a decision as powerful and as all-important as that young girl did?
In the world of art, the Annunciation is depicted nearly as often as the Crucifixion. There is great interest in this subject. The venerable Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (born in 1090 near Dijon, France) said “everything depends on the answer Mary will give to the angel. The decision is of the utmost importance, and Mary does not rush into it. She thinks, even questions, before she gives her yes. When she does say yes, she does so without any conditions, holding nothing back. She gives herself over absolutely to God, allowing His will to be done in her.”
As we continue to celebrate the two-fold character of Advent: (1) waiting-in-memory of Christ’s birth—the celebration of the memorial of His Incarnation; and, (2) waiting-in-supplication—hoping and praying for the Second Coming of the Lord, we reflect on our inner spiritual life and ask ourselves if we are truly waiting in Hope for the Coming of Christ and the great-est Christmas gift of all…His Eternal Presence and Love. May that gift, under the Tree of Life, have a tag with our names on it. Amen!
Parish update…the Building and Grounds Committee has been busy doing a great deal of work and individual projects to improve and update the parish center and church as far as winterization projects go. I thank all involved. Bill Bitterli has been working hard to organize the issues surrounding the heating system in the new parish center. Unfortunately there are some serious issues with the pipes heading out of the boiler system…the integrity of the pipes have been breached and we had to replace a number of fittings, due to metal fatigue and corrosion in the boiler system…the integrity of the pipes have been breached and we had to replace a number of fittings, due to metal fatigue and corruption. We are seeking the help of the Archdiocese to find a reasonable solution and rectify the problem. Mike Doyle, a parishioner with many talents, has also agreed to help Bill Bitterli in the overall project to get a handle on the computer systems that regulate our energy usage…no small feat in this building. Technology…you gotta love it?
Many thanks to the folks involved in repairing the pews and kneelers. It saves us a great deal of money as these men actually volunteer time to replace the broken or weak sections due to time and use. Mike Reilley, Mike Daly, Russ Cashman and other have been on-the-job on this issue and I am much appreciative.
The Finance Council will be preparing the 2009 budget for the parish and I will present it and our financial outlook to the parish in January. Also the Council is working on a plan to market the Parish Center for parties and meetings so that we can begin to create some income and offset expenses. A sub-committee of the Parish Council and I are working on a five-year plan for the parish and hopefully we will be discussing that publically in January. On this Friday, December 19, the Music Committee will meet to discuss the parameters of the job description of a new music director. We will be holding interviews shortly. I extend my most sincere thanks and appreciation to Carol and Michael Yachanin, Ezequiel Menendez and Mercedes Featherston for all their assistance with great music during this transitional time.
I received this email message today and am not sure if it is an “urban legend” or if it is true…but as they say in Italy…even if it isn’t true, its good enough to be true. Enjoy.
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love. The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation. Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy. The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments. The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples. The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish. Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone!
PEACE!
