Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
The “Advent Turn” Toward the Nativity
What we might call the “Advent turn” is complete. I do not mean here the turning toward the Lord with “ad orientem” worship (which we have already been doing for 3 weeks). I mean it here like turning a corner.  Whereas the focus for the first weeks of Advent is on preparing for the Second Coming of Christ, the turn has happened so that now we look more intently on celebrating how the Messiah was born into the world.  Starting mid last week on December 17th and continuing until Christmas Eve is a special liturgical preparation called the “O Antiphons.”  Each day is assigned a particular messianic title, which is called out as we prepare for Christ’s coming.  This is the list in Latin and English: “O Sapientia (Wisdom), O Adonai (Lord). O Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (Key of David), O Oriens (Light of the East), O Rex Gentium (King of the Nations), O Emmanuel (God with us).  Now you see that I highlighted the first letter of each Latin word.  If you work backwards those letters spell out something cool: ERO CRAS.  In latin it means, “I will come tomorrow.”  So the final days of our Advent season literally “spell it out” for us.  Christ is coming!  Let us rejoice and be glad that our God loves us so much that He assumed our human nature that we can have the opportunity to share in his divine nature by His grace. 
 
Have a graced last few days of Advent and a Merry Christmas.  I look forward to celebrating the Lord’s Nativity - literally Christ’s Mass (Christmas) - with all of you!
 
Thank You
Thank you to all who have helped our parish prepare and celebrate Advent so well.  Our Staff, the Stewards of the Land ministry, the volunteers who helped decorate, our musicians, servers, sacristan, lectors, ushers, Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and every one who showed their generosity through the offertory, and through their support of the Peter Maurin Center or St. Vincent DePaul Society.  And thank you to all who participate at Mass and strive to serve the Lord in many ways I cannot list here. I am honored and humbled to be your pastor and lead you in prayer at Holy Mass.  You are a blessing to my priesthood.  Please continue to pray for me as I pray for you. 
 
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Pfr