From the Pastor&#039;s Desk: Nov. 28, 2021

Today the Church begins a new liturgical year - Advent. The colors change from green to violet and the new season begins with words from Jesus: "To be aware! To be vigilant!" At the start to this Holy Season, the Lord wants to grab our attention, that nothing- including the hustle of the secular "holiday season, will interfere during this Advent as the special time of preparation for Christmas. The Sundays of Advent are intended to keep us alive with vigilance of expectation. These are Sundays when we are reminded that to have faith means to make fruitful preparation for the “gift” that will be placed in our hands.

The word Advent comes from the Latin “adventus” for "coming" and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. Advent always contains four Sundays, beginning on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30^th) and continuing until December 24. It is a time of preparation and reflection, hope and anticipation. It is the time to open the doors of our hearts and welcome the most important guest of our lives – Jesus Christ.

Although, our secular society began their push for Christmas a few weeks ago, we indeed should focus to be alert now, so the next four weeks will not pass us by without notice of anything special. We are invited to be watchful to live more fully our Christian calling and to pattern our lives on the life of Christ. This holy season offers an opportunity as we begin a new year of grace, a year in which we deepen our participation in the life of Christ as a template for our own.

Therefore, during this holy season we are confronted again with the question so vital for us Christians: what place do I give Christ in my life? Am I close to Him? In these short few weeks of preparation and anticipation for the coming of Christ in Christmas, we should let go of our cares and worries a bit and enjoy at least a few minutes each day the luxury of taking time to remember God’s faithfulness, to alert ourselves to the many blessings we have received and to recognize God’s love and care in our everyday busyness and concerns. In this time, we need to turn our hearts toward the Lord who especially now is near to us. We must become vigilant to His presence, not only in our own little world but in the Church and in the wide world. Our Lord is coming! "To be aware! To be vigilant!”

In our own anticipation for the coming of the Emmanuel – God with us, besides regular participation in Sunday and daily Eucharist, I want to invite all of you to set aside time for the St. Luke Advent Parish Mission- December 12-16, 2021. The mission, under the spiritual guidance of Msgr. Stephen Bosso, is a priest of the Diocese of Pensacola -Tallahassee, FL, and Scripture Professor at St. Vincent’s Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach and visiting professor at Notre Dame University. The theme of the Advent Mission is “Prepare your heart for the birth of Jesus.” Let’s take to heart this opportunity seriously, push aside the distraction and obstacles, and together with your families attend the Mission so we can experience this Advent in eager and active anticipation for the coming of Christ at Christmas.

As we begin the season of Advent, it is my prayer that we will take seriously this special opportune time to prepare the doors of our hearts and open them wide for Christ, so we can do something beautiful with our lives for Christ. “The Season of Advent is like springtime in nature when everything is renewed and so is fresh and healthy. Advent is also meant to do this to us – to refresh us and to make us healthy, to be able to receive Jesus in whatever form He may come to us.” –St. Mother Teresa

With prayers, Fr. Andy