Second Sunday of Advent
Dear Parishioners,
Often, we forget that Advent is a penitential season. We get caught up in all the gaiety of the Christmas Season and we forget we are to be preparing for the coming of the Lord. Advent penance does not necessarily look like Lenten Penance. We are not abstaining from fish on Sunday and fasting, but there are special considerations.
One thing we are asked to do is to practice certain virtues during advent like patience and hope. Silence is another discipline to practice. We also are to be prayerful. We take as our example the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary waited in her pregnancy for the coming of Jesus. Certainly, this tried her patience. The physical toll of pregnancy and discomfort can be witnessed about by all mothers.
What are some Advent penances we can engage in? Consider silence again. We modern people have all kinds of noise. Most of it is caused by social media. Can we turn off the computer in our pocket for a few hours? Do we have to be on call at every moment? I know that is draining to me. When I can turn off my smart phone it feels so freeing. I am more able to concentrate.
Another penance we might try is taking some time for the Eucharist. We have the great gift of having daily Mass in our parish at 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. We also have other daily Masses throughout the week. The readings of Advent are wonderful for spiritual reflection. We should also remember that we have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, and Advent Vespers at 4:00pm on Dec. 10th and 17th.
The penance we engage in for Advent can bring some quiet and focus into our lives. The Lord came into the world as a human being to strike up a relationship with all of us. Relationships take time to cultivate if they are going to be intimate. Let’s spend some time with the Lord this Advent in prayer and we will better able to find the other Advent virtue that we miss out on so much……..Joy.
Blessings,
Fr. Mark