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December 13, 2018Dear friends in Christ,
Today is the 3rd Sunday of Advent, and our last full week of this great time of waiting for the Lord. Next week we have the 4th Sunday of Advent on Dec. 23 and then, just a day later, Christmas will be upon us. Let’s use this week to wait in joyful anticipation. As a people we don’t usually like to wait, whether it be in traffic, the doctor’s office, or in line at the grocery store. But Advent waiting is different and worth the effort. We light the rose-colored candle on our Advent wreath today as a joyful reminder of the two-fold coming of Christ at His birth and at the end of time. Today is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday from the Latin word meaning “rejoice.”
As we wait this week, amidst all the busyness of the season, let’s also take a look ahead at our upcoming Christmas schedule of Masses. As mentioned, next Sunday, Dec. 23, is the 4th Sunday of Advent so make sure you come to Mass that day to finish out the season of Advent. I suppose some might be tempted to skip Sunday and just come on Christmas (or vice-versa), but don’t do it! Give the Lord’s Day its proper prominence and then also plan to come to one of the Christmas services. You’ve got plenty of options!
Our Christmas Mass schedule will be: Monday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) at 4 p.m. (with an additional Mass at the same time in the Parish Hall), 6:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 12 midnight; Tuesday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day): 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Caroling will be held before each Mass. The nursery will be open for the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Masses only. We expect each Mass to be well attended so please plan on arriving early to find a space for both your car in the parking lot and yourself in a pew!
Looking ahead to next year, I want to remind you of the upcoming discernment for new members of our Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) on Saturday, Jan. 12. The PPC is an advisory board to me as pastor of the parish and is one of the chief ways that the parishioners participate in the life and mission of the Church. We have an excellent PPC at the moment and I have benefited greatly from their collective wisdom the past several years. We all owe the current PPC a tremendous amount of gratitude for their service.
The PPC is comprised of 12 parishioners and we rotate membership every year to get new people and new ideas involved. We try to keep a balance of nine discerned members and three appointees. A process of discernment has become the normative way that pastoral councils are filled throughout the country. Though it takes a few hours to complete, it allows all participating to share in the experience and, most importantly, allows the Holy Spirit to guide the collective wisdom of those discerning. It soon becomes clear who the Spirit is calling to serve in this ministry.
It is important to note that members of the PPC are expected to be attentive to the needs of the entire community. They must work on behalf of all, not just their favorite areas of interest. They are a representative body, not a body of representatives. They serve in a consultative role only and have no decision-making authority. They do not deal with the day-to-day operations, but rather are to be “forward-looking” and envisioning in their role. They help indentify present and future needs and consult with me on ways we can best achieve those goals.
To be a member of the PPC, one must be an active registered parishioner with a demonstrated commitment to the life of the parish. You must be fully initiated in the sacraments, and if married, be in a Catholic marriage. A PPC member must also be willing to engage in spiritual growth and skills development to best serve on the council, and I think it goes without saying that you must be willing to commit to working collaboratively with others. The PPC meets once a month, but there are often other responsibilities associated with the council that require time and preparation.
If you would like to participate, please contact me in the office or catch me in the narthex as you are leaving Mass one day. If you would like to nominate someone to go through the discernment, please let me know so that we might invite them to attend the discernment. I’m hopeful we will have a good group of parishioners on Saturday, Jan. 12 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 111 of the Parish Office Building (we’re usually finished by 12 noon). Also, please feel free to ask any current PPC member any questions you might have about working on the council. You’ll find them at most every Mass wearing a PPC name badge.
Don’t forget our collection of new toys for the children of Our Mother of Mercy Church continues this weekend. If you forgot and still want to participate, feel free to drop off your present in the Parish Office this week before Friday. Please help make Christmas a little brighter for our friends in our “twinned” parish. We’ll take the gifts early next Saturday, Dec. 22 to OMOM. See the parish website for details of the delivery day (and the sorting the night before) and how you can be part of this great family activity. Same goes for our Christmas gift card program for Cypress Assistance Ministry. If you haven’t yet brought your Christmas card with a gift card to either Wal-Mart or Target, drop it by the office this week and we’ll distribute them through CAM to those local families in need of a little extra assistance this time of year.
Peace,
Fr. Sean
P.S.: This Monday, Dec. 17, we’re hosting the annual Simbang Gabi Mass at 7 p.m. for our Filipino community. This Mass is held at a number of parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston each night in the days leading up to Christmas, much like posadas are held each night in the Hispanic community. Monday is our turn to host it, and though it has special prominence for our many Filipino families, the Mass is open to everyone as is the great feast the community puts on after Mass. Trust me, you don’t want to miss that! It’s a great way to experience the catholicity (small “c” - universality) of our beautiful faith. All are welcome!