An Advent Message

Embracing the Spirit of Advent: A Time of Hope, Peace, Joy, and LoveAs the days grow shorter and the nights longer, we find ourselves on the brink of a season of hope, a season of waiting, a season of longing, and a season of anticipation. Advent invites us to slow down, pause, and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. It's a time to prepare our hearts for the celebration of the Incarnation, that event 2,000 years ago when God took human flesh and became man and dwelt among us.
We mark the Sundays of Advent with candles. Each week's candle focuses on a different virtue that connects us with the spirit of the season: hope, peace, joy, and love. How can we embody these virtues in our daily lives?

• Hope: Even in the darkest of times, we can cultivate hope.
• Peace: We can strive for peace within ourselves and with others.
• Joy: We can find joy in the simple moments and share that joy with those around us.
• Love: Most importantly, we can seek to love unconditionally, just as Christ loves us.

It's worth engaging in the Advent season, even as the world around us seems to leapfrog it and jump right to Christmas. By doing so, we can truly enter into the meaning of the Incarnation.
Embracing Advent at Our Parish
Here at the parish, we'll be offering a couple of nights for quiet prayer in church. We'll have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and confession will be available. Remember, our parish is a Christmas parish, consecrated to the Archangel Gabriel who announced the dawn of Salvation and the wondrous event of the Nativity.
May this Advent season be a time of renewal, hope, and drawing closer to God. Let's embrace the spirit of this season, open our hearts to the love of God, and share that love with the world.