Fr. James Hurlbert, Pastor
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Dear Friends,
With the First Sunday of Advent we enter into the liturgical period preparing us for our Christmas celebration. These weeks during which the hours of sunlight are at their low point of the year remind us of the spiritual darkness into which Jesus, the light of the world, first emerged. Just as the days start getting longer after Christmas, the world’s hope began to light up after the birth of the Savior. To help in your Advent preparations, we purchased some little booklets of daily meditations that you are welcome to take home with you. These are from Bishop Robert Barron, the well known author and speaker at the center of the Word on Fire ministries. There are lots of additional Advent resources, including inspiring videos and talks, available at that website: www.wordonfire.org. The website also has instructions for receiving the daily reflections found in the booklets via email each day. Another inspiring speaker and writer, Matthew Kelly, has Advent reflections and support available through the website: www.dynamiccatholic.com. You might also be interested in receiving daily Advent reflections from Chicago seminarians- you can sign up to receive these at: https://usml.edu/advent-reflections/ Here at the parish you might consider attending daily Mass during the week (if you are not working). Remember that we gather at 8:05 am for a 25-30 minute Mass- on Mondays and Wednesdays at Nativity and Tuesdays and Fridays at St. Gabriel. My parents attended daily Mass on most days during their entire adult lives, and regularly talked about how important that became as an anchor in their spiritual lives. Even if you don’t attend every day, consider trying just once a week. You may be surprised at the difference it makes. I will make extra time to hear confessions during Advent: On Saturdays, I’ll be available 15 minutes earlier than usual, starting at 3:30pm. I will also be in the confessional during the Tuesday evening prayer and adoration from 6-7:30pm on December 14. At Nativity I will be in the confessional for the regular First Friday Holy Hour, December 3, from 7-8pm, and again on December 16 from 6 – 7:30pm. Remember that Saint Gabriel is also open for private prayer on Saturday mornings, from 9 – 10:30. May your week reflect the encounter with Christ We experienced at Mass today! Comments are closed.
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