Prepare the Way: The Gospel of Mark begins not with the birth of Jesus, but with John the Baptist quoting the prophet Isaiah, “prepare the way of the Lord.” Perhaps on this Second Sunday of Advent we can ask ourselves, “How are we truly preparing to meet Jesus?”
Repentance: John the Baptist preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins as a way to prepare the way of the Lord. This Saturday, Dec. 16, we will have confessions from 8:30 am – Noon. Besides that, we will have confessions at our regularly scheduled times.
Sisters: This Sunday evening I will be in Ann Arbor with our youth group visiting the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. We will join them for evening prayer and then I promised the youth group I would take them out for pizza afterward.
Questions about Life: Our next ALPHA series begins on Jan 10. Our fall series was a big hit, and I really, really hope you will take the time to attend this next ALPHA series. You won’t regret it.
Welcome: Dynamic Catholic (Matthew Kelly) has taken over Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) and renamed it “WELCOME.” These retreats for men and women have been a tremendous blessing to our parish and have built lifelong friendships. Our next men’s WELCOME retreat is April 14-15 and the women’s is April 28-29.
Our Lady of Guadalupe: This Tuesday, Dec. 12, is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It’s one of my favorite feasts. Our Blessed Mother appeared in Guadalupe, Mexico in 1531. At the time the Aztec leaders sacrificed babies and other people (estimates range from 20,000 – 250,000 per year) to appease the gods. Our Blessed Mother appeared to a humble man, St. Juan Diego, as a pregnant woman. From there the message spread of the one true God. Within ten years, six million people converted to Catholicism. Talk about evangelization!
Boosters Meeting: This Tuesday evening, Dec. 12, at 8 pm the Boosters are having their monthly meeting. Deeply appreciate all that the Boosters do to support our athletic teams. All the monies they earn go directly to help fund our school athletic programs.
Building Committee: This Thursday, Dec. 14, we are having another building committee meeting, this time with Fr. Francis George of the diocesan building committee present. Please pray for this endeavor.
School News: It’s another big week for our school. This Thursday we are having our first Band Concert. Really excited about that. And then on Friday the Christmas program will be held. Each grade of the school sings a different song. It’s really impressive.
Getting together: This Friday, Dec. 15, the priests from our Genesee County region are getting together for their bi-monthly meeting. We are blessed with the number of priests we have in our diocese. However, the number of priests is dwindling. At a recent meeting Bishop Boyea remarked that he will probably seek the help of priests from other countries in a few years. Please pray for vocations to the priesthood.
Serving: This Saturday, Dec. 16, volunteers from our parish will be handing out Christmas baskets to those in need. Thank you for your generosity and kindness!
Auction Dinner: This Wednesday evening, Dec. 13, Fr. Dan and I will be hosting a dinner for some parishioners. They donated money for this dinner way back in May at our school auction. Better late than never!
Hoops: Can’t believe that we beat a group of Flint Powers high school students again in a basketball game last week. I think we won by three points. It was fun to be there, all for a good cause.
May you continue to have a Blessed Advent season and stay warm.
With love and prayers,
Msgr. Jerry
Some quotes from the Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross, whose feast day is Dec. 14.
“Silence is God’s first language.”
“Where there is no love, pour love in, and you will draw love out.”
“In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved.”