ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
Dec. 7 Vigil Mass -Feast of the Immaculate Conception: 4:30 PM.
Dec. 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception: 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM.
Dec. 20 Advent Prayer Service: 7:00 PM.
Dec. 24 Christmas Eve:
4:30 PM, 7:00 PM and Midnight.
Dec. 25 Christmas:
9:00 AM and 11:00 AM.
Dec. 31 Vigil Mass for the Feast of Mary the Mother of God: 4:30 PM.
Jan. 1 Solemnity of Mary
the Mother of God:
9:00 AM and 11:00 AM.
On Wednesdays there will be
Advent Prayer Reflection
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
Confessions will be heard 30 minutes before all Masses during Advent.
o much going on
PASTOR’S WEEKLY MESSAGE B1
“STAY AWAKE”
In the Gospel of today’s Mass, Jesus says: “Stay awake.” And to His Apostles, He adds these words: “And I say to you what I say to all: Stay awake.” Jesus tells ALL OF US that we are to remain awake, to be fully awake. He repeats these words three times in the short Gospel reading of today. When we repeat something three times, it means that we find this thing very important. It is the same with Jesus.
What does it mean to stay awake? It does not mean that we should never sleep. Our bodies need to rest. We need to sleep to keep in good health. Here, Jesus is not speaking about our bodies. He is really telling us that our hearts should stay awake. Awake for His coming. His coming at Christmas, yes, but also, His coming in our lives—every day.
How can I do this? How can I keep my heart awake? Three different ways to do this… First, I keep my heart awake by listening to God’s words to me by being attentive when God’s message is read during Mass. I do not allow my mind to wonder away while the reader speaks the words of God. Also, I take a short time at home, every day, to read my Bible and listen to God speak to me. Second, I keep my heart awake by thinking of God being with me throughout the day. As I go about my daily work, from time to time, I stop for a moment and remind myself: ‘God is with me here and now.’ I set aside some time during the day, when I pray on my own and with my family. The third way is by being awake to the needs of other people around me. Every day, I meet people in need—some are sick, some are lonely, some need advice... At times, I am tempted not to look at them, not to see their needs—as if I were asleep, but Jesus asks me to be awake. And then there’s a fourth way to follow Jesus’ words…to stay awake in fulfilling my responsibilities. In simple words, this means: to perform well whatever work I have to do. Like the servants in Jesus’ story, each one of us has a special task. I may be a housewife, a schoolteacher, a nurse, a secretary, a father, or a mother of a family.
In the work I do, there are things I must pay attention to. I should be careful to do my work fully and faithfully. Some people are lazy and careless at work. If I keep my heart awake, as Jesus asks me, I will do my work as Jesus Himself would do it if He were in my place. It is not easy to be attentive, to be careful, to be faithful always. It is true it is not easy, but God will help us to live in this way. The Apostle, Paul, has told us so in the second reading today. He said: “God is faithful. He will keep you steady while you are waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ.” He will keep you steady, He will make you strong and firm. In this period of waiting, especially, He will help you to do what He asks from you. And what He asks from you is simply this: STAY AWAKE.
During this coming week, there is something I can do to carry out what Jesus asks of me... Every night, before I go to sleep, let me take a few minutes to look back on my day. Let me ask myself: “Have I stayed awake today?” Have I been awake to God’s words? Have I been awake to God’s presence with me throughout the day? Have I been awake to the needs of the people I met? Have I been awake to what God expected from me in my work? If I have, let me thank God for His help. If I see I have not done as well as I could do, let me ask for His forgiveness and let me tell him that I will try to do better the next day.