Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Today we observed the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Fortunately this year we get to celebrate an entire week of Advent instead of just a few days. This is good for our preparations, both secular and religious! Nonetheless, this week we will celebrate the great festivities and Christmas.

Please join us on Tuesday, December 21st at 7:00 p.m. for an evening of song and scripture with Deacon Paul and various other speakers, Ellen will lead us in song. This should prove to be a very prayerful evening, one that will enable us to truly reflect on the meaning of the season.

On Christmas Eve we will celebrate two Masses at 4:00 p.m. one in the school and one in the church. Mass will also be celebrated at 6:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. and Midnight, and then on Christmas Day at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. There will be no Mass on Christmas evening at 5:00 pm. Sunday Masses for the Feast of the Holy Family, December 26th, will be at 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Please join Tom and the choir at 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve for their annual Christmas concert. Thank you to the parishioners who responded to the appeal to join the choir. Tom now has some additional male voices to assist him in carrying the melodies. This is always a fun evening and another prayerful way to enter into the spirit of the season.

It definitely feels good that we were able to celebrate Christmas more normally this year than we did last year.

This past week we were able to celebrate with the Filipino community the novena Simbang Gabi. Thank you to Father Al and his committee for putting together a lovely evening and for hosting the Filipino community from Monmouth County for this great celebration.

I am sorry that I had to cancel the Tuesday evening reflection on Mary in the Old Testament. Due to a personal situation I was indisposed and was unable to be there. I will put this on my calendar again for some time in the future.

I pray that this last week of the Advent Season will be a blessing for all of you. I look forward to seeing everyone next weekend for the Christmas celebrations. Let us continue to grow in faith with one another.

Maranatha
Father Garry