Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

One week of Advent is already over and we are speedily approaching the celebration of Christmas. For your planning, and we will emphasize this further, although Christmas is on a Sunday this year, we will still use the Christmas Mass schedule and NOT the ordinary Sunday Mass Schedule. This means that Mass times for the weekend of December 24th - 25th are as follows: 4 pm in the School Gym for those attending the Children’s Christmas pageant, and 4pm in the Church; then 6pm, 8pm, and Midnight; on Christmas Day at 9am and 11am only. Please plan accordingly.

Next weekend we will have our annual Christmas Tree Lighting after the 5pm Mass. You are invited to bring along an ornament for your own Christmas tree to be blessed as well. It is a lovely evening with a short program of singing and prayer. Please bring the family out to join us. If you want to come but will not be at the 5pm Mass, we will light the tree at 6pm.

Thank you for your generous support of the annual Giving Tree programs. Those families and individuals in need deeply appreciate what we are able to do for them. Given the economy there are more people struggling, and at the same time all of us are feeling the squeeze from higher prices all around.

As Advent is a time to draw some focus on our need to seek reconciliation with Christ and the Church in preparation for Christmas, it is a great opportunity to attend to the Sacrament of Confession. Today the parish of St. Mary, Colts Neck holds their penance service beginning at 3pm. Our penance service is on December 18th beginning at 2pm. Of course regular confessions are heard here on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after the 9am Mass. The weekly confession schedules for the other local parishes can be found on their websites.

I want to thank Deacon Paul and Ellen Remick for their celebration of the Song and Scripture evening this past week. On Friday, December 9th at 7:00 pm Tom O’Brien and the adult choir will have an evening of Christmas songs and carols.

This week we observe the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States. Mass times are 7pm on Wednesday, December 7th, 9am and 5pm on Thursday, December 8th. Next Monday is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. Other than our 9am Mass we have nothing else planned for the day. For those of you who have a special devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, please check with Our Lady of Fatima (Keyport) for their Mass times.

Advent is a busy season for many reasons. Please take the time to reflect on the meaning of the season, while also mixing in and enjoying the secular festivities that come with the Christmas Season. While we do not want to lose focus on Christ in Christmas, we also do not want to become Christian Scrooges!

Blessings and peace to all,
Fr. Garry