Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Advent goes really fast. This is the Second Sunday, but I hope you aren’t expecting two more full weeks before Christmas! I hope you like the little tree we decorated next to Father JM’s residence. That tree just screamed, “Decorate me for Christmas” and so we did. We still have the school tree lit as well, hoping to make the property festive as we approach the Holy Days. We are grateful to Eagle Scout-candidate Conor Morris for his construction of a proper crèche to house the beautiful Nativity figures we purchased last year.

I would like thank everyone who came out on Friday night for the Christmas Tree blessing. We are grateful to the choirs from St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish in Spring Lake for their presence with us, providing an up-lifting and spiritual mood for the evening. Oh, and it was nice to see Santa Claus.

Next Sunday is the parish Advent Penance Service. This new format will allow everyone who wants to receive the Sacrament to do so in a reasonable amount of time. I am still hoping about twenty priests will be available for the service.

Although Advent is not so much a penitential season specifically – it is certainly not to be confused with Lent, even though we wear the same violet color in Liturgy – nonetheless, it is a good time to renew ourselves and to strengthen our relationship with the Lord through the Sacrament.

On behalf of Father JM and the Simbang Gabi Committee I invite you to join us next Monday night (December 17th) for the Rosary (7:00 p.m.) and Mass (7:30 p.m.) as we prepare for Christmas. Spiritual preparation is key to having a joyful celebration of Christmas.

Please note, for your Christmas Day planning, a modification of the Christmas Mass schedule. The Christmas Eve Masses remain the same (2; at 4:00 p.m. then 6:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and midnight), but on Christmas Day there are only two Masses at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.

You might well have noticed that the religious items kiosk in the Narthex is up and running. Last weekend we did a soft debut, this weekend we are letting everyone know it is here. This is still an investigatory phase, but we are hoping to make this a permanent arrangement after Christmas. More details on that as we know.

I hope that everyone has a good week, and that the blessings of the Lord flow bountifully through our lives,
Fr. Garry