Your redemption is at hand!

The season of Advent is a season marked by hope. Hope that all will be set aright and that the wounds that have damaged our hearts and souls will be healed. This theme of healing is something that Pope Francis beautifully detailed when he described the Church as a field hospital, a place where those wounded by the effects of sin in the world can receive the healing, we all need. This, in turn, enables us to bring others to Jesus Christ and His Church,

Mary is one who shows us her Son, Jesus, the Divine Physician. We also see in her Immaculate Conception a view into humanity that has not been damaged and affected by sin. Mary, who was conceived without sin, does not gloat over us but instead desires to bring sinners to forgiveness in her Son. Instead of remaining separate and aloof from sinners, she draws close to us in compassion and pity. She wants what is best for us, which is a life-changing friendship with Jesus Christ, who came to destroy sin and death so that we might be restored to eternal life in heaven. We should be cooperators in the work of redemption and the sanctification of the world. God wants us to participate in His work in creation. He wants you!

On this note, we will have Eucharistic Adoration at Ss. Peter & Paul on Saturday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) from 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., which will be right before the 4:00 p.m. Christmas Vigil Mass at SPP. We will also have Confessions from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. We will be inviting people to sign up to take an hour throughout the day. I know everyone is busy on Christmas Eve, but Christmas celebrates God becoming man in Jesus of Nazareth and dwelling among us. He continues to dwell among us in the Most Holy Eucharist. Thus, having Adoration on this day leading up to Christmas is a way to spend time with Jesus, the reason for the season. Even if you cannot take a full hour, I want to encourage you to stop in for 5, 10, or 15 minutes to visit Our Lord; bring your kids, too! We will use SignUpGenius to ensure all hours are taken. So, be on the lookout for that link on Facebook and Flocknote. Thanks in advance for your generosity.

We will be asking our experienced and excellent married couples in the pews to participate in God’s work by helping engaged couples to prepare for marriage via the Witness to Love program. This program focuses on accompaniment and relationship to help engaged couples prepare for marriage and to become open to the teachings of the Catholic Church on marriage and family life. This will help them see that these teachings are for their good and ultimately for their fulfillment in marriage. So, if you and your spouse have been married for more than five years, you may be asked to be their mentor couple as they journey towards their big day. Thank you in advance.

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is on Thursday, December 8 this coming week. The Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of Obligation, so be sure to get to Mass within our family or wherever works for you. Don’t be afraid to share the schedule that will be posted to Facebook and sent out via Flocknote with your family and friends to help them out. Here is the schedule:

•      Vigil Masses on Wednesday, December 7: 6:00 p.m. at Ss. Peter & Paul (SPP), 7:00 p.m. at Holy Angels (HA), & 7:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart of Jesus (SHJ).

•      Masses on Thursday, December 8: 5:30 a.m. at SHJ, 7:00 a.m. at SPP, 7:00 a.m. at HA, 8:00 a.m. at SHJ, 8:25 a.m. at St. Michael (SM), 8:30 a.m. at HA, 11:40 a.m. at HA, 7:00 p.m. at SM, and 7:00 p.m. at SHJ.

Thank you to our musicians who sing to the Lord and seek to bring our hearts more deeply into the worship of God, the Father, through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Thank you for helping us to offer ourselves to our God.

Peace in Christ,

Fr. Jarred Kohn