Third Sunday of Advent
Dear Parishioners,
Advent is a season of conversion. We want to grow in holiness and commitment to Christ. The first step in making changes in our life is to admit that we need to change. If we don’t see anything sinful about ourselves than it is impossible to become better people. We are already perfect.
An adage that I often think of when I consider conversion is, “Name it, claim it, tame it.” The first step is to put labels on the sins we commit. It is interesting that when you ask a child what Jesus wants us to do, they will often say that Jesus wants us to “be nice.” What does that mean? I have known a lot of nice people who have done some awful things. We need to recognize what is sinful in our lives.
After we name the sin, we need to admit that what we have done is by our own choice. Often, when I hear a confession, I will listen to a person talk about how they have been wronged by all kinds of other people in their lives. I want to say at those moments, “You seem to have talked about everyone else’s sins. Now, what about yours? I need to extend absolution to you not to them”.
Only after we have courageously named our sin and admitted to our culpability can we then move forward with change. To get to this third step we must take the first two steps.
Monday night December 17th we will be having our Advent Reconciliation Service. I encourage everyone to come and face their sinfulness, but I encourage everyone even more to come and feel the mercy of God. God loves us no matter what we have done. Our God is a loving parent who wants only to forgive and forget.
Blessings,
Fr. Mark
P.S. People have asked two questions about our Capital Campaign that I would like to answer. The first is whether there will be a Heart to Heart drive this year. There will not be a Heart to Heart Fund drive this year. It is being folded into the Today Tomorrow Together capital campaign. We did not want to detract from the campaign which is most important for the needs of our parish. The second question people have asked is whether the school will have its annual fund drive in January. The answer to that question is that the annual fund drive will be folded into the capital campaign as well. Seton School normally realizes $60,000 from its annual appeal. Monies raised for the school will be used to replace that money along with the capital needs the school is addressing. The message is be generous to the Capital Campaign and Sacred Heart and Seton School will benefit in a variety of ways.