Today is the 3rd Sunday of Advent, and our last full week of this great time of waiting for the Lord. Next week we have the 4th Sunday of Advent on Dec. 24 and then, a few hours later, Christmas will be upon us. Let’s use this week to wait in joyful anticipation. As a people we don’t usually like to wait, whether it be in traffic, the doctor’s office, or in line at the grocery store. But Advent waiting is different and worth the effort. We light the rose-colored candle on our Advent wreath today as a joyful reminder of the two-fold coming of Christ at His birth and at the end of time. Today is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday from the Latin word meaning “rejoice.”
We’ve been getting a lot of questions about it, so let’s look ahead to next weekend because it’s a unique year with Christmas Eve on a Sunday. We haven’t seen this schedule since 2006, and it makes for a very full liturgical schedule on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25. Because the 4th Sunday of Advent falls on Sunday, Dec. 24, that leaves us with only about eight hours of the final week of Advent. By contrast, last year we had an entire week! Given that schedule, that means we have only two morning Masses that day at 7 and 9 a.m. There is no 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Dec. 24 so that we might have time to prepare the church for the Christmas season. Please plan to attend on either Saturday, Dec. 23 at 5 p.m. or one of those two morning Masses to satisfy the obligation for the 4th Sunday of Advent.
Then, later in the afternoon next Sunday, Dec. 24, we will transition to the Christmas Mass schedule. We will celebrate Christmas Masses at 4 p.m. (with an additional Mass starting at the same time in the Parish Hall), 6:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 12 Midnight. (To answer the age-old question "What time does Midnight Mass start?" the answer is “Midnight.”) Also, please note that the additional 4 p.m. Mass in the Parish Hall will not use incense, so if your allergies are sensitive, you might consider attending that liturgy. All other Masses will use incense. On Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25 we will have two masses at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. only.
I would like to remind you that you are not permitted to “double up” nor are we running any “2-for-1” specials this year! Please make every effort to attend Mass on both the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas. It’s entirely doable with a bit of advance planning so discuss it with your family this week as to which times work best for you. Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion, sacristans, ushers, greeters, and altar servers are asked to please sign up in advance for which Masses you will be attending so we can be sure to have sufficient liturgical ministers in place for our many services. Thank you!
Though the Christmas liturgies are always well attended and it seems at times we couldn’t fit one more person in the church, I think this is the perfect time to invite someone to come with you, perhaps a family member or friend who has not been to church in a long time. Maybe they are feeling alienated from the Church for whatever reason, but now could be the right time to come back home. We’ll make room for everyone, I promise. It is only through personal invitation and witness that we can ever hope to bring more people to know the love of Jesus. Give some thought this week to one person you could invite to attend Mass with you on Christmas. Coordinate a time that they can come and make plans to sit with them in the pews. Then let the Lord do the work! But they need our invitation first to "come home for Christmas." All are truly welcome here in this place.
A couple of notes about the Christmas Mass schedule. Noah’s Place, the nursery in the narthex of the church, and The Ark, the nursery near the parish offices, will both be open only for the two 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Masses. (We close it at the other Masses so that our dedicated nursery staff can have time with their own families on Christmas.) As we’ve said in the past, we don’t have a “children’s Mass” because children are welcome at every Mass and the Mass is always for everyone, but clearly the 4 p.m. liturgies on Christmas Eve take on that appearance with the great number of families with small children in attendance.
Regardless of which Mass you attend you can expect large crowds and so please arrive early. Carols will be sung before each Christmas Mass. We ask that any seats you try to “save” for late arriving family and friends be opened up 15 minutes before the start of Mass. It’s only fair so please respect this policy. Also be mindful of the police directing traffic and please obey the traffic signs and do not park in turn-arounds or exits. You may have to walk a little further, but please do not block traffic in the parking lot. We’ve made arrangements with Cypress Academy Gymnastics, the big blue building next door, to use their lot for overflow parking. You can park at the gym and walk around front. Yes, it’s a bit further, but if you are arriving late you might find it to be a convenient alternative. The church lots will fill up quickly.
Most of all, come with a joyful attitude ready to welcome the stranger or newcomer who may be visiting, and simply be patient. Christ has come into our world! That’s why we are all here on Christmas – to give thanks to God for sending us Christ the Redeemer. Don’t let anything keep you from praising God for the blessing of the birth of His son! Fr. Ralph, all our deacons, and the entire pastoral staff join me in wishing you a blessed and holy Christmas.
Peace,
Fr. Sean
P.S.: Today is the last Sunday for our collection of
new toys for the children of Our Mother of Mercy Church and here locally through Cypress Assistance Ministries. If you forgot and still want to participate, feel free to drop off your presents in the Parish Office this week before Friday at 1 p.m. We’ll take the gifts to OMOM early next Saturday, Dec. 23. See the parish website for details of the delivery day (and the sorting the night before) and how you can be part of this great family activity. Same goes for our Christmas gift card program for CAM. Bring your card by the office this week and we’ll distribute them to those local families in need of a little extra assistance this time of year.