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, at the doctor’s office, or 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 calendar since 2017, 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 scenario we will celebrate only two morning masses that day at 7 a.m. 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 on Sunday, Dec. 24, magical elves (cleverly disguised as members of our Art & Environment team!) will come into the church and help us transition to the Christmas season. We will celebrate Christmas Masses at 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 12 Midnight. (To answer the question of what time does Midnight Mass start the answer is: “Midnight.”). We will have overflow seating in the Parish Hall as needed. On Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25, masses will be at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. (bilingual) only.
Please plan in advance so that you might attend on both the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas – you are not permitted to “double up” and we are not 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 easily done with a bit of advance planning so discuss 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 Mass 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 Mass 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. 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, will only be open for the 9 a.m. Mass on the 4th Sunday of Advent, for the 4 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve, and for the 9 a.m. Mass on Christmas Day. 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. liturgy on Christmas Eve takes on that appearance with the great number of families with small children in attendance. If history is any indication, seats will be full in the main church by 3:30 p.m. that day and those arriving afterward will either need to stand or watch the livestream in the Parish Hall, with Holy Communion being brought to them. Also, incense will be used at all Masses except for 6:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, so if your allergies are sensitive, plan accordingly.
Regardless of which Mass you attend 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 Mass. It’s only fair so please respect this policy. Also be mindful of the police directing traffic and please obey signage 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, if needed.
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. Vincent, all our deacons, and the entire pastoral staff join me in wishing you a blessed and holy Christmas.
Peace, Fr. Sean
P.S.: We delivered the many, many toys you donated for the children at Assumption Church yesterday. Thank you for your generosity! I’ll have a report for you about it in a couple of weeks, but if you didn’t drop off your gift on time and still would like to do so this week, we’ll gladly take them and distribute them to Cypress Assistance Ministries for last-minute requests that come in. We’ll do the same as well for our Christmas gift card program for CAM. Bring your cards by the office this week and we’ll get those local families in need of a little extra assistance this time of year. Note that our parish office will close at 12 noon on Friday, Dec. 22 and reopen on Wednesday, Dec. 27.