Weekly Letter: Dec. 8, 2024 Bulletin

Dear friends in Christ,

    This 2nd Sunday of Advent finds us still waiting and watching for the coming of the Lord, but we get a most welcomed visitor today – John the Baptist. We read in the Gospel of St. Luke (3:1-6) that the Word of God came to him desert and he was sent to prepare the way of the Lord. While John was by all accounts a bit eccentric, his message is as timely today as it was some 2,000 years ago. Let us heed his message to repent and “make straight the paths,” and, as we go about busily preparing our Christmas lists and making plans for the holidays, be sure to equally prepare your hearts as well to welcome the coming of the King of Kings.

     Monday, Dec. 9 is the observance of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which normally falls on Dec. 8 but this year is pushed one day later as the 2nd Sunday of Advent takes precedence today. It’s also usually a holy day of obligation, but Cardinal DiNardo has issued a dispensation from the obligation this year only. However, if your schedule permits, we invite you to please join us at 9 a.m. on Monday to honor Our Lady. It is under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception that the United States has been dedicated as well as our Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. While the Blessed Virgin Mary has many titles and days dedicated to her, the Immaculate Conception is supreme.

    Speaking of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this coming Thursday, Dec. 12, is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and we will honor her at Mass on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. in Spanish, and again on the feast day the next morning at 9 a.m. in English. Following the Mass on Wednesday night, there is a grand fiesta planned in the Parish Hall and all are invited to come join in prayer and song and quite a few tasty treats, too. All are welcome.

     Our Lady of Guadalupe holds the title of Patroness of the Americas (as declared by Pope Pius XII in 1946) and, while her feast day is significant for all people of faith, it’s especially true for those of us in Texas and the southwest. Having visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City with our pilgrimage group a few months ago and seen the image that announced her presence, I know that her feast day will ring even more prominent in my heart this year. Thursday is also the one-year anniversary of the dedication of our own beautiful statue of our Lady of Guadalupe, so be sure to stop by the prayer garden outside of the church to offer a prayer or two.

     As mentioned last week, we are assisting Assumption Catholic Church by collecting Christmas gifts for the children of that community. We invite you to bring an unwrapped toy and drop it in the narthex, or use our Amazon Wish List to have it sent directly to the office. The gift need not be elaborate or extreme, but simply from the heart. The children range in age from just a few years old up to 17, but the bulk are in the 5-15 age range. What do they want? Well, just about whatever any child wants. Feel free to use your imagination. Maybe you can ask an expert – ask the closest kid you can find! It’s a safe bet that the children of Assumption parish would welcome the same type of gifts. Act quickly, however, as we will deliver the toys next Saturday, Dec. 14, meaning that they need to be in the parish office by this Friday, Dec. 13. We also share a portion of our gifts with CAM for distribution locally, so if any gifts come in later, that’s where we’ll donate them. If you’d like to help with the distribution (the best part) at Assumption, see the volunteer sign-up link on the same website page.

    Closer to home we are again collecting gift cards to be distributed through Cypress Assistance Ministries (CAM). Drop off a gift card to a local merchant (Wal-Mart, Target, and HEB gift cards seem to be the most popular as they can be used for a variety of items) in the narthex at church or in the office and we’ll distribute them through CAM. It’s a great way to help out those in need in our community and be part of the Christmas spirit. Also, speaking of CAM, they have several job openings at the moment as their ministry continues to grow. See their website or stop by and visit with them to learn more about their needs and spread the word of those you might know who are looking for a new opportunity. They also run an active job bank for employers of all kinds looking for help so it’s a great resource for those in our community who are seeking employment.

Peace, Fr. Sean

P.S.: A reminder of our upcoming Christmas schedule of masses: Tuesday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve: 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 12 midnight, and Wednesday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day: 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. (Note that the 11 a.m. Mass will be bilingual in both English and Spanish.) We will have overflow seating available in the Parish Hall, with communion brought over, for all masses.