First Sunday of Advent, 11/28

Dear Friends,

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!  

Today is the beginning of a new Liturgical Year and the season of preparation for the Feast of Christ's birth. As we start the advent season, we hear familiar Advent hymns and we take note of the representative Advent candles - three purple and one rose. It is a beautiful journey as we hope the presence of God will be more radiant in our lives. 

Our Blessed Mother is an important part of this journey. We accompany her as she will give birth to Jesus. We also celebrate her Immaculate Conception and the feast day of our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec 8 and 12. There is a strong Marian component to Advent. She is the one chosen by Jesus to help us prepare and allow Him to be more present in our lives.

Therefore in this season we specially pray that the Lord may come into our lives more fully. That is why the O Come, O Come, Emmanuel hymn is such a good representation of this time. We ask the One who is with us (Emmanuel means God is with us) to be more present in our lives. 

But also we want to prepare our hearts for His arrival. That is why the first two weeks are more penitential. Advent calls us to a contemplative change of heart and a reevaluation of those realities in and around us that are out of sync with Kingdom values. We want to purify our hearts to allow the Lord to be more present in our lives. That is why it is always a good time to go to the sacrament of reconciliation.

May you have a blessed time of new hope in you life as we await the dawning or our Lord more fully in our lives.

Fr. Carlos