As we begin the new liturgical year, now is a good time to reflect on the changes we need to make in our lives, to think about what we are going to do different this next year? As Jesus tells us in the gospel reading, “if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” So the question is, how are you going to prepare?
As we begin the season of Advent, many of us are busying ourselves with preparing for Christmas – decorating, baking, gift buying, attending parties, and many other things during this time of year. But that isn’t the type of “preparing” Jesus is talking about.
Besides preparing for Christmas, we must also prepare for Jesus’ second coming. How can we do that? Often we think of preparing by praying better, by reading scripture, by learning more about our faith, our church, our relationship with Jesus. While these are all good things, and things we need to do, to some degree it is like thinking about setting up the Christmas tree. If we don’t take some action, it will never get done. In the same way, to really be prepared for the second coming of Jesus, we need to act, to do something.
This past year, a team of parishioners, with input from many of you, developed a new Priority Plan. This plan isn’t just for the clergy and the staff, it is for every member of the parish, to help all of us focus on the mission and vision of the parish. If you haven’t read it, or haven’t reviewed it recently, now would be a good time as part of your preparation. It is available on our website or you can ask for a copy from someone in the office. As the team developed the plan, “Build with the Mercy of the Father” was selected as our parish vision statement. Building is an action. Have you built your personal faith story? Have you shared your personal faith story with someone? Have you invited someone who has been away from the church, to come to Mass with you? Have you visited someone in the hospital, nursing home or homebound? Have you helped someone in need?
Many members of our parish do many good things, from feeding the hungry through the food pantry and serving meals at Cornerstone, helping those in need through St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Knights of Columbus, and spreading the Gospel through Jail Ministry, Returning Catholics and visits to those in the hospitals, nursing homes and homebound. Just imagine how much more we could accomplish as a parish if every member of the parish took action to do at least one thing during this next year in support of our parish mission and vision.
If all we do is think about something, we are not really preparing. But, by taking action, we are preparing, for the coming of Jesus. And this next year, could be our best year.
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