11/25/22
Advent's Two-Fold Character
My Dear Parish Family,
According to the General Norms for the Liturgical Year: “Advent has a twofold character: as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ's first coming to us is remembered; as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation” [Norms 39].
My brothers and sisters in Christ, we often tend to think of Advent only as the season in which we prepare for Christmas, or the First Coming of Christ, but as the General Norms point out, it is important that we also remember Advent as a celebration in which we also look forward with great joy to the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time.
I pray and hope that we, together as a parish family, will be more fervent in our preparatory practices of prayer, fasting, and alms giving during this Advent season as we await with great joy the coming of our Lord!
In the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Fr. Canice McMullen, OSB