Dear Parishioners,

I hope you all enjoyed the wonderful celebration of the anniversary of priesthood of our dear Fr Jerome last week. It was a time for gratitude and celebration and a wonderful way to bring in this season of Advent and preparation.

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday we are invited by John the Baptism to prepare the way of the Lord. He invites us to remove all barriers that may be preventing us from reaching the Lord and all the hope and joy He wishes for us to experience this Christmas. I invite you as part of your preparation and Christmas planning to take some time and reflect on what might be getting in the way of your relationship with Jesus. Perhaps you are getting caught up in the busyness and preparation of it all, or there is a difficult situation in you life are clouding your view of the Christmas miracle, often too our family relationships can be a source of anxiety in Christmas season. How might we need to make paths straight, or fill in valleys to prepare for Jesus’s coming and to let Him into those more challenging areas of our lives?

Something I find most interesting about Jesus and the story of His Birth, is His vulnerability and fragility. God was never afraid to be fragile and vulnerable and to embrace it. He came to earth in Jesus as a little baby that needed to be loved and protected and cared for. We too are invited to embrace our own vulnerability and fragility during this journey of preparation. Often the experience of grief and loss can touch this aspect of our humanity, as we can feel very sensitive and exposed at Christmas time. What are those situation in my life that are making me feel more vulnerable and fragile?

In the images of Christmas cards that represent the light of Christ that comes into the darkness they often use a fragile candle to represent this light. In our preparation for advent we are invited to journey toward this seemingly fragile light and let it brighten up even the darkest places in our life. The beautiful symbol of this season, the advent wreath, helps us on this journey. As we light a candle on the wreath each week, we invite more and more of the light of Christ into our lives, until it burns brightly dispelling all the darkness. I invite you to take some time to reflect on those areas of you life that are in darkness and in need of Christ and His light.

No matter what the state of our life, Jesus is working, He is with us, we are not abandoned or alone. He desires to lead us with Joy, in the light of His glory as Baruch promises in today’s first reading. So let’s take some time this advent to bring to Him those challenging areas of our life, those areas still in darkness and those situations that make us feel vulnerable and fragile and let Him accompany us and comfort us and fill us with His strength and light.

Have a blessed Sunday, Sr Ann Marie, FMVD