Advent 1

Happy New Year! Today is an exciting day in our parish as well in liturgical history. Not only is it the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new Church Year; it is the inauguration of the full implementation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal; as well as the beginning of our Parish Mission with Fr. Ben Cameron. With the help of the Holy Spirit I am sure we will manage all this excitement! Mark’s Gospel reminds us all to be on guard, as a watchman for the night. This is echoed so beautifully in today’s preface (prayer before the Eucharistic Prayer), as it prays “that, when he comes again in glory and majesty and all is at last made manifest, we who watch for the day may inherit the great promise in which we now dare to hope.”

Also please try to make some time this week to attend our Parish Mission. What a wonderful time to be renewed. We all could use a spiritual booster. Our parish welcomes Father Ben Cameron, a Father of Mercy. He will be challenging us to grow in love as we focus on God during our Parish Spiritual Renewal.

Christ the King

Cicero said a long time ago, “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.” Yes, we have much to be thankful for. This weekend in our second collection we thank the retired religious who dedicated their lives to Christ and to the service of others. Today we thank Jesus for coming to us in the Eucharist. The word Eucharist literally means, “to give thanks." On this feast of Christ the King we have an opportunity this afternoon to say thank you to Jesus by spending some quiet time before Him in the Blessed Sacrament. On Tuesday evening the Union Presbyterian Church is hosting the annual Montour Association of Churches Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service. It is at this service that we as a community of believers can give thanks to God in a special way. On Thursday, we celebrate our national feast of Thanksgiving and as a nation we have the opportunity to thank God for what we are and all that we have. Yes, we have much to be thankful for, so please remember to thank God for the many blessings we have in our lives. “If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice” (Meister Eckhart).

Ordinary Time 33

The word “talent” in today’s parable was used at the time of Jesus to describe an actual unit of money. Since the mid-fourteenth century that same word has also been used to describe a natural skill or ability. Of course, many of us turn our skills and abilities into cash through our work. Our “talents” become a means of business through which we earn a living. So the connection of the word to money has never really been lost. A question for us today might be: In what ways do I put my talents – money and abilities – at the service of God?

Ordinary Time 32

If we wrote down our ten most important priorities in life, “preparing for the second coming of Jesus and the end time” might not be too high on our list. Most of us are content to refer that experience to some faroff time in the distant future. However, in today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us to be prepared, for we “know neither the day nor the hour.” Starting this week, our liturgies switch the emphasis and point a finger towards the end-time and trying to describe what the reign of God is like. We are reminded that we are a people in hope and expectation for the coming of Jesus. Those among us who are truly wise live and order our lives accordingly.