3 November 2022
Dear friends,
First of all, I want to thank everyone who supported our All Saints and All Souls celebrations. Both masses were beautifully executed, and the musicians, altar guild, servers, and ushers outdid themselves again. Special thanks are due to the kitchen crew for the delicious dinner of Hawaiian food on All Saints, and kudos to the altar guild for setting up the catafalque for All Souls. We also heartily congratulate Taylor Reid on his confirmation, and it was good to have Bishop Fitzpatrick with us for All Saints.
As I have said before, it is a rare gift to keep both of these holy days on their appointed days. Most churches will blend both days this coming Sunday, so we should we acknowledge our good fortune to observe these holy days on their actual days. It requires much work, necessitating the discipline to show up, but such action is a key ingredient of discipleship.
Turning to the coming weeks, this Sunday we bless pledge commitments at the masses. Many thanks to those who have made their pledge for 2023. On November 13 we celebrate our Feast of Dedication, and on November 20 we celebrate the Patronal Feast of the Holy Sovereigns. If you are able, I commend worshipping at the 10:30 am Solemn Mass on these Sundays so that we may worship as one family gathered in Christ.
Advent will be here before we know it, and Christmas is now less than two months away. The readings at the Sunday masses turn us to the coming of Christ, whether in the future or at Bethlehem. Advent officially begins on the last Sunday of November this year, yet Advent themes begin by mid-November. This focus is a gift for the devout Christian, especially as society subjugates Advent and Christmas for secular purposes.
I hope you can join us as much as possible in the coming months. The world will not give you much support as you try to worship Christ regularly, but once you commit to regular worship, you will discover that you do not actually need the support of the world. Worshipping Christ will sustain and nourish you abundantly, while everything else will be put into perspective. This is one of the primary ways we mature from mere membership in a church to discipleship in Jesus Christ. When this happens, our Christian faith comes alive with the power of the resurrection.
Blessings,
Father Paul Lillie
