Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday

My Dear Parishioners,
 
In our gathering to celebrate the Lord’s Day we also mark the Third Sunday of Advent. This day is also known as GAUDETE SUNDAY. This is a day of rejoicing as we are so very near to the celebration of the Nativity feast. The use of rose color vestments is a visible sign during the liturgy of this joy. This is the Sunday on which the Pope blesses the images of the Christ Child which will appear in the Nativity scenes and crèches in Rome. This is a tradition which we bring to Rockaway this year and I am hoping that many will respond to the invitation I extend last Sunday to bring in their statues today for a blessing which will be taken back home for Christmas.
 
In today’s second lection from the Letter of Saint James we read, “ Make your hearts firm for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” Yes, it is time! The Lord is coming and we must prepare. TIME is a gift from God which He bestows upon us to use wisely. The Church will say that TIME is a “sacrament”, in that it is a means by which God’s grace comes to us, such as the New Year of Grace 2017. In speaking about time I would like to address the matter of time in conjunction with the liturgy. Would you come late to a Broadway show or leave before the conclusion of a concert, both which requires a “not so cheap” ticket? Of course not! It is important that in our coming to the Lord’s House we arrive before liturgy begins so that we have time to recollect and prepare for the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries. It is wrong to leave the liturgy before the final blessing. I am reminded that when we do so we follow the example of the traitor Judas, who left the Last Supper before the Mass was ended. As your pastor I remind you of the importance of arriving on time for the Holy Mass and not leaving before time! I do not chastise you but give you my fatherly guidance. I am so happy to see all of you at church and I pray that your presence in the Lord’s House will always bring you joy and peace.
 
It’s vacation time for our seminarians, Joseph Boykow and Mateusz (Matt) Darlak. Both will be home until after the New Year and I look forward to their assistance during the Christmas season. Our seminarians are a great gift and we thank God for their commitment to the Church.
 
In conclusion, I remind you of the Advent Penance service scheduled for next Monday, December 19th beginning at 7 o’clock in the evening at Saint Cecilia Church. We will have a number of priests with us to facilitate the process of going to confession in a timely manner. Please schedule this time to prepare your hearts for the coming of the “King of Glory.”
 
God bless you,
Father Zig