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December 5, 2021Dear Parishioners,
Happy Second weekend of Advent. I hope that the Magnificat Advent Companion has been helpful to all with your preparation for Christmas.
We had a great turnout for the first of three presentations on Advent given by Mr. Cole DeSantis. Last week he spoke about the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel.” He explained how this passage points to the coming of Christ. St. Matthew in his Gospel explicitly connects the prophecy of Isaiah with Christ. On Sunday, December 5th at 5:00pm he will present on the Incarnation and what it means for God to take on human nature. These lectures are certainly helping me appreciate the readings at Mass and the meaning of Christmas.
This week we also celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. At the Offertory Prayer we pray: “…grant that, as we profess her, on account of your prevenient grace, to be untouched by any stain of sin, so, through her intercession, we may be delivered from all our faults.” On this solemnity the Church celebrates that God, by a special grace won by Christ’s sacrifice, preserved the Blessed Virgin Mary from Original Sin. The term used in the prayer “prevenient grace” illustrates God’s exceeding graciousness towards us. Prevenient grace does not just apply to Mary. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2670 we read: “‘No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.’ Every time we begin to pray to Jesus it is the Holy Spirit who draws us on the way of prayer by His prevenient grace.” What is prevenient grace? It is the idea that prior to our own movement toward God, God’s grace is already present in us moving us toward him. God’s grace is unconditional and precedes our own movement toward God. The first reception of grace is not something given to someone because of a decision to accept it. Our free acceptance to say yes to God and follow Him is itself the effect of grace. In other words, God does not wait for us to love Him; He loves us first. Once He finds us, the good things that we do are inspired by the grace of God. Mary is the preeminent example of God’s first movement of love to all of us.
Next Sunday our Knights of Columbus Council will host the annual “Keep Christ in Christmas Breakfast” from 8:00am to 12:00pm in the church hall. During the breakfast they will accept donations of clothes and toiletries for Operation ROVAC (Remembering our Veterans at Christmas). This donation drive helps the Veterans at Bristol Veteran’s Home.
A big thank you to all that donated and helped with Thanksgiving Cards for the nursing home. We had over 200 cards delivered to the men and women there. It is a wonderful example of what we can do to help those in need. No doubt, these cards, messages, and well wishes will reverberate into eternity.
God bless,
Fr. Barrow
