November 28th – First Sunday of Advent
Dear Friends,
Peace of Christ. I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! I pray that this weekend was an opportunity to rest, connect with loved ones and give thanks for the blessings we have received. Each year at Thanksgiving, I am always humbled by the generosity of so many that seek to help those in need. In a particular way, know of our thanks for your support of the Thanksgiving food basket drive of the Riverwest Food Pantry! We are so grateful for the many efforts that made this possible.
As much of the rest of the world (including myself!) will be mostly still sleeping off our Thanksgiving meals this weekend, the Church quietly begins its new Liturgical year, as today marks the First Sunday of Advent. We find ourselves in “Year C” of the Lectionary cycle, meaning that we have an opportunity to pray with Saint Luke’s Gospel at Sunday Masses this upcoming year. Advent is a season always marked by a certain waiting – indeed, we eagerly anticipate the coming of the Light, Jesus Christ, into the stillness and darkness of winter.
Though Advent always seems to go so quickly, I pray that these four weeks will be an opportunity to more deeply encounter the Lord. He’s so good and we’re so loved by Him, unconditionally! Though the rest of the world tends to “speed up” as we make Christmas preparations, it’s my hope that we can all “slow down” just a little bit. So much grace is given in a powerful way at Christmas, and I pray that our hearts can be open to receive this beautiful gift. You’ll find resources for the family provided by our Family Ministry in the back of our churches, and any number of other aids for prayer during this season can be found online with a quick Google search.
See you at Christmas! Happy Waiting! A blessed Advent to you. Know of our prayers and support, always.
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. John
November 21st – Bible Sunday
Dear Friends,
Viva Cristo Rey! Long live Christ the King!
On this Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, how can we not but be moved by this cry from the heart which poured forth from so many of the Cristero martyrs as they faced their deaths?
Such were the words confidently shouted by Bl. Miguel Pro in 1927, a Jesuit priest and Mexican martyr, as he stood before his executioners, falsely accused, and with arms outstretched.
His words, however, were not just ones of defiance in the face of the persecution perpetrated by the state, but rather ones of worship of Christ the King, the only-begotten Son of God, whose death upon the Cross Bl. Miguel Pro would now imitate in the most palpable and powerful way.
As Our Lord reminds us in the Gospel proclaimed this day, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.”
But do we belong to His Kingdom? Have we allowed His Reign to begin even now, not just in the world or in the social mission of the Church, but from within our very hearts, our families and our homes?
As the Preface of the Mass sings this weekend, His is “a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace” … a kingdom which we do not build by ourselves, but one which was inaugurated upon the Cross and can take root within our hearts, today.
Almost 100 years later, the words of Bl. Miguel Pro still resound within the living memory of the Church.
His words should stir our hearts, as they invite us to give an account for the gifts given to us by Our Resplendent King, and to pray to spend ourselves with that same heroic virtue and generous love, especially as we prepare for our annual Advent pilgrimage, which begins again next Sunday.
On behalf of Fr. Tim, Fr. John and our entire parish staff, you have our love and our prayers.
Viva Cristo Rey!
Very truly yours,
Fr. Michael Malucha
November 14th – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts
leaves,
you know that the summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.”
(Gospel of St. Mark, Ch. 13)
Dear Friends,
As we approach the end of the Church’s liturgical year with the Feast of Christ the King next Sunday and the beginning of Advent the following Sunday, our readings this Sunday are about the end of the world as we know it.
It strikes me that the Gospel of Mark talks about this being like the new growth of the fig tree. Instead of total destruction and fiery earthquakes, we are reminded that the move to the end of the world always calls us to the new growth that entails change and some distress, but ultimately union with the God who made us. The end of the world then becomes the means to growth into God. Distress and change, yes, but ultimately hope!
So what are we to do as this unfolds? Someone once gave me a refrigerator magnet which jokingly says: “Jesus is coming—look busy!” Maybe as we await new growth into God, we need to find new growth in the way we live now. Maybe we need to get busy in the ways of the Kingdom of God as shown to us by Jesus when he walked the earth.
The more we discover and discern what Jesus did, the more we can direct our actions to the same Kingdom of God and its values and lessons. Then we are ready for the end and also the beginning!
Jesus is coming—look busy!
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. Tim
November 7th – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
” She, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” Mark 12:44
Dear Friends,
Back in September, our family of four parishes welcomed a new group of individuals into the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). This process explores the Catholic faith with those who are not baptized, were baptized in another Christian tradition or were baptized Catholic but never celebrated Confirmation and First Communion. We currently have 18 individuals actively engaged in the process.
While I am painfully aware of some the reasons many people have decisively left or slowly drifted away from the Church, the RCIA process is always an inspiring renewal for me. It offers beautiful witnesses to the life-giving power of the gospel found in Jesus Christ and in his body, the Church. The sincerity and commitment that these men and women show is remarkable. Each of them brings a unique story to our group and each has been drawn to the Church in unique ways, but each year I am filled with awe at the trust and vulnerability that is shared in the group.
Starting in December, you will start seeing us rotating through the many Masses we offer within our parishes. I ask for your prayers for our candidates, their sponsors and our team. I also pray that like the “poor widow” in today’s Gospel, we might each (re)discover the healing power of God’s love found in our Church and in our relationships with one another that invites us to give all that we have!
Chad Griesel
Pastoral Associate
