December 11, 2022

Dear Parish Family: Happy Gaudate Sunday! Guadate is the Latin for rejoice. We rejoice in a very special way today because we have reached the halfway point of our Advent Journey.

The word rejoice begins with the prefix re. We see that same prefix in words like renew, refine, restore, refresh, return, repeat, and even refurbish. Re is a call to approach again, not merely for the sake of doing something over, but to honor it and make it stronger. Think of the phrase in Joy to the World: Repeat the sounding joy. Each time we sing that line it gets stronger.

Rejoice is truly a call to action – an invitation, challenge, and command to return to joy. If somehow or someway our joy has lost its vigor, if our string of joy lights is burned out, if our joy’s get up and go has got up and went, now is the time to reclaim it. Jesus is coming and He is already here. Where He is there is cause for joy. The best way to increase our joy is to share it. Doing something nice for another person, encouraging someone, even a simple smile, bringing joy to another, helps us renew our joy.

Here’s a Third Week of Advent challenge for all of us. Certainly actions do speak louder than words, but words are important. We’re getting pretty close to Christmas. Be bold enough to wish people you meet along the way this week a Merry Christmas. Say it with a smile. Say it with joy. Share the joy and it will increase yours!

Be sure to join us for our Third Annual Live Nativity this Friday, December 16, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This “drive-through” event right here on our parish campus tells the Nativity Story from the Annunciation to the Birth of Our Lord. The scenes are presented by our parishioners and we welcome our animal friends as well. This year we are excited to have Oscar the camel with us! See you there!

Love, grace, and peace!
Father Neil Sullivan