Many of you are likely preparing and sending out Christmas cards at this time. But have you ever thought of sending out an “Advent card”? If not, I have proposed an initial design to Hallmark using a line from St. John the Baptist in our Sunday Gospel. On the outside of card it would quote him, “You brood of vipers!” and maybe it could have a cartoon picture of vipers on it. Then on inside comes the zinger, also quoting the next line from John the Baptist, “Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” I personally would love receiving such a card for Advent, and I hope Hallmark accepts this design and I make a million dollars…but probably not.
However, the point should be taken that in Advent we really are warned and we need to respond. The homily this weekend will focus on the “bad news” that our world is broken and sin and death reigns, and our only hope (which will come in the following weeks) is to flee it by coming to Jesus our Savior. And the best way to do this right now is by making a good confession. As John the Baptist says, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” A great way to accomplish this is to come to one of the upcoming penance services in the area where there will be plenty of priests to hear confessions.
Prince of Peace will have our penance service on Tuesday, December 13th at 7pm, but if you can’t do that see the listing of places and times listed below—you have a lot of options upcoming and each service has multiple priests available! Of course, you can also go during POP’s standard confession times as well. Please remember too as lines do get long that brevity and clarity are the virtues of a holy confession and a courtesy to others in line.
Sunday, Dec. 11
3pm @ Cure’ of Ars-Leawood; Queen of the Holy Rosary-Overland Park; St. Agnes-Roeland Park
Monday, Dec. 12
7pm @ Holy Cross-Overland Park; Holy Trinity-Lenexa; Holy Spirit-Overland Park; St. Michael’s-Leawood (must be Holy, Holy, Holy night with 3 “Holy” parishes!)
Tuesday, Dec. 13
7pm @ Good Shepherd-Shawnee; Prince of Peace-Olathe; Ascension-Overland Park
Wednesday, Dec. 14
7pm @ St. Paul’s-Olathe
Thursday, Dec. 15
7pm @ St. Joseph-Shawnee; Divine Mercy-Gardner; Sacred Heart-Shawnee; St. Pius X-Mission
Sunday, Dec. 18
3pm @ Queen of the Holy Rosary-Wea; St. Ann-Prairie Village; St. John Paul II-Olathe
7pm @ Nativity-Leawood
Also, start planning your Christmas celebration around Christmas Mass. The highlight of our activity will be Christmas Mass. It is “Christ” “Mass” after all—where do you think the word comes from? We will have two Masses on Christmas eve at 4:00pm (one in church and one in the gym), then single Masses at 6:00pm, and 9:00pm and on Christmas day at 8:00am, and 10:00am. The crowds will be big, so please be kind and show hospitality. We might have lots of folks coming to Mass who are visitors or for some reason marginally practicing their faith. We want to show them hospitality and love so they might be drawn closer to Christ and His Church. Just imagine if at the original Christmas the shepherds would have said to the magi, “Hey, why are you so late, and we’ve never seen you around here, so go stand in the back by that donkey.” (Sorry a repeat joke of mine from last year, but a goody.) Lets instead show great welcome to all coming to adore the Lord. Smile and greet each other!
Global warning is upon us—prepare for the Lord—we have be warned! May God bless you!
Peace,
Fr. Greg