Greetings from Fr. Dave

Advent 2020 is going to take a bit more intentional effort! None of you will be at weekend Masses all four weeks of Advent and get to experience the ambience of Advent that can only be absorbed by being here in person.

There is something about subdued lighting (in creation as well), about candles, about the color purple, about Advent music, and about joining with the community as we prepare inwardly and outwardly for the Birth of Jesus.
 
I urge you to be deeply attentive, as I mentioned last weekend, to the daily “micro-miracles” that are present so often, so often overlooked. Notice the little stuff; be grateful to God for his daily signs of caring; be instruments of hope in your homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, gas stations, and stores; be quiet and just listen and notice and reflect and unwind. Ahhhhhhhh, may Advent be deeply fruitful for each of us!
 
Tuesday, December 8th is the feast of the Immaculate Conception. This year, due to COVID, you are dispensed from coming to Mass. As you know, we are still limited to 100 folks at Masses and just cannot accommodate a Holy Day crowd any better than a weekend crowd. We will be live streaming our 8:15am Mass on our website, and the recording will be available to view any time afterwards. We will not have a 7:00pm Mass that evening. May Mary intercede for all of us, especially those in most urgent need of prayer and support right now.
 
Christmas planning is underway. For now, we are planning to hold Masses on the 24th at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00pm, and on the 25th at 9:00am.  Likely we will be limited to 100 inside the church and will do that by our online sign up process. Overflow will be welcome in the parking lot and all four Masses will be live streamed so you can watch it from the safety of your cars on your devices.
 
We have some fun ways those in the parking lot can engage, including “beeping” (not HONKING) the horn at set points, rolling down windows for Christmas carol singing, roaming Shepherds in the parking lot, and some outdoor decorations. I expect this will be a memorable Christmas and a fun one too! Get ready!
 
Blessings to Amaree & Christopher Ramirez Padilla and Dominic Gonzales, who were baptized this weekend!
 
Last week, we received word that two of our parishioners have died: Carol Balcom and Giuliana Anderson. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace. Funeral services are TBA.