Last week we had the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanks Giving or Giving Thanks is one habit that distinguishes human beings as rational creatures. We are able to acknowledge favors received and assign appropriate praise. This, hopefully, is a habit that we are intentional about not only reserved for once a year but all through life. We owe our lives to our parents and ultimately to God, who is the source of life itself. We owe our formation and development to our families, teachers, friends, Church, and a number of other sources other than ourselves. Acknowledging these is the proper and human thing to do. Whenever we come to Mass to celebrate our Eucharist, we do just that. The Eucharist is in its very core an act of Thanksgiving. We give thanks to God who is the source of our being, and who keeps us in existence. This is the most fitting thing to do. And as we respond in the Preface, “it is right and just.”
This weekend the church begins a new Liturgical season, the season of Advent. Advent is the season of preparation for Christmas. Major feasts in the church are marked by a period of preparation. During Advent the church awaits the coming of her messiah. We await the birth of the messiah at Christmas and also his promised second coming at the end of time. We prepare for the birth of a new baby with great care. Parents take time to prepare for this new addition to their families. What would you do if you were expecting? What would you do to receive this new member of your family? Think how much we put into preparing for a baby. How would you prepare for the birth of the God of the Universe, the Savior of the world? My suggestion would be to make a spiritual preparation, go to confession and receive Holy Communion frequently, forgive hurts and ask forgiveness from those you have offended. Our Advent penance service would be on December 19 from 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm. We will have some priests available to hear confessions. Please take out time during these hours to make a good confession.
As you are aware we have been searching for a new Music Director. We have made good progress in this search. We have identified a very qualified and accomplished musician who would help build up our music program and help improve the quality of our liturgy. He is also a person of faith, and a disciple. He will be a good fit for our parish culture of prayer. Our new Director of Music and Liturgy is Joseph Higginbotham. He comes to us highly recommended and with decades of experience from St. Bavo’s parish, Mishawaka. We welcome Joe and pray that his ministry with us at Little Flower will bring blessings to him and all of us. Joe will be working to build a choir for the various weekend Masses. Thank you for your prayers and patience with us through this process. I urge you to extend the same to Joe and give him your support.