Second Sunday of Advent

12-04-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Michael Straley

Advent is a season where we focus on both John the Baptist and our Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Sunday readings will help us, but, especially for our Blessed Mother, we have two very special celebrations.

First, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this coming Thursday. It is a holy day of obligation as we remember God’s preparing the world for the birth of His Son by preparing Mary to be His mother. We will have our regular 9:00am Mass and a Mass at 6:00pm.

Second, Mon, Dec 12, is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of our diocese. I recently returned from Mexico where I visited our Blessed Mother and prayed for all of you. The image is one of the great miracles of our Church; the tilma is made of cactus fiber that usually falls apart and disintegrates within 10-20 years. This tilma has survived almost 500 years and most of those years it was not protected in any way. There are many other miracles associated with the image. We will celebrate the Feast on Mon, Dec 12, but also at the 11:00am Mass on Sun, Dec 11, with a celebration after Mass as well.

Have a Blessed Advent,

Fr. Mike