Dear Friends, The third weekend of Advent is referred to as Gaudete Sunday! This Sunday is a day of rejoicing within the penitential season of Advent, named from the Latin word for “rejoice.” Our celebration will be marked with the lighting of the pink candle on our Advent wreath, which signifies a foretaste of the joy of Christ’s coming at Christmas and His second coming. The day’s readings and themes emphasize hope and joyful anticipation, even amidst life’s challenges. Isaiah the great prophet sets out our hope in the one who is coming. James counsels patience in the face of delay, offering us a spirit of waiting and expectation. Matthew proclaims how John the Baptizer is praised by Jesus for his way of life and focus on the message of God, which allowed him to be seen as the forerunner of Jesus’ own message. Our beautiful season of Advent is coming soon to a close. May we all take time amid all we have to do and want to do to prepare for acknowledging the true meaning of Christmas. I know I must remind myself, like each of you, to take a breath with all the demands upon us and center on the birth of our Lord. I look forward to celebrating with you these last days of Advent and the Christmas season! Blessings, Father Rob

Dear Friends, I still have a handwritten calendar. I have an iPhone that I still could learn about its functions. I still have deadlines that come at me quickly, particularly this time of year from bulletin publishers and others. I never wanted to be a proofreader. As a Staff, everyone is given the opportunity to proofread the communication that is forthcoming from our office, me included. Oh, I cringe at that task. So, I was ahead of myself by a week and didn’t catch it (nor did any proofreaders) that I was ahead of myself with last week’s bulletin, parish email, etc. It’s Advent. I love this liturgical season and I try to slow down, encourage others to do the same in the midst of what these four weeks ( if actually we get a full four weeks) to just “be” and prepare for what is most essential, the celebration and recognition of what it means to have the Son of God come into our midst. With deadlines, and other responsibilities, I said I wasn’t going to be with you the First Sunday of Advent. Update, I was and I am not with you this Second Sunday of Advent. This weekend we focus on peace. I need it. I’m going to go all out and think you need it as well. Yes, the Peace of Christ that brings to the world relational peace to all. SO, please bear with me and I will repeat what I shared in the last bulletin. “This very weekend I will be presiding at the funeral of my dear friend, “brother,” Jerry Koen. Friends and family will gather at Saint Mary Star of the Sea in Beverly, Massachusetts. This is where I met Jerry, his beloved wife, Sally, and their five sons in 1981. God blessed us with forty plus years of friendship, being family to one another and all those moments every family experiences. These days and years have all gone by too quickly for me. They are filled with gifts of love that I will be ever grateful for today and for as long as I might live. Many years ago, a very dear friend gifted me with a book I have never forgotten. It is entitled, “The Precious Present.” It is a good reminder along with this weekend’s scriptures (Week Two is as relevant as Week One was) to keep ourselves focused and present to the precious present of this day. Jerry and Sally have given me this even having me “live in their home” (me casa, su casa) for decades. They and our faith in Jesus have blessed us to know our eternal home is where one day we shall reside forever. God’s peace to you Jerry as you are now reunited with Sally. Thank you for all your love.” Once in a while some things are worth repeating. I hope those of you who are reading this message understand my repetition. Love does bear repeating when you have been blessed by unbelievable people in your life. I am blessed. You are too! Father Rob

Dear Friends, This very weekend we begin with one another a new liturgical year with the Season of Advent! Our themes traditionally celebrated each Sunday of Advent are Hope, Peace, Joy and Love! This Sunday we focus on Hope anticipating Jesus’s coming and the hope he provides. The readings call out to us to be ready to meet the Lord! He may come when we least expect so let’s not put off to tomorrow what we should be addressing today! Most of us express how quickly time passes and certainly these four weeks of Advent will pass all too quickly (at least for me ) and Christmas Day will be right before us. Our days are shorter, and night comes before us so fast. Let us acknowledge this time of change, a new season of Advent, and the Christmas Season around the corner not miss what we have right before us in the present moment. May we pace ourselves, best we can, to appreciate the prayerfulness and wonder of these Advent days. All parishioners should have received by now a postcard from your Staff highlighting Advent opportunities being offered by our parishes. I hope you can take advantage as many of these sacred moments possible to make these days blessed in your journey to the birthday of our Lord. So, we begin on a note of Hope! The next three weekends we will reflect on the Peace of Christ that that brings to the world relational peace to all, Joy focusing on the birth of Jesus, and Love, centering on God’s love for all humanity and our responsibility to show love to others. I will be away this first Sunday of Advent. This very weekend I will be presiding at the funeral of my dear friend, “brother”, Jerry Koen. Friends and family will gather at Saint Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Beverly, Massachusetts. This is where I met Jerry, his beloved wife Sally, and five sons in 1981. God blessed us with forty plus years of friendship, being family to one another and all those moments every family experiences. Like my reflection above about Advent, these days and years have all gone by too quickly for me. They are filled with gifts of love that I will be ever grateful for today and for as long as I might live. Many years ago, another very dear friend gifted me with a book I have never forgotten. It is entitled, “The Precious Present.” It is a good reminder along with this weekend’s scriptures to keep ourselves focused and present to the precious present of this very day. Jerry and Sally have given me this even having me “live in their home” (mi casa, su casa) for decades. They and our faith in Jesus have blessed us to know our eternal home is where one day we shall reside forever. God’s peace to you Jerry as you are now reunited with Sally. Thank you for all your love. Friends, enjoy your “Precious Present”. Blessings, Father Rob

Dear Friends, This weekend we celebrate the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Our masses come together to acknowledge Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The sacred texts for this feast begin with 2 Samuel and in Hebron, David being hailed as the king of all the tribes of Israel. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is anointed king on the wood of the cross, a sign of paradox, of defeat yet final victory. Through his cross we have passed from darkness into the kingdom of light. Within this text we meet the “good thief.” He recognizes the innocence of Jesus and moves from his own personal darkness to the welcoming kingdom of light Jesus offers. Jesus assures this “good thief” that he will be with him in paradise. Reflecting on the scriptures and particularly the Gospel, let us rejoice and have the same boundless confidence of the good thief, even in the face of our own sins and weaknesses. If our response to Christ is receptive, humble, and repentant, then we will not hesitate to seek his mercy and forgiveness so that we, too, might come to share his glory in paradise! This Thursday, November 27th is our Thanksgiving Day. We will celebrate mass at 10 AM at Saint Catherine of Siena this year. Perhaps we might consider and pray these few days before Thanksgiving to set aside deeds of charity and pray for economic justice for all our sisters and brothers. Let’s make time on Thanksgiving to come together and thank the Lord for all our blessings. Please know I conclude you in my blessings and prayers, Father Rob

Dear Friends, This past Tuesday I took extra time in prayer and reflection about my life as a priest. The day was my 42nd anniversary of being ordained a priest by Bishop Matthew Clark. I have been blessed in countless ways over these years of ministry. I have received endless graces from my brother Jesus and have responded to Him with the best of my abilities. The years of priesthood have been enriching, challenging, joyful, sorrowful, and always embraced; knowing, believing and feeling the love of the Lord beside me. The people I have known and met in so many circumstances of life hopefully have made me a faithful and dedicated disciple of the Lord. I am just as human as anyone and I am not perfect. Being realistic, I know not everyone may care for me. But, more importantly, I have felt the love and support of so many that I believe I am in the right place in my life in following the call of this wonderful vocation. I love what I do! Being with my sisters and brothers in so many aspects of their lives is an honor and privilege. To be with their joys is a blessing. To be alongside them in their struggles, pain, and sorrow is to witness the compassion and love of Jesus who is right there in their need. I pray to always be present among my family, dear friends and faith communities in living, sharing and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ as long as I live! My theme for my ordination was taken from Psalm 139:9-10. “If I take the wings of dawn, if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall guide me, and your right hand hold me fast.” His right hand still remains upon me. Thank you, Jesus. My prayer and blessing to all, Father Rob

Dear Friends, I was off to Maine last weekend to attend a wedding of good friends. While I was gone, I missed the wonderful Sarah Hart concert, which close to 300 attended. I want to thank the planning team, including Pam McInerney, Michelle Lindsay, Jeff Beckett, Char Merrill, Kenneth Piazza and Laurie Cook, and the many other parishioners and staff members that helped make this a success. I am told it was a wonderful evening, and you did a superb job organizing this event. Fortunately, I was in town earlier in the week for a team building morning for our Staff. As most staff members now support both churches, our team dynamics and responsibilities have changed, and good teamwork and communication makes things run smoothly. We had fun getting to know each other better, strengthening our bonds, and creating our Halloween pumpkins. One of the blessings of travel is seeing the bulletins of other churches. Honor your departed loved ones with these November prayers, which were shared by the parish I visited this weekend. Blessings to all, Father Rob The month of November: A traditional time of prayer for our beloved dead. I believe in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. (The Apostles’ Creed) We Catholics pray for our beloved dead, and for all the faithful departed, in the confident assurance that we are commending them to God’s merciful love for the forgiveness of their sins, so that they may be called home to the fullness of life in heaven. “And if I go prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” (John 14:3) “To you, O God, the dead do not die, and in death our life is changed, not ended. Hear your prayers and command the soul of your servant to dwell, with Abraham, your friend, and be raised at last on the great day of judgement. In your mercy cleanse him/her of any sin which he/she may have committed through human frailty. We ask this through Christ our Lord.” (Order of Christian Funerals) A prayer for visiting a cemetery (from The Book of Blessings) Almighty God and Father, it is our certain faith that your Son, who died on the cross, was raised from the dead, the first fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Grant that, through this mystery, your servant (Name), who has gone to his/her rest in Christ, may share in the joy of his resurrection. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen. Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him/her. May he/she rest in peace. Amen. May his/her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace, Amen

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Dear Friends, I am traveling to attend a friend’s wedding, so in lieu of my usual column, I am sharing with you some words of wisdom as we enjoy the season of autumn. Blessings, Father Rob Sparking Holiness As the seasons change, a lot of us like to clean out our homes and unload some of the junk we’ve acquired over the summer. One trendy approach to decluttering is the Marie Kondo method, named after the author who popularized it. Overly simplified, it’s a process that compels you to go through your closets, your garage, your basement — all the places you collect the dreaded “stuff.” As you do so, you hold up the items and ask yourself: “Does it spark joy?” It’s a question that is bold in its simplicity. In answering, you’re supposed to go with your gut. If it’s a quick “Yes, it sparks joy,” the item should be kept. If the answer is no, it gets tossed. (Fr. Rob here—donate or recycle first!). There are people in life who will support our efforts to do God’s will. There are those who will, as Paul says, “convince, reprimand, (and) encourage,” unafraid of the reaction we give them. There are those who will shore up our defenses when the battle goes longer than we thought. The same goes for hobbies and pastimes. There are those that will ennoble our minds and bring us closer to God. And there are also those that will drain our funds and our free time, with nothing to show for it. During these autumn months, don’t just declutter your basement in preparation for the hauling out of the Christmas ornaments. Take stock of the people and pursuits that make up your life. With each one, ask yourself: “Does it spark holiness?” If the answer is yes, thank God that our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. If the answer is no, maybe it’s time to declutter.— Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS ©LPi