Faith Formation
Father Prince's Weekly Reflection
Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Advent:
There is an old “Garden of Eden” story in which Adam approaches his Creator and says, “God, I really appreciate this paradise you have given me for my home, but there are times when it gets mighty lonesome around here. Would it be presumptuous of me to ask for a companion, someone I could talk to, someone I could share this beautiful Garden of Eden with? “That’s a reasonable request,” God replied. You were created a male person. Your new companion will be a female person, a bright and beautiful, warm and gracious woman.” “That sounds wonderful, Lord,” said Adam, “When will this take place?” Not until you’ve paid the price,” God answered firmly. “And what will it cost?” Adam asked anxiously. “An arm and a leg,” God replied. “That’s a very high price,” said Adam. “Tell me, Lord, what can I get for a rib?”
These are the days of preparation for the coming of Christmas, and from the size of the crowds that can be observed at the shopping malls and the department stores, most people will be celebrating at a very high price. Every year the lament rings out, “Christmas has cost me an arm and a leg!” We’re speaking on the purely material level, of course. On the spiritual level, the price goes up, because Christmas comes with a costly promise. The price tag is pegged much higher that a single “rib” or an arm, or even an arm and a leg. Moreover, the promise is never on sale. In order to fulfill his Christmas promise, God is asking full price. God wants it all. God wants all of us.
This Sunday’s gospel begins by anchoring the birth of Christ firmly in history. Luke pronounces a roll-call that sounds like a fanfare introducing the person who will change the whole course of the world’s history. Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea, Herod, Tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, Lysanias, Tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas, high priests, all historical figures. Then the roll call ends with John the Baptizer, son of Zachariah, and the one who “went into all the regions about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” His was the voice proclaiming the immediate presence of Christ, the voice crying in the wilderness, saying, “Prepare the way of the Lord,” and promising that every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
The era in which we live often has been characterized as hopeless: “If the bomb doesn’t get us, then the pollution will, or the pandemic will,” and so on. As a result we, as a society, are suffering from a “failure of nerve,” as someone put it. But the spirit of Advent breaks through to soothe our frazzled nerves and to restore our confidence in what lies ahead. Because the Advent message renews hope in God’s promise of eternal fulfillment, it recharges our spiritual batteries. Our Advent hope informs us that our eternal lives already have begun. Eternal life began for each of us at the moment we entered this world. And for each of us it will continue past the moment of death. Our Advent hope tells us that the Kingdom of God is at hand, and in this Advent spirit, our day to day living takes on a new significance.
FORMED
It gives me great joy to share with you that our parish has a subscription to FORMED, a premier online platform filled with over 4,000 Catholic studies, movies, audio dramas, talks, e-books, and even cartoons for our children. FORMED has content from over 60 apostolates, including Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, and the Knights of Columbus, with material that is professionally produced, engaging, and solid in its catechism. Best of all, this material is free to you.
Our parish will be using the material on FORMED to support our ministries and provide continuing education for staff members and parishioners, as well as outreach for our sick and homebound members. Much of FORMED’s content is available in both English and Spanish.
You have easy access to all of the material on FORMED to support your own faith journey and that of your family members.
Are you hesitant to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation after a long absence? Watch Forgiven: The Transforming Power of Confession.
Would you like to be more confident in answering your teenagers’ questions about the validity of the Gospels? Watch Lectio: The Case for Jesus.
Do you search for a reliable source of Catholic teaching on current issues? Tune in each week to The Augustine Institute Show with Dr. Tim Gray.
Have you despaired of finding good movies that your family can enjoy together on a Friday night? Start with Mother Teresa, the story of the selfless saint who brought hope and love to the poorest of the poor.
You can enjoy FORMED on your computer or on your television with an inexpensive Roku device or Apple TV. You can even listen on your phone as you commute to work or do chores.
Please pray for the people at the Augustine Institute who create this wonderful and much-needed Catholic content for our people. My hope and prayer is that the content on FORMED will enrich, deepen, and inspire your faith, especially during this season of Advent.
May the good Lord bless you and all of your loved ones!
Reverend Joseph A. Prince
To gain access to all of FORMED’s content, follow these simple steps:
* Enter our parish’s zip code
* Choose our parish
* Enter your name and your email address
That’s it! You’re in. Now you can get the free FORMED app for your
phone by searching FORMED Catholic in your app store.
Catechism Corner
Catechism of the Catholic Church541. From whom did Jesus learn how to pray?Jesus, with His human heart, learned how to pray from His mother and from the Jewish tradition. But His prayer sprang from a more secret source because He is the eternal Son of God who in His holy humanity offers His perfect filial prayer to His Father.
Further reading: CCC 2599, 2620542. When did Jesus pray?
The Gospel often shows Jesus at prayer. We see Him draw apart to pray in solitude, even at night. He prays before the decisive moments of His mission of that of His apostles. In fact, all His life is a prayer because He is it in a constant communion of love with the Father.
Further reading: CCC 2600-2604, 2620
These excerpts are from the Compendium of the CCC. Get your own copy
here. Copyright © USCCB - Shared with permission.
Respect Life
All of us must put our energy and effort into ending the legal protection for abortion. It is, and must be, the primary political objective of American Catholics—it is difficult to imagine any political issue with the same significance as the sanctioned killing of children. ~Denver Archbishop Samual J. Aquila
In and Around the Diocese
St. Joseph's Seminary Annual Advent/Christmas Concert - Join Us for a Holiday Tradition!
Saturday, December 4, at 4pm
Sunday, December 5, at 4pm
Tickets from $10-$35
Purchase tickets at:
www.dunwoodiemusic.org
Living Joy
Living Joy: 9 Rules to Help You Rediscover and Live Joy Every Day
Internationally Acclaimed Speaker, Author, and TV Host, Chris Stefanick will present nine rules that will empower you to overcome the obstacles that are keeping you from unspeakable joy, and equip you with the wisdom you need to experience joy to the fullest.
Tickets are $15 per person. All in attendance will receive a free copy of
Living Joy. This event is being held on December 15, 2021 at 7:00pm at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church, 21 Brush Hill Rd., New Fairfield, CT.
Click to Register.
Project Rachel Entering Canaan
Day of Prayer and Healing
Are you or someone you know experiencing pain and sorrow from losing a child to abortion? Join us for our upcoming Entering Canaan Day of Prayer & Healing on Saturday, December 4, 2021. For information or to register, contact Maureen at 203.416.1619 or projectrachel@diobpt.org. Come back to God who is love & mercy!
Healing the Divide
St. Mary Parish in Ridgefield is hosting via Zoom a monthly/bi-monthly series of conversations on racism to gain understanding to heal the racial divide. Participants can join at any time. The discussion will be based on the reading Bishop Edward K. Braxton’s Pastoral Letter “The Racial Divide in the United States:
A Reflection for the World Day of Peace 2015”. You can register by visiting
https://www.smcr.org/conversations-on-racism
News and Views
Thank You!
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