Dear friends in Christ,

     This, That & the Other ... The Second Sunday of Advent finds us still waiting and watching for the coming of the Lord, but we get a most welcomed visitor this weekend – John the Baptist. He comes seemingly out of nowhere to prepare the way of the Lord and while he was by all accounts a bit eccentric, his message is as timely today as it was some 2,000 years ago. … Let us heed his message to repent and as we go about busily preparing our Christmas lists and making plans for the holidays, let us prepare our hearts as well to welcome the coming of the King of Kings.

     ... This Sunday is Dec. 8 and that’s usually the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but since it falls on a Sunday this year, the feast is transferred to the following day. The obligation for the holy day is dispensed, so you don’t have to come to Mass – but why not come anyway and honor Our Lady? We’ll have two Masses at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., both in the church. … In addition, next Thursday, Dec. 12, is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is the Patroness of the Americas (as declared by Pope Pius XII in 1946) and holds a place in the hearts of all people of faith, especially those of us in the southwest. I myself have a special love for her, as do I know many of you. I highly encourage you to discover the beauty of Our Lady of Guadalupe to draw you closer to the heart of her son, Jesus Christ. You’re invited to join us for Mass at 9 a.m. next Thursday in the Church as we call upon her intercession for all people. We’ll even have a little fiesta after Mass in the Community Center to honor her.

     ... Thank you to all who’ve made a gift to the ongoing Diocesan Services Fund drive. It will wrap-up in a few weeks at the end of the year, and I invite those who have yet to make a donation toward it to please do so in order for us to meet our goal. The DSF funds the more than 60 ministries of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that no one parish could ever do on its own, but that collectively allows us to offer, among other things, chaplains at the hospitals, food pantry and soup kitchens, ministry to the imprisoned, senior care centers, and outreach to the most needy, in addition to providing training for lay ministers in Religious Education and Youth Ministry in every parish. … It’s an important work of the Church that benefits many and we all have a role to play. Your pledge of any size helps make it all possible. More than 860 parishioners, including myself, have made their gift already, and I encourage you to join us and do the same. It’s quick and easy at www.archgh.org/dsf.

     ... As mentioned last week we are once again assisting our twinned parish of Our Mother of Mercy Church by collecting Christmas gifts for the children of that community. We invite you to bring an unwrapped Christmas gift to mass this week or next (or drop it off in the office by Dec. 20) as we’ll deliver everything on Dec. 21. The gifts do not need to be elaborate, but simply from the heart. The children range in age from just a few years old up to 17, but the bulk are in the 5-15 age range. ... What do they want? Well, just about whatever any child wants. Feel free to use your imagination. Basketballs are always popular with the boys last year and the young girls always seem to gravitate to the dolls. Maybe you can ask an expert – perhaps you have a child living under your roof. It’s a safe bet that the children of OMOM would welcome the same type of gifts.
 

     ... Closer to home we are also again collecting gift cards to be distributed through Cypress Assistance Ministries (CAM) in what we call our Giving Tree project. We passed our Christmas cards last weekend but feel free to use one of your own. Write a nice little note inside and include a gift card to a local merchant (Wal-Mart, Target, and HEB gift cards seem to be the most popular as they can be used for a variety of items). Drop it off at Mass and we’ll get them to CAM for distribution. If you don’t have a Christmas card just simply bring the gift cards themselves. It matters not! It’s a great way to help out those in need in our community and be part of the Christmas spirit.

     ... Please note there will be no 6 p.m. confessions or 7 p.m. evening Mass next Wednesday, Dec. 11 so that Fr. Vincent and I may attend the annual Advent Vespers and dinner for priests. This is one of the few times of the year that all the priests are able to get together with Cardinal DiNardo for prayer and fellowship, so I trust you will understand our desire to be in communion with our brothers of the Archdiocese. There will be morning Mass that day at 8:30 a.m. with CtR School, however. ... Lastly, and most importantly, God loves you. See ya’ at Mass!