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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3RDFrom the Gospel of Mark 13:33-37“Jesus said to his disciples:“Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time willcome. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home andplaces his servants in charge, each with his own work, andorders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; youdo not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether inthe evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”As Catholics, we wait joyfully and intentionally during Adventfor the birth of Jesus. Taking the time to pray helps one findsolace from the world’s constant turmoil and commercialismthat has unfortunately often overshadowed the real meaning ofChristmas. Traditional prayers, maybe a personalconversational prayer, praying the Rosary, or attending Mass allwill bring you closer to God. In addition, remember we are allcalled to love and to serve, and the Collaborative offers manyopportunities for faith and fellowship: The Villages FaithFormation, Adult Faith Formation on Zoom, Alpha, Walkingwith Purpose, Rosary Groups, Monthly Men’s Group, Women’sBlessed Brunch, Lessons and Carols, Christmas Tree Lighting,the Sock Exchange, St Vincent de Paul, Sancta Maria visits –read the weekly bulletin and use whatever way works best foryou to connect personally with God, but as the Nike slogan says– JUST DO IT!~ Carol Greeley, parishioner. INCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENTADORATION AND EXPOSITIONOF THE EUCHARISTDuring each of the four weeks of Advent,all are invited to participate in 40 hoursof Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration. Eucharistic Adoration is a profoundlyspiritual and contemplative practice thatcan have a transformative impact onyour personal faith, as you sit in thepresence of the Lord. If you feeldistracted or unable to quiet yourself, Fr. Marc suggests repeating the words,“Stay with me, remain with me, watchand pray.” As the Advent season unfolds, prayer serves as a guiding beacon to prepare your heart for the arrivalof Jesus. These daily prayer prompts are designed to cultivate a consistent practice and to build afoundation of solace, guidance, and clarity that is both nourishing and sustaining.

“The holyRosary is apowerfulweapon. Use itwith confidenceand you’ll beamazed at theresults.” -St. Josemaria EscrivaINCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENTWHAT IS EUCHARISTIC EXPOSITION AND ADORATION? Eucharistic Adoration is the act of spending time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. While the Eucharist is continuallypresent in all Catholic churches in the Tabernacle, Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration refers specifically to prayerbefore the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar in the monstrance. “Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration,” ~ Pope St. John Paul II(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1380). WHY HOLY HOUR?It is a beautiful devotional tradition to spend one hour in Eucharistic Adoration, and this is called “holy hour.” Althoughyou are welcome to spend any amount of time in Eucharistic Adoration, we embrace the practice of a holy hour as aresponse to Christ’s question to His slumbering Apostles during the Agony in the Garden: “So you could not keep watchwith me for one hour? (Matthew 26:40). WHAT SHOULD I DO DURING EUCHARISTIC ADORATION?Read and meditate on a Scripture passage until a thought strikes you, journal your conversation with God - your dreams,your worries, your intentions, pray the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet - most importantly, make it a prayer from theheart. (Adapted from BlessedIsShe.net)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4THThe First Advent Whenever we reflect on Adventpersonalities, John the Baptist or the prophetIsaiah come to mind. My reflection,however, leads me to focus on the firstAdvent – the months before the first comingof Christ into the world. And what betterrole models do we have than our BlessedMother and Joseph. Mary, after hearing fromthe Angel, traveled to visit and spend timewith her cousin Elizabeth. Mary and Josephalso had much to do to prepare for the birthof their Son, including making the longjourney to Bethlehem. Mary’s words toElizabeth will be my inspiration for thisseason – “My soul praises the Lord; my heartrejoices in God my Savior.” For me, prayingthe Rosary and, in particular, reflecting onthe Joyful Mysteries will be the center of myprayer regimen for this season. As we waitin joyous anticipation, may our BlessedMother show us the way that leads us to herSon. Remember her words to the stewards atthe wedding feast “Do whatever He tellsyou.” ~ Chris Doyle, parishionerTUESDAY, DECEMBER 5THMy most fruitful type of prayerOver the years I’ve read about and practiced many formsof prayer. From the Mass to the Rosary to various vocalprayers written by legendary and holy Catholic saints, torecent popular devotions, to divine reading of Scripture(Lectio Divina), and to spontaneous prayer, bothindividually and in groups, the Church has a treasurechest of prayer methods. I believe God does communicatewith us in every single one of these ways. But whichapproach has been most fruitful for me? Every single one of us was created intentionally by Godwith different attributes. What works best for you mightnot work best for me, and vice-versa, and I believe that’s areflection of God’s Will to create us with a unique blend ofso many characteristics. Ultimately, I strive in prayer tolisten to the voice of the Good Shepherd, to hear that he’lltruly provide today’s “daily bread,” and that he is walkingwith me through all of life’s high points and challenges,today and every day. For me, the best way to hear God's voice is to write downmy prayers, questions, and what I think Jesus is speakingto me in response. Prayer that way becomes aconversation, and writing it down helps still mywandering mind and focus it better. Two of my favoritequestions to write are “Where did I miss seeing youyesterday, Jesus?” and “What should I know today inpreparation for today?” It’s an understatement that Iregularly miss seeing how Jesus is working in and throughother people and events. Two of my favorite petitions are“Jesus, please increase my awareness of your presencethroughout today” and “Jesus, please help me to see thepeople you know I’ll encounter today as you see them.”After seeking to converse with Jesus in these ways, I try toslow down and soak in the amazing fact that the God ofthe Universe is present, desires to spend time with me andloves the people I cherish . . . even more than I do! This Advent, I plan to take advantage of the increasedopportunities to pray in Adoration before Jesus, exposed inthe Holy Eucharist. If you see me there with pen andpaper, or even typing notes into my phone, please knowI’m doing my best to use those devices as prayer tools!Happy Advent! ~ Scot Landry, parishionerINCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENT

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6THTHE FEAST OF SAINT NICHOLASWho is St. Nicholas?St. Nicholas was a bishop of an ancientGreek town called Myra, in present-dayTurkey. He may have attended the firstCouncil of Nicaea, where he is rumoredto have been one of the bishops whosigned the Nicene Creed. He was bornaround March 15, 270, and died onDecember 6, 343.St. Nicholas always had a love for thepoor and would work for their benefit.The story goes that there was a poorman in town with no money for a dowryfor his daughters. No dowry meant nomarriage, which would have left hisdaughters to be sold into a life ofservitude. Late one night, St. Nicholasdropped a bag of money down thechimney of the family home, thusallowing the daughters a dowry.Most famously, he is the real-lifehistorical figure from whom we getSanta Claus. His generosity inspired the"chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf"- Santa meaning Saint and Claus is shortfor Nicholas. “Quia respexit” from Bach’s Magnificat. This is a solopiece, or aria, composed by Bach as a part of his largerwork, Magnificat. The piece translates to: “Behold, fromhenceforth, I will be called blessed.” As you listen,ponder Mary’s “yes” to God. “Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates” from Handel’sMessiah. While many of our Advent hymns point us toChristmas, some point us toward Christ’s second coming.This joyful chorus does just that. “A Spotless Rose” by Herbert Howells The text for thisbeautiful anthem is based on a 15th century Germanpoem, speaking of the Old Testament prophecies ofChrist’s birth. The poem likens Jesus to a rosebud, andMary the “tender root” from which the bud comes forth. Rachmaninoff: Bogoroditsye Dyevo This section ofRachmaninoff’s’s All-Night Vigil translates to: Rejoice, OVirgin Theotokos, Mary full of grace, the Lord is withThee. Blessed art Thou among women, and blessed is thefruit of Thy womb, for Thou hast borne the Savior of oursouls. This choral work in homage to the Virgin Mary ischaracterized by lush, beautiful melodies and harmonies. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7THThe quiet stillness of the Advent season offers us the perfectopportunity to enter more deeply into prayer as we awaitthe coming of Christ at Christmastime. One of my favoriteways to pray during this holy season is with the help ofmusic. I thought I’d share a few of my favorite pieces thatembody the anticipatory spirit of the season in hopes thatthey will enrich your Advent as they do mine. 1.2.3.4.~ Cate Gallagher, parishioner FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8TH - FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTIONAnd the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High willovershadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, yourrelative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothingwill be impossible for God."Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according toyour word."Then the angel departed from her. Luke 1:35-38 Today, we celebrate the feast of Mary’s immaculate conception in her mother’s womb, which means that she wasconceived without Original Sin. She is full of grace. Like Mary, whenever we say yes to God’s will, we bring God’spresence into the world. Let us pray, “Father help me to hold my hearts open to your will like Mary, so that I canbring your Son’s presence to everyone I meet.”

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10THWhat is your favorite way to pray? My favorite way topray is in a quiet church, listening to God. Ideally, I’ll startmy prayer time with a Rosary to help my mind focus onJesus and Mary. After the Rosary, I love to just sit in the quiet church andlet my mind be free. After praying in a quiet church, I feellike I’ve gone on a mini-retreat. It energizes me andincreases my faith to know that God is with us. Thebeauty of the church itself helps remind me of God, andthe truth, beauty, and goodness of our Catholic faith.Also, being physically close to Jesus in the Eucharist,either in the tabernacle or a monstrance during Adorationis awe-inspiring. Our world is filled with so many distractions. The SaintAgnes lower church was a frequent retreat for me beforepicking up my children from Saint Agnes School. Evenjust spending a few minutes before the Eucharist beforepicking up the children from school would energize me. The gift of spending time with Jesus in Adoration beforethe Most Blessed Sacrament is a relatively recentdiscovery in my faith journey, and it has been anincredible gift! I am so excited about our parish’sIncreased Prayer Program. My hope is many more peoplewill discover God’s gift of “mini-retreats” with Our Lord.What a gift that will be for the whole Arlingtoncommunity!~ Eileen Cahill, parishionerMONDAY, DECEMBER 11THConsider praying the Advent Novena as a way tofocus your mind on the joyful expectation of Christ’sbirth. Catholics in many cultures have prayed theChristmas Novena (nine consecutive days of prayer)from December 16th - 24th as part of their Christmaspreparation during the season of Advent. This Advent Novena prayer can be prayedindividually, in a small group, or with your family.INCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENTDownload the Advent Novena PDFSATURDAY, DECEMBER 9THJuan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, Patron Saint of IndigenousPeoples, was a simple, humble man of faith; a farmer, aweaver, a self-described “nobody”, who, on December 9th,1531, on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico, saw a Marian Apparitionknown today as Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mary asked Juan togo to the Bishop and request that a Shrine be built; a placewhere we could bring our intentions to her. The Bishopdemanded proof of the vision and when Juan Diego returnedto the hill, Mary was waiting for him. Upon Mary’sinstructions, he then proceeded to pick roses that wereblooming out of season, brought the flowers back to theBishop, opened his cloak(tilma), and when the flowers fellout, an image of the Blessed Mother was imprinted on it. TheBishop then wholeheartedly gave his blessing for the buildingof the Chapel. As a chosen messenger of Mary, Juan Diegobegan a life dedicated to prayer. He lived near the Chapel forthe rest of his life, cared for the Church and it’s Pilgrims, andspent countless hours in prayer and devotion. During this Advent Season, this time of waiting, we can beinspired by Juan Diego, this unassuming man turned Saint,and look to him as an example of patience and commitment toa life of prayer. Please recall that when the Bishop did notbelieve him the first time, Juan Diego could have becomequite discouraged, even despondent; he did not however, andI think we can be assured that he spent much time in prayer toguide him along the way. With joy, hope and love in his heart,Juan Diego realized that we are all called to be Children ofGod. Let us slow down during Advent, take time daily topray, and like Juan Diego, practice patient waiting, find peacein simplicity, and see God in all that is ordinary. Let us quietlylet Christ into our lives.~ Anna and Karen McKillop, parishioners

WHAT IS A NATIVITY CRECHE?A nativity crèche, also known as a nativity set ormanager scene, is a set of figures who were present inBethlehem during Jesus' birth. Traditionally thisincludes the baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary, shepherds,angels, magi, and a variety of farm animals. Setting upa nativity crèche allows us to reflect on the humblebeginnings of our salvation throughout the season.Catholics traditionally hide the figure of baby Jesusand only add him to the scene on Christmas Day. Thisis a great visual way to help young childrenunderstand what we prepare for during Advent.MONDAY, DECEMBER 12THFeast Day of Our Lady of GuadalupeA couple of years ago, we were in my husband’s hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin for a week to celebrate Christmaswith his family. One morning in the middle of our visit, my husband, two children, and I briefly left the hubbub ofconversations and Christmas carols to go to the nearby Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.I have long been fascinated by Marian apparitions and grew up seeing lots of images of Our Lady of Czestochowa inmy Polish-American household. I watched the classic film The Song of Bernadette in my Catholic elementary school,and would imagine what it would be like to be visited by Mary. Since it was December in Wisconsin, the expansive grounds of the shrine were blanketed in snow. Even with therealities of the Midwestern climate, the terra cotta roof of the pilgrim center takes your thoughts to Mexico, whereMary appeared to St. Juan Diego.Once we exited the pilgrim center, the reality of the layout of the shrine began to set in. Although the drone footageand panoramic views provided on the website are spectacular, when you’re actually there, you see that there is nearlya mile of steep, winding (and in our case, snowy) path between the pilgrim center and the shrine church. It seemed thatwe were the first visitors of the day, and we started to trudge up the path. After just a few minutes, in the stillness, wecould hear a golf cart driving toward us. A volunteer pulled up to us and offered us a ride up to the church. It’s probably unlikely that Our Lady will ever visit me in a dramatic, literal way, with a cerulean mantle emblazonedwith stars. But I did, in a way, feel that she was very much with us that day, through the friendly volunteer whoappeared and drove us on our pilgrimage and in the silent, glittering, snow-covered branches that lined our path upthe hill. As I go through Advent, I seek out quiet and stillness and try to notice all the little signs and signals of Mary’spresence.~ Stefanie Koperniak, parishionerINCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENT

Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear my prayers andobtain my petitions. Amen.TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13THFeast of Saint LucySt. Lucy was martyred in the 4th century, afterrejecting marriage, professing her virginity anddevotion to faith. Saint Lucy, your beautiful name signifies light. By thelight of faith which God bestowed upon you, increase andpreserve this light in my soul so that I may avoid evil, bezealous in the performance of good works, and abhornothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of eviland of sin.By your intercession with God, obtain for me a perfectvision for my bodily eyes and the grace to use them forGod's greater honor and glory and the salvation of allmen.WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14THAn Advent Prayer for the FamilyHeavenly Father, your son, Jesus, is your greatest giftto us, a great sign of your love. Guide us as we striveto walk in that love together as a family this Advent.As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, bring uscloser to each other and to your son. Give us the graceand strength we need every day. Help us to alwaystrust in you. Come, Lord Jesus, lead all people closerto you. Come and dispel the darkness of our worldwith the light of your love. Amen.THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15THAdvent Prayer by Henri NouwenLord Jesus,Master of both the light and the darkness, send yourHoly Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.We who have so much to do and seek quiet spaces tohear your voice each day,We who are anxious over many things look forwardto your coming among us.We who are blessed in so many ways long for thecomplete joy of your kingdom.We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of yourpresence.We are your people, walking in darkness, yetseeking the light.To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus!'Amen.INCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENT“THOSEWHO HEARTSARE PURE ARE TEMPLESOF THEHOLY SPIRIT~ Saint Lucy

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17THSlow Me Down Lord by Wilferd Arlan PetersonSlow me down, Lord. Ease the pounding of my heartby the quieting of my mind.Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternalreach of time.Give me, amid the confusion of the day, the calmnessof the everlasting hills.Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles with thesoothing music of the singing streams that live in mymemory. Help me to know the magical, restoringpower of sleep.Teach me the art of taking minute vacations—ofslowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend,to pat a dog, to read a few lines from a good book.Remind me each day of the fable of the hare and thetortoise, that I may know that the race is not always tothe swift—that there is more to life than increasing itsspeed.Let me look upward into the branches of the toweringoak and know that it grew great and strong because itgrew slowly and well. Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my rootsdeep into the soil of life’s enduring values so that I maygrow toward the stars of my greater destiny.Amen.~ Camille Carlisle, parishionerSATURDAY, DECEMBER 16THToday we celebrate the feast of St. John of the Cross, apillar of Carmelite spirituality. Carmelite spirituality is aspousal spirituality: It seeks deep, intimate union withGod, the Beloved. St. John stressed that we shouldn’tmake prayer all about us. Often, we turn to God becausewe want something from Him, whether that be ananswered petition or the peace of His consolingpresence. These are good things, and we can haveconfidence that our loving Father will give us goodthings. But sometimes God invites us to a greaterspiritual maturity — a call to spend time with Himwithout prioritizing what’s in it for us. Midway throughAdvent, your prayer may have lost momentum. Do youfeel dry and distracted? Keep praying anyway. Show upeven when there are no good feelings. Spend time withGod for better or for worse. It’s not that God is fickle orneeds our love. It’s that we need the opportunity todemonstrate to Him and to ourselves that we love Himthis much — enough to show up for prayer even whenwe “don’t get anything out of it.” I find this to be one ofthe most challenging teachings on prayer. I love theconsolation of God’s presence. I dislike the desert times.And it’s easy to be discouraged and feel like I’m notreally praying when I’m consumed by distractions. Buteach morning I show up anyway. I sit in my prayerchair, I set my timer, and I stay with Him until time isup. And even though I may not feel like anything ishappening, His fire is burning deep within, like theflame hidden in the heart of a charred log. What appearsto be just dormant charcoal is in fact red hot in its core,being transformed from the inside out. INCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENT

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18THAs we enter the final week of this Advent season,my thoughts will focus more on the time and placeof the birth of Our Savior as remembered inseasonal hymns. Just as the first Advent led Maryand Joseph to a little town, the town of the Houseof David, Bethlehem now takes center stage. My prayer regimen will center on one of the mostbeautiful songs of the season, “O Little Town ofBethlehem.” I encourage you all to take time to sing(or recite) the words of this carol every day thisweek and reflect on them. Remember the prophecyof Micah, “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, leastamong the clans of Judah, from you shall comeforth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel.” Andwhen the day is done and we lie in anticipation ofwhat is to come, I will turn to another Adventstaple, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Join me in praying and reflecting on a differentverse of this hymn each night as we wait in joyfulexpectation for the celebration of the day that ourLord became one of us.~ Chris Doyle, parishioner WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20TH“Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall runand not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” ~ Isaiah 40:31Dear Lord, This is where our hope lies. It lies in you. The renewal andstrength that we long for doesn’t come from the spa or fromperfect circumstances. It shows up when we have nothingto offer, and fills up our empty hands. Thank you for thegrace that strengthens and sustains us. Thank you formaking it so that at any time and in any place, we can “withconfidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we mayreceive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”(Hebrews 4:16). ~ Walking With Purpose, Opening Your HeartINCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENTWEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19THAwaiting Baby Jesus Advent PrayerMy heart is beating, filled with joy,awaiting Mary’s baby boy.For with this child, we embracethe birth of God’s most precious grace.Baby Jesus, soon to come!For us comes the Promised One.Baby Jesus, God’s own Son,you will be the Chosen Oneto lead our flock into salvation.Our eternal life awaits.The birth of Jesus brings us nearerHeaven’s holy gates.Sing with joy, and count the days,for soon to come, the Lord we’ll praise.Rejoice that Jesus will soon arrive,the Messiah and our faith alive.Amen.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22NDWhat do prayer and patience have to do with one another? Imagine what it would be like to pray with patience, asopposed to rushing through prayer just to get it done, like the Rosary for example, thinking, oh my gosh, this is going to bethe longest 10-12 minutes of my life! How could that same amount of time be different, more meaningful, if we prayedwith patience? Sometimes when we pray the Rosary, or any prayer for that matter, we might be left feeling a lack of peace,like something is missing; it could even feel like we didn’t even pray. But it’s very challenging to be patient, not just inprayer but in our everyday lives. There are so many competing forces pulling us in different directions and sometimes wecan feel like we don’t have time to pray, or just don’t feel like praying. What would happen if we slowed down our lives,and consequently made time for patiently praying each day? Yes, patiently praying; being open and honest as we pour outour hearts while listening to God’s voice. And how could praying with patience help us during this Advent Season, thistime of patient waiting? Let us make a deliberate effort to pray this Advent; to pray thoughtfully and with patience, and aswe enter into God’s presence we will have prepared our hearts steadfastly to receive the gift of his Son. Let’s turn those 10-12 minutes or more into something truly joyful!~ Doreen and Karen McKillop, parishionersINCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENTTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 21STA Morning LitanyThat I treasure the opportunities of each day...That I always put Youabove my to-do list...That the way I speak and actdraws more hearts toward You...That I rest in Your love for mebeyond my accomplishments...That I may love with an open hearttoday no matter what comes...Jesus, give me the grace. ~BlessedIsShe.net

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23RDFrom the Gospel of Luke 1: 57-66“Now the time for Elizabeth to give birth arrived, and she brought forth a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and so they congratulated her. And it happened that, on the eighth day, they arrived to circumcise the boy, and they called him by his father’s name, Zechariah.And in response, his mother said: “Not so. Instead, he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “But there is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.” Then they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him to be called. And requesting a writing tablet, he wrote, saying: “His name is John.” And they all wondered.Then, at once, his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosened, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear fell upon all of their neighbors. And all these words were made known throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all those who heard it stored it up in their heart, saying: “What do you think this boy will be?” And indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.”Having joined Fr Marc on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2022 my son and I were able to visit the place where Mary met her cousin, Elizabeth, and sang a hymn of praise (the Magnificat), a song of gratitude to God, the Savior and Lord of history. We also saw the home where Elizabeth and Zachariah lived and John the Baptist was born (it was more a cave than a house). The true faith and trust in God and His Word by Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Zachariah are a testament to their love of the Lord. We need to prayerfully consider ourdaily events and trust that God has a plan too. This is easy to say, but honestly very difficult to do for many of us. Ourhuman weakness and our ego push doubt, despair, and confusion at critical times to the forefront – prayer will help usto trust and accept His divine plan. Advent is the perfect time to reflect on how others have trusted God. They mayhave suffered difficulties along the path, but following His plan always led to a happier ending, maybe not in this life,but certainly in the afterlife with God. We are all “Saints in the Making” but we have to trust Him to lead us down theright path to His eternal grace. My most cherished prayer is the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to acceptthe things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Its profoundsimplicity encapsulates the essence of patience, joy, and hope and can lead to a deeper spiritual connection and greateranticipation of the coming of Jesus Christ. Trust Him – be like Zachariah and Elizabeth!~ Carol and Patrick Greeley, parishionersINCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENT“ALL HUMAN WISDOMIS CONTAINEDIN THESE TWO WORDS - WAIT AND HOPE.” ~ Alexandre DamasThe Count of Monte Cristo

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24THThere are many beautiful prayers said in the Church; what would I say is my favorite prayer, the prayer that isimportant to me and inspires me most? The Hail Mary is a wonderful prayer; I say this prayer often, and when I feelmyself drifting away from God, I especially like saying this prayer because it helps me return to God and my faith witha stronger connection. I also like saying this prayer during the Rosary and find the repetition soothing and meditative.The beginning of the prayer says, “Hail Mary full of Grace.” This means that Mary is filled with the presence of Godand there is no room within her for sin. In this prayer it also says, “The Lord is with Thee.” This is very comfortingbecause it means that God is with Mary and God is also with us; throughout every day and every step that we take,God is there to love and care for us. Mary is sought by many as a Spiritual Mother, and as our Heavenly Mother, she also exercises patience with us whenwe go astray. During her lifetime, Mary was a woman who waited patiently on many occasions-Mary had to wait forJoseph to come back to her after telling him that she was carrying the Son of God; Mary also had to wait for her Son tobe resurrected and to come back to her. All of us, like Mary, need to practice patient waiting and to be ever watchful for our God during the Advent Season,keeping in mind that God can come to us in the most ordinary circumstances. If we wait calmly and pray often, evenone prayer can help rid ourselves of distractions and better prepare our hearts to connect with God’s Grace and receivethe gift of His Son. There is a beauty in praying and waiting with patience. How will you pray this Advent season? ~ Anna McKillop, parishionerWHY DO WE EXCHANGE GIFTS? When Jesus was born, there were wise men,or magi, who came from distant lands toworship him. They offered him gifts of gold,frankincense, and myrrh. One reason wegive gifts at Christmas time is to follow theexample of the magi. We also follow in theexample of the generosity of St. Nicholas.Giving gifts is also a way to remember how,on that first Christmas night in a stable inBethlehem, God gave us the greatest gift ofall—his only son, who would die for our sinsabout three decades later. When we givegifts at Christmas, it is a wonderfulopportunity to give of ourselves, imitatingGod’s amazing generosity and showing hislove to others.INCREASED PRAYER PROGRAM ADVENT