Advent Message

Dear Saint Kateri Family:

Pope Francis said recently, “Advent, which prepares us for Christmas ... it is a time of expectation and a time of hope. Advent is about getting ready for our Lord to come. But it is also a reminder that he has already come. He has already entered into the reality of our human existence, and he is still, and always will be, with us. Advent reminds us that Jesus is always arriving: in the people he sends into our lives; in the challenges we face every day; in the burdens we carry; even in our sufferings. And, Advent reminds us that God is faithful! His love for us is true. Let us never doubt that! This is why he sent his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, into the world in the first place. To share our sufferings, to walk with us and to strengthen us.”

Archbishop Gomez spoke recently reminding the faithful to be “on the look-out” for God. “He is all around us! He is with us. If we watch for him, if we stay alert, we will see his love everywhere around us.” Advent is also a time of new beginnings. The first Sunday of Advent marked the beginning of a new Liturgical year for the Church. It is a time when we begin anew. It is a time and an opportunity for our parish community to begin anew as well. There has been some division and dissention within our community in recent months. This was not part of Jesus’ plan when He came to earth to join us in our human condition. There were times when Jesus experienced dissention within the ranks of His followers, even among the Apostles. But during
those difficult times, they worked things out because Jesus taught them to be aware of “the bigger picture.” We have to follow the example of the Apostles and set aside our differences and move our parish forward together. We all know the incredible gifts with which our parish has been blessed. We need to acknowledge these gifts, pool our resources and begin our move forward during this season of Advent.

Since Advent is a time for new beginnings (as Pope Francis says, “...a time of expectation and a time of hope”), let us together make the Advent Season one of a fresh, new start for our Saint Kateri Parish community. This will take some effort, but with everyone’s effort and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I promise you it will be well worth every bit of our effort! May our community of faith be filled with hope and strengthened by God’s loving mercy as we prepare ourselves this Advent for the coming of our Lord on Christmas.

Faithfully,

Deacon Bob Seidler
Administrator Pro Tem