“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
This Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, we are reminded of our call to live in joy, even amid life’s challenges. Zephaniah’s proclamation to “shout for joy” because “the Lord is in your midst” (Zephaniah 3:14-17) and Paul’s encouragement to “rejoice always” remind us that true joy springs from knowing that God is with us. As we light the rose candle on our Advent wreaths, may our hearts be filled with the radiant joy of Christ’s presence.
Recently, I witnessed the pure and unbridled joy of a child playing at the park. This child, with giggles and arms wide open, ran through the grass chasing after bubbles that floated in the wind. With each pop, there was laughter and delight—not a care in the world, just complete joy in the moment. This image of carefree, exuberant child playing reminds me of the joy we are called to on this Third Sunday of Advent. Like that child, we are invited to embrace the moment and rejoice simply because God loves us and is in our midst.
This joy was evident at Saint Simon Parish this past week! Over 450 people gathered for the inspiring tree lighting and the John Angotti & Friends Christmas concert. It was heartwarming to see so many parishioners, from school-age children to older members of our community, joining together to celebrate the season through music. It was also awesome to light the Christmas Tree in the courtyard. Cisco and Kristina Rivera and their crew did a fantastic job with all the campus lighting and decorations. It was so joyful and full of life! The kids loved playing and running around while we all visited with each other between the evening Mass and the concert. Thank you to everyone who made this event such a beautiful expression of our shared faith. In a special, I want to thank all of my staff for a great job, Kerby, Kalena, Meredith, Clare, Rachel, Joan, Donna, Victor, Baldy, Fr. Chris and Fr. Dat. Thank you to ALL the volunteers behind the scenes, Jurgen, Marc, Tina, Amy, Melissa, and the Welcome Team! Thank you also to our Church Environment Ministers for decorating the Church so beautifully with the help of the Men’s Faith Sharing group. To John, Meredith, Dion, JT, Chynna and the children’s choir, thank you for an inspiring concert and bringing the message of hope and joy to us this Advent season.
The joy of community continued with the Ladies’ Christmas Dinner on Sunday evening, where laughter, fellowship, and festive spirit reminded us of the deep bonds we share as a parish family. It was just wonderful to be able to spoil the ladies and thank them for all the hard work they do all year long. You are a gift to us…thank you!
As we continue our Advent journey, we invite you to experience God’s gracious mercy at our Communal Advent Sacrament of Reconciliation on Monday, December 16th at 7pm. This is a beautiful opportunity to prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming by seeking His forgiveness and healing. We will have 4 other priests to help us so it can be a powerful celebration of joy.
We also welcome you to the third and final session of our Advent prayer series, “Be Still and Joyful”, on Tuesday, December 17th, at 7 PM. Last week, we explored praying through the beauty of music, discovering how lyrics and melodies can draw us closer to God’s Word and learning to listen to God through music. This week, we move to Level 4 of prayer—being with God. Together, we will embrace the importance of simply sitting in God’s presence. Special guest poet Christine Moore will guide us in reflecting on how poetry can deepen our awareness of God’s abiding love and help us enter into this mystical level of prayer. It will be another special evening of learning how to deepen our prayer life and love of God.
Let us continue to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ with joyful anticipation. May the words of the prophet Zephaniah resonate within us: “He will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in His love” (Zephaniah 3:17).
Blessings of joy and peace to you all this Advent season!
God bless,
Fr. Brendan