What a grace-filled Advent season this has been! I want to begin by thanking everyone who joined us for our Finding Joy retreat series. Over these past weeks, we’ve explored together how to make space for Christ—not by adding one more task to our endless to-do lists, but by pausing to recognize the One who is already among us. Christ doesn’t wait for us to get everything right before He comes; He arrives in the midst of our ordinary, messy, beautiful lives, longing to share His love with us.
This spirit of joyful preparation was beautifully reflected this past week in our celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass with our parish school. I am deeply grateful to the team of school staff, parents, and parish staff who worked together to create such a meaningful and prayerful liturgy. From the Aztec dances and reenactment of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s story, to the Mariachi music, Spanish hymns, and the Gospel proclaimed in Spanish by Fr. Thanh, it was a powerful witness to a tradition that means so much to many in our community. The celebration continued with a reception featuring traditional hot chocolate and pan dulce, and it was a joy to bless and share roses with parishioners. Thank you to everyone who helped make this such a beautiful way to honor Our Lady and our shared faith.
I’m also deeply grateful to everyone who participated in our Reconciliation Service this past Monday evening. What a powerful evening of healing and grace! My heartfelt thanks to Christine Moore and the visiting priests who generously gave their time to help us prepare our hearts for Christmas. If you missed it, don’t worry—we still have confession times available before Christmas this Saturday at 4pm. Come experience the peace that only God’s mercy can bring.
As we approach this Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Gospel presents us with Joseph, a man faced with an impossible situation. When he discovers Mary is with child, he plans to divorce her quietly. But then something extraordinary happens: Joseph has a dream. An angel appears and tells him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home…”
Here’s what strikes me most: Joseph listened. And then—this is crucial—he got up and obeyed. No questions. No hesitation. Just faithful action.
We saw that same spirit of creativity, trust, and collaboration in our parish school Christmas play, and I want to offer a special word of thanks to Mrs. Addie Reitz, our 8th-grade teacher, who wrote, directed, and choreographed this year’s production. With a modern and joyful twist on the birth of Christ, students traveled through time and encountered figures from Scripture such as Moses and Jonah, bringing the story of salvation to life in a fresh way. All of our students did an amazing job, and it was a wonderful way to celebrate together before Christmas break. Thank you as well to all of our teachers, staff, and parents who supported this special production.
Scripture is filled with people who heard God speak through dreams: Jacob at Bethel, Solomon asking for wisdom, the Magi warned not to return to Herod. God speaks to us in many ways—through Scripture, through the sacraments, through other people, through nature, through our emotions, and yes, even through our dreams and imagination. The message of Emmanuel—”God with us”—means exactly that: God is present in all things, speaking to us constantly, inviting us into deeper relationship.
As Joseph shows us, it’s one thing to hear God’s voice. It’s entirely another to obey it. To get up. To act. To trust.
This week, as families gather for Christmas, many of us will experience both the joy and the tension of homecoming. Old hurts may resurface. Difficult conversations might hover at the edge of family dinners. Some of us carry wounds from broken relationships—in our families, our communities, our nation, even our world.
What if, like Joseph, we listened for God speaking in the midst of these tensions? What if we heard His call to healing? What if the message of Christmas—that God became one of us to share His love with the whole world—is also an invitation to bring that same love, unity, and healing into our homes? The message has been said, even shouted: God wants peace. Peace in our families. Peace in our country. Peace in our world. If we’re going to fight for anything this Christmas, let’s fight for peace—using words of love and kindness rather than accusation and blame.
This is why we celebrate Christmas. Not just to remember a birth 2,000 years ago, but to welcome Emmanuel—God with us—into our homes and hearts right now. Christ came for everyone. The table is set. All are welcome.
Speaking of welcome: I warmly invite you to join us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses. This is our opportunity to put our best foot forward as a parish family. Please invite your relatives, your friends, your neighbors. Don’t judge them for why they haven’t come to church on other Sundays. Simply let them know: they are welcome. Christ came for them as much as for us. The manger was open to shepherds and kings alike—and so is our church.
If you didn’t make it to our “Finding Joy” retreat, you can find recordings of all three sessions on our parish website. Share them with family members who couldn’t attend. The message is simple but profound: pause. Make room for Christ. He is already among us, waiting to be welcomed home. Retreat recordings and handouts here.
This last week of Advent, let us hear God speak to us—in our prayers, in our dreams, in the quiet moments of reflection. Let us listen for His call to peace and healing. And like Joseph, let us have the courage to get up and obey, bringing Emmanuel’s love into every corner of our lives.
May your Christmas preparations be filled with joy and peace. May your travels be safe. And may all who return home for the holidays find warmth, welcome, and healing around your tables. Merry Christmas!
God Bless,
Fr. Brendan