Dear Parishioner

The overlooked Season; the Forgotten Season? The ‘Skip and go straight to the celebration ‘Party’ Season’? Being prepared, organised; having a game plan, suitable menu(s) and drinks, for family and friends’ gatherings, the Office Party is a must and there’s plenty of advice and tips at the touch of a button from YouTube channels, Podcasts and magazines, not forgetting celebrity chefs’ pitching their own recommendations.

But what is Advent? Just a few short weeks to prepare, get ourselves ready for God breaking into our lives  as a little tiny child. It’s the time where we pray for, get caught up in, the wonder, the expectation and the Hope of the Coming of the Saviour of the World arriving and turning on its head our concept of God, our concept of power and  what it means to be divine.  

Advent is not a penitential season. It’s not Lent. It’s about Hope. St Paul tells the Romans and us in our second reading: “The hour has come for you to wake from sleep, for salvation is nearer to us now!” Rom 13:11. The ‘present age,’ is rumbling on.  Most people just blend in and order their lives to suit the style and habits of that world.  Sound familiar? But the new world has already broken in.  God’s new age has begun.  Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, has lived on earth, died and rose from the dead! His life, death and resurrection began that new age. And we should be living already according to the rules of His new world. That day has begun, but all too often we’re still asleep. And we’ve forgotten what we’re all about!

So this Advent, let the light of Jesus himself shine through your life in how you live, how you treat others, (how you treat the planet we live on) and manifest the values of the kingdom of God in your life.  By living life through love of God and love of neighbour, people will be drawn to us as a result!  Let that be the focus of our Advent this year!

Fr Ambrose PP