As a Church, we enter a time of waiting for the coming of Christ. This time is not simply a imitation of the Israelite people waiting for the first coming of Christ, but it is an invitation to us to prepare our Church for the glorious coming of Christ in the fullness of time.

Each week we will be looking at preparing our Church through the metaphor of road construction. This image has personal significance for me as I gained a deep appreciation for how the Romans constructed roads as I walked on the very roads constructed by armies and slaves nearly two thousand years ago on the Iberian peninsula.

This first week we will be looking at the first stage of road construction: the preparation of the ground. In some places this means tearing out the old roads and paths that have become impassable or dangerous; in other places, it is the clearing of the old growth for the new road. The second week we will look at leveling and smoothing the way of the new road. The third week we will look at creating the new foundation of the road. The fourth week we will cement the road in place.

Lord God (YOU), who give us time and seasons to show us the fullness of your Love (WHO), fill us with an openness to the working of your grace within our community so that we might prepare for Your Son’s coming (DO), who lives and reigns for ever and ever. (THROUGH).

Thank you to all who welcomed Mike Posegate last weekend. He sent a thank you note for your graciousness and warm welcome of him. He is truly appreciative of your prayers and support for him as he journeys on the road to priesthood.

Lord God (YOU), who call us to follow your Son through our daily life (WHO), fill our seminarian Mike with your peace and presence so that he might serve our Church in the priesthood (DO), through Christ our Lord. (THROUGH).

The News and Updates from Saint Pius Church for this week:

Thank you to Michelle McDonald and Suzanne Crowley; welcome Jill Snell: We are having a bit of transition happening in parish administration. Michelle is becoming the Office Manager for our school ministry as Suzanne retires for her second time. Jill is our new bookkeeper and director of digital communications. Join me in prayers for all three women as they transition into their new roles.

Let’s start a period of prayer for our new Director of Music: Please join us in praying that God will send us the right person to serve as our next Director of Music through the intercession of Saint Cecelia, the patron of musicians.

O glorious Saint Cecelia, who chose to die
instead of denying your King.
We pray you please to help us
as His fair praise we sing!
We lift our hearts in joyous song
to honor Him this way.
We ask that you hear this prayer
Which we offer the Lord today:
Please send our parish a director of music
who will help us to praise God
with all our hearts, minds, voices and souls.
At once in our hearts
and with our tongues we offer prayer
Sent heavenward on winged notes
to praise God dwelling there.
While with our hearts and tongues
we try with song to praise God twice.
We ask you, dear Saint Cecelia, to help us
to be united close with Christ!
Saint Pius X, pray for us!

Hello COVID, my old friend. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I met up with a friend who was passing through town with an hour window. We shared laughs and caught up on life together. We also discovered on Thursday that we also both caught COVID during that brief time. Most of my week has been spent with what I initially thought was a bad cold (I had tested negative earlier in the week). As such, the Finance Council meeting was cancelled as were a number of other engagements on my calendar.

Today (Friday) is the first day where I feel somewhat like myself again. I don’t have the full energy level yet, but am hoping to test negative again soon so that I can come out of isolation. I really don’t want to get all of you sick–and I am sorry if I did get anyone sick. Even with a what I thought was a cold, I tried to be cautious. Please know if things don’t make sense in this post, that it’s probably COVID’s fault.

It’s time to start thinking about Advent.

• Additional Masses: during Advent we will be offering Masses during the week at 8:15 AM as normal, and we will add a 6:15 PM Mass on Tuesday and Wednesday during Advent as well as a 12:30 PM Mass on Friday, December 15 and 22 (Friday, December 8 is a holy day with it’s own schedule). We will need lectors and sacristans to sign up for the additional Masses.
• Additional opportunities for Reconciliation: during Advent we will be offering Confessions on Friday morning at 9:00 AM and on Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. Additionally, we will have a communal service on Sunday, December 10 at 4:00 PM as well as individual confessions on Monday, December 18 at 6:00 PM.
• We are going to be preparing the new road for Christ’s coming: Each week with the Scriptures to guide us, we are going to be engaging in some spiritual road construction within our community.

Getting All Set for Sunday

You can find the readings for this Sunday here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120323.cfm

The Lord is the potter; we are the clay. We ask Him to help us turn to Him, to help us to stay awake and alert for His coming. As we are trying to tear up the old roads and bring down the growth that is preventing us from building the new roads that will lead to Him, where are we fighting with the Lord or resisting His change in our lives. Are there boulders of pride that getting in the way? Are we trying to control the process of being shaped by Him? Not only for ourselves and in our families, but let’s pray this week for the grace to allow the Lord to show us what needs to be torn up in our parish so that we can build a road that allows us and others to come to Him!

Father, You have always responded to Your children’s needs in times past. Listen to our prayers today that we might open ourselves to Your wisdom and grace so that we might prepare for the coming of Your Son in His glory, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

December 1, 2023