Monday – Ponedjeljak, December 10, 2007 7:30 a.m. James ...

PAGE 2 PARISH BULLETIN DECEMBER 9, 2007WEEKLY MEDITATION for the Second Sunday of AdventThe Bible readings forAdvent glitter with brightpromises of the wonderfulthings that the Messiahbring about. The Messiah,Jesus Christ, hascome, yet little seems to havechanged. We might well ask what hasbecome of the great promises? Do weneed to wait for the Second Coming?The central theme of Advent isGod’s faithfulness. In spite of theirinfidelities and sins, God never cancelsthe covenant hemade with his people.The Advent liturgy makesus aware of God’s faithfullove for us and the wonderfulgift he has made tous in Jesus. All of God’s promisesbecome fulfilled in the fullness ofGod’s time, not ours. That is why Adventis not simply about the past. It isabout the present and future as well.Advent awakens us to the presenceof the Savior among us today,and his mission to establish God’sKingdom on earth. We have a vitalpart to play in making this Kingdom areality. Advent provides us with agreat opportunity to commit ourselvesanew to Jesus and his Lordship, tobuild our lives on his promise. That iswhy we need the repentance John theBaptist calls us to in today’s Gospel.Repentance brings us hope. And hopeis vital precisely because we live in animperfect world that will never completelyfulfill us. Only God can do that.WISDOM’S CORNERMaking space for hopeShe lived alone, as so many do, and she feltit especially at Christmas, as so many do.Decorating her Christmas tree, she beganto argue with herself, an argument she’d hadseveral times before in these days beforeChristmas. “Why am I doing this? No one willsee it, and I don’t need it.”Then she heard herself say, “You have todo this. Not so that others will see it, but toremind yourself that the hope is real—not justwords, or memories, or a dream. It’s real. Jesusreally did come, and so you really have atree and you decorate it, and you buy realgifts, and you receive the sacraments, andyou go to Mass, and you have a real Christmas.This is how you keep the hope aliveand real!”Christ has given us this beautiful season ofAdvent just when we need it the most: at thebusiest time of the year.*****************THOUGHT OF THE WEEKThough Christ a thousand timesin Bethlehem be born,Unless he’s born in you,your soul will be forlorn.BAPTISMThis weekend we welcome through the Sacrament ofBaptism Olivia Noelle Scalfaro, daughter ofCharles and Jamyn (nee Craft) Scalfaro and the Goddaughterof Michael and Jacqueline DiVito. Congratulationsto Olivia’s family, and through the intercessionof Saints Olivia and Noel, may God bless little Olivia.Franciscan Friars: 1209-2009, and beyond...Continuing our gradual look at the Franciscan Friars as theyapproach their 800th birthday as a Religious Order, wefocus our attention on the life of the man who started it all:St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226).Young Francis hears God (a continuation)In 1205, at the age of 24, young Francis was in a deepstruggle to sense through prayer, penance and pilgrimagewhat God was calling him to be and to do. Francis hadearlier been moved to give up fancy clothing and potentialcareers as a merchant or a knight. He had embracedthe poor, even wearing their tatteredclothes in solidarity. But besides simplygiving up worldly things, what was his personalmission from God? God miraculouslyclarified this for him: while Francis waspraying before an ancient crucifix in theforsaken and crumbling Chapel of St.Damian (located below the hill town of Assisi),he heard a Voice from the crucifixcommanding, “Go, Francis, and repair my A Voice camehouse, which as you see is falling into ruin.”from the crucifixTaking this command literally (as a command to repairthe crumbling chapel that he was kneeling in), Francisimmediately went to get some money to pay for restoringthe chapel to its former glory. But he went fundraisingin the wrong place....(To be continued...)