Dear Parishioners:
--Next Thursday, December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception of The Blessed
Virgin Mary (Patronal Feast day of the United States of America).
Masses at 10:00 AM – English and 7:00 PM - Spanish.
---How is your “Virtual Pilgrimage” … The goal is to travel from our Home Mother
Church of Cathedral of St. James, Seattle to the Basilica, Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception in Washington D.C., beginning on the First Sunday of Advent November
27, 2022 to Pentecost Sunday May 27, 2023. It’s not too late to sign up and invite a
friend to journey with YOU and your family on this Virtual Pilgrimage. Please see the
bulletin page for instruction how to join in this Virtual Pilgrimage or the electronic
version in the parish website. May you have an inspired Pilgrimage with family and
friends.
---In the Second Sunday of Advent Season readings every year, we encounter the voice
of John the Baptist in the desert echoing the words of the prophet Isaiah: "Prepare the
way of the Lord, make straight his paths… …”
John the Baptist taught the people of his day and our day that the Messiah comes to save
us from the powers of despair, darkness and death and to put us back to God. John the
Baptist’s life and mission remind us how badly we need a Savior to save us, in order that
we might be all that we are called to be and do all that we have to do to live in the Light.
-Advent is a mystery that transforms and not simply informs.
-Advent remains with its paradoxical combination of waiting and hastening,
suffering and joy, judgment and deliverance; and ultimate HOPE.
To hope, in the true Advent fashion, is to live with the certainty of unfulfilled desire.
Taking these clues from John the Baptist, the last prophet in the New Testament, each of
us and our parish community are preparing the way of the Lord in a “physical and
spiritual way”. The many activities are taking place in our lives and in our parish
community symbolized this physical process of preparation. I hope that, as you
participate in the many activities from our parish community early in this Advent Season,
will lead all of us to that special preparation for the Lord coming into our lives and our
world.
Please check the bulletin weekly. Here are a few examples:
---Please take home an Advent Blue Book to help you in this on-going richness
reflection of this Preparation that lead us to celebrate the Christmas Season soon.
---Tree of Love (Christmas Giving Tree) – Take a name tag at the Main Entrance and
consider giving a Christmas gift for a person in need.
---Advent Communal Penance Service:
Tuesday Dec. 13 – 5:00 PM at Prince of Peace, Belfair, with opportunity for individual
confession after the Penance Service.
Wednesday Dec. 14 - 7:00 PM at St. Gabriel, with opportunity for individual confession
after the Penance Service.
---Individual Reconciliation – Every Thursdays before or after 10:00 AM Mass and
Every Saturdays from 4:00 – 4:30 PM.
---Novena for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Prince of Peace from –
Guatemalan Community Dec. 4 – Dec. 11: Prayer 7-9 PM.
-The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be on Monday, December 12 at 5:00 PM in
Spanish with Reception follow in the Parish Hall
---Simbang Gabi – Novena in preparation for Christmas by the Filipino’s community –
Saturday Dec. 17 – at 6:30 PM Mass and Festivities afterward. This year, we combined
this Celebration together at St. Gabriel Parish.
---The Calendar Year is coming to the end soon. I’d like to take this opportunity “to
thank” for your participation in many different ministries and volunteer opportunities in
our parish community. Especially, I’d like to thank for your Stewardship of Time,
Talent and Treasure in the year of 2022. Please be aware that “all tax deductable
contribution” to the parish has to be done in the last week of December up to December
31 to be included for 2022.
Christ’s Peace,
Fr. Phuong Hoang