Getting ready to get ready is the theme of the month of December. In our Roman Catholic tradition, the Season of Advent is a time of joyful expectation as we get ready to welcome Jesus as the Infant of Bethlehem. Sometimes lost in the hectic pace of “the holiday season” we can get overwhelmed with tasks and deadlines. Advent should be a time where we permit ourselves to slow down a bit and maybe gift ourselves with meaningful time with God as well as family and friends.
At Sacred Heart we start the month off busy with our Carol Sing in the church comprising of a selection of sacred and secular Christmas favorites. The event begins at 5:15 p.m. on Sunday, December 3. Once we get in the spirit with the music we head outside for the blessing of the Christmas Nativity and our Christmas tree. This family friendly and multi-generational event concludes with a reception of hot chocolate and cookies hosted by our Knights of Columbus in Fr. Ted Hall. Everyone is welcome and there is no charge for this event.
In the midst of all the music, many volunteers from our Human Needs Committee will be putting together Thanksgiving Food Baskets and then collecting gift items for Christmas to once again assist our neighbors in need through Suffield Community Aid. Parishioners will be purchasing items designated for area families and children to help make Christmas a little brighter for everyone.
We are also praying for anyone who is looking to return to the faith through our parish family. Our annual “Come Home for Christmas” program of prayer and invitation will begin in Advent as we pray for family members and friends to rejoin us at the Lord’s altar for Christmas and hopefully all through the new year. The name or initials of a loved one is written on a small heart and they are prayed for during Advent. The hearts are lovingly placed on the Christmas trees in the church and remain there throughout the Christmas season. It is our hope that God touches the heart of each of us that we can rejoin or welcome back a family member and friend.
Christmas falls on a Monday this year so our Fourth Sunday of Advent will be a modified weekend schedule with the 4 p.m. Vigil Mass on Dec. 23rd and morning Masses at 8 and 10 on December 24 for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The Christmas Eve Masses will be at 4 and 10:30 p.m. A performance of sacred Christmas music will begin at 10 p.m. performed by our parish choir. Please join is if you can. Christmas Day the Masses will be at 8:30 and 10 a.m. For more details, please visit our newly updated web site at http://www.sacredheartct.com.
One of the focal points of any parish Christmas celebration is the parish nativity scene. Usually displayed in front of the altar, the parish nativity conveys the infancy narratives found in the gospels of St. Luke and St. Matthew. The tradition begun by St. Francis of Assisi to help people better appreciate the true Gift of Christmas, Francis assembled animals and characters to bring the Bible to life. This year at Sacred Heart, special efforts have been made to restore and recreate a “parish” nativity. Using figurines from both Sacred Heart and St. Joseph churches, a New Britain artist/crafter has repaired and repainted a combination of figures from multiple sets to form one complete nativity to help us in our continued journey to a unified Catholic Family here in Suffield. The result has been a truly beautiful nativity for a truly beautiful parish family.
I hope you can find time to join us in some of these calendar highlights or just enjoy the Christmas tree at 446 Mountain Road as you drive home from a busy day at work or school or shopping. Have a blessed Advent and Christmas Season! Whatever your faith tradition, may God bless you and your loved ones in the New Year and may peace fill our hearts and our world.