During the Advent Season we keep praying to the Lord to come.  At times it seems we are play acting as if he had not already come and at other times it appears that we want the Lord to come and bring us all home.  In both instances it seems as though the Lord is absent.  The Lord is not absent but present to us as Isaiah predicts in today’s first reading: “A virgin is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel (Is 7:14).” Immanuel means God is with us.

I recently saw a picture of Saint Anthony preaching to the fish from the sea-shore.  I would imagine he was speaking to them about being born in water and living in water; covered with water and surrounded by water.  He could have gone on to talk about baptism and how Christians have new life because of water.  He might have spoken about the Christian being covered by God and surrounded by God.  For the scriptures tells us: “In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).”

Our prayer during Advent might not be for the Lord to come, but for us to come to the Lord who is already present.  Matthew Fox, in his book Confessions, The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest, writes: “I emphasize what I call the horizontal side of prayer as distinct from the more familiar vertical side, and I talk about ‘the field of prayer.’  I offer my own definition of prayer: swimming.”

Describing prayer as swimming implies immediately the indispensable reality of the field of God’s love…A fish in water evidences a certain passivity in its natural habitat, a seemingly utter dependence and relaxation in the medium…To talk of prayer as swimming removes any quid pro quo connotations…Prayer is thus removed from the category of means and reinstated as an end…The fish does not call for water; it is there already. So the praying person does not call forth God.  God is already here.  Prayer calls forth the person, in ever- deeper levels of his personality, to break loose, to see and behold. (Page 84).”

Perhaps our prayer this last week of Advent ought to be a petition for the ability to see.  “Lord, let us see you who surround us and let us invite you more deeply into our lives.  Be our Immanuel.”

Parish Finances

The Parish Finance Council met on Monday, December 13^th and determined with the expenses we have and the bills still outstanding, we will deplete our savings by the end of January.  In order to pay our bills and have a minimum of $20,000 in the checking account so we are not operating from Sunday to Sunday or pay check to pay check, we will need to have $4500 as an average weekend collection.  It was re-affirmed that if there is any money in the account when we close, it will be given to our sister parish in Haiti, a sister parish we share with Saint Brigid Parish.  Again, we thank you for your continual support in these uncertain times.

Sacred Heart Parish Creche

The Créche in front of the Parish Center is magnificent.  We want to thank Jim Keefe, Anita Shine, Paul Laffey, along with his crew, and Jay McAleer.  Together they did a marvelous job we can all be proud of.  Watch while the Wise Men travel from in front of the Church to the Créche in time to arrive on January 6^th!

Offertory for December 11^th & 12^th      $4983.00

Envelope Offerings             $4475.00

Loose Cash                                $ 508.00

St. John/St. Hugh                     $ 75.00

Habitat Collection

Many thanks for your response to the Habitat collection last Sunday.  The total amount collected was $764.  You were most generous as usual!

This week we ask you to pray for those who are ill, including, Brianna Cimino, Rosemary Harvey, Regina Jones, Andrea Hynes, Joyce Amos, Regina Wingard, Erin McMehon, Maria Aguis, George Beck, Dr. Kenneth Spengler, Josephine Murphy, Peter Bugda, Norma Berstein, Camille Michals, Rob Morway, Patricia Hassett, Paul McCann, William Francis, Lillian Davenport, James Fontaini, Henri Fradette, William Blair, Agatha Pals, Kath Rodriegas, Estelle Szalajeski, Nancy Driscoll, Dante DiManna, Margie Levine, Doug Phillips, Andrew Day, Peggy Sue Grow, Mary Serpa, Deborah Miller, Dorothy Lee, William MacKinnon, Mary Jefferson, Elizabeth Conte, Shane McCarthy, Mildred Wood, Violet Caldaroni, Frank Cote, James Bresnahan, Ann Mulray, Rita Mahan, Connie Perrotta, Jackie Sullivan, Jean Babbin, Gerard Sarno, Dorothy Grant, Gretin Cervantes, Marisol O’Brien, Paul Pantano, Fran Ressetar, Cecelia Hines, Margaret Wright, Renee Chapman, Peter Bellini, Christine Gainer, Chris Ann Colletti, Helen McLaughlin, Paul Doherty, Don Costello, Jorge Loayza, Joseph Brault, Lauren Forgette, Chuck Kiernan, Bill Attaya, Margaret Coughlin, John McCarthy, Don Sabatand, Laura Mac Aulay, Stella Guarino, Bill Graham, Bob Remeika, Edward Semanko, Mary Hosford, Jose Rubiero, Jane Eastham and Dorothy Barton.  Please also pray for Richard Bucci, brother of Clora Bucci who died this past week.

Help to Decorate!

We will need a lot of help on Sunday, December 19^th after the 10:00 Mass to decorate the church for Christmas.  Please join us in thanks for this time that was a special surprise gift to the parish!

St. Brigid/Sacred Heart Penance Service

We will have our Advent Penance Service at St. Brigid’s on Sunday, December 19^th beginning at 7:00pm.  Join us as we prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ Child.

Being Catholic in the 21^st Century

Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, January 18th, 2005 at 7:30 pm in St.Brigid Parish Center.  Theodore Kepes, Jr., Ph.D. of Boston College will speak on “Being Catholic in the 21st Century”.

Sacred Heart Christmas Mass Schedule

Friday, December 24^th

4:00PM, 7:30PM and 11:00PM

Saturday, December 25^th

10:00AM

There will be no 4:00 Mass on Christmas Day

Sunday, December 26^th Masses will be at 7:00am & 10:00am

Young At Heart Chorus

The Young At Heart Chorus invites you to join them in a Christmas Carol Sing-a-Long on Tuesday, December 21 at 2:00pm at the Lexington Senior Center.

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