A season of joy

A season of light

A season so merry

A season so bright

This is my first Advent with you, Holy Spirit Parish, and I am already enjoying the fun traditions our community has - from Advent Wreath Making to lighting the wreath candles in the church at Mass, to parties with friends and families, to concerts and performances at school, to prayerful times singing praise and worship songs and reflecting on Scripture. The season is full of opportunities to make joyful memories. I'm soaking it all in and learning to cherish these moments.

As we draw closer to the holy day of Christmas, we are invited to experience and pray through the themes of Advent. We are invited to hope in the Lord, receive the peace of Christ, to rejoice in the Lord, and to feel the love of God. With you, I am experiencing and praying through these themes and what stands out to me at this moment is the abiding feeling of joy. I have been privileged to learn about the highs and lows of the lives of our parishioners and what encourages me is your perseverance, your faith, your steadfast hope in our God. I have witnessed the peace of Christ in your lives and felt the love of God through your support for each other. You all have given me a reason to be joyful and to praise our God. And so, praise God! He is so good!

I am so grateful for this community's desire to grow closer to God and to grow with others. I look forward to growing with you - this is my hope for this Advent season and for this coming year.

I look forward to celebrating the Advent of Our Lord, Jesus Christ with you this Christmas. May God bless you and your loved ones. God is always with us, and in a special way, we remember the Incarnation of our Lord, Jesus, on that wonderful, marvelous night in Bethlehem. With joyful anticipation, let us journey towards this great day with hope, peace, joy, and love.

God bless, God love you, and Godspeed,

Fr. Robert