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Advent: A Time of Preparation Make This the Best Season Yet
Advent is made up of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. In 2021, it began on Nov. 28. It is a time of quiet reflection and penance, as we prepare for one of the most important days of the liturgical year.
This year, we have some very exciting ways to prepare during the Advent season. For nine consecutive nights beginning on Nov. 30, we will host Evening Prayer at Immaculate Conception. This is being held at eight other churches throughout the diocese. The prayer service begins at 8:15 p.m. andwill wrap up by 8:30 p.m. The nine evening services end on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8. There will be a reception to follow on the final night, with ice cream, cookies, and hot chocolate being served. All parishioners and families are invited to come pray. You might also consider going to a different parish for each night of Evening Prayer — the full list of parishes can be found on the Diocese of Cleveland website.
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“Everybody and anybody is welcome to come pray,” says Fr. Michael Troha. “This would also be a good way to introduce non-Catholics to a new form of prayer.”
But, as Fr. Troha says, we don’t need to do anything complicated or extravagant to help prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas. He recommends using the little blue books provided by the parish or finding an Advent-related program on FORMED.org.
You may also commit to spending more time in prayer and reading the Bible.
“Let’s use this Advent to focus on the meaning of the season,” Fr. Troha says. “God became man and gave us our salvation. Anything to focus on that is a good thing.”
There are several other events taking place leading up to Christmas. At 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4, Fr. Dennis McNeil will host a family Christmas movie, Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol. There will be pizza and snacks.
On Sunday, Dec. 12, we will celebrate the 156th anniversary of our parish with breakfast following the Sunday Masses. Also on Dec. 12, there will be a communal penance service at 3 p.m.
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18, Immaculate Conception will host Breakfast with Santa. There is no charge, but please consider bringing a nonperishable food item to be donated to the McKinley Food Pantry.
You are also invited to gather at Immaculate Conception on Thursday, Dec. 23 to help decorate for the Christmas Masses. Also, feel free to pick up a tag for an item needed by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The tree with tags is in the southwest vestibule. Items are due back on Dec. 12.
“The parish is always very generous in supporting those in need through St. Vincent de Paul,” says parish business manager Elayne Kramer. “Each year, we get more and more items.”
The memory tree is also on display in the southwest vestibule. The tree is there to remember deceased loved ones, including babies lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. Bring an ornament and write your loved one’s name on it, with your name and phone number on the back.
We are excited to welcome parishioners to all these events! With the canceled events and separation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it certainly is nice to see things returning to some normalcy here in our parish community.
