Dear Parishioners, The 3rd Sunday of Advent: Gaudete Sunday! As we normally reach this point in the Advent season, the Rose color vestments and the Rose candle on the Advent wreath usually signal that Advent is half over. But in this unusual calendar year, this is not the case! We have already reached and bypassed the halfway point of Advent. In fact, there is only one more week of Advent left before (yes, 7 more days) we reach the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve. This is the year that causes us to pause and wonder what we are to do! This year we have two obligations to attend Mass on the same weekend: A Sunday Mass and a Christmas Mass! Just a reminder of what to do next weekend December 23/24/25: 1) Please choose a Sunday Mass to attend next weekend. This could either be the Saturday night Vigil Mass on the 23rd or one of the morning Masses (7:30 a.m. or 9 a.m.) on the 24th. 2) Choose a Christmas Mass: One of the three vigil Masses on the 24th or the 10 a.m. Mass on Christmas day. After everyone does this, you are going to feel very holy (or at least I hope that you will!). The Sunday Mass will continue our preparation for Christmas. The Christmas Mass will remind us of what God did for the world: He sent His Son to us as an infant. Thankfully, we don’t have this schedule every year. But this year’s schedule will truly help us celebrate Christmas and remember how Christ will change (and has changed) the world and how Christmas changes our lives. The translation of Gaudete into English means “Rejoice.” Let us all rejoice that the Lord is near! Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark