Fr. Simon's Letter - December 12, 2021

The scepter of a new Omicron variant that seems to threaten the holidays, climate change and all the challenges it presents, refugee crisis, economic woes and political turmoil remind us that all is not right with our world. Even in families and our day to day lives, things may not be too well. Most often we try to handle these problems ourselves and often find ourselves asking the same question people asked John the Baptist two thousand years ago, ‘what should we do?’ No matter how much we do, we know that we need a savior.  

The good news is that we have already been given a savior.  ‘Joy’ is the theme for the third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. This Sunday there is a shift in the focus of our Advent preparation. For the first two weeks of Advent the focus can be summed up in the phrase “The Lord is coming.” But beginning with Gaudete Sunday, the summary might be “The Lord is near.” This shift is marked by a lighter mood and a heightened sense of joyous anticipation.

Liturgically, the colors lighten as well. The priest usually wears rose-colored vestments, a hue seen only on Gaudete Sunday and Laetare Sunday. On this day, we light the third candle of the Advent wreath, which is also rose-colored. The word “Gaudete” is Latin for “Rejoice.” This celebration is a reminder that God who loves us is still in charge and that we await his coming not with fear but with tremendous joy. 

In all of the mess that surrounds us, there are still moments of joy we all experience. The news of a pregnancy or the birth of a child, a promotion or raise at work, an all-clear report from the doctor or an important event in our lives. Most of us have been on the receiving end of joyful experiences. These are times of hope and joy! These are times when we can offer hope and joy to others through our attitude and our generosity. These are times when we can be a true witness to Jesus in our lives.

One of the many reasons for joy and celebration here at QAS is the successful completion of the construction phase of our Capital Campaign ‘From Generation to Generation.’ We are blessed by the generosity and prayers of all our parishioners and friends who have contributed to and taken part in the Capital Campaign. Soon we will be recognizing in a special way all who have helped us accomplish this project. Please see the details in the letter on page 5 of this bulletin.

I look forward in joyful anticipation to your presence at our Sunday and Christmas celebrations.

Blessings!!