Pastor's Weekly Message: Sunday, Nov. 29

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope that you are enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Even though many of us are facing more stress and struggle than we can remember, there is always so much for which we can thank almighty God. The very things that many of us miss right now would be unimaginable to so many people in the world.

Of course, this Sunday we begin the holy season of Advent. This time is about the longing and yearning for Jesus that we ought to experience in our hearts as we wait for His coming at Christmas. Many of us are longing and yearning for a lot right now: for a vaccine, to be able to see loved ones, to go to a concert, for a sense of personal connection, for a life without all the added stress and uncertainty. All those longings should remind us of the far greater longing that we ought to have for Jesus. And just as we know that our longing for Jesus will be fulfilled and is fulfilled every time that we encounter His presence, so too His real presence with us gives us hope that everything else will be okay. Faith in Him changes everything.

Recent read: Literary Converts by Joseph Pearce. This book is a window into the extraordinary movement of intelligentsia and literati into the Catholic Church from Anglicanism and atheism / agnosticism in Great Britain in the late 19th to early to mid-20th centuries.

St. John the Evangelist, pray for us!

Yours in Christ,

Father Royce Gregerson

Queridos hermanos en Cristo,

Espero que estés disfrutando de un fin de semana maravilloso fin de Acción de Gracias. Aunque muchos estamos batallando y nos enfrentamos a más estrés de lo que podemos recordar, tenemos mucho por lo que podemos dar gracias a Dios todopoderoso. Muchas de las cosas que echamos de menos en este momento serían inimaginables para tanta gente en el mundo.

Este domingo comenzamos el tiempo santo del Adviento. Este momento es sobre el deseo y ansia de Jesús que debemos experimentar en nuestros corazones mientras esperamos Su venida en Navidad. Ahora mismo deseamos y anhelamos mucho: una vacuna, poder ver a nuestros seres queridos, ir a un concierto, por un sentido de conexión personal, para una vida sin todo el estrés y la incertidumbre añadidas. Todos esos anhelos deben recordarnos que debemos tener un anhelo más grande por Jesús. Y así como sabemos que nuestro anhelo por Jesús se cumplirá y se cumple cada vez que nos encontremos con Su presencia, así también, Su verdadera presencia con nosotros nos da la esperanza de que todo lo demás estará bien. Tenerle fe a El cambia todo.

¡San Juan Evangelista, ruega por nosotros!

Suyo en Cristo,

P. Royce Gregerson