Advent 2025
Be Strong, Fear Not!
When we witness the poor going without food, shelter, or the simplest necessities of life; when we read of wars tearing communities apart, of natural disasters reshaping whole landscapes, of policies that wound rather than heal—it can feel as though we are walking in the very “desert and parched land” Isaiah describes. As we continue to lift up our annual theme—the life and dignity of the human person—and weave it through our programming throughout the year, we approach the coming season of Advent keenly aware of God’s promise to proclaim liberty to captives, to heal the brokenhearted, and to set the captives free. And yet, Isaiah dares to proclaim that this barren land “will bloom with abundant flowers.” He invites us to trust that even in the most desolate places, God is already at work, coaxing life from dry soil.
This is a call not to give into despair, but to rejoice, because HERE is our God. Jesus will come in the fullness of time to gather all people to Himself, yes—but He is also here now, in the dust and struggle of our daily lives. He walks our difficult paths with us, showing us what it means to live as His people. To those of us who tremble, who carry fear or uncertainty, He speaks words that have echoed across centuries: “Be strong, fear not!”
And so, in these Advent days, we quiet ourselves enough to listen—really listen—to the voice of the apostle James, urging us to “be patient” and to “make our hearts firm.” Patience is not passive; it is a deep trust that God is at work even when we cannot yet see the bloom. A firm heart is not a hardened one; it is a heart rooted in hope, open to grace, steady enough to endure.
God will never abandon us. This is why we rejoice—not once, but again and again. For as Jesus proclaims in the Gospel, “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” These signs of restoration reveal the very heart of God—a God who heals, who lifts up, who restores what was broken.
If this is the good news Jesus brings, then we must ask ourselves:
How might we help that good news take root in the lives of those around us? What small act of compassion, what word of courage, what act of solidarity might allow another person to glimpse God’s nearness?
In a world that still knows deserts, we are invited to be part of the flowering.
COMMUNITY ADVENT PRAYER
O Christ, who came to share our humanity
and draw us to yourself:
as we prepare to celebrate the feast of your birth,
increase our longing for your coming into our world.
MARANATHA! COME, LORD JESUS!
O Christ, who came to share our human condition
in your taking flesh: help us to be attentive to the ways
in which you continually come into our lives,
in our prayer, in the Scriptures,
in our gathering at your table.
Give us the grace to be awake to the many
ways you come to us each day.
MARANATHA! COME, LORD JESUS!
O Christ, who is the Prince of Peace,
come to draw all peoples to Yourself:
Come, inspire us to put aside all enmity and division,
and to work for peace in our communities
and in our world.
MARANATHA! COME, LORD JESUS!
O Christ, who is the Consolation of God:
move us in these Advent days to bring your
love to all who live in fear, danger, hunger, and poverty.
Inspire us to extend your love into our broken world.
MARANATHA! COME, LORD JESUS!
O, Christ who are both our journey and our journey’s end:
As we yearn for your final coming in glory,
fill us with hope and joy in your presence among us.
Assured in the knowledge
that you always surround us with your infinite love,
help us wait for you in Advent joy.
MARANATHA! COME, LORD JESUS!
Other Advent Prayer Opportunities
ONLINE PRAYER – Mondays During Advent
The LGBTQ+ Ministry will be leading virtual prayer sessions via Zoom during the Advent Season. The sessions are 30 minutes each and will take place on Mondays,
December 1, 15, and 22 from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM.
The access link is https://tinyurl.com/ysccxudn.
All are welcome!
Advent • Christmas Calendar
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
MASS SCHEDULE
Saturday, November 29 – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 30 – 10:00 a.m. (Live stream)
Sunday, November 30 – 6:00 p.m.
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
MASS SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 6 – 5:00 p.m. (Live stream)
Sunday, December 7 – 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, December 7 – 6:00 p.m.
SOLEMNITY OF THE
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
MASS SCHEDULE
Monday, December 8
8:00 a.m.; 12:00 p.m.
COME TO SET US FREE
A Festival of Readings and Carols
Saturday, December 13 – 8:00 p.m. (Live stream)
Sunday, December 14 – 2:00 p.m.
(with A Christmas Story – Live stream)
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
MASS SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 13 – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 14 – 10:00 a.m. (Live stream)
Sunday, December 14 – 6:00 p.m.
ADVENT SERVICE OF RECONCILIATION
AND REFLECTION
Thursday, December 18 – 7:00 p.m.
(Opportunities for individual confession)
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
MASS SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 20 – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 21 – 10:00 a.m. (Live stream)
Sunday, December 21 – 6:00 p.m.
CHRISTMAS EVE
MASS SCHEDULE
Wednesday, December 24 – 4:00 p.m. (Live stream)
Wednesday, December 24 – 8:00 p.m.
CHRISTMAS DAY
MASS SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 25 – 10:00 a.m.
FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
MASS SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 27 – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 28 – 10:00 a.m. (Live stream)
Sunday, December 28 – 6:00 p.m.
SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
MASS SCHEDULE
Wednesday, December 31 – 5:00 p.m. (Live stream)
Sunday Reflections
First Sunday of Advent: Let Us Climb the Mountain of the Lord
Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-9; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44
Many peoples shall come and say: ‘Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways and we may walk in his paths.’”
In these Advent days, we quiet our hearts and make that climb ourselves—ascending God’s mountain to listen, to awaken from our sleep, just as both Paul and Jesus urge us in today’s readings. And what do we hear on this mountain of stillness?
“Walk in the light of the Lord,” Isaiah proclaims. “Put on the armor of light and conduct yourselves properly,” Paul adds. Their words call us into lives of service, into the work of peace, into the daily labor of building God’s kingdom—an invitation we will hear echoed in every Sunday reading of this holy season.
So as Advent unfolds and the light grows day by day, how will we choose to walk in that light?
Second Sunday of Advent: Prepare the Way of the Lord
Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12
At the outset of his ministry, Jesus read the very passage from Isaiah that we hear in today’s liturgy. And as we listen—on our own mountain of instruction—we hear him promise to “judge the poor with justice and decide aright for the land’s afflicted,” assuring us that on God’s holy mountain no harm will come to anyone.
To join Jesus in this mission of service, peacemaking, and love will indeed require the “endurance” Paul speaks of. Yet we do not walk this path alone. As a community of believers, we strengthen one another with shared faith and shared hope—trusting that even in these difficult days of mistrust and division, we can still bear the good fruit John the Baptist calls forth from his followers, and from us.
This Advent, as we ready our hearts for Christ’s coming, what concrete acts of service are we being invited to offer?
Third Sunday of Advent: Be Strong, Fear Not!
Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10; Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
When we witness the poor going without food, shelter, and other basic necessities; when we hear of wars, natural disasters, and harmful policies that wound the vulnerable, it can feel as though we are standing in the “desert and parched land” Isaiah describes. And yet, Isaiah promises that this very desert “will bloom with abundant flowers.” We are to rejoice, for here is our God.
Christ will come at the end of time to draw all people to himself, but he is also here now—walking our difficult road, showing us how to live as his people, and speaking to our fearful hearts: “Be strong, fear not!”
This Advent, as we pause to listen, we hear James urging us in the second reading to “be patient” and to “make our hearts firm.” God will never abandon us. Therefore, we rejoice again and again, for as Jesus tells us in the Gospel: “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”
And so we ask ourselves: What can we do, here and now, to make “good news” possible for those around us?
Fourth Sunday of Advent: Emmanuel, God With Us
MIsaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24:-1-2, 3-4, 5-6; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24
Once again, we hear from Isaiah, as we have for the past three Sundays. He echoes—along with Paul in his letter to the Romans and Matthew in his Gospel—what resounds throughout the Hebrew Scriptures: that Jesus is the long-promised One, descended from David, who comes to dwell among us and teach us His ways.
The angel tells Joseph that the child to be born is to be called Emmanuel, “God with us”—not only in a moment of ancient history in Jerusalem, but here and now, walking beside us as we strive to respond to His call to discipleship.
In these final days of Advent, in these last moments of contemplation on the Holy Mountain, we marvel at the immeasurable love of God, who sends us His beloved Son, and at the Son’s profound act of self-emptying—taking on our humanity with all its joys and its sufferings.
We are united to Him in His—and our—life, death, and resurrection. And so we walk, unafraid. What are we being called to let go of? What fears are we being invited to release as we welcome Emmanuel, God with us, into our hearts in these final days of Advent, as we approach the Feast of the Incarnation, as we journey forward into the New Year?