With some fear and trepidation, we seem to have made it beyond the “stage fright” of adapting to the New Roman Missal in English. Thanks to the preparations made over the past two months by Father Driscoll and Father Khanh, and our Parish Director of Liturgical Music, Bill Stafford and other staff members, we were able to ride the crest of the wave of fear to make the necessary changes, and came out safely. We still have some “kinks” to iron out but, all in all, we’ve done quite well. It will still take patience to learn the new responses of the Mass, especially the easiest (but maybe the trickiest) one, “And with your spirit.” So, by Christmas time, we should be able to appreciate another one of the preparations of this Advent season, and move on to the New Year with a greater sense of the sublime beauty of the Mass.

That Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass is the action of Christ and of God’s people, in which the human race adores the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit. Here, the faithful join themselves to Christ in giving thanks and in acknowledging the great things God has done. The Mass is the ‘sacrament of unity” in which the faithful are nourished from the table of God’s Word and of Christ’s Body. This unity is expressed particularly in common posture, in communal singing, reverential silence, and in sharing together of the one bread and one cup. Ideally, the assumption of the Roman Missal is that every Sunday and feast day, the Eucharistic liturgy will be celebrated with song, with a cantor, with one or two readers, and with other assisting ministers. Actually, though, we have to deal with the reality of our human limitations that are constantly buoyed up by our loving God.

How wonderful it was, this past Wednesday, to have two dozen volunteers (most of these are women with children in our school) help our parish secretarial staff with the annual Christmas mailings to nearly 3,000 homes and families. In a slight take from the famous words of Julius Caesar, “Veni, vidi, vici,” they came, saw and conquered! In a matter of a few brief hours, they were able to set up an efficient assembly line, enjoy some “goodies,” and busy themselves in a beautiful effort of volunteerism. What a great Advent example for all! A big THANK YOU to: Deacon Bruce Turnbull, Karen Turnbull, Mimi Meister, Carla Zorovich, Mary Louise Finneran, Carolyn Roehm, Susie Rona, Colleen Schuhmann, Michele Harrington, Amy Fairchild, Flor Heaney, Martha Mirenda, Liz Sumi, Sue Perez, Tabitha Robbins, Tricia Wohlfarth, Kim Weber, Amy Vilcnik, Stephanie McInerney, Alexandra Raciunas, Donna Rizzo, Lucia Merchant, Maria Howard and Linda Flood.

Very Rev. Canon Tom