The First Candle (The Candle of Prophecy/Hope) The first candle is sometimes called the candle of prophecy because it symbolizes the promises the prophets delivered as messages from God; promises that foretold Christ’s birth. Others consider the candle to be a symbol of the hope we have in Christ and so it is called the Hope candle.
Proclaim the good news among the nations: Our God will come to save us. With this antiphon, we began Evening Prayer for the first Sunday of Advent. We are now in the season of expectation and anticipation of things to come. Yes, we look forward to the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord. As Christians, however, we thank Jesus for His ongoing presence in our lives and we continue to anticipate the second coming of Jesus at the end of time.
As we begin a new year, we will listen to the Gospel story as told by Luke. We will be introduced once again to the characters we love; John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph, Zachary and Elizabeth. They will inspire us in their faith, their willingness to give generously and trust in the goodness of God. Luke gives us the comfort and peace of telling us that salvation is for all. His is the Gospel of women and the poor; it is the Gospel of the Holy Spirit.
This week, we are introducing our new website which is called One Catholic Ohana. You should find the website both comprehensive and convenient. Sign into the OneCatholicOhana.org for a very pleasant surprise. The website can be updated daily so consult it often for new things.
For those of you who enjoy attending Mass at St. Paul’s, this was the first weekend after a long stretch. The next Mass at St. Paul’s will be celebrated on December 19th at 4PM in the pavilion.
As an update, I want you to know that we are still working on the abatement issue in the church. Right now, we are getting the contract approved by the diocese. Things always seem to take longer than we had hoped. Please just know that we are making progress.
Next Sunday, December 6th, we will have our One Ohana faith formation event. The schedule will be just like the event on Oct.25th. Lunch will be served at noon followed by prayer, learning activities for adults, teens, and children. Attendance was good in October. Let’s make it better in December. Our theme will be Option for the Poor and Vulnerable. This is a wonderful theme for the Christmas Season when so many are without. MARK YOUR CALENDARS. Please come learn and experience with us. - Fr. Lio
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