Parish Reflections

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Rather than a single Parish Mission, like St. Luke has traditionally had, in 2019, we switched gears to have two reflections each year, during the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent. Part of our change in focus has been to make these reflections both more accessible and more pertinent.

Advent Reflection:
Advent prepares us to celebrate Jesus’ birth. During the four weeks of Advent, we consider how God came to us incarnate in human flesh. This time of contemplation prepares us for the celebration of Christmas. Jesus’ incarnation is truly something to celebrate because it applies to us too. Since Jesus gave us his Spirit, when this spirit enters into us, we enclose God within our human flesh; God becomes incarnate within us as well. The more we live out the truth that God dwells within us, the closer we come to sainthood. God chose to deliver our salvation to us humbly; God comes to us as a helpless baby. This Advent Reflection, then, gives shape to our Advent experience. This reflection sets the stage for the mysteries that we will encounter as we celebrate the waiting and longing of Advent, and the joys of Christmas.

Lenten Reflection:
Lent prepares us to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. During Lent, we link our suffering, our sin, and our very selves to Jesus passion, crucifixion, and death. These forty days of Lent prepare us for Easter. Jesus’ resurrection applies to us too. Because Jesus gave himself up as payment for our sins, he may and does invite us to share in his resurrection too.  Since we participate in his suffering, we also participate in his resurrection. This Pre-Lenten Reflection directs us first to the Multi-lingual Mardi Gras Mass and then into the Lenten Season. This reflection sets the stage for the mysteries that we will encounter as we celebrate the pain of Lent and the glories of Easter.

What are these mysteries that we meet in Advent and Lent? They are lessons that we absorb only a little bit at a time. We never really fully understand these lessons, but each time we experience them, we understand them a little more deeply. Each time we expose ourselves to these mysteries, we comprehend better…and the more we understand, the better we are able to walk the Christian journey alongside Christ. Our lives are enriched as we continue to grow through, with, and in Jesus. These lessons are seeds that take root within us and sprout. They not only sprout, but grow and fruit as well. They are potentially able to bear much fruit, and they do that better if they are watered. So please join us for these reflections so that you can be watered too.