Exiit qui seminat

The First Sunday of Advent is the beginning of many things. Not only is it the recognition of the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time and our remote preparation for the celebration of the Birth of Our Savior, the First Sunday of Advent is the beginning of the new liturgical year - the cycle of religious seasons that make up the ebb and flow of Masses in the life of the Church. As we begin the season of Advent, it is more than fitting that we embark on a continued focus on the families of our parish at our 9 AM Mass this Sunday. In truth, there is no such thing as a "Children's Liturgy". The Mass is already geared towards them, as it is geared to each and every one of us as Children of God. By virtue of their baptism, children are already an integral part of our community, regardless of their age. Each child and each person understand as much as they at Mass can according to their gifs. As Pope St. John Paul II wrote in his Apostolic Exhortation on the role of the Christian Family in the Modern World, "All members of the family, each according to his or her own gif, have the grace and responsibility of building, day by day, the communion of persons, making the family 'a school of deeper humanity': this happens where there is care and love for the little ones, the sick, the aged; where there is mutual service every day; when there is a sharing of goods, of joys and of sorrows (Familiaris consorto 21)." As a parish and a Church, it is our job to help parents in their role as primary educators of their children in the ways of faith. It is also our obligation to strengthen families as the "Domestic Church", because the family is not just the basic building block of society, but the foundation of the Church herself. Without families, the Church would collapse - that's why the Devil attacks the family at every turn. To reach young families, we do not need to be flashy or showy, nor should we pander to them. That would be a disservice to them and an affront to their sacramental dignity. Families need to be reminded that their parish is their spiritual home and while they may have been away for a while, God constantly calls us home. That's the goal of what we're doing: being authentic and real, assisting them to grow in relationship with not just our parish, but with God. Let us pray for all of the families of our parish and our community as we move forward in spreading the Gospel to our parishioners and the world in which we live.