Hope is Born.
Dear Parishioners,
Whenever we feel overwhelmed by the chaos and difficulty of life, we can turn to God in prayer for acceptance, serenity and grace. In this time of uncertainty, fear, seclusion, and separation from what we term ‘normal,’ our human solution is to ‘handle it ourselves.’ But that is not what our Lord asks of us. Turning to Him should be our first response, not our last resort.
Let us look at the Christmas story, from Mary’s point of view. Imagine a teenage Mary and her prospects for the future as a poor, obscure Jewish girl. Suddenly, she is visited by an angel and endowed with a mission like no other in history!
How does Mary handle her “new normal”? Despite her questions and the magnanimity of the angel’s revelation, this young woman, in fear and uncertainty; still chooses to place her faith and trust in her God and His promise of sending a Messiah to her people. And so, with God’s grace, Mary was able to put aside the circumstance, and answer in total obedience.
“I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:30-31
With her acceptance, the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and she was infused with boldness in her purpose.
This Advent, as we prepare our hearts for our newborn King, I pray that you too, will accept God’s call to be another “Mary” in this world. In every situation, may we always ask, what would Mary do?
We love you. We miss you. If you are looking for answers, we are here to help. Call the Rectory at 201-262-1122 to set a time to talk with me or one of our Priests.
Wishing you the Blessings of Christmas,
Father Paul
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Advent Parish Mission 2020
Advent is the time when the world prepares to celebrate anew
the coming of Christ
NEW! Rejoice!
Advent Meditations with Joseph
Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph is a prayer resource with daily meditations that will enrich your Advent by inviting you to experience the first Advent with Joseph and Mary, as they await the birth of their son, the Savior of the world.
This journal calls you daily to see through Joseph’s eyes, feel what is in Joseph’s heart, and read the Scripture that Joseph read, so you can fully prepare to welcome Jesus into your heart this Christmas. Each week, readers can enjoy supplemental videos featuring guided meditation with Fr. Toups himself. Join us Sunday evenings at 7:30pm via Zoom. Prayer journals are $10
Orders must be in by Nov. 27th
Pick up your books Nov. 25th or 28th.
Program begins Sunday Nov. 29th
Each Day, you’ll walk with Joseph with...
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A Word - Focus on a single word each day to draw out the details, the specifics of who Joseph is.
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A Reflection - Learn more about Joseph, the culture in which he was raised, and the world in which he lived.
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A Psalm - Each day, you’re given a Psalm to pray (just as Joseph himself would have prayed) to help you enter into prayer.
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A Reading - In reading Scripture, you'll enter into the story of the first Advent, and walk beside Joseph.
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A Prompt - Space is provided each day to journal. Record how the Lord is speaking to you this Advent.
NEW! Rejoice LIVE
This year on Sundays at 8pm, we invite you to Rejoice LIVE with Father Mark Toups. We will come together to share in the beautiful tradition of lighting the Advent wreath to pray, unpack the Sunday Scripture reading and prepare our hearts for the coming week of Advent. To join, email , you will receive a link and a prayer each week via email.
Pick up our Parishes’ Advent Reflection Book – In-Church
Join Us for a Parish-Wide Tradition
A Bed of Love for Jesus Lesson
Pick up your families’ straw and instructions in church on Nov. 29th
