1^st Sunday of Advent (Cycle C)

November 30 – December 1, 2024

Gospel:  Luke 21:25-28

The scripture reading that you’ve just heard may have taken you by surprise.  Does me.  You’re thinking about Christmas.  Me, too.  You can’t help it, after all, you’ve just survived one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, and the reason, advertisers said, was to give you an early start on Christmas.  Just what we needed… Probably some of you put up your outside Christmas lights recently and the most organized of you have begun addressing envelopes for your Christmas cards…   

Then, when you came to church today, you heard such un-Christmas-like words as these; “There will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars … people will faint from fear, the powers of heaven will be shaken.  Be on your guard, lest that day catch you unrepentantly, like a trap.”

The First Advent

So what kind of scripture reading is this, just when “we’re beginning to feel a lot like Christmas?”  It is scripture for Advent, that’s what it is.  But it’s been a year since we last celebrated Advent, so allow me to remind us of what Advent means.  Advent is the season in our church calendar that includes the first four Sundays before Christmas.  The word itself, advent, means “a coming”. But in truth, it means two comings, because Advent reminds us of Jesus’ first coming, to Bethlehem, over two thousand years ago, and His Second Coming, which we still await, when Christ will come in judgment.  The traditional mood of this season, in the church calendar, is a mood of repentance, as we prepare ourselves for both the celebration of Christmas, and the eventual return of the Lord.  I think it ought also to be a mood of great joy – joy that God sent His Son into the world so that (A) we would be saved and (B) that God still has plans for our planet to this very day.

The first time Jesus came, not many were really looking for Him.  Probably every loyal Jew in those days expected that OH someday God would send the Messiah, some were longing for some special intervention by God, but only a few were really looking.  After all, how many people came to see Jesus at His birth or soon thereafter?  The shepherds came but, as far as we know, they weren’t reallylooking.  Instead, an angel came looking for them.  One might say that they came to the manger purely by grace.  The wise men came – and they were really looking.  Their story is one of the miracles of all times that some men from a generally pagan background were led to the newborn King.  And then there is Simeon and Anna; they were definitely looking.  The Gospel of Luke indicates that they had been waiting for years for the coming of the Messiah… 

I sometimes ask myself; if I had been living when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, would I have gotten in on the event?  That is; would I have been like Simeon and Anna, or like the wise men – so intent on finding Jesus that I would have really found Him?  I suspect the answer can be found in the earnestness with which I wait for Him now…

which is to say… in MY own time. 

When Jesus came to Bethlehem, he did not finish the Christmas story.  His birth was only the beginning.  Mind you, it was a powerful beginning, so powerful that the eastern world re-numbered the calendar around His birth, B.C. and A.D.

The Second Advent

But the job was not finished at Bethlehem, and not even at Calvary.  Power was let loose in the world to transform our planet, but the Christmas story was not finished.  Jesus came to save the world from sin, but I don’t have to tell you that sin is still a very active force in our world.  No, the job is not done yet.

That’s why Jesus announced, as He left His disciples, that He would come again.  And that is why Paul and Peter and Jude and John – all have said that Jesus would return some day.  And that is why at Advent season, we not only seek to prepare ourselves for a true celebration of Christmas, we also remind ourselves that God isn’t done with our planet yet.  Jesus will come again…

But this is such a mysterious subject that many hesitate to preach about.  Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour when He will appear.  If the second coming is going to be a surprise, it seems pretty audacious for me or any other homilist to begin setting dates…

Jesus gave some succinct advice.  He said, “Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place.  Be alert!” 

I think that Jesus was saying that there are not enough warning signs on this road of life, and that the only secret is to keep on the alert.  If the times are good and prosperous, be alert.  If the times are filled with bad headlines, keep alert. 

So at the beginning of this season, I am sounding an Advent Alert!  If I had been around two thousand years ago, I would not have wanted to miss Bethlehem.  Now, just in case, I don’t want to miss the second time our Lord comes.  And the secret is very simple. 

Keep alert.

Live as if there was once a Christmas,

and a still bigger Christmas is on the way…

Learn to live “being on your toes”!

Thursday, November 28, 2024

In 1789 (only 235 years ago); President George Washington, the second greatest president we will ever have, was the first to proclaim this a day for which to be thankful.  President Franklin Roosevelt, the third greatest president we will ever have, gave us the current calculations in 1939, so people bought their turkeys and stuffed them, or else they went to somebody else’ home, where somebody else stuffed the turkeys.  But there is something more important than stuffing turkeys on Thanksgiving Day, if we are going to give thanks by the calendar in November!  Think about that!  Isn’t that calendar date a kind of “Let’s Be Nice Back to God” Day?

Gratitude Attitude by The Ten Lepers

Human need always laid a claim on the sensitive Spirit of Jesus.  The healing of the 10 lepers is clear evidence of this.  The healing also showed the FORGIVENESS of Jesus. 

Gratitude Attitude on the Personal Level

+ Persistent ingratitude can poison human relationships.  We instinctively feel there is something missing (and draining) in the person who finds it impossible ever to say “Thank You”.  It is very easy for ingratitude to become a fixed response. 

Gratitude Attitude on the Social Level

+ Thanksgiving Day on a calendar is a very appropriate time to be grateful for the blessings of being an American citizen.  But we must be careful of the dangers here: (A) hyper-patriotism [that is to say; giving thanks that we are not like others] (B) not always easy to live IN the world of freedom with a clear conscious.  Freedom can easily be abused.

God, the source of all good gifts

+ No “worthy” Thanksgiving can be celebrated which does not finally express Gratitude to God.

A beautiful card was sent to me this holiday.  It reads:

“It has seemed to me, fit and proper, that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people.”

President Abraham Lincoln, THE greatest president we will ever have, wrote that for the National Day of Thanksgiving Proclamation back in 1863… some 161 years ago. 

Still, genuine gratitude has no date, no month, no year. 

It is an attitude that ought to be expressed 24/7…    

Click HERE to view the latest edition of The Crossroads Messenger.

The High-School Youth Group and SFX Outreach Ministries are collecting food and accepting donations for Christmas Food Baskets.

The Parish Offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov 28th & 29th. There will be No Walking Fellowship in the Xavier Center either day.

Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

The Feast of Christ the King

November 23-24, 2024

Gospel:  John 18: 33b-37

The United States of America came into existence by throwing out the King of England.  In spite of our anti-royal origins, we have a fascination with royalty, particularity English Royalty.  We speculate on when Prince Willamwill succeed 76-year-old King Charles III.  We are glued to the television for a royal wedding or a royal funeral or a royal birth or christening.  And we will be engrossed by the forthcoming coronation of a new king whenever it happens… 

Jesus Christ is the KING.  But He was not crowned in Westminster Abbey.  His kingdom, as it has been said, is not of this world.  This makes Him much more fascinating than any earthly king. 

In this Gospel of John, Jesus, who appears before Pilate, is an odd-looking king.  He wears a crown of thorns.  He is wrapped in a robe of mockery.  He is a prisoner.  He appears to be at the mercy of the Roman governor.  His entourage, that is to say… gutless “yes” people, are non-existent.  A howling crowd demands His death.  Yes, John’s Gospel portrays him as truly regal.  Jesus is in command.  His dignity and His profound responses baffle Pilate.  Jesus does not need to defend Himself.  He needs only to testify to the truth… and does He ever…

Pilate passed from the scene.  The only reason history remembers Pilate is that he met this “strange king”.  Jesus remains.  We recognize in Jesus the figure foretold by Daniel and described by the Book of Revelation.  This is what we expect in a king: glory, dominion, and majesty – the Alpha and the Omega.  Jesus became the ultimate king by being the strange king who appeared before Pilate.  As the old Spiritual says; “If you don’t bear the cross, you can’t wear the crown.” 

Where do we fit in all of this?  Revelation tells us: He has made US into a kingdom, we are the “subjects” for His God and Father.  He loves us and frees us from our sins by His blood. We share His life.  We are a royal priesthood.  We share in the mission of CHRIST THE KING, to bring the world to Him, to testify to the TRUTH.  This means people that WE are fascinating.  We, too, belong to a kingdom NOT of this world.  People like Pilate will not understand people like you or me. Our neighbors or co-workers, too, might reject us. They may not like our version of the truth.  But they will not be able to dismiss us.  There will be something about us that haunts them – and may eventually attract them to reality… 

Practically speaking: so what does all this mean?  We take seriously our role as witnesses to truth.  We study, reflect, and seek counsel.  We try to proclaim the truth with our actions as well as our words.  We are not surprised when we meet opposition.  The world will not always agree with us.  We accept our fair share in the sufferings of the Jesus of today.

We are people of HOPE who scream: YES and AMEN!

Christ the King has been with us for about 2,000 years.  As we come near the time of our parish’s founding, 178 years, we pledge our allegiance once again.  Much of the world has acknowledged His rule in the past 2,000 years.  But much remains to be done in the years ahead.  We re-pledge ourselves to do our part in making “His kingdom come, His will be done” (just like we pray in His prayer every time we gather for Mass).

I offer this quote from Frederick Buechner, a brilliant theologian, from 1992 about the Christ of Nazareth…  

Whether Jesus was born in 4 BC or 6 AD, in Bethlehem or Nazareth, whether there were multitudes of the “heavenly hosts” to hymn the glory of it OR just Mary and her husband – – when the child was born, the whole course of human history has changed.  That is a TRUTH as unassailable as any truth.  Art, music, literature, Western culture itself with all its institutions – – it is IMPOSSIBLE to conceive how differently things would have turned out if that birth had not happened whenever, wherever, however it did.  And there is a truth beyond that: for BILLIONS of people who have lived since, the birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life but a new way of living it.

MAY WE CONTINUE TO LIVE IN HIS TRUTH.

Advanced Giving is Now OPEN! Click below to donate on-line or pick up an envelope in the Gathering Space at Church.

Donations made during the Advanced Giving window (Nov 18th – Dec 2nd) will be matched up to $600 please consider making an early contribution.

Contributions made to this 2024 campaign will benefit our Children’s Faith Formation program (Religious Education). Our CFF program serves grades K-8 and aims to help our youth encounter God and prepare them for the sacraments through catechism, scripture, music, liturgy, prayer, and community.  Our program is currently serving more than 140 children from Bullitt County and surrounding areas. Funds raised will be used to update the office in the Religious Education Building, creating a collaborative meeting space for catechists and others in the parish community.  We plan to continue with safety improvements in the building, installing new classroom door locks that may be locked from inside the classroom. In addition, we plan to purchase additional Smart TVs and carts for use in each classroom and to be used by other groups during campus meeting. 
Please consider making a donation through #iGiveCatholic to support our mission and youth of the parish! NO donation is too small!  Contact the parish office if you wish to make a donation directly through the office. (502) 538-4933. Donations made directly through the office will count toward our total goal.

The High School Youth Group is selling SFX apparel to help raise money for upcoming projects. There are 2 designs offered. Design 1 features the image of a lock with the phrase “Lock In To Christ”. Design 2 has a sketch of the church building with the full SFX logo underneath. Both designs have the round SFX logo on the front.

Orders can be placed through GiveSmart (click here) using a credit card, or with cash, check, or card at the SFX Office through December 6th. This deadline will ensure delivery before Christmas. Contact Lisa Pence for additional information at lisa.pence@sfxmw.com.

The annual Catholic Services Appeal invites area Catholics to join together in supporting the more than 100 ministries, services, and programs offered by the archdiocese. Over the last year CSA donations:

• helped to deliver Safe Environment Training to over 3100 people who work with children or youth.
• provided training and formation opportunities to those who minister to, with, and for adolescents and young adults.
• provided days of reflection, weekend retreats, and other faith sharing events to college students.
• offered 63 catechist certification classes for over 900 attendees.
• assisted parishes across the archdiocese with facility maintenance and planning.
• supported the many publications and media communications that are made available to all Catholics in the archdiocese.

In addition to these services for parishioners, the Catholic Services Appeal supports the Seminarian Education Fund, which allows seminarians to focus on their education and spiritual growth as they prepare for a life of service to God.

Last year St. Francis Xavier Parish raised over $24,000 for CSA with 105 families participating. Our goal for 2024 is $26,500. While the monetary goal is important, our focus this year is on participation. With over 800 families registered with our parish, even the smallest of donations can make an impact. To help visualize participation, each family that donates any amount to Catholic Services Appeal in 2024 will be represented by a fish or loaf image and added to the CSA poster on display in the gathering space in church. Help us to fill the basket with loaves and fishes and support the many great works of CSA.

Use the buttons below to make an on-line donation or to see full listing of works supported by CSA.

All donations made to the Seminarian Education Fund will be matched up to $65,000. Any donations by donors who did not make a gift last year and any Salt & Light donor that increases their donation will each be matched up to $50,000.

View the video from Archbishop Shelton regarding this year’s appeal HERE.

Saint Francis Xavier Parish will once again be participating in #iGiveCatholic to continue making improvements to our Religious Education Building. This crowd-funding event is a national initiative dedicated to Catholic philanthropy and is conducted each year on Giving Tuesday.

Giving Tuesday is December 3rd but donations can be made during the Advanced Giving Phase beginning Monday, November 18th.

Watch for more information in coming weeks and check out the plans for a new shared space in the RE Building.

Click on here to view the latest edition of the Honor Thy Children Newsletter.

Don’t miss out on your chance to enter the Knights of Columbus Catholic Citizenship Contest! This year’s topic is “What are the two most important virtues for an elected leader to possess, and why?  How can you determine if the leader has these virtues?“ The contest is open to grades 8-12; essays should be 500-750 words. Prizes will be awarded for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners from each grade. Download the entry form below or pick up one in the gathering space of church. Essays must be received by 11/13/2024. Contact James Underwood for additional information, (502) 494-5988.

Parents! Encourage youth to become citizens grounded in their faith through creative writing!

The Archdiocese of Louisville has established a Relief Fund for the communities in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Funds will be used to support emergency response, and the pastoral and reconstruction efforts needed for the civic and faith communities affected. If you wish to support this effort, please send donations directly to the following:

Archdiocese of Louisville
ATTN: Hurricane Helene Relief
3940 Poplar Level Rd
Louisville, KY 40213-1463

For your review, below is the Annual Accountability Report for July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024.