In this weekend’s readings from Sacred Scripture, we are called to rejoice. In the midst of the busyness of the season, we are called to have joy within our hearts. We rejoice because the Lord is near. We rejoice because the Lord Jesus is in our midst. While we may not al¬ways recognize Him, the Lord Jesus is with us as we journey through this busy season. We are invited to pause from our many activities to recall that the Lord is near. It is good for us to take some time daily to simply be with the Lord Jesus. Maybe we can use our Advent book, Emerge into Great Joy and allow the Lord to touch our hearts with the joy that only He can give. One great Advent practice is to experience the joy and mercy of our Lord Jesus in the sacrament of Reconcilia-tion or confession. On Monday, our parish will be par-ticipating in the Diocesan wide, The Light is on for you. Monsignor Meagher will be available in the church for the sacrament of confession from 4 pm to 7 pm. This is an excellent opportunity to meet our Lord Jesus and be reconciled with Him. There will also be a Penance Service at St. Vincent de Paul Blessed Sacra-ment Church on Thursday evening at 7 pm. Local priests will be available to celebrate God’s mercy and forgiveness on this special evening. It is my hope and prayer that we all take some time to rejoice as we prepare for the Feast of Christmas. May we take some time to prepare spiritually so that this might be the best Christmas of our lives. Have a great week and rejoice! Father Jim