Pastor's Letter

The Challenge of Waiting

Sometimes it’s hard to be patient.  And we experience a lot of impatience around us; that can make it even more difficult—especially during this time of year.  That’s what makes Advent—this time of patient waiting—a challenge.  We’re watching for God and waiting for him to act, but sometimes it just doesn’t seem fast enough. 
 
During those times, when prayers seem to go unanswered or hope is beginning to disappear, St. Peter—our first pope—offers some spiritual guidance today. 
 
He says, “Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day.  The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard ‘delay,’ but he is patient with you not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9, emphasis mine)
 
Peter is talking mainly about the second coming of Christ, but his words also hit home for us who are waiting for God to act in ways that effect our everyday lives.  God finds patience with us but his time is often different from our own sense of it. 
 
So, Peter will go on to say that instead of focusing on what may be out of our control, we can make the effort to focus on what is in our control, mainly the type of person we ought to be.  When we live in the present moment one day at a time, trying to live as best we can as a follower of Christ, we get through—one day at a time—and maybe that’s all we can or need to do.
 
Reconciliation, prayer, forgiveness and a heartfelt desire to be a “better version of ourselves” (as author Matthew Kelly would say), all help us be “the sort of person we ought to be” (2 Peter 3:11). 
 
Our Advent waiting then turns into Christmas hope: God meets us patiently as we patiently wait for him (even though it’s hard).  Eventually, we find God working in our life—even if wasn’t the way we thought it would be.  Every Christmas has its own surprises.
 
Preparing the Way!
Here are a few things to note in the pages that follow:
 
● Our Business Manager, Teresa McCutchan, provides the parish financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017 on pages 8 & 9. In addition to the financial picture, Teresa also included our almsgiving contributions (the second collections that do not benefit the parish directly but are given to the organizations we support), as well as how many people have participated in the sacramental life of the Church.  It’s a set of numbers, but it paints a picture of generosity and giving that has allowed all of us the opportunity to participate in the mission of the Church in the world. If you would like any further information about the financial report—or if you have an interest in learning about our Finance Council—please feel free to contact Teresa or myself.
 
● Advent is the shortest it can possibly be this year.  In fact, the 4 ^th Week of Advent is just one day and falls on Christmas Eve.  The good news is that it’s possible to spend the entire day in Church!  Of course, that may not be possible, so to help you plan, a full schedule of Mass times and spiritual offerings for Christmastime can be found on page 6.
 
● Our Communal Advent Reconciliation Service will be held Wednesday, December 20 at 7:00 PM here at St. Hubert.  As in years past, we’ve invited our neighbors at St. Marcelline to join us. It will be good to have this time to pray together and to receive one of the best Christmas gifts we can ever receive: God’s forgiveness.
 
As we patiently wait, let us continue to pray for one another one day at a time.   
 
--Fr. Mike