"Let Christ's mercy come to be in our hearts. His mother bore Him in her womb; let us bear Him in our hearts." St. Augustine
The readings for this Sunday are like an instruction book for how to live out the season of Advent. Isaiah promises the coming of a King whose reign is characterized by perfect justice and peace and who claims, that when He comes, “There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD” (Is 11:9). How does this knowledge of the Lord that leads to perfect peace come about? It begins in hearts open to the promise of that kingdom. In the Gospel passage, John the Baptist, tells us that to receive the promise, we must repent, a word that means “change of heart”. Change can be challenging and includes coming before the Lord, humbling ourselves and acknowledging our weakness, seeking His forgiveness. In the second reading, Paul reminds us that salvation is extended to ALL people and encourages us to participate in the kingdom by coming together in harmony to worship, pray, and read Scripture together. In addition to attending Sunday Mass, we invite you to join us for an Advent Holy Hour on Wednesday and/or approaching Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
In addition to our regular schedule of Masses this weekend:
  • at the 9:30 AM Mass, we welcome our young parishioners, age 4-6, to St. Rita Hall, during the Mass to experience the Word of God in a way that is easier and more fun for them to understand. Those wishing to join will be called forward - parents are welcome to join - and they will return after the homily.
  • at the 11:30 AM Mass, members of our community who have shared and grown together during a 33 day retreat will formally make a consecration to Mary
  • the monthly Teen Mass will be celebrated at 1 PM - all are welcome!
The Town of Andover is hosting the annual Holiday Happenings next Friday, December 13th and our parish is joining with a table and caroling by our music ministry. Stop by between 4 and 7 PM for a hot cup of cider, a craft for the kids a musical treat
Read more in our weekly bulletin:
Visit our website at  www.staugustineparish.org

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