Second Week of Advent Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
For the next two Sundays, the gospel encourages us to encounter Christ through the ministry of John the Baptist. The last of the Old Testament prophets, clothed in camels’ hair prepares the way of the Lord with a singular focus. John humbly preaches from the banks of the Jordan River and exemplifies humility in this ministry. John uses his popularity to point the way to Jesus the Christ, whose good news will bring salvation to the world. The Advent candles demonstrates the strong contrast between darkness and light, which is an important biblical image. Jesus referred to himself as the "Light of the World" that dispels the darkness of sin: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12).
Last week we lit the candle for the 1st Sunday of Advent which symbolizes Hope with the "Prophet’s Candle" reminding us that Jesus is coming.
This Sunday we light the candle for the 2nd Sunday of Advent symbolizes Faith with the "Bethlehem Candle" reminding us of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.
The candle for the 3rd Sunday of Advent symbolizes Joy with the "Shepherd’s Candle" reminding us of the Joy the world experienced at the coming birth of Jesus.
The candle for the 4th Sunday of Advent symbolizes Peace with the "Angel’s Candle" reminding us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”
With the busy times of the Season of Christmas right around the corner, enrolling in online giving today is a great way to ensure your gifts of treasure to St. Hyacinth are received even if you may be out of town. Go to https://sthyacinth.org/online-giving and register for online giving. Don't forget to add your Christmas or End-of-Year contributions to your account this season. Thank you for your online support of St. Hyacinth. The next opportunity for you to give is to the parish itself. The 2023 STHY gift list is out and this presents a great opportunity to support our parish in a special way to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Check out the list in the bulletin or https://www.sthyacinth.org/2023-christmas-wish-list and see how you can share the gift of Christmas with STHY.
FORMED is the revolutionary digital online platform that gives STHY parishioners unprecedented free access to video-based study programs, feature films, audio presentations, and eBooks from the Church’s foremost presenters. With your free access to FORMED, 24/7 on your television, smart phone, laptop, I-pad, or Kindle, you can in preparation for the Advent season I am challenging everyone to watch Rooted,a new program on FORMED.
Rooted is a new 22-episode series, on FORMED, that guides Catholics through a daily Advent reflection using the Jesse Tree model traditionally practiced by families. Each seven-minute episode introduces the ancestors of Jesus Christ, shares a Scripture passage, and offers an engaging, practical reflection. Hosted by Dr. Scott Hefelfinger, Rootedhelps viewers apply the passage and related teachings to each day of Advent, guided by the Church’s teaching. Episodes begin on December 3, the First Sunday of Advent, and end on December 24, the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Our parish Password to FORMED.org is 77536. Let’s look ahead to the Christmas schedule. Our Christmas Mass schedule is as follows: Sunday, December. 24th, Christmas Eve: 4:00 pm, and 12 Midnight; Monday, December. 25th, Christmas Day: 10:00 am.
Construction update: As you can see by the construction there has been a tremendous amount of work that has been done on the reconstruction of the parish office and classroom building. The 6-inch metal structural walls for the building is about 90% complete. There are several pending areas where ties into existing structure that will require additional metal structures to put in place later. The trusses installation and sheathing are underway. In addition to the reconstruction, the entire complex is being wired for a fire alarm system.