For The Bulletin Of ritual baptism of repentance. The Baptist December 6, 2020 invites us, as well, to honest mindfulness of the water – not of the Jordan, but of our baptism – and to examination of our consciousness about our faithfulness to the Christ into Whom we are baptized. Despite the crowds he draws, John’s self-evaluation has nothing of self-exaltation. At this high point of his popularity he speaks directly to the people to point them away from himself to the stronger One Who is coming, and declares that he is unworthy even to be a slave who would bend down and untie the From Father Robert sandals on the smelling and sweating feet of The Liturgy of the Word puts the adult John this Coming One. John resists the before us today and next Sunday to block temptation of successful ministers: to allow our view of the Infant Christ and so remind our own popularity to become the main us that the Advent-Christmas mystery is less concern of our ministry. When we do this, about the infant/child and more about the we are proclaiming what we consider the adult Coming One and the mystery of His good news of ourselves, not of Jesus. life, death, and resurrection that He offers to us as our own mystery (The Paschal In the Puerto Rican city of San Juan, named Mystery). We are called to make our way for John, there stands a huge stone sculpture down to the Jordan with the hopeful and of the precursor. It is located between the curious crowds to see this wilderness man. ocean and a main highway of this busy modern city. With the relentlessness of the John had accepted the hospitality that the stone from which he is carved, the Baptist desert had offered him. Cruncher of the stands with head bent and eyes looking desert food of bitter locusts sweetened with down the highway. But one arm is raised wild honey, he is satisfied with the food of high with a determined finger pointing to the poor; clad in rough camel hair, he is heaven. The statue expressed the gospel dressed like a new Elijah; tempered in his paradox of John the Baptist, the earthy man spirit by solitude, John, in his turn, of both the wilderness and the Jordan welcomes the crowds with a bittersweet crowds, and the heaven-directed prophet; the message in sparse words that are hones to a paradox of disengagement and engagement fine cutting edge for slicing through – and so the embodiment of the paradox of consciences and exposing them to the truth. the Advent Season. Day after day, as surely as the waves break on the shore, our lives Son of a priest though he may be, John does must be directed to heaven, and yet we must not deliver his message in the temple or also be involved in the rush and business of anywhere else in Jerusalem, but on the daily life. The former is almost certainly the banks of the Jordan River. At this busy more difficult during these weeks. But it crossing place, so significant in the history can be done if we opt to deliberately turn off of Israel’s journey into the Promised Land, the TV, unplug our ears from iPods or John urges the people to cross over into mobile phones and turn to a few moments of God’s forgiveness through the waters of a silent reflection about the hopes and 1 promises of Advent. If we plug our listening into some quiet reading of Scripture, perhaps a re-read of some of the Sunday scriptures, if we seize a few moments of prayerful repentance or awareness of the presence of God in our traveling companions along our highways or on public transport or while shopping – these are way sin which we can respond to Beginning last weekend, The Giving Tree, Psalm 85 and “hear what God proclaims.” with its white lights, was once again placed in the center of the narthex. What questions does John’s “call” raise for you today? In a Flocknote, sent out by Steve Rojek, you were invited to join us in this annual In the First Reading, Isaiah calls for every outreach which is “virtual” this year for our valley to be filled in and every mountain to adopted parochial school of St. Peter Martyr, be made low. What mountains and valleys with this year’s goal of a Gift Card for every need attention in your own life at this time? child, a total of 300 Gift Cards, each in the amount of $25.00. You may sign up on The psalmist proclaims that in the time of Flocknote for one or more Gift Cards to be salvation, “Truth shall spring out of the purchased and returned no later than th earth.” What is the place of truth in the December 13 so that the Faculty of spiritual life? St. Peter Martyr School may get the Gift Cards to the students in time for Christmas. In the Second Letter of St. Peter, we are asked to consider “what sort of persons Thank you for all you will do help us make ought you to be, conducting yourselves in this wonderful outreach successful. holiness and devotion?” What insight do you gain when considering what sort of person God is calling you to be? John the Baptist tells the gathering crowds that the One who is coming “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Where in your life are you in need of the Holy Spirit’s animating fire? Our Advent Environment One of the most beautiful, yet simple environments that our Art & Environment Committee creates is that for Advent. Panels of Royal Purple, the large arrangements of evergreens at both the Altar and Ambo, and the Advent Wreath, along with the Royal Purple vestments worn by 2 both Moses and myself create an atmosphere either In Honor Of/In Memory Of a loved of longing, hoping, waiting, expecting. It is one, family member, or friends. Please a dramatic change from the glorious colors mark the memo line of your check for of autumn just ended. In many ways, the Christmas Flowers or Christmas environment invites us to turn inward for Environment and the specification of the gift introspection: how do we wait expectantly either In Honor Of or In Loving Memory for all the ways that Jesus comes into our Of. Your gifts will be acknowledged in a lives now? It is especially challenging since special insert in the bulletins of the everywhere we turn outside of the church, Christmas Season. Thank you for all you the world is already saying, if not will do to help us create a beautiful and screaming, “Christmas!” Quiet waiting is meaningful environment for the Christmas actually active and preparatory! Sometimes, Season. stillness is the only and best thing we can do. While the Advent Wreath helps us mark time, it also invites us to be patient, as only certain candles may be lit each week while the remaining candles, too, must patiently wait. On behalf of all of us, I express our gratitude to Claudia and Tony Gumina, Tom and Stevie Catchings, Leo and Minnie Rivera, Rich Confetti, Don Over the last two weeks, our Knights of Benson, and Pablo Villegas (who is once Columbus have transferred wood chips to again installing the lighting on the exterior the backyard of the Rectory to cover the of the church for the Advent/Christmas back hill where the Sequoia trees are Season). planted. When the landscaping went in originally years ago, the hill was covered with “Gorilla Hair.” Over the years, that mulch has washed away. Now, it is beautifully restored with the fresh wood chips. Many thanks to our Knights and brother parishioners: Grand Knight Chip Our Christmas Environment Sharpe, Brian McCoy, Steve and Stephen Even though we are not able to have in-person worship at this point, we are still Rojek, Bill Saunders, Al “Moose” Cosce, going to create a beautiful environment for Joe Stahl, and Bob Plurkowski. our Christmas liturgies that will be taped Armed with shovels, rakes, tarps, and trucks, and then uploaded to our YouTube channel. they transferred the pile of wood chips on We can’t let the Corona Virus take away our the Church property to the Rectory celebration of Christmas! So, once again, backyard, and spread the ground cover we invite you to be a part of a great tradition here at St. Ignatius of Antioch by making a under the redwoods on the back hill. And for contribution to help provide the good measure, they spread the remaining environment: the candles, vestments, chips around the church garden in garlands, wreathes, Christmas trees, the anticipation of that day when it will get up lights, festive panels of cloth at the Icons, and running again. and the poinsettias. Your gift may be made 3 Today also marks a very special anniversary for me as it was on December 6, 2005 that the Diocese assigned me as Parochial Administrator and later as Pastor of our parish. It hardly seems possible 16 years have passed so quickly! We have grown in many ways personally, spiritually, and as a faith community. Our ministries are strong and in spite of the pandemic, we have found ways to care for one another as well as continue to reach out to our local community and to touch the lives of those on the margins and peripheries of life. Together, we have accomplished much and I am grateful for the growth that has taken place, for all those who have made St.