Join us for the Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2015

It just seems to make common sense that you have to have all the parts in order to make something complete. For example, if a bike is missing the wheels . . . . it is incomplete. How frustrating would it be to work on a 5,000 piece puzzle and discover some of the pieces were missing? Or if you are in the kitchen, how are you going to prepare something if you do not have all of the ingredients? I might have it in my mind to bake a cherry pie but what if I do not have any cherries for my cherry pie? Again, it only makes sense that we must have all the parts or all the ingredients on hand if we are going to make something. In essence, St. Paul is saying this to the Philippians in the fourth chapter of that epistle when he writes: " . . . . but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God." (Philippians 4:6) When it comes to prayer, very often we are missing some of the elements. Many people only pray when they need something. Many of us only go to God when we are in need of a favor from Him. And it is fine to go to God when you are in need of something . .. or in trouble . . . or in need of mercy . . . . after all, God is our loving Father and He wants to be there for His children. But, that being said, we should not ONLY approach God solely when we need something. That would be the equivalent of a neighbor who won't give you the time of day but will only come to you when they need something. Or having a relative that never contacts you except when they need to borrow some money. We need to go to God in prayer not only when we need something from Him. This is what St. Paul is saying. We need to also praise Him when we pray. And we certainly need to pray in Thanksgiving when we pray. In other words, we need to thank Him for the many blessings He bestows upon us during our lifetime. "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; and make a joyful noise to Him with psalms." (Psalm 94:2) Christmas is the season of giving. Let each of us focus on giving more time to God. Let us dedicate more prayer time to God. Do not let the fast pace of the world and all the being busy in life keep us from approaching God. Let us take time each day from our busy lives in order to dedicate that time solely to God.

Two opportunities to join us for Mass on Sunday, December 20th, 2015:

St. Margaret Church meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM. We celebrate Mass at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Holy Spirit Church meets every Sunday at 1:00 PM. We celebrate Mass at the beautiful, historic First Presbyterian Church which is located at 116 W. South Street, at the corner of Pennsylvania and South Streets, in Greenfield, Indiana.

Join us as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Version of the Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. Listen to what God has to say to you through the liturgy and the Bible-based preaching. Worship God in traditional worship and receive Holy Communion so that you can be nourished and strengthened.

Join us for Gaudete Sunday, December 13, 2015

Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday),

Sunday, December 13th, 2015

Have you ever been overjoyed by something and before you knew it, the joy had worn off? Or the joy that you had experienced had certainly lessened. As children, especially at Christmas time, we are overjoyed at what Santa Claus will bring us. We anxiously look forward to all the presents under the tree and try to figure out what is wrapped inside. Or it could be the case as you had gotten older and you decided that you just had to have the latest electronic doo-dad or perhaps it is some clothing item such as a new dress or a fancy pair of boots. And so you save your money and finally go and make your purchase and you are overjoyed at what you have obtained. But then after a while your joy lessens because after a while your attention is turned toward the next "item" that you have set your sights on acquiring. Let's be honest, whether as children or adults, . . . whether it is a gift given to us or something we have purchased ourselves .. . . whether it is an actual physical product or whether it is simply a good meal that we look forward to devouring . . . . the point is the same: things of this world do indeed bring us joy for a time but then the joy eventually fades. Even if you look at it from the perspective of someone who turns to drink or drugs to find their "happiness," . . . . what happens when the effect of either drink or drug wears off? That person goes back to feeling like they did before. The "high" feeling . . . the "drunk" feeling only lasts so long. Things of the world . . . whether they be electronics . . . or food . . . . or clothing . . . or positions of honour . . . . or titles at our jobs . . . or booze . . . . or drugs . . . all these things only bring temporary fulfillment. They do satisfy, yes, but only for a time. The joy we find in them is only temporary, never lasting.

For the Christian, on the other hand, the joy that is everlasting is our relationship with God. "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for it becometh well the just to be thankful." (Psalm 33) Our personal relationship with Our Blessed Saviour will never disappoint. Our personal relationship with Our Lord and Saviour is one that will last an eternity. While other things in this earthly life will fade away . . . or be consumed . . . or rust away . .. or go out of fashion . . . . the relationship that God offers to us is forever. God will always be faithful to His people. "Gaudete in Domino semper" ("Rejoice in the Lord always") (Philippians 4:4-5) Rejoice in the fact that God loves you! Rejoice in the fact that God sent His only Son to die for you! Rejoice in the fact that God offers you the possibility of eternal life! Give your heart to the One that offered His Heart to you! Give your life to Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and rejoice in the Lord always!

The Third Sunday of Advent is referred to as "Gaudete Sunday." And this is because "Gaudete" is the Latin word for rejoice, which comes from the first word of the introit, "Rejoice .. . . " As such, the Church is past the midway point of the season of Advent, and we use this opportunity to take a breather, so to speak. Remember, the season of Advent is supposed to be somewhat somber in nature . . . this is why the liturgical colour during this season is violet or purple as it is in Lent. But today the Church lightens its' mood just a bit and rose coloured vestments can be worn instead of violet for today.

Two opportunities to join us on Sunday, December 13th, 2015:

Please join St. Margaret of Scotland Church on Sunday, December 13th, 2015 at 9:30 AM as we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent. We celebrate Mass at the beautiful Chapel of Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road, on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Join Holy Spirit church on Sunday, December 13th, 2015 as we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, at 1:00 PM. We celebrate Mass in the beautiful, historic First Presbyterian Church, located at 116 W. South Street near downtown Greenfield, Indiana.

Come Join Us for the Second Sunday of Advent, 2015

Second Sunday of Advent, Sunday, December 6th, 2015

It seems as though one week can not pass for me without someone pointing to all the tragic events happening in the world and making some sort of comment about how we are close to the end of the world.  Certainly, when you think of the past tragic events such as the killings in Paris and now the killings in California; when you think about events such as plane crashes, earthquakes, floods, etc. that you hear about in the news.  When you hear about things such as mentioned above, it is certainly understandable that people would think about Our Lord's words:  "AND there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity . . . "  (St. Luke, Chapter 21)  Now, in all fairness, there have been tragic events in ALL the eras of human history.  There have been earthquakes . ..  . famines . . .  death  . . . . sickness . . . . wars . . .  etc.  throughout all of history at one point or another.  And the fact that there have always been tragedies, both global and personal, makes it obvious that we should always be prepared for the Second Coming of Our Blessed Saviour.  

Advent reminds us of that fact.  Advent provides us a time to remember and to prepare our hearts.  Advent is the season of preparation . . . . it is the season of waiting . . .  it is the season of hope.  The "spirit of Christmas" has sort of taken over Advent.  In other words, we spend the weeks before Christmas going to "Black Friday" sales and buying the latest doo-dads.  We "shop til' we drop" and focus all our energy on getting the best deals.  All the while we fight traffic, fight the crowds, fight the other shoppers, fight the sales-clerks to use coupons for our purchases.  We run from one place to the next place and try to fit in errands in between.  We wrap presents and put the tree up and decorate the tree.   Now, don't get me wrong, all of what I just mentioned is wonderful . . .  all except fighting the traffic, that is . . . . but as Christians we are always called to put everything into perspective and for us, God always takes priority.  He is the true reason for the season.  And the reason for the season of Advent is to await the coming of the Christ-Child into the world on Christmas morning.   Anything that takes our attention away from focusing on God needs to take "second place."  God should always take the top priority in our life.  

Let us spend the next three weeks placing special emphasis on our relationship with God.    Let us spend the next three weeks waiting for the Christ-Child.  Let us spend the next three weeks preparing a special place in our hearts for the Divine Child Jesus.  Let us try to focus less on the shopping and the wrapping and the Christmas parties these next few weeks.  Let us focus more on awaiting the Coming of the Saviour into the world.  Let us prepare our hearts for His arrival.  

Two opportunities to celebrate Mass on Sunday, December 6th, 2015:

At St. Margaret of Scotland, Mass is celebrated each Sunday at 9:30 AM at the beautiful chapel located at Marquette Manor, 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

At Holy Spirit Church, Mass is celebrated each and every Sunday at 1:00 PM.  We celebrate Mass at the beautiful, historic First Presbyterian Church, located at 116 W. South Street, at the corner of South and Pennsylvania Streets, in Greenfield, Indiana.

Come join us as we hear the Word of God found in the King James Version of the Bible and the the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Worship Our Heavenly Father with us as we receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ at Communion time.  And after Mass is over, please stay for some delicious refreshments at our coffee hour.