Happy New Year!

“All the mistakes I ever made were when I wanted to say ‘no’ and but said ‘yes.’”

- Moss Hart (1904-1961)

Happy New Year ... tabula rasa — a clean slate! May the marking of a new year bring new beginnings in your faith journey. I recall at my first parish assignment there was on the mirror in the bathroom the following prayer:

Oh Jesus, in union with Your most Precious Blood poured out on the Cross and offered at every Mass, I offer You today my prayers, works, joys, sorrows and sufferings for the praise of Your Holy Name and for all the desires of Your Sacred Heart, in reparation for sin, for the conversion of sinners, the union of all Christians, and our final union with You in heaven.

It always seemed the perfect way to start each day by looking in the mirror and offering that prayer. Through the years I have memorized it and made it my own. I recently received in an email some advice for the new year that I thought I’d share with you:

1. Pray.

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say no to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule or that will compromise your mental heath.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more.

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget. Don’t use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups: an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the kid in you everyday.

16. Carry a spiritually enlightening book with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape/CD while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Everyday, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don’t wait until it’s time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite Scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good “thank you, God!”

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude, “Most people are doing the best they can.”

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before you go to bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before. God has a way of turning things around for you. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

I am sure all of us have thought about some resolutions or changes in our lives that we wish to make. But as the familiar saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” If we form good habits we make a good character. Matthew Kelly, in his book, Rediscovering Catholicism, expresses that self-knowledge is the key to finding your place in God’s plan and being yourself and perfectly yourself. In a Christmas card that was given by the Christian Mothers of our parish of St. Joseph, they said, “Dear Father, Thanks for being who you are.” Matthew Kelly writes, “The best thing you can do for yourself is become the best version of yourself. The best thing you can do for your spouse is become the best version of yourself. The best thing your can do for your children is become the best version of yourself. The best thing you can do for your friends is become the best version of yourself. The best thing you can do for your church is become the best version of yourself. The best thing you can do for your nation is become the best version of yourself. The best thing you can do for God is become the best version of yourself.”

May Mary continue to guide us on our pilgrimage of faith as we seek to do God’s will in serving others in the new year. Wishing you a holy, healthy and happy new year in 2012!

For God, every day is New Year’s.

Every day the sun rises is His act of confidence

that Creation continues.

Every baby born is an act of hope that humanity goes on.

Every marriage is His trust that love is stronger than hate.

Every morning brings a new chance.

Every prayer, a new hope.

Every blocked path, a new route.

Every sin repented, a fresh burst of grace.

Every mistake, a lesson learned.

Every death, a new life.

We have a God who relishes in fresh starts,

new dreams, trying again, resolutions made.

He is the Lord of second chances.

He never tires of giving us another opportunity.

— Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan

P.S.  I would like to thank all parishioners who sent notes, cards, baked goods, baskets, gift cards and gifts to me this Christmas season. I am humbled by your generosity and blessed by your love. I pray the Child Jesus bless you and your families with grace, peace and every good thing from above this new year. 

Christmas Message 2011

“From home to home, heart to heart, one place to another, the warmth and joy of Christmas brings us closer to one another.”

- Emily Matthews

One of the greatest blessings of life is to share love with others, especially at Christmas. Love is a gift that brings life to both giver and receiver. As I share this message with you, let us remember that it is not the "excesses" that makes Christmas but the "essentials" — presence, spirit and love! Atop my desk is a reflection that I wrote in loving memory of a dear friend Fr. Nick Pesanka, whom God called home on January 21, 2011. Near the reflection is a candle that burns in his memory and a plaque that reads, “Faith.”

I’ve served St. Joseph Parish for the past three and a half years. It is a self-contained community, where one can easily walk to a bank, a pharmacy, a restaurant or a grocery store. The parish is just nine miles away from my mom who resides at the Little Sisters of the Poor. Thankfully, my 2006 blue Subaru Outback Sedan helps to get me up and down Pittsburgh’s hills of snow and ice!

There are 1,550 families that belong to Saint Joseph Parish. This year our parish family celebrated its 120th anniversary. I am grateful to have been just a small part of its history. I love visiting the sick, homebound and hospitalized. We host Pre-Cana Instructions three times a year with couples preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage. It is a joy to have our couples’ witness and wisdom-road maps to help new generations.

Fr. Gerry Rogala, a retired priest friend from Chicago, came to visit April 18-25. He assisted during Holy Week and the Triduum. On Easter Monday, April 25, the Diocese was blessed with the installation of the new Auxiliary Bishop, William John Waltersheid, who came to us from the Diocese of Harrisburg. He serves as Vicar for Clergy.

A great part of our parish family was lost in the closing of our school in June. We are grateful for the 58 years that this institution shaped the minds, hearts and the lives of tomorrow’s Catholic leaders. On June 16, there was a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Fr. Harry R. Bielewicz, alumnus from the class of 1974, along with Region III Vicar, Fr. Samuel Esposito. Past principals, teachers, Felician Sisters and other alumni were in attendance.

I continue to strive to be a "life-long learner." I attended two weeks of continuing education through Seton Hall University’s International Institute for Clergy Formation: one held in Lutz, Florida from January 9-14, the other in Bon Secours Spiritual Center in Marriottsville, MD, from June 26-July 1.

On September 9, I took a group to see Joel Osteen (TV Evangelist from Lakewood Church in Houston, TX) speak at the Consol Energy Center for a "Night of Hope." That weekend was the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 which made it ever more important to be engaged in prayer. I was also glad that Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo came to speak November 19 in Pittsburgh on the gift of priesthood, “Consecrated and Sent.”

From October 16-20 I made a retreat to the Villa Maria Spirituality and Education Center which was given by Fr. James P. McCloskey, C.S.Sp. His theme was love and was based on 1 Corinthians 13. He spoke of eight various facets of love: 1) love sees, 2) love hangs in there, 3) love puts all its eggs in one basket, holds nothing back, 4) love lets go, 5) love tells it like it is, 6) love worries and it doesn’t worry, 7) love says, “Thanks” and 8) love never fails. He filled us with a new passion for our vocation, ministry and life itself! Breathing love into a soul brings us back to life! “Just as you were more determined to turn away from God, now turn back and serve Him with 10 times more determination” (Baruch 5: 28).

On October 21, I flew to Hilton Head, SC to marry Evona Marie Huminski and Justin Vance at Holy Family Catholic Church. There was a reception on the sand dunes and instead of the traditional unity candle, there was a sand-pouring ceremony. I baptized Evona at my first parish assignment of Our Lady of Fatima in Hopewell Township.

On March 11, 2012, I will reach the milestone of my 50th birthday. Wow, it’s hard to imagine celebrating half a century of life with five decades "over the dam!" One certainly is made aware how precious and special it is to treasure each new day. Through life’s twists and turns, wears and tears, complexities and challenges, opportunities and losses, crosses and resurrections, the constancy of Christ’s presence as Emmanuel, “God with us,” remains steady. To find one’s "niche" in life is to find one’s significant place.

It is a great blessing to serve as pastor of St. Joseph Parish. It keeps me humble and regularly "on my knees." Making decisions, balancing budgets, collaborating with Pastoral Care members, consulting with advisory committees and listening to the pulse of the people, to serve them more joyfully, sacrificially and tirelessly is the challenge of such a vocation. It is humbling to have been called by God to faithfully proclaim the greatest message the world will ever hear, that Jesus Christ came to earth to bring hope to a lost and dying world. I remember my mother signing her cards, “P.S. Remember, you’re loved!”

I celebrate my 24th anniversary to the priesthood on May 21, 2012. I know far better now the price and cost of discipleship than on my ordination day. In the words of St. Catherine of Siena, “Be willing to do without material things rather than lose the spiritual, especially in the dear holy work that God has put into your hands.”

I still enjoy watching Pittsburgh’s sports teams. I’ve had some setbacks in my running on the Montour Trail, having suffered shin splints and plantar fasciitis. But I love being 1/2 mile from the trail and enjoy riding my bike on it. I think Fr. Nick must have had a hand in my getting a key from the owners of the gym so that I can workout any time! Striving for balance and perspective in life is critical at any age. Log on to our web site to enter our St. Joseph Parish world. There you will find video homilies, reflections and our parish activities:

My Christmas prayer is that you continue to follow the Lord with a clear mind, an unburdened heart and a joyful spirit. May we get to know Him better every day, and perhaps without even realizing it, our life in the world will come to be a reflection of His.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all!

A Time for Celebration, Salvation and Reconciliation

"A soul that has believed has conceived and both bears the Word of God and declares God’s works. Let the spirit of Mary be in each of you, so that it rejoices in God."

— St. Bede the Venerable

Last Christmas I received as a gift from a friend the book, The Purpose of Christmas, by Rick Warren. It took me eleven months to finally read this gift, but I’m glad I finally did. Christmas is the largest celebration around the world. And billions of people set aside normal routines to decorate homes, send out greeting cards, buy gifts, go to Christmas parties, attend church services, see Christmas pageants, sing Christmas songs, watch Christmas specials and travel long distances to be home with their families. The birth of the peasant-boy over 2000 years ago in the Middle East, has created such commotion that His birthday causes traffic jams today in places like New York City, Tokyo and Rio de Janiero.

God’s Christmas gift to us is matchless and priceless. He sent His Son Jesus to show us the way to love. What greater gift can we possibly receive than to share the greatest story of love that lasts forever. The gift of faith is extremely practical. We can use it everyday for the rest of our lives. Warren notes that the angels announce three purposes for the birth of Jesus that first holy silent Christmas night: 1) Christmas is a time for celebration, 2) Christmas is a time for salvation and 3) Christmas is a time for reconciliation.

A time for celebration — Birthdays are natural occasions of celebration. When we greet one another with saying, “Merry Christmas,” it reminds us of God’s wonderful news that causes us great merriment and rejoicing. It is a universal celebration for all people. Through the Incarnation, God became one of us and knows the human being story from the inside out — our hopes and dreams, our challenges and crosses and our joys and tears. God communicated best to us when He became one of us. God’s love for each of us is unconditional and God’s love is constant, steady and continuous throughout our lives. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with Us. And no matter what we face in life, it is comforting to know He is with us.

Jesus helps us to face the inevitable problems of life: cancer, death of a loved one, unemployment, addictions, marriage problems, family conflicts, financial difficulties, personal setbacks. Generations come and go but Jesus, His grace and His love remain.

A time for salvation — Jesus came to save us from sin, selfishness and death. It is natural and easy to be self-centered — however, it takes grace to be unselfish. Who can save us? Not the latest gadgets, flashier cars, buying bigger houses, acquiring academic acumen, getting plastic surgery, taking mind-altering drugs. It must start in our heart and only Christ can transform our hearts from within. Christ wants to free us from our sin, regrets, bitterness, expectations of others, addictive habits, fear of death, insecurity, powerlessness and meanness to others. Jesus has redeemed us from this slavery to sin and evil and through His amazing grace helps us to be His followers. Rick Warren notes, “The answer is not in a place, program or pill. The answer is a person. It’s Jesus.”

A time for reconciliation — Human beings aren’t very good at living in peace with one another. We are better at disagreeing, fighting, feuding and cheating. The purpose of Christmas is that the Prince of Peace would restore peace in order that we can be at peace with God, others and within our own hearts. What a powerful miracle the gift of peace is! Sometimes we live in a world in which aggression, belligerence and rudeness rule rather than unity, kindness and consideration. Our culture conditions us to be cynical, sarcastic, gossiping and even demonizing as conflict broods. We complain and we blame others for our unmet needs. There are many symptoms of this disturbed state of being: irritability, a quick temper, impatience, arrogance, boastfulness, holding grudges, the tyranny of the flesh... all barring us from peace. The good news of Christmas is that Jesus came to bring peace where there is brokenness, to restore relationships that are strained and to heal our hearts from self-destructiveness. “Jesus” means “God Saves!"

Warren concludes his book with a Christmas prayer:

Dear God,

Thank You for sending your Son, Jesus,

so I could get to know You.

Thank You for loving me.

Thank You for being with me all my life,

even when I didn't know it.

I realize I need a Savior to set me free

from sin, from myself,

and from all the habits, hurts and hang-ups

that mess up my life.

I ask You to forgive me for my sins.

I want to repent and live the way You created me to live.

Be the Lord of my life, and save me by Your grace.

Save me from my sins, and save me for Your purpose.

I want to learn to love You, trust You,

and become what You made me to be.

Thank You for creating me

and choosing me to be part of Your family.

Right now, by faith,

I accept the Christmas gift of Your Son.

Fill me with Your peace and assurance

so that I can be a peace-maker,

And help me share this message of peace with others.

In Your Name I pray.

Amen.

As we come to the home-stretch of the craziest and busiest time of the year, it is good to catch our breath, pause, reflect and pray, on where our life has been (in the past), where our life is now (present) and which direction our life is heading (in the future). May we savor the gift of stillness and silence as God calls us to the intimacy of His love.

Never Underestimate Life’s Joy

“The greatest honor you can give Almighty God is to live joyfully because of the love God gives you.”

— St. Julian of Norwich

Last Sunday afternoon as our Steelers defeated the Bengals, 35-7, it was a joy to gather for our annual Christian Mothers Christmas Party at Junior’s Restaurant in Coraopolis. There were approximately 65 women and 10 men in attendance. There were no long speeches - just the blessing of gift of each other, good food, fellowship and friendship. As always Rudy Bolea out-does himself in hospitality with the lavishness of an extravagant festive banquet atmosphere!

I must confess, I joined the gathering a bit late as it was tough to tear myself away from the football game. It reminded me of the 9th Bishop of Pittsburgh, Vincent Martin Leonard (1969-1983), who would always say, “If you live in the city of Pittsburgh and want to serve the people well in faith, be mindful of their sports’ schedule and respect it!”

It was a joy to go from table to table, person to person, to see familiar and strange faces and greet all alike. I met people who were of different faiths. I met children and grandchildren whose presence graced the occasion. I met caretakers who provide help for certain women there. I met husbands who accompanied their spouses out of love.

As we shared stories around the table, I noticed that the Christian Mothers’ eyes were getting bigger as they spoke of their children, and widened even more when they spoke of their grandchildren! It is great to capture generations coming together, as we seek to help one another grow in God’s holiness, love, wisdom, joy, truth, goodness and grace.

One lady remarked, “I can’t believe it’s your 4th Christmas party with us. I look forward to the next one!” The author, Janice Maeditere said, “Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.”

Today, on this 3rd Sunday of Advent, we reach the midpoint of our observance of Advent. Traditionally this Sunday is called, “Gaudete Sunday,” meaning “rejoice.” As the priest dons rose-colored vestments, and the 3rd rose-colored candle is lit, so we share in anticipated joy of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas and our salvation.

John the Baptist heralds as the bearer of good news, chosen and sent by God to proclaim not only good news, but The Good News, Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah. In his role as herald, John makes it perfectly clear that he is to announce Christ’s coming and call people to prepare their lives through repentance. There is no greater joy than to experience God’s forgiveness as we come back to life. We need to prepare a way for the Lord in our own hearts and lives as we rediscover our own need for redemption as individuals, as communities, as nations and as Church. If we examine our own lives, we can quickly see our great need for the saving, healing, and restoring intervention of He who is Emmanuel—God with us. The best way to welcome the coming of Christ is to turn from sin, do right and amend our lives.

John the Baptist’s voice cries out in the wilderness to an un-listening world and often times un-listening hearts, reminding them that repentance means changing to please the One who loves us into happiness. Once we admit our sin and de-activate the evil of its power, we are released from its bondage, and the stranglehold of death is no more.

God gives us the grace to perceive our sinful patterns in our lives and the humility to repent of them - to walk again in the light. Joseph Conrad, Polish born and current day English novelist, said, “Facing it, always facing it, that’s the way to get through. Face it.” Let’s face it, sin may give the appearance that in indulging we will find happiness, but it is counterfeit, superficial and in-authentic. Sin bring misery, pain, suffering, emptiness, loneliness and un-fulfillment. On the other hand, forgiveness bring joy, peace, integration, wholeness, happiness, hope and joy. Let us heed and hear the prophet’s cry to “Make straight the way of the Lord” by living righteous lives in truthfulness, honesty, and humility. Let us forsake the crooked paths of dishonesty, cheating and deceit.

Like the people who listened to the 6th century prophet Isaiah, or the people who listened to the last Old Testament prophet and the first New Testament prophet - John the Baptist - we must spend our Advent trying to remove all the obstacles that stand before us and the Lord’s return. May the Lord knock down every obstacle and roadblock in our hearts. May the Lord uproot the tangled web of our vices. May the Lord break the stranglehold of our addictions and ingrained habitual sins. May the Lord make a path of grace through our cluttered lives. May the Lord unburden us through the unnecessary baggage that we need deliverance from.

Opening up a highway for the Lord to come into our lives is a never ending process. The work of conversion is not just for an Advent season, but the work of a lifetime. Change is possible in all of our lives. Repentance in Greek is “metanoia” (a change of attitude, heart and outlook), which suggests “taking a second look,” “taking stock,” “recollection and renewal.” In the words of St. Louis de Montfort, “By Jesus Christ, with Jesus Christ, in Jesus Christ, we can do all things.” As Christmas quickly approaches, let Christ’s redeeming work usher a “new era” in us by turning to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to recognize our sin, to turn from our sin and to turn back to God asking for forgiveness and mercy.

I encourage you to tune into EWTN each Sunday for Fr. Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V. from 8:00 PM to 8:45 PMas he speaks of the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. He is a masterful teacher who has taught the spiritual exercises for over 20 years. Last week’s episode #4 spoke of the desolations and consolations in our spiritual life. The Enemy uses desolations and God uses consolations. May the Lord grant us the consolations of joy this holy season of Advent.

"Come Lord Jesus, come!" — Rv. 22: 20

“Who is rich? He that rejoices in his portion.” — The Talmud

Advent: Increase and Decrease

“The first thing I recommend to you for advent is to keep yourself in the presence of God deep within your heart, just as the Blessed Virgin before the birth of Our Lord, Adored Him within herself.”

- Ven. Emmanuel D’Alzon

Last week before each Mass, our organist, Ginny Ambrose, gave a talk about the new Roman Missal. She told us that a fellow organist sent her a text before the 4:00 PM Mass that read, “Missal launch in 15 minutes!” I heard a local newscaster say, “The Catholic Church has gotten a complete make-over.” I had been used to the same Mass since my first Communion, which was 41 years ago. In April of 2002, Pope John Paul II established the Vox Clara Committee to assist and advise as to why we need the new translation. This year, on the First Sunday of Advent in the English speaking worlds, the Third Edition of the New Roman Missal was initiated. There are some 12 countries affected including Australia, the Philippines, British Isles, Canada, India, Africa, Ireland and England. But Hong Kong will wait one more year. (So in case you’re traveling to Hong Kong, you can still hear the old version of the Mass.)

I mentioned in my homily that it’s no secret there are 3 groups of Catholics concerning this change: 1) those who embrace it enthusiastically, 2) those who accept it reluctantly, and 3) those who are okay with it as long as it doesn’t make the Mass longer!

We learned as youngsters that “practice makes perfect” and “repetition is the mother of learning” — one just has to practice, practice, practice. As we welcome this New Roman Missal, the familiar parts of the Mass will seem a bit foreign, as we have used the same for the last four decades or so. However, as the American bishops put it, these are “new words, a deeper meaning, but the same Mass.” Let’s not get lost in the translation. Every translation has its critics. And no translation does full justice to the original. Each new translation has its boosters and its detractors, its gloaters and grumblers. However, no text, no translation is perfect. Even the last translation had its critics when it was released.) With the promulgation of the new translation of the Roman Missal, the Church is giving us a new translation that hopes to be more beautiful, more prayerful and more attuned to the scriptural connections of our prayers. The translators felt it was important to stay very close to both the literal meaning and the structure of the Latin prayers. Many of the prayers will sound very different and it will take some getting used to. I found myself tongue-tied, struggling to make sense of some new English phrases which seemed disjointed to my ears. We hope that this new translation will help us pray as one in Christ through the Holy Spirit as we offer praise and thanks to the Father and intercede for the life of the world.

Once priests and people are more familiar in getting to know and pray with the new translation it will give us a great opportunity to reflect more deeply on the Mass itself. Of course these new texts are going to be awkward and clumsy at first. But in time, these words will become second nature to us. A new translation offers a new way of seeing things, hopefully to stretch us and cause new growth of a new beginning as we forge a new path.

One parishioner commented that it would take her a month to master the word “Consubstantial” in the Creed. (“Consubstantial” is a term in the retranslated Nicene Creed that replaces language calling Jesus “one in being with the Father.”) Another noted that it will take him one year before he is familiar with the proper responses. But let us remember that beyond the new words and new changes, we pause, ponder and pray the liturgy. This change allows us the opportunity to pause and slow down, to enter into the Paschal Mystery more deeply, to be more fully aware of what we are and are becoming in Christ — living His life in the events of our own. I find myself suspending my own feelings and needs which must take second place to the needs of our Christian Community. As T.S. Eliot said, “What life have you, if you have not life together? There is no life that is not in community, and no community not lived in praise of God.” We must never underestimate the grace of gathering together as God’s people to hear His Word and receive His Body and Blood. What a gift the Church is. What a gift the liturgy is. What a gift a faith–journey is. What a gift salvation!

There are four Advent banners adorning our sanctuary with the words, hope, peace, joy and love atop each, the major themes of the Advent season. Each banner pictures one lit candle, mirroring those on our Advent Wreath. We are reminded that Christ is always seeking to enter our world and our lives with hope, peace, joy and love. In every generation God raises up prophets who rouse us to a heightened awareness of God’s exciting presence in our world and in our lives. Such a giant was the late Archbishop Dom Helder Camara of Recife, Northeast Brazil (1909-1999) and champion of the poor. He wrote, “God permit the symbol of my life to be like a candle that burns itself, spends itself, consumes itself while there is still wax to burn.” As Christians, we must bear and bring Christ’s light to others.

John the Baptist, the prophet of Advent, cousin of Jesus and precursor and fore-runner has echoed the words that have carried through the corridors of time, our Advent posture: I must decrease while He must increase” (John 3:30). Let us consider in our own Advent journeying, focusing on our increase and decrease during this holy season.

• increase in God’s vision — decrease our will and agenda
• increase in holiness and grace — decrease in giving in to sin
• increase in generosity — decrease in stinginess
• increase in the spiritual life — decrease in a material existence
• increase in gratitude — decrease in taking things for granted
• increase in family togetherness — decrease in sterile isolation
• increase in forgiveness — decrease in holding grudges
• increase in peace — decrease in compulsive drives
• increase in repentance — decrease in hardness of heart
• increase in kindness — decrease in cruelty
• increase in solitude — decrease in noise
• increase in enthusiasm for life — decrease in apathy
• increase in healthy relationships — decrease in dysfunctionality
• increase in self-mastery — decrease in out of control behaviors
• increase in temperance — decrease in covetousnes
• increase in self-examination — decrease in judgment of others
• increase in Eucharistic adoration — decrease in selfish idolatry

In every age we are challenged to “prepare the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3) as we await His Christmas coming. The Church proclaims a major way to prepare His way through the invaluable gift of repentance. In order for Christ to increase in our lives, repentance is absolutely essential. The Advent mantra, “Come Lord Jesus” is the epitome, essence and summary of our Advent season. Jesus truly comes closer to us and we come closer to Him.