It’s the First Sunday of Advent. One sentence in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah stands out: “Yet, O Lord, you are our father, we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.”
When I was in elementary school, we had art classes and one of the classes gave us the opportunity to work with clay and the potter’s wheel. Our teacher was good at shaping the wet clay, but when I tried it, I made a mess. She showed me how I had to be steady when I was trying to shape the clay and while I didn’t do a great job, I didn’t make a mess, either.
God is our potter – steady, attentive, concerned that we turn out correctly. Sometimes, we think that we can shape ourselves without God and that’s when we turn out to be a mess. Advent is a good time for us to put ourselves in God’s hands and allow the divine love to shape us.
Congratulations to our sisters and brothers in the RCIA who celebrated the Rite of Acceptance a few weeks ago. They have been attending classes each week since September and this is an important step in their moving forward. Congratulations to Joe Nuzzi and the RCIA Team for their dedication.
We hope that you nd the booklet that was given out for the season of Advent to be an inspiration as we go through this season that can be so distracting. Taking time each day to re ect on the day’s presentation in the booklet can keep us on the right track. There are also other Advent books available in the lobby of the Parish House. Check them out!
-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.