Dear friends in Christ, on this Fourth and final Sunday of Advent, we recall the fullness of time, when the Son of God became human, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.  We remember Mary's joyful acceptance of God's plan.  In her "yes" to God, the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. As we light all four candles on the Advent wreath, let us join Mary as willing servants of the Lord; may our "yes" welcome Christ into our world. (c) 1988, OCP, 5536 NE Hassalo, Portland, OR, 97213.

Dear friends in Christ, on this Third Sunday of Advent, we are invited to rejoice in the Lord, for he is near.  In anticipation of the joy of Christmas, we light three candles on the Advent wreath, recalling that joy is one of the surest signs of God's presence among us. (c) 1988, OCP, 5536 NE Hassalo, Portland, OR, 97213.

This weekend, many churches in the area will be holding Advent Penance Services for our Catholic community.  The penance service in our cluster will be held on Saturday, December 14th beginning at 10:00 am at Our Lady Queen of Peace.  In addition, the priests at Saint Thomas More and Our Lady Queen of Peace regularly make the Sacrament of Reconciliation available on Saturdays from 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm, as well as by appointment.  The Diocese of Rochester also maintains a list of times offered by the parishes in our Diocese for Confession, which can be found here.

Dear friends in Christ, on this Second Sunday of Advent, our attention is turned to the great figure of John the Baptist.  Hohn calls us out to the desert, proclaiming a time of repentence and renewal, for the day of the Lord is at hand. As we light two candles on the Advent wreath, let us prepare ourselves through prayer and penance.  Let us open a way for the Lord to come into our lives. (c) 1988, OCP, 5536 NE Hassalo, Portland, OR, 97213.