Someone, after hearing about John The Baptist's ministry and call to repentance for a second Sunday might wonder why the Church give us a "double-dose" of John for two Sundays of Advent in a row.  Perhaps the fact that the Church encourages a pastor to offer a communal reconciliation service, with opportunity for individual reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation, during Advent and preferably the last part of Advent, is the answer.  It is hoped that if you didn't "hear" John the Baptist's call to repent, which includes turning away from and leaving behind our sinful ways on the Second Sunday of Advent, maybe we hear him this weekend and are ready to heed the call in the last 10 days of Advent to prepare a straight path in our hearts and lives for the Lord.  We will have our Advent Reconciliation Service THIS Wednesday, December 17, at 2:00 p.m. with priests available for individual confessions.

As many people clear their houses in days before Christmas in preparation to welcome guests at Christmas time, I pray that you will take even more seriously, the call of John to clean the homes of our hearts and make them ready for the most important Christmas guest, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  If you can't join us that day, remember I have additional opportunities for Confession before Christmas.  These will be Tuesday, December 16 and 23, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday, December 24, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.  I will not be offering the Sacrament on Saturday morning, December 20, as I plan to attend the ordination of Jack Sidler at Subiaco that morning.