As many people are now starting to give serious attention to getting gifts for others at Christmas, I have already witnessed gifts upon gifts bought and delivered to our Church by many Christ-like people from our parish who wish to brighten the Christmas morning of needy children and young people in our area.  This comes also at a time when many people in our parish recently reached out in a loving way to retired Religious (Brothers and Sisters) throughout our country in the special collection in early December that netted over $11,000.  Finally, as the calendar year comes to a close, I wish to acknowledge and thank those 291 people (or families) who contributed to the Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal (CASA) in the amount of $64,982.58 which is 111.42% of our goal for 2012.  There is, indeed, much to be thankful for and to confidently anticipate for the future, including the near future, as we are given the annual opportunity to help the retired, sick and infirmed priests of our diocese through the only collection that is taken up at all the Christmas Masses in our diocese.  Those who are travelling for the Christmas season can give to meet this need through your collection envelope either before you leave or after you return.  GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU THOUGHTFUL, GIVING PEOPLE.

We are blessed to be a parish whose situation allows its parishioners and guests a choice of when to participate in Mass on the weekends and holydays.  Over the past 20 years or so, I have been saddened by a trend of more and more people choosing to participate in the Christmas "Vigil" Mass on Christmas Eve, rather than the Midnight Mass or Mass on Christmas Day.  I, like many who are reading this pastor's corner, remember the time when the first Mass on Christmas was the Midnight Mass.  When you think about it, it was surely the case that those who participated in this Mass, or a Christmas morning Mass, were "Keeping Christ in Christmas" in the most beautiful and meaningful of ways, by firstly celebrating Mass with members of their faith family.  Everything else done to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day then found its proper and, rightly, secondary place.  With so many now participating in Mass on Christmas Eve, my concern is that Christmas Day for too many, is lacking or even devoid totally, of the "religious" aspect of the day in favor of secular activities.  I would, therefore invite you to reflect on this, and consider prioritizing your Christmas Day by coming to Mass either at Midnight or on Christmas Day at 9:00 a.m. if you are staying here for Christmas.  In case you're wondering, after reading this pastor's column so far, we will be offering a Christmas Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m.  I will be happy to see you at whatever Mass you choose to attend for Christmas (maybe just a little happier if I see you at Midnight or on Christmas morning.)  Please note, however, that if you choose to participate in the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve, know that the prayers and readings that the Church provides for that Mass, and therefore the music that we will sing, indicates that we are "not fully there yet."  So don't be upset if you don't hear and sing at that Mass "O Come, All Ye Faithful" since the second verse says "Yea, Lord, we greet thee, BORN THIS HAPPY MORNING."

Oh, how time flies!  With the start of the Advent season this weekend, we mark the one year anniversary of the revised Roman Missal. The new wording of many of the prayers and responses at Mass has slowed us down as we were (and some still are) forced to use written aids that are in our pews to get it right.  Those of us, who have come to memorize some (or maybe all) of the new rite, may be tempted to speed up again and say the words thoughtlessly from the mind and not from the heart.  I pray that we will not give in to this temptation; but instead, during this year of faith, deepen our love for the Mass and our participation in it from start to finish.  I have to say that I have not been conscious of a change of volume in the spoken and sung responses in the Mass, and I certainly can't ever gauge where our hearts are turned during the celebration of Mass.  I can only pray that the new texts we are hearing and speaking, are penetrating our minds and hearts and are leading us into a deeper union with The Lord and one another.