by Very Rev. Edward Correia

The season of Advent is a time of preparing for the Feast of Christmas.

The word "Advent" means coming. We prepare in Advent for the three comings of the Lord at Christmas. We celebrate his coming in Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago. We celebrate his coming in our lives each day. We celebrate his final coming at the end of time.

We celebrate his coming each day into our lives especially in the Sacraments. The Sacraments are visible signs of God being with us: Emmanuel.

When God became flesh and dwelt among us, all of creation became means to express his presence and instruments to bring about salvation.

In the Sacraments we use the gifts of the earth: water, oil, bread and wine. In the Sacraments we use words and touch. The Risen Lord uses all of this to make himself present at these sacred moments: sacraments.

The Sacrament of Penance is a very important preparation for the Feast of Christmas. One of the Advent figures is John the Baptist. He comes in Advent proclaiming:
"Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths."

In the Sacrament of Penance we are able to name the certain barriers that we have in our lives that prevent the Lord from coming to us. We present them to the Lord and to the community of the Church. The Risen Lord living in his church forgives us and reconciles us to him and each other.

We hear the words from the Risen Christ speaking through his Church: "You are forgiven".

With raised hand the priest expresses for the Risen Christ and the Church that the forgiveness of Christ is descending upon us.

Pope John Paul II constantly calls Catholics to return to this Sacrament regularly. The grace of the Sacrament helps in our process of conversion. The Church requires a Catholic to go to Penance when serious sin has been committed. However, the Pope explains that the Sacrament is also helpful when serious sin is not present. The grace of the Sacrament helps us to grow in holiness which is the call that comes from our baptism.

The Sacrament of Penance can be celebrated in any place and at any time. There are times when the community aspect of the Sacrament can be emphasized such as in the Season of Advent.

A Penance Service gathers people together to hear the Word of God; to hear preaching on the Word which calls to repentance and conversion; to pray for one another; and to take advantage of many priests who are available to celebrate the Sacrament.

The two Penance Services that are listed above for our greater City of New Bedford are intended to accomplish these goals. It gives to all of us once again an experience of Church which is far greater than what a parish can offer.

Through discussion with the Parish Pastoral Council we have lamented the fact that some parishioners will not attend anything that is outside of their parish church building even when buses are provided. We have concluded that we don’t know what the answer may be. However, the need to experience Church and be Church on a larger scale is very important.

The Season of Advent marks the beginning of another year in the Church. Beginnings are very important. We are called once again to begin to live a life with God that is Catholic. We have chosen in Baptism and Confirmation to follow the Catholic road to God which we can call "spirituality". We have chosen to live a Catholic spirituality.

A Catholic spirituality includes necessarily the celebration and living of the Sacraments. The Sacraments are the gifts of the Risen Christ to us and to the Church. They give us God’s Life. They make God’s life grow in us. They empower us to be Church and to bring Christ to the world.

The Sacrament of Penance should be included in this Catholic spirituality. Onc of the effects of the Sacrament of Penance (as in all of the Sacraments) is that we become more the Church.

The Church is not a building. The Church is the People who are bound together by the Holy Spirit to be the Body of the Risen Christ on earth. The more each member of the Church is converted and forgiven, the more the entire Church becomes stronger.

St. Paul speaks about the Church in terms of a body. When one member of the body is hurting, the entire body hurts. When one member of the body is healed, the entire body is healed. It is the same with the Body of Christ, the Church.

Sin affects the Body of Christ is a negative way. All sin whether big or small lessens the Church to be the powerful presence of Christ in the world.

The Feast of Christmas is celebrated with lights. Lights in windows, lights on trees, lights on houses, lights in stores, and so many lights present the reality that Christ was born in Bethlehem to be the light of the world.

We through Baptism are made to be the light of Christ. A candle is given to each person being baptized to signify this. At the Easter Vigil the new fire is lit representing the Risen Christ. The Easter candle is blessed and lit. Each person takes a light from the Easter Candle and lights each candle. The entire church is filled with light. What a wonderful sign of what we, as Church, are called to be!

Our sin diminishes the light of Christ in the community of the Church. The Sacrament of Penance restores that strong light to the Church.

Some Catholics say that they don’t need to go to the Sacrament because God will forgive them in the "privacy of their room". Yes, God will forgive. There is no doubt.

The Catholic way to God is not individualistic. It is not "God and me". It is God and we. It is we and the world.

The Sacrament of Penance brings out the fact that it is not just against God that we have sinned. We have also sinned against one another. The Sacrament gives us the forgiveness of God and of the Church.

In the Sacrament we have that assurance through human words and touch that we are forgiven and reconciled to the church.

This season of preparing is very busy. However, it is a wonderful time to begin with God again. It is a wonderful time to make the path straight for the Lord to come and remain with us.

We always know when a household has finished celebrating Christmas. Just look at what has been put out for the trash. It’s a way to getting back to normal after a very busy holiday.

May it not be that way for our lives with God. May we not get back to normal after the days of Christmas have been celebrated. May it be a new beginning. A light that takes away the darkness. A strong presence of Church in the world.