Censings

Christmas Eve 2017 – Sung Mass 7:00 PM Saint Cecilia Catholic Community, Palm Springs CA Rev. David Justin Lynch Isaiah 9:1-6 Titus 2:11-24 Luke 2:1-14        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        Over the past few weeks, the world around us has been going through its annual drill getting ready for Christmas. We’ve been decorating, baking, partying, and of course, shopping. We here at church have been spiritually preparing for the Feast of the Nativity of Jesus by celebrating Advent, simultaneously getting our souls ready for His coming as a child and his eventual return in glory when the Kingdom of God has fully come. While the merchants of the world look to Christmas every year for financial salvation, we Christians look to Jesus as God’s gift to all of humanity. As the saying goes, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Jesus comes to us at Christmas to make everything new for us, as we respond with “abundant joy and great r

First Sunday in Advent – Year B December 03, 2017 10:30 AM Saint Cecilia Catholic Community, Palm Springs CA Rev. David Justin Lynch Isaiah 63:16B-17;64:2-7  Psalm 80:2-3;15-16;18-19 I Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN. In the secular world, Advent invites us to decorate our homes and buy gifts. There is nothing wrong with that, but for Christians, Advent is different. We will be preparing ourselves to be ready for God to permeate our entire lives. We need to be sure we have enough oil in our lamps to be ready to enlighten the lives of others, and to care for the least among us. For the church, Advent is not part of the Christmas season as it is in the secular world.  Advent, for the church, is not Christmas shopping and holiday parties. That is why we do not decorate the church for Christmas until Advent ends, and it is why we absolutely do not sing Christmas carols during Advent. Adven