Make your house fair as you are able . . .

The 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights are finally shining (although not twinkling) and the family is gathered on the lawn to watch. One by one Clark hugs them until at last he gets to COUSIN EDDIE!!!!! Where did HE come from? From the broken-down RV parked in the driveway, of course. Same as every year. In fact that’s WHY I watch every year. From chopping down the ginormous tree (“She’ll see it later, dear, her eyes are frozen.”) to Aunt Bethany’s gifts (“This box is meowing.” “She wrapped up her cat.”). From the Jelly of the Month Club Christmas bonus (“That's the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.”) to SWAT teams, squirrels and Clark with a chainsaw (“Fixed the newel post.”), all Clark Griswold wants is to give his family the perfect Christmas. And that wish spirals into perfect, inevitable, hilarious chaos. “Worse?! How could things get any worse? Take a look around you, Ellen! We're at the threshold of Hell!!” At which point, of course, it gets worse. Every year.

While thinking and praying about how we can do the ancient rituals of this year's Advent/Christmas season, I started thinking about our other rituals during these days. And one of those is watching beloved Christmas movies and TV specials that have been passed down through the years. And I thought about how many of them are about ideal, wonderful Christmases where everything works out as planned. Exactly. None came to my mind either.

So, as 2020 parks its broken-down RV in our Christmas driveway and refuses to leave, I’ll be watching that long ago Griswold Family Christmas come apart, right on schedule. Not so much because it will make me feel better that at least my Christmas won’t be THAT bad, as because it will remind me (as it was always meant to) of what Christmas is NOT about. And in a year that is going to take away many of our treasured rituals of Christmas, we may need that more than most years. (And the laughter. We definitely need the laughter.)

Because in the end it’s not about that perfect Christmas experience, it’s about the love that gets us through and keeps us together even in and through disaster, that Love, that is born in Jesus Christ and is “with us always, until the end of the age.” In fact, it’s when times like these strip other things away, that we can come to know more surely how powerful that Love is, and that can shape us into people who can better live that Love of God and trust it.

In the end the Griswolds survived that Christmas. And Clark got not what he wanted, but what he needed. And I like to think that because of that they’re still together. (Though not physically this year, what with the spouses and grandkids, unless they’re social distancing and in masks.) And that wherever they are, they tell their story and sing their favorite Christmas song, “Oh the rockets’ red glare . . .”

So let it be for us, for our parishes, for our world. That in the ways that we find to wait this Advent, to celebrate this Christmas, we might find at our heart what we need, that the true promise of our God, of our salvation, is born after all. And that we might look back on this year, different and difficult as it might be, as a time that because we so needed God’s grace, it became easier to find. And because it became easier this time, it became easier at all times.

Wouldn’t that just be the hap, hap, happiest of Christmases?

-Fr Lou

It is our prayer here at St. Frances of Rome that Christ, the Source of all Light, is ever present to strengthen us, instruct us, inspire us and give us hope and that His Light will never burn out as long as we live in faith without a shadow of doubt that darkness will ever defeat us. Earlier this year, due to the Covid health screening process at the entrance of the church to attend mass, the St. Frances of Rome devotional area was limited to only one candle. However, due to the increased request by people wanting to light a candle for their own intentions, we are going to offer the opportunity to do so. Email stfranrome@sfrlou.org or scoonan@sfrlou.org or call (502) 896-8401 and a candle will be lit for you. Donations for your candle(s) can be sent to the parish office or dropped in the Sunday collections with an envelope marked as “SFR Candle Intention”.

Knoop Notes

First Sunday of Advent: Sunday November 29, 2020

We are called in our musical, scriptural, and spoken PRAYER

“To you, I lift up my soul, O my God. In you, I have trusted: let me not be put to shame. Nor let my enemies exult over me; and let none who hope in you be put to shame." BE OPEN with a SONG in OUR Hearts!

Prelude - Wait for the Lord (Taize)

Gathering Hymn -Creator of the Stars of Night

Responsorial Psalm - Lord, Make Us Turn to You (Haugen)

Gospel Acclamation - Alleluia (Plainchant)

Preparation of Gifts - Maranatha (Schoenbachler)

Communion - My Soul in Stillness Waits (Haugen)

Sending Forth - O Come, O Come Emmanuel

A BLESSED ADVENT JOURNEY!

St. Frances Social Justice Conversation November 30th!

Over the past few months, a small group of parishioners have gathered to discuss how we can support Social Justice at SFR in alignment with our parish Mission Statement:

“The Catholic community of St. Frances of Rome lives the teachings of Jesus Christ by celebrating His living presence, educating our members, sharing our gifts and resources, and serving human needs."

Our first project for this effort is during the upcoming Advent season. Beginning November 29, we are offering daily reflections to share for meditation or discernment relating to Social Justice. They can be found in the Blue Books being delivered to all parish households.

November 30th and Dec 14th we are planning to host Zoom panel discussions toward an approach to social justice and friendship so we can all begin to discern and discuss our personal and parish calling to build a more Godly world.

Our parishioners are from various age groups, backgrounds, life experiences, so “Social Justice” may have differing thoughts and reactions to this topic.

We invite you to participate with us on Zoom, Monday November 30th:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88403231765?pwd=VWN1QzFhcFBmTnJRbkVyeER2THFEdz09

STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION

“You do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening….or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.” Mark 13:35-36

The good steward is always expected to have the affairs of the master in order at all times. There is no time for complacency. Stewardship entails readiness to serve others and vigilance in that service.

SL & SFR Office Hours

St. Leonard parish office will be open to the public by appointment from 9am to 1pm Mon-Thurs and 9am to Noon on Friday. Thank you!

The St. Frances of Rome parish office will be open to the public by appointment from 9am to 1pm Monday-Friday. Thank you!