Dear parish family,

This year I will be spending half of the month of December in Venezuela to celebrate Christmas with my dear mom, Inés, who turned 102 last July. By the grace of God and good genes (which unfortunately she did not pass on to me, lol), she is in good shape and still walking on her own.

How many more years will the Lord let me and my family enjoy her, I don’t know. But what I do know is that after two years without seeing her, I feel this is the right time to spend 3 weeks with her. By doing so, I am also allowing my brother and sister, my mom’s regular care-givers, to take a break so they can visit their grown up children who live outside of Venezuela.

I will miss spending the second half of Advent and part of the Christmas season with you, but I hope you understand my situation. As you probably know, Venezuela’s political climate, governed by leftist leaders, is unstable and many human rights are violated. But I can’t live in fear, a fear that would paralyze me from sharing and receiving the love of my mother. Pray that all will be well for mom and I, that I may have a safe return.

Speaking of fear and in the context of the season of Advent, I am reminded of these words from St. Augustine:

“Let us not resist Jesus’ first coming, so that we may not dread the second.”

We actualize Jesus’ first coming, his birth, life, passion and resurrection, every time we participate in our Sunday Eucharist. Thus, through the power of the Spirit we are able to enter into the Paschal Mystery of Christ, who sacrificed himself once for all (see Heb 10:10).

The second coming refers to the end of the world or to our own death. Be confident and not fearful of what lies ahead in the world and in your own life. Continue to welcome your Lord and Savior with devotion in the Scriptures and in the Breaking of Bread. If you do so, you will have a heightened sense of gratitude, even in the midst of hardship.

Living your Advent faith this way will guarantee you a joyful and lasting Christmas, no matter what!! As we enter the holy seasons of Advent and Christmas, I pray that the God who is incarnate among us and born of the Virgin Mary will truly set our hearts on fire with missionary zeal.

Feliz Navidad and many blessings for a healthy and prosperous 2022!

Fr. O

PS: All that is left of my pandemic beard is a mustache…