2025 Advent Reflection
“Mary Set Out (Luke 1.39).”
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​St. Luke’s Gospel includes three of the Catholic Bible's simplest yet most important words: "Mary set out… (Luke 1.39)." Our Blessed Mother's journey "in haste" to visit her cousins Elizabeth and Zechariah was the very first act of Catholic evangelization since she literally carried Jesus to them. St. Elizabeth was also pregnant with St. John the Baptist. Her joyful greeting to Mary: "blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus" echoes through the ages to us.
Remarkably, we too carry Jesus when we receive the Holy Eucharist since it is His actual Body and Blood. We too can carry Him to others when we spread His Good News of salvation! A timely way is to invite the inactive Catholics you are in touch with to re-experience the joy of our Advent and Christmas Masses. Invite them also to Welcome Home Catholics, six weekly visits to help them resume regular practice of our wonderful Catholic faith. All attendees need to bring is a desire to grow closer to Jesus.
Our Blessed Mother was the first to bring Jesus to others. This Advent, you can be next! ​See the Schedule page for a participating parish near you. If there isn't one near you, call or text us at 251 605-9710 to find out how to get started at your parish.
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Slowly sails the ship into the harbor
A safe haven, to recover at last
Battered and torn, the sails on the mast
Weathered and beaten with holes in the hull
The tired vessel makes its way to the dock
With a lopsided movement toward us all
As one with a peg leg who lilts to one side
It finds its way home with no sense of pride
The battle was won but the cost was so dear
As some lives were lost, all shed a tear
Phyllis Comeaux
12-9-23
(on retreat)
From where comes this ship? Ask the hands on the dock
Sailing the seas looking for true treasures?
Or searching the lands for worldly pleasures?
Getting distracted as they stopped to play
They found themselves lost along the way
Trying to find the way back home
They found themselves caught up in a storm
Tossed hither and yonder and turned around
‘Til they heard the call home, heeding the sound
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Thus, the wayward Christian finds a way home
After darting off without a look back
Going after distractions that got him off track
Content and enjoying himself for a while
He finds he is missing home in this trial
And turns to see no one to help find the way
So he drops to his knees to fervently pray
And in the dark and stillness of night
He hears the call that changes his plight
Come Home to me and I will hold you tight
FOREVER – was the word that set him right