Prepare Your Heart

1 1 Congregation of Holy Cross, Province of Priests and BrothersPrepareYour HeartVirtual Advent RetreatIn the Holy Cross Tradition 23 Prepare Your HeartVirtual Advent Retreat Congregation of Holy Province of Priests and Brothers45 Dear Friends in Holy Cross,On behalf of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, I am deeply honored to thank you for your partnership and commitment to our men, our ministries, and our mission. The theme of this year s virtual retreat is Prepare Your Heart . The weekly themes are: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love taken from the Advent candles. I hope you enjoy this year s Advent faith journey is extremely important to the Congregation of Holy Cross.

2 If you ask anyone associated with Holy Cross what our most fundamental mission might be, they would most likely respond to journey with others in finding eternal salvation. Our ability to journey with you is both an honor and a privilege. You are an extension of the mission of Holy Cross by bringing hope to your corner of the world. There is a strength in our collaboration, one that is manifested daily in our proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Through this collaborative strength, we find inspiration, hope, and the power to transform the world. We are profoundly grateful to you for accompanying us in our are grateful for Rev. Louis DelFra, , Rev.

3 Paul Kollman, , Rev. James King, , and Rev. Michael Connors, for taking the time to provide us with their spiritual reflections. I think you will find them insightful and heartwarming as we Prepare for the birth of our with my thanks, I offer the assurance of our prayers for you and your loved ones throughout the sacred seasons of Advent and Christmas. And, know that these prayers continue into the New Year! May God bless you as you are a blessing to Holy ,Brian T. LohrProvincial Assistant Office of Mission AdvancementWith gratitude and , November 28, 2021 First Sunday of AdventScripture readings:Jeremiah 33:14-161 Thessalonians 3:12 4:2 Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 Theme: HopePresented by Rev.

4 Louis DelFra, Louis DelFra, , currently serves as director of Pastoral Life for the University of Notre Dame s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), a 2-year service program in which college graduates serve as teachers in under-resourced Catholic schools around the country while earning a Master s in Education. Ordained in 2004, Fr. Lou teaches courses and gives retreats and workshops in designing K-12 religion curriculum, the principal s and teacher s role in nurturing the spiritual lives of students, and the Catholic character of schools. He has also served as a middle and high school religion and English teacher, including at Holy Redeemer Parish in Portland, Oregon, and in Campus Ministry at the University of Notre Dame.

5 He currently resides as a priest-in-residence in Keenan login to Zoom 5 to 10 minutes before the retreat webinar begins. If you misplaced or did not receive your Zoom invitation, contact us at webinars take place live on Sundays in Advent at 7:00 Eastern. To login directly, , November 29, 2021, Day 2 Monday of the First Week of AdventOpening Prayer (Make the Sign of the Cross.)O God, as we open our eyes to You this Advent season, help us to be a hope-filled people. Help us to see and hear You more clearly and to recognize Your presence in every facet of our lives. Bless us this day, O God, and help us to be faithful as we Prepare for the coming of Your Son.

6 Quote For Reflection Come, let us climb the LORD s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may instruct us in His ways, and we may walk in His paths. Isaiah 2:3WE ARE ABOUT to enter a very powerful four weeks as a Church the season of Advent. I say powerful because Advent taps into one of our deepest feelings as human beings the feeling of longing. Yearning. Desire. The entire advertising industry is founded on the realization that none of us is perfectly happy or fulfilled yet. We are all still longing for completion. Fulfillment. Total happiness. The advertising industry might be a lot of things, but one of them is not dumb. It knows what enchants us, what captivates us.

7 And what captivates us are things that offer fulfillment, however temporary, to our deepest longings as human beings trips, products, beauty. There is even an industry now built explicitly around our longing for relationship online matchmaking. I wish to suggest that it is, in part, in response to these very same needs that the Church celebrates the season of Advent over the next four weeks. Clearly, the marketers and advertisers in our culture know what they are doing. They know what makes us tick because they know our vulnerabilities. But, they are not the first to know them not by a long shot. The fact is: deep, deep in the Heart of Judeo-Christian spirituality is the realization that we as human beings have a deep hole at the center of our being.

8 And, that space within us longs for completion, longs for fulfillment. How can we live into Advent as a response to that longing?Lou DelFra, Your Own Reflection:Intercessions The response is Lord, our hope is in You. For the Church, in proclaiming the coming of Christ this Advent season, may it stand as a beacon of light and truth for a troubled world. R For people everywhere, may they turn from the false gods of temporary distractions and pleasures and commit themselves to the deep peace that only comes with Christ. R For those who long for true completion and fulfillment, may this Advent bring them closer to God. R For our own intentions. RThe Lord s Prayer Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

9 Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from PrayerGod of mercy and love, help us to lift our eyes, so You are always in our sight. Help us to stay focused so You are always on our minds. Help us to pray constantly so You are always on our lips. Help us this Advent season, O Lord, to place our hope in You and You alone. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Make the Sign of the Cross.)Tuesday, November 30, 2021, Day 3 Feast of Saint Andrew, ApostleOpening Prayer (Make the Sign of the Cross.)

10 O God, You call us by name to be disciples in service of others; give us the strength and courage this Advent season to respond to that calling more fully. Help us to see that our longing for completion and fulfillment can only be satisfied by an unwavering surrender to Your loving embrace. Hear our cries for help, O God, and grant us the love, acceptance, and peace that comes only from You. Quote For ReflectionAs Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.