Extraordinary Form

The First Sunday in Advent

Mass for the 1st Sunday in Advent

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I’m so thankful to be in such a prayerful place for the beginning of Advent. Yes, I certainly miss the Parish and all of our wonderful Parishioners, but the Lord is good, great, kind, and merciful.

Brethren: Understand, for it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we came to believe. The night is far advanced; the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Let us walk becomingly as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in debauchery and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 13:11-14

Happy Advent.

Put forth Your power, O Lord, we beseech You, and come, that with You as our protector we may be rescued from the impending danger of our sins; and with You as our deliverer, may we obtain our salvation.

Collect, from the Mass of the day.

(It’s pretty bad when you’re bald and have a COVID haircut and in need of an actual one. But — it’s #2020. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Also, the Mass is not auto-loading from Facebook up above so, there’s that, too.)

And That’s That

Today was the last of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass at St. Jane de Chantal Church in Abita Springs. Not that I expected either it or me to be emotional, but it was all the more straightforward and matter of fact than usual.

It’s been an odd few months. While I had hoped the issues present with it could be worked out, quite clearly a number of those in attendance want their own Chaplain, and want their own Chapel, their own Mass. If that were not true then the Mass wouldn’t be moving.

Some of the tensions we’ve experienced with it have to do with that aspect. One has to be very Gamaliel Acts V about such things. A bit dramatic but true nonetheless.

And my advice is still the same; have nothing to do with these men, let them be. If this is man’s design or man’s undertaking, it will be overthrown; if it is God’s, you will have no power to overthrow it. You would not willingly be found fighting against God. 

Acts 5:38-39

Covid has aged me enough without added dramas thrown into the mix. While the decisions around the move have been fraught with confusion, I’m thankful all of that is in the past and the Mass will move on peacefully. I’ll be devoting more time to spiritual reading, prayer, health, wellness, and exercise.

Then there’s the reorganization of the Parish Staff, several renovations we’re undertaking, a master plan to start working towards the future on a solid foundation, and the mounds of paperwork that can happen when one is an INFP. (I’m being certified as an MBTI practitioner because seriously, it’s not going to hurt anything and I love learning.)

As the Latin Mass moves on, the Parish is still large, vibrant, filled with souls in need of salvation. It will do well in the new chapel with their new Chaplain, Fr. Damian Zablocki.

And that’s that. It was good to have it here while we did.

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Fr. Kenneth Allen