Here is a short reflection by Fr. Michael Cummins, pastor of St. Mary Church in Athens, TN.

 May this feast day inspire us all to new levels of hospitality.

The Virgin of Guadalupe, 2006

In their book, “Radical Hospitality” Fr. Daniel Homan and Mrs. Lonni
Collins Pratt write, “Guests are crucial to the making of any heart.  
Benedict instructed his monks to welcome the Divine in the stranger.  
He told them to look again, look deeper when you look into the eyes of
the stranger.  If you want to be a person of great spirit, you can’t do
life alone.  If faith matters to you, you cannot do faith alone either.
  To really grow as a human being you need other people.”

It is the teaching of hospitality and it is one of the lessons both of
Guadalupe and the Visitation that we read in tonight’s Gospel.  “In
haste” we are told, Mary sets out to see her cousin Elizabeth.  Mary
teaches us here.  Mary is the first to receive the Christian
proclamation and her immediate response?  It is not to stay within
herself – in a purely personal sense of salvation and well-being.  No,
Mary responds to God’s grace by going without, reaching out to the
other who is also caught up in the mystery of God’s action.  Mary and
Elizabeth welcome one another in love, they give glory to God and they
wonder together what it all means.

In the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mary again teaches us.  As
Christianity was being birthed in our part of the world, Guadalupe was
given us as gift and testimony.  The Virgin of Guadalupe teaches us
that not only is the Gospel to be proclaimed to and received by all
people, she reveals to us the beauty of the Gospel actually embodied in
the living history, culture and dignity of people.  Guadalupe is the
Gospel both embodied and incarnate and she is beautiful!  This beauty
can only be achieved through hospitality – the strength and wisdom to
welcome one another and to welcome the image of God found in one
another.  Guadalupe teaches us that to really grow as a human being we
do need one another.

We are a people of Guadalupe.  There are many forces in our world that
thrive on fear and ignorance.  These forces seek to divide and
separate.  They construct walls and then proclaim that all is right
with the world.  Guadalupe proclaims that these efforts are doomed to
failure.  The sweep of God’s Kingdom which can neither be denied nor
ultimately resisted is toward hospitality and away from fear and
separation.  Guadalupe proclaims this – she is the light of dawn
(embodied in who we are) which announces the rising of the Son – the
coming of God’s Kingdom.

Hello Faculty and Students,

I am away today doing some work for the youth ministry office, but wanted to post the daily mass schedule. Good luck preparing for exams!

Tuesday, Dec 12 @ 7:30 AM - for recent immigrants to our country (Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe)
Wednesday, Dec 13 @ 7:30 AM - for the Chattanooga Search Program
Thursday, Dec 14 @ 7:30 AM - for the students of NDHS
Friday, Dec 15 @ 7:30 AM - for the faculty of NDHS

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas. May we all imitate his spirit of generosity and courage. More can be found about this saint through the link below.

St. Nicholas

Here is a link to some simple explanations regarding the season of Advent with a short history. Enjoy! 

The Meaning of Advent

Monday, December 4th
Memory of Saint John Damascene, priest and Doctor of the Church who lived in Damascus in the eighth century.
Mt 8: 5-11. Healing of the centurion’s servant

The Gospel from the daily Eucharistic Liturgy will help us open our hearts to the coming Lord. The first passage shows us the Roman centurion as he comes to Jesus and asks him to heal his servant. It is an example for us about how to live in this time of waiting and how to go towards Jesus. This soldier is a grown man who is not accustomed to Jewish worship and who does not identify with the traditions of Israel. Indeed, he is a military occupier. All of these things should keep him from turning to a Jew for help. But his servant is sick. That is why he turns to Jesus. He does not even know how to explain the situation properly. But he knows that all he has to do is put some of his heart in his hands and Jesus will grant him what he asks. Jesus can read the centurion’s heart, and with the generosity of those who know how to let themselves be moved, he answers that he will go to the centurion’s house and heal his servant. Many would have taken advantage of such gratuitous generosity. But the centurion becomes even more ashamed and says that he is not worthy of having the Master come and visit him. He feels ashamed when faced with such a good man. And he speaks those splendid words that we repeat still today, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant shall be healed”. Indeed the centurion’s servant is healed by Jesus’ word. But this grown man is also healed by his encounter with the Master; he has discovered himself to be unworthy, but he has also found someone who profoundly understands him. He has seen how love for others can transform his own life in a surprising way.

This week we begin a new liturgical year in the church with the season of Advent. Advent is a time to prepare ourselves for Christmas, hopefully by slowing down a bit more than we usually do. This can be difficult with all the pressures of this time of year. May we all find some time for quiet reflection on the true meaning of Christmas this Advent season.

I am happy that our students involved with the “Beyond Altar Linens” club have come together to work on our school environment for the two weeks of Advent that we will be together as a community. You can see their efforts in the Advent wreath in the front hall, three “Advent Trees” decorated in purple and a large Advent calendar that some of our religion classes will be using for daily prayer.

We also plan to celebrate December 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas with a small gift for all our students and faculty. Don’t forget to leave your shoe in the hall during 7th period on Wednesday.

Happy Advent!

Monday, December 4 - No Mass
Tuesday, December 5 @ 7:30 AM - for the students of NDHS
Wednesday, December 6 @ 7:30 AM - for the Chattanooga Search Program
Thursday, December 7 @ 7:30 AM - for Joe Rummel
Friday, December 8 @ 10:00 AM - Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Tuesday, November 28 @ 7:30 AM for the students of NDHS

Wednesday, November 29 @ 7:30 AM for the Chattanooga Search Program

Thursday, November 30 @ 7:30 AM for the sick of NDHS

Friday, December 1 @ 7:30 AM for the parents of NDHS

The Senior Class mass will take place this coming Wednesday at 10 AM at Pilgrim Congregational Church.

Monday — No Mass, Fr Chris working on Search prep.
Tuesday — 7:30 AM Mass, for the parents of NDHS
Wednesday — 7:30 AM Mass, for the success of the Search Program
Thursday — 7:30 AM Mass, for the students of NDHS
Friday — 7:30 AM Mass, for the St. Charles Family