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Bishop releases 2018 Advent Message, Last week to visit diocesan exhibit in Princeton
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November 30, 2018In his message for Advent, beginning on Dec. 2, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. speaks about the “both/and” nature of our spiritual preparation.
In reality, Advent and its conclusion in Christmas, is a “both/and” time. The Lord Jesus has already come and we can’t pretend or act otherwise. And, yet, special celebrations become all the more rich and meaningful when we prepare for and look forward to them. Think of birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations. The “waiting” is a great part of the fun! Think of Baptisms, First Holy Communions and Confirmations. The preparations make the event a time of special excitement and joy. Hence, the Season of Advent.
As Catholics, it’s very important for us to immerse ourselves in this time of spiritual preparation, to listen attentively to the scriptural anticipations of the Messiah proclaimed at Mass, to make time and room for the “Word Made Flesh” in our lives as Advent gradually unfolds the true cause of the Christmas’ “Joy to the World” we sing about. We cannot, we should not let Advent pass us by without reverent and prayerful reflection on the coming of Christ and its meaning in these next four weeks, despite the signs and symbols of Christmas already on display, surrounding us everywhere we go.
You can read the full 2018 Advent message from Bishop O’Connell, listen to it as a podcast and find even more seasonal resources on the Diocese of Trenton’s Advent webpage, by clicking here.
“The Diocese of Trenton: This is Our Story,” was an exhibit featuring the history of the Diocese of Trenton that closed on Dec. 7, after being on display for a month in The Aquinas Institute, 24 Charlton St, Princeton.
Curated by Third Order Franciscan Father Gabriel Zeis, chaplain of the Institute and diocesan vicar for Catholic education, the latest exhibit is the third of its kind in as many years. Previous exhibits have focused on the printed word and its relationship to the growth of the faith, and “Laudato ‘Si: Care for our Common Home,” an encyclical from Pope Francis on the need to protect the environment.
Highlights of the new exhibit included presentations on the earliest missionaries, the Jesuits, and their work among the Lenni Lenape native population; the beginnings of Catholicism, in what was known as West Jersey and East Jersey, and the German immigrants who labored for the Quakers in their industries of glassmaking, iron works and printing.
For more about this exhibit and the artifacts on display, read this feature story in The Monitor by clicking here.
To more infomation on the exhibit, you can e-mail [email protected].