-
- Understanding the Season of Advent
- DECEMBER 11 - Advent Evening of Reflection w/ Sister Jackie
- Advent Bible Study w/ Deacon Al on Monday Evenings
- Ladies Advent Tea on Sunday December 14th
- Christmas 2025 Mass Schedule
-
As we enter the beautiful season of Advent, the Church invites us to take time to slow down, reflect, and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year in the church and spans the four weeks leading up to Christmas. It is a time for joyful expectation, hope, and spiritual readiness as we await Jesus' birth.The Meaning of AdventThe word "Advent" comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming" or "arrival". During this sacred season, we focus on three "comings" of Christ:
- His coming in history - as the child born in Bethlehem.
- His coming in mystery - through grace, prayer, Scripture, and the Sacraments.
- His coming in majesty - at the end of time. when he will come again in glory.
Advent helps us prepare our lives - spiritually and practically - to receive Christ with renewed faith and a peaceful heart.Advent Traditions and PracticesThe church offers several traditions that help us enter into the season:
The Advent Wreath - This evergreen wreath symbolizes God's everlasting love, and the four candles represent the weeks of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Lighting the candles each week reminds us of Christ, the Light of the World, drawing nearer.The Advent Colors - The liturgical color is violet, symbolizing preparation and repentance. On the third Sunday, called Gaudete Sunday, rose is used to mark a shift toward joyful anticipation.Advent Prayer and Reflection - Many families and individuals choose a daily devotion, Scripture reading, or prayer to make the Season more meaningful.Acts of Kindness and Charity - Advent encourages us to prepare our hearts by serving others - through generosity, kindness, reconciliation, and works of mercy.The Nativity Scene - Preparing the manger throughout Advent and adding Baby Jesus on Christmas Eve is a beautiful way to reflect on the mystery on the incarnation.A Season of HopeAdvent reminds us that God enters our lives in surprising and gentle ways. As a parish community, we walk together through this season with hearts open to God's promises. May these weeks leading up to Christmas fill you with peace, hope, and joyful expectation.
-
As we journey through this holy season of Advent, all are invited to an of Evening of Reflection and Prayer led by Sister Jacqueline Jean-Marie Gitonga of the Daughters of St. Paul.
Come and be renewed in hope as Sister Jacqueline helps us to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord with her Advent reflection: “Seeking Holiness: Incarnating Christ in our Media World Today.”All are welcome. Bring a friend and join us for prayer, reflection, and light refreshments.
Born and raised in Kenya, Sister Jacqueline discovered her vocation during her graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign.
She holds a doctorate in Human Resource Development and has dedicated her religious life to evangelizing through modern media and spiritual formation. As a member of the Daughters of St. Paul for about 12 years now—a congregation founded to proclaim Christ through the means of communication— she has been missioned in St Louis, Chicago, New Orleans and is currently stationed at the Provincial House of the Daughters of St. Paul in Jamaica Plain, serving on the Provincial leadership team as well as the National Director of the Pauline Cooperators, a lay Association of the Pauline Family.
Sr Jacqueline enjoys meeting people from diverse cultural and faith backgrounds, writing prayer poetry, cartooning and music, baking, traveling, watching movies, hiking and the outdoors. Sr Jacqueline’s joyful witness bridges cultures and generations. She has contributed to the book Millennial Nuns: Reflections on Living a Spiritual Life in a World of Social Media and has spoken widely on faith, vocation, and bringing Christ to others through everyday life and technology.
-
Led by Deacon Al, these sessions will present the themes of each week’s readings and do a deep dive into their meaning for the Christians of the past and for us today.
The sessions will be held every Monday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Father Wilson Hall at St. Andrew’s Church, beginning on December 1st through December 22nd.
Reach out to the Parish Office with any questions or to sign-up at 978-663-8816 or [email protected].Please note that you don’t have to sign up to come; we just would like a rough head count.
-
Ladies’ Advent TeaAll women of St. Matthew Parish are invited to join together for an afternoon of prayer, music and reflection, on Sunday, December 14 from 2:00-4:00pm at St. Andrew Church.This will be followed by light refreshments in Father Wilson Hall.
Take a break from the hustle and bustle to remember the meaning of Advent, the season of anticipation as we prepare for the birth of Jesus at Christmas, especially on the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday.
For more information, contact Fran Bilotta-Gulia at 978-387-3155 or [email protected].
-
As we prepare to welcome the birth of our Savior, we invite you, friends, and loved ones to join us for the joyful celebration of Christmas.
These holy days are a beautiful time to gather as a parish family, to pray together, and to rejoice in the gift of God's love made known to us in the Christ Child.
Below you will find our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass Schedule.
We look forward to celebrating the blessed season with you!Christmas Eve Masses December 24th4:00 PM Saint Andrew Church4:00 PM Saint Theresa Church (St. Matthew Choir)Midnight Mass Saint Theresa Church (St. Matthew Choir)Christmas Day Masses December 25th9:30 AM Saint Theresa Church11:00 AM Saint Andrew Church