First Sunday of Advent (A)

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The Unknown Day and Hour   Lectionary: 1 Reading 1 -  Isaiah 2:1-5 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 122: 1-9 Reading 2 -  Romans 13:11-14 Alleluia -  Cf. Psalm 85:8 Gospel -  Matthew 24:37-44 '... Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.' Introduction  As we gather on this First Sunday of Advent , we also mark the beginning of the Church’s new liturgical calendar and a four-week preparation period leading up to Christmas. The word Advent comes from either of two Latin words, which simply mean “to come” (Ad-venire) or “to arrive” (Ad-ventus), and as early as the fourth (4th) century, Christians have had this special time of preparation towards Christmas. Of course, Advent is not merely a countdown to Christmas; Even as we begin the material preparations for the social celebration of Christmas, the liturgical celebrations of these weeks invite us to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus. But what does the co...
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Deacon Post-Ordination (The First Month)

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After Action Report

It has been an interesting month following my ordination.  Immediately after the ceremony, I was handed my official letter of assignment, along with my enumerated faculties as a permanent deacon in good standing.  Everything there was as expected, with my subsequent debut as a deacon being the [required] thanksgiving mass for the 9 am service at my assigned parish.  The assignment letter specifies two immediate actions for me to take ... to respond to he bishop acknowledging that I have received this letter AND to develop a Contract of Diaconal Service detailing the expectations of my time [over the coming year] ... with no specific guidance for either.

I had been working on my homily for the past few months, and with the benefit of an entire semester of homiletic training, I was fairly confident it would not be terrible ... but with almost no liturgical preparation, I was extremely nervous about everything else I would be expected to do ... even with having the good fortune of having a gracious and forgiving pastor to help me though it all.

As part of my preparation, I reviewed the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (eventually I was also able to find an online version of the Roman Missal published in 2011) ... which was helpful, despite lacking many of the specifics that I was looking for ... specifically for the text of the silent prayers said by the deacon (sotto voce) after the Gospel Reading, when preparing the Chalice and while purifying the sacred vessels after Holy Communion.  Even less clear was when to cover and uncover the Chalice with the Pall ... specifically what cues to look for.  Fortunately for me its use is optional and my pastor prefers to leave it off after preparing the Chalice.  It is complicated enough, that lacking any liturgical preparation during my formation, I am still making minor mistakes ... and the season of Advent is just around the corner to add a few more things to learn.  Although it is for a different diocese, so there are some difference, I did manage to find a youtube series on deacon liturgical training (praxis) that was very helpful in at least getting some visual exposure to what the deacon does during the mass ... 

In the week that followed, I attended my first staff meeting where my service and preaching schedule was discussed ... tentatively set for 2 Masses each weekend (either 4 pm Sat and 9 am Sun OR the 7:30 and 11am Masses on Sunday).  I would preach once a month (typically the last weekend of each month).  This is flexible in order to avoid overlapping with the Senior Deacon's preaching schedule (every third weekend).  I am still working on settling in ... it took nearly the whole month before I got any keys to the facilities.  And the extra demands on time started up quickly ... for which my commitments will go into what eventually will be my contract.  Presumably there will be some coordination with the diaconate at-large (there is a deacon only section on the Archdiocese website to which I have no information on yet) ... some of this may be delayed more than usual given the focus on the coming installation of our new Archbishop on Halloween.





With My Reply as follows:

September 23, 2024



Most Reverend Mark O’Connell
Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia
Archdiocese of Boston, Vicar General's Office
66 Brooks Drive, Braintree, MA 02184



Your Excellency:



This letter is to acknowledge my receipt of the letter from His Eminence Seán Cardinal O’Malley assigning me to Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Marblehead, with duties to be mutually determined by Reverend Monsignor Timothy J. Moran, my wife and myself.

Enclosed with that letter was the Statement of Faculties, which outlined the faculties that I may utilize in my ministry as a Deacon in the Archdiocese of Boston.

 

Sincerely yours in Christ,




Deacon Kris Larson




ref:       Cardinal O’Malley’s ltr dtd Sept 21, 2024
cc:        Reverend Monsignor Timothy J. Moran, Our Lady Star of the Sea Marblehead 


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