Now is the acceptable time

     On this Monday of the First Week of Advent I would like to borrow the words of Saint Charles Borromeo that is found in a pastoral letter from the saint that is a part of the Office of Readings for today.  They give us a good introduction to this Advent season.

     "Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent.  This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see.  This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with special solemnity.  We too should always observe it with faith and love, offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for the mercy and love he has shown us in this mystery.  In his infinite love for us, though we were sinners, he sent his only Son to free us from the tyranny of Satan, to summon us to heaven, to welcome us into its innermost recesses, to show us truth itself, to train us in right conduct, to plant within us the seed of virtue, to enrich us with the treasures of his grace, and to make us children of God and heirs of eternal life."

     In these beginning days of this season of anticipation, we join with the prayer of the Church in seeking the warmth of the Father's love and the light of his Word.  We ask for the strength to grow in love and rejoice in his presence.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

     Word has been received of the death of Monsignor Michael Dylag, a retired priest of the Diocese of Greensburg.  Msgr. Dylag died on Saturday at his home in Waterford, Michigan, at the age of 80.

      Msgr. Dylag, originally from Cleveland, was ordained for Greensburg on the 15th of May in 1960 at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.  He served for eleven years in parishes in the diocese before taking up special assignments at the Orchard Lake Schools (College & Seminary) in Michigan, and at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington.

     Msgr. Dylag met the future Pope John Paul II in 1969 and they developed a longtime friendship that saw him visit the Holy Father often in Rome for private dinners and conversation.  He also met many other dignitaries over the years, including former President George H. W. Bush, whose service of transfer to Washington for burial is on TV even as I post this.

     I did not know Mike well, having met him only a few times during my priesthood, but the stories about him and the stories that he told reveal him as an interesting, talented and unique individual.

     We trust that the Lord will grant him Eternal Rest and joy in the Kingdom that he preached.