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| Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God |
I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas. It brings a bright light into the darkness of the long winter nights. It gives us hope and joy in the midst of whatever struggles we may be undergoing in life.
I am very grateful to everyone who helped prepare for and took part in our celebrations: the liturgy committee; our decorators; our musicians, cantors, and choirs; our Knights of Columbus who helped arrange the outdoor nativity scene and the church Christmas trees; our lectors, altar servers, and extraordinary ministers of communion. But I am especially thankful for you, our parishioners, who not only attended the Masses but also brought the spirit of Christmas in their hearts.
Today, on the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, the gospel takes us to Mary and Jesus in Bethlehem (Luke 2:16-21). The people were all amazed when the shepherds reported what they saw. And Mary kept all these things reflecting on them in her heart. May this season awaken in us a spirit of amazement at God’s love. May we regularly reflect on this in our hearts as did Mary. For if we do so, the long dark days of winter and life’s difficulties will be brightened by the sun that the Son of God brings into our hearts, not just at Christmas but throughout the year.
Happy New Year,
Fr. Carl
“We must be like the shepherds in the fields during the
winter. They have a f ire, but from time to time they search
about for sticks to keep it alive. If we knew how to keep up
the f ire of the love of God in our heart by prayers and good
works, it would not go out.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars
