Rejoice! The Lord Is Near!

Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, is know as “Gaudete Sunday.” It’s a command in Latin telling us to “rejoice,” because the theme of the readings are joy, and the entrance antiphon from Philippians says “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! Indeed, the Lord is near!” (Phil 4:4–7) But why? Not just because the Lord came into the world at Bethlehem and will come again at the end of time, but because He comes now in Word and Sacrament. As St. Paul says in the second reading, “The Lord Himself is near.” And if He is near, our lives should be different and reflect His presence in our lives. We should dismiss our anxiety, turn over our problems to God, reach out to our brothers and sisters in need, and spend more time with God in prayer and meditation. Then we can be open and receptive to Him who alone can give us peace, comfort, and joy. So “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

Fr. Carl

Christ’s Messengers

Dear Parishioners,

In ancient times, when a king was going to visit a city, he would send before him someone to herald his coming, someone to announce that he would be arriving soon. The herald would go around the city, and go before the leaders of the city, telling them all, “The king is coming. He will be here any day. So, clean up your lives. Make sure you are all in obedience to the kings commands.” As we look at the Gospel reading for this week (Lk 3:1–6), this is what we see going on. The King is coming, and He has sent a herald to announce His imminent arrival. The king, of course, is Jesus Christ, and the herald is John the Baptist. John’s message is that the people need to repair their lives and prepare for Christ’s coming. He does this by calling the people to repent and be baptized. In this second week of Advent, Luke emphasizes the incomparable importance of Christ’s coming by pointing out how Isaiah had prophesied not only the arrival of Jesus but even the appearance of the messenger, John. God had long been preparing this pivotal moment in the world’s history and wanted to do everything possible to alert his people of its coming.

Although Christ has come to the earth, and although he has come to dwell in every human heart, there are many who have not heard of him or welcomed him. With each person, Jesus continues to use this same approach: he sends his heralds ahead of him. We are those heralds. Each of us is Christ’s messenger, boldly drawing others’ attention to the truth and grace of Christ by our words, deeds, and example. Among the many responsibilities each of us has, none is greater or more rewarding than teaming up with the Holy Spirit to prepare hearts for the Lord. Are we being good messengers?

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Father Knows Best

Dear Parishioners,

It’s hard to believe that only 2 weeks ago we celebrated the 75th anniversary of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish. For those of you unable to attend, it was a glorious event with six visiting priests, good music at Mass, and an inspirational homily by Msgr. Jay O’Connor who grew up in the parish and attended the parish school. The Mass was followed by a social gathering at Kurtz’s Beach featuring a silent auction, appetizers, a nice meal, and good conversation. Many of the attendees came up to me and said what a nice occasion it was. One of the highlights of the Mass and gathering was the presence of two former teachers, Sr. James Brian and Sr. Aloysius, both of whom taught here for 30 years and were celebrating 55 and 60 years of serving the Lord as School Sisters of Notre Dame. They were truly an inspiration.

So much for the old; the new is now here. This weekend, we celebrate the beginning of the new liturgical or church year as Sunday marks the First Sunday of Advent. Among other themes in the scriptures this weekend, Psalm 25 concentrates on walking in paths which bring us life (Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14). The key to finding the right path is humility which allows us to confess our absolute dependence upon God and makes us less sure that we have all the answers. After all, we are fallible human beings, whereas God is all knowing. The old TV show in the fifties had it right, “Father Knows Best.”

Fr. Carl

Christ The King

Dear Parishioners,

This week we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The readings this week speak of kingship (Dn 7:13-14/Ps 93:1, 1-2, 5 [1a]/Rv 1:5-8/Jn 18:33b-37). We think of kings taking power from others by winning violent battles or by force. Jesus ushered in his kingdom through love, by appealing to the hearts of people—a kingdom that will not be brought through revolution but through the conversion of hearts.

Do you belong to his kingdom? Does Christ reign in your heart? Let us today re-commit our heart to Christ the King. If he truly reigns in our hearts, then our actions will be Christ like. Also, let us give Jesus control over our lives. In the gospel of Matthew, he says, “come to me all you who labor and are burdened....” It is only in him that we can truly have rest for our hearts. Let us emulate Christ's lesson of humble service to the truth. He came to bear witness to the truth. If we belong to the kingdom, truth must surely be our focus, even when it hurts. Lastly, we need to obey the law of love because that is what governs in the kingdom of Christ.

I would also like to thank everyone involved in last week’s celebration of our 75th Anniversary of St. Jane Frances parish. It was a wonderful day. We are a blessed faith community where love and friendship are truly present.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Happy Anniversary!

Dear Parishioners,

Happy Anniversary, St. Jane Frances de Chantal! This weekend we celebrate our parish’s 75th anniversary or Diamond Jubilee. In case you didn’t know it, the word “jubilee” comes from a Hebrew word “yobel” which means “ram’s horn trumpet.” If you’ve ever celebrated the Jewish New Year, it’s possible you’ve heard the ram’s horn trumpet to mark the jubilee. In ancient times, a jubilee was celebrated every seven years. Land sold by the poor to provide sustenance in past years was restored to them to farm and to be used to provide a livelihood for their families. It was an occasion of great joy and the basis for the word “jubilation.” Today’s diamond anniversary jubilation is also a time of great joy as we reflect on St. Jane’s past. We have brought Jesus to our people and our people to Jesus through baptisms, communions, confirmations, weddings, confessions, funerals, and education. There have been our activities

1. Spiritual (Mass, Confessions, Adoration/Benediction, Missions and Retreats)
2. Educational (St. Jane Frances School—72 years, the School of Religion, and Adult Education)
3. Athletic (soccer and basketball)
4. Social (St. Patrick’s Day Bazaar, Bull Roasts, Bus Trips, Lenten Fish Frys, and Golf Tournaments).

Truly, St. Jane Frances has done so much for its people and the wider community. We have every reason to be filled with thanksgiving and jubilation. Happy Anniversary, St. Jane’s!

Fr. Carl

Gift Giving

Dear Parishioners,

Jesus taught his disciples an unexpected lesson about giving with love in this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Mk 12:41-44). Love is selfless and sacrificial. Jesus drove this point home to his disciples while sitting in the temple and observing people making their offering. Jesus praised a poor widow who gave the smallest of coins in contrast with the rich who gave greater sums. How can someone in poverty give more than someone who has wealth? Jesus’ answer is very simple: love is more precious than gold! Jesus taught that real giving must come from the heart. A gift that is given for display or show loses its value. But a gift given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is priceless. The amount or size of the gift doesn’t matter as much as the cost to the giver. The poor widow could have kept one of her coins, but instead she generously gave away all she had. Jesus praised her because it was everything she had, her whole living. 

What we have to offer may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord’s disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it and with us what is beyond our imagination. Do you know the joy and freedom of giving generously to God and to neighbor with gratitude and love? In what ways can I give my entire self to God?

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

The Lord Has Done Great Things For Us

Dear Parishioners,

“The Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy.” (Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6) These words from last week’s Psalm were probably not on our lips during the past two years. Still the Lord has done great things for us. The god given intellectual gifts of our scientists coupled with the monetary support of our government have enabled many of us to survive these difficult times and see a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not all over, but we are moving in the right direction.

I particularly want to thank you all for your prayers and support on behalf of the parish. Obviously, with the church closure and social distancing over a lengthy period of time, our income took a hit. Nevertheless, many of you stepped up and mailed in your weekly/monthly contributions, while still others signed up for online giving. (It sure beats writing a check each week.) Thanks so very much. I was so touched by your thoughtfulness and loyalty to St. Jane’s.

I have enclosed the financials for the parish Fiscal Year 2021 (see page 3 of the 1/31/2021 bulletin). This year’s were not too bad. But last year’s were. The parish had a FY2020 deficit of $273,646, and the school a deficit of $212,865. Fortunately, thanks to your generosity in past years, we had enough savings to weather the storm. This year the parish—even after the church provided deficit funding for the school—showed a modest surplus of $90,948 thanks to you and the financial aid from the federal government’s Payroll Protection Program.

This year we are keeping our head above the water. The end of September showed a modest surplus of $13,000 in our ordinary income. So, thank you for your continued support.

Finally, if your finances allow it, please prayerfully consider increasing your contributions to the parish. Thank you and God bless.

Fr. Carl