Searching For Jesus

Dear Parishioners,

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany which means a manifestation, or a showing, or a revealing. On Christmas, Jesus was shown to the poor Jewish shepherds. Now on the Epiphany, he is shown to the Gentile Magi who are led by a star (Matthew 2:1-12). This event shows that God’s kingdom will be open to all—Jew and Gentile alike. For God’s kingdom is not an exclusive club for just a few but an inclusive family open to all, because he came to save everybody. He even came to save King Herod. Sadly, Herod was so focused on himself, he thought Jesus to be a threat to his kingdom and tried to kill him. Instead, he killed any chance he might have found peace and happiness for himself. It goes to show that too much self-absorption can destroy our lives and any chances we might have for joy, peace, and lasting happiness. Let us, like the Magi, continue searching for Jesus in the world around us. He wants us to come and find him.

- Fr. Carl

“Let us adore Jesus Christ as our God; let us follow him
as our King. Let us offer him all we have and all we are.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Reflecting In Our Hearts

Dear Parishioners,

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

A Word From Our Deacon

As Christmas approaches and the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ nears, I wish to express my gratitude to all of you for your warm welcome and hospitality. I am grateful for my wife, my children, my diaconal vocation, and this faith community. This beautiful season of the year when we glorify the birth of Christ always grabs me in its simplicity and power. From Mary’s “yes” to the angel chorus, the mystery of Emmanuel, God with us, is a profound moment in history. Our world has never been the same. As we settle in with some time off work or in a moment of quiet from the hustle and bustle of the season, let us reflect on how our lives need the presence of the new born Savior. Be with us Lord! Come into our lives with your grace and love. Caste out from us all sin and weakness and open our hearts to your peaceful being. Now as always, we need the touch of God so that we may have hope, so that our faith may grow, so that we may not despair and so that we may know the peace of God’s love. May the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you and your family this Christmas season. May the little child, dressed in swaddling clothes, lain in a manger, be the light your life needs, the joy our community needs, the wisdom our leaders need, and the peace our world needs.

Many Christmas blessings to all of you!
Deacon Steve

Merry Christmas!

Dear Parishioners,

“God writes straight with crooked lines.” That’s an old adage that means not only does the Lord use good people to carry out his plan, but sometimes he uses the wicked as well. In the first reading from Isaiah last Sunday, God asks the wicked king of Judah, Ahaz, to ask for a sign so Judah will know that God is on its side. Ahaz doesn’t ask for a sign, because he doesn’t want to trust the Lord. However, God will not be denied; so he promises a sign “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” In today’s gospel (Mt 1:18-25, Vigil Mass gospel), Matthew uses those very words from Isaiah to show the prophecy fulfilled in Mary and Jesus.

So God is not limited to the use of holy people; he uses sinners as well. That includes you, me, and all of us. Of course, we should not relax and imagine God will use us the way we are no matter what. He wants us to become the best version of ourselves we can. He wants us to become saints so as to draw others to Himself and bring true joy to the world and ourselves.

May you and your families experience the joy that our Lord’s birth brought to the world not just now but always.

God bless,
Fr. Carl

“A Saint has told us that one day at Mass he saw
Jesus Christ with his hands full of gifts, looking for
souls to whom he might give them.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Signs of Christmas

Dear Parishioners,

It’s getting harder and harder to find Christmas cards with a religious image on it. There are plenty of cards with Santa Claus, Christmas trees, snow covered landscapes, holly, and colorful decorations. But something with Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Magi, the Shepherds, and the Star is hard to find. I guess it’s more politically correct to turn Christmas into a seasonal celebration than a religious remembrance. Still, we might try to put Christ back in the season by saying “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays.”

Since the beginning of time, people have looked to God for signs. It might be for a sign of guidance in making a decision about a vocation, where to go to high school or college, where to live, or what the future holds. In the reading from Isaiah (Isaiah 7:10-14), God encourages King Ahaz to ask for a sign, but Ahaz is reluctant. His mind is made up, and he doesn’t want a sign from God which might tell him to pursue a different course of action. Nevertheless, God gives him a sign anyway “the virgin shall be with child and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel.” This sign to Ahaz was also a sign to Israel and to the world of God’s love and his plan to send the Messiah to save the human race. This sign was finally realized in the Blessed Virgin Mary’s giving birth to Jesus (Matthew 1:18-24).

Since we have received the grace of this sign, Jesus Christ, we are called to be living signs of God’s love to all we meet. May we be good and welcoming signs to all.

- Fr. Carl

“Remember that when the priest gives you absolution, you
have but one thing to think of—that the Blood of the good
God is f lowing over your soul to purify it and make it as
bright as it was made by its Baptism.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Be Patient

Dear Parishioners,

When there is no entrance hymn sung at Mass, there is an entrance chant or antiphon. You can find this week’s chant on page 3 of the missalette. It serves as the theme for the Mass of the day. This Third Sunday of Advent, it is “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Indeed the Lord is near” (Philippians 4:4-5). Since the readings reflect this theme, we call today (Sunday, Dec. 11) Gaudete Sunday which in Latin means “rejoice.” Why? Because when the Lord comes, there will be new life (Isaiah 35:1-6a,10) and healing (Matthew 11:2-11). However, it will not happen as soon as we might wish. So James in the second reading (James 5:7-10) gives, us advice on our attitude as we wait. “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord.” In this busy world amid the many activities calling for our attention, it’s easy to become frazzled and impatient. St. James encourages us to guard against impatience, for while the virtue of patience is difficult to acquire, it is well worth the effort. It will help give us peace of mind and the joy Jesus wants us to have this season.

- Fr. Carl

“Our Lord is hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, waiting
for us to come and visit him… See how good He is! …
If He had appeared before us now in all his glory, we should
not have dared to approach Him; but He hides himself
like one in prison, saying: ‘You do not see me, but that
does not matter; ask me for all you want…’”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Spiritual Exercise

Dear Parishioners,

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, Advent invites us to prepare for Christmas and celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world. But Christmas is also a time when families and friends come back together again. Please feel free to invite them to Mass. If they are not Catholic or they haven’t been to Mass for a while, please remind them of the proper respect that should be shown to our Lord in his house. For instance food, drink, and chewing gum should not be brought into the church. Those who are non-Catholic are invited to come up in the communion line with their arms crossed to receive a blessing but not Holy Communion as it is a sign of one’s faith and membership in the Catholic Church. If some are non-practicing Catholics, invite them to come to the sacrament of Penance so that they might worthily receive the Eucharist. Our Lord is most merciful and would love to come into their hearts again.

This week, John the Baptist urges us to reform our lives (Matthew 3:1-12), for sin tends to twist our lives out of shape. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving can help us return to be once more in the image and likeness of God. When we get out of shape, exercise is at first painful; but with continued work, it becomes less so, and we feel better and better. It’s the same with spiritual exercise. We all feel better at the end.

God Bless,
Fr. Carl

“I LOVE St. Joseph so much because
he had the care of the Blessed Virgin.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars