The Holy Family

Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday, we honor the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. I know that all families have interesting histories, but the Holy Family has an especially powerful story. Did Mary speak about the visit from the angel with her friends? Did Joseph talk with his fellow carpenters or neighbors about his intention to divorce Mary and the dream telling him otherwise? Did they tell Jesus the story of his birth as he grew up? What was Jesus like as a toddler or a 5-year old? Did he play with neighbor kids, or did he spend his time reading Hebrew religious texts, aspiring to be a rabbi? Was he Joseph's carpentry assistant? Did Mary and Joseph talk about money or where to live? There is an ancient book of Thomas which has Jesus doing supernatural things as a child. It wasn't accepted into the sacred canon of scripture. We can see only a brief and minimal view of Christ's upbringing.

Our modern sensibility looks for the analysis of family life, causes, traumas, and dynamics to understand family life. The early church fathers saw little need for this. The Church offers us this day to honor the Holy Family through which the infant Jesus becomes the adult tempted in the desert, declaring to some fisherman to follow him and he will make them fishers of men. The Holy Family brought the gift of the infant Jesus with its beauty, glory, and songs of hosanna to the adulthood of Christ so that his mission may be accomplished. His mission was no less than the salvation of the world. This he indeed accomplished with his stainless life and his cruel but sanctifying death and resurrection. May all our families carry us through to the fulfillment of our mission to love each other and to honor and glorify God. May God support, heal, and sustain all families.

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

(Gen 15:1-6;21:1-3; Heb 11:8,11-12,17-19; Luke 2:22-40)

“Pure souls shall form a circle round our Lord. The purer we have been on earth, the nearer we shall be to him in Heaven.
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

A Change Of Plans

Dear Parishioners,

Life doesn’t always go as we plan. From his kingly palace, David thought it not right for God to dwell in a simple tent. So he talked with Nathan, God’s prophet, and decided to build a more fitting dwelling place for the Lord (Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16). Nathan agreed but later discovered God had other ideas. So it was David’s son, Solomon, who built the Temple in Jerusalem. As we read in the bible, “God’s ways are not man’s ways.” (Isaiah 55:8)

Again in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:26-38), we see the same idea. Mary’s plan to marry Joseph didn’t include children. She was going to remain a virgin and not become a mother. But God, again, had other ideas. Mary would remain a virgin but would also become a mother as well. Thankfully, Mary agreed to God’s proposal and became the mother of Jesus, the Church, and ourselves—which turned out wonderfully well for the world.

May God help us to discern when God’s plan calls for us to change our plans. And may we be just as agreeable as Mary was.

Fr. Carl

“To love God with our whole mind is to make the sacrifice to him of our knowledge and our reason, and to believe all that he has taught.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Increasing Light of Advent

Dear Parishioners,

We got our Advent wreath out of the attic and set it up. Our granddaughter was excited about it, probably because it was lit and aflame. I think it is a wonderful metaphor for our progression through Advent. This is a time of preparation and hope. We look forward with bright intentions to the birth of Christ when all sorts of miracles will occur at his hand and because of him. At first we have just one small flame. It can dimly light a small room. We can hardly make out what is in the shadows. It can be a beautiful experience with one candle. Things close are illuminated while things father away are hidden in the background. What is close begins to be seen. We can attend to our lives before us. What God has given us becomes clear. With two candles lit, we see a little better. Our eyes adjust and the light is sufficient to see another's face or to see our own hands. Those people in our lives become clear. We can see in the two candle light, those we love. We are brought together by the light to see our family. At three candles, the room is brighter. The light is fuller. I can now see the guest at the table with us, the friend, relative or neighbor. Perhaps the stranger that someone else invited can be seen. We can see the contours of their face, we begin to know them. A community is forming under the brightening light. With four candles, the light is bright and opens up the room. The space becomes bigger. The small voice we heard at one candle is now audible, and we can hear voices in harmony. The room is full, we notice. At four candles, our hope is big and our anticipation is high. We are taken outside of the dinner space into the night where the light from our candles brightens even the sky, and there we see a star coming to us bringing joy and a love not felt before. Our four candles open our lives and renew our spirits. It is not our little world that we attend to now but the larger world outside ourselves, our families, our community. It is the touch of God on our world and what that touch brings and how it is wrapped up in a little baby who would be our king and savior. May your Advent bring you increasing joy as God’s light increases within you.

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

“O My child, use your voice always for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

It's Advent. You're Invited!

Dear Parishioners,

Today’s gospel takes us to the desert where we meet John the Baptist (Mark 1:1-8). The desert had a special significance for Israel. It was there that God spent 40 years with his people leading them, instructing them, feeding them, and disciplining them to prepare them for the promised land. Although God had taken his people out of Egypt, he had difficulty in taking Egypt out of his people. They longed for the security and sustenance (food and drink). It was a time of testing and purification which eventually led them into a close relationship with God.

John’s appearance in the desert is a reminder of those days of long ago. His proclamation of a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins was an invitation for the people to prepare for a new relationship with God.

Advent is a time for us to do the same as we prepare for Christmas. We, too, are invited to enter a spiritual desert through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and especially the Sacrament of Penance. If we do, we can expect to experience the refrain of this week’s psalm “Lord, let us see your kindness and grant us your salvation.” (Ps 85:9-14)
Fr. Carl

“We must love while we suffer, and we must suffer if we love.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Slow Down, It’s Advent

Dear Parishioners,

As we begin our journey to the manger, where the whole world stops and takes a deep breath, let us pause as well. Our world is a frenzied, chaotic whirlwind of activity made worse by the likes of Black Friday and the splurge that is the Christmas Holidays. Don't go there. A young couple is making their way to Bethlehem for the census of the world as dictated by Caesar Augustus. They have had something of a difficult time. The man, a just man named Joseph, had contemplated leaving his betrothed Mary, but upon the instruction in a dream, decided against it (Matthew 1:18-25). Mary for her part, has had things to contemplate in her heart since a visit by an angel. She has since visited her cousin and had a wonderful and interesting visit with her, who is also pregnant. Her cousin noted that her child leaped in her womb when Mary and her baby approached (Luke 1:39-45). With all that has happened, it has certainly been a time to remember. They find themselves talking and reflecting. She is so young and gentle and open. He is older and perhaps more quiet and reserved. Do they know what is about to happen? Do they know the cosmic movements that they are a part of, the unfolding plan which has been in the mind of God for so long? Does she know completely the child she is carrying? Let us sit with the reality we know while they journey. Let us breathe slowly in anticipation of the events to come. Let us focus our attention on the couple, on whose shoulders rest such a great occasion that will overshadow the actions of many who are great and powerful. Let us whisper our prayers for them and listen for the soft sounds of hooves as they make their way through the Judean countryside. May God be with you Mary and Joseph! But of course, He is!

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

“When we are walking in the streets, let us f ix our eyes on our Lord bearing his Cross before us; on the Blessed Virgin who is looking at us; on our Guardian Angel who is by our side.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Helping The Poor

Dear Parishioners,

I hope you and your families had a good Thanksgiving as you relaxed, reconnected with one another, and reflected on the many blessings we enjoy here in America. We have so many reasons to give thanks to God. Still, we have many needy people in our country, and we cannot forget them. Fortunately, we have some ways of helping here at St. Jane’s. There is monthly casserole making for Our Daily Bread, monthly collection of non-perishable food for NCEON (North County Emergency Outreach Network), and the weekly poor box collection sent to help the poor. We help many needy people.

This week we celebrate the Solemnity Christ the King of the Universe who has a very close and personal connection with the poor. In this week’s gospel of the Last Judgement (Matthew 25:31-46), we see the king reward those who were kind to the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and prisoners (in other words, the poor). Let us try to grow in our stewardship by connecting with Jesus who self-identifies with his friends, the poor.

Fr. Carl

“Alas! If we put all our trust in God, how much happier we should be!”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Back To Virtue

Dear Parishioners,

I have been reading a book by Peter Kreeft called Back to Virtue about our need to return to lives of virtue. He speaks of the cardinal virtues of justice, wisdom, courage, and moderation, and the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. He weaves these virtues around a discussion of the beatitudes (blessed are the peacemakers…). I wonder about what happened to these virtues? I have atheist friends who are nice people. You probably do as well. They wouldn’t kill or steal. They would probably measure up well to the Ten Commandments. But I reflect on them with sadness for their perspective is limited in that they are in this life by themselves. They live by self-chosen standards, and their view is that when they die, that is all. Game over. This life is all they have. I have a friend who is a nice person, but he wants almost desperately to have important memorable experiences. He has to fill his time with things and events. I guess that is well and good. But I do things hopefully with a greater purpose in mind. I try to make God my standard, coming from his revelation in scripture, the words and actions of his son, Jesus, and his spirit which motivates me.

The attitude of Job is important here. In this life, when difficulty hits, when pain and sorrow are present, belief in God is an asset and a consolation. I can rely on God’s truths. I try to live in him, through him, and with him. I believe that God is love, true love, ever growing and other centered. So I want to be virtuous, because those are qualities that have been handed down over the ages. They are not easy and fly in the face of our culture. I am not in it to get a reward or to feel good but to try to please God and to live up to his standards.

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

“Often in the course of the day, ask for the light of the Holy Spirit.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars