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I hope this finds everyone well. Yes, there is still much around us to be disconcerting, but grounded in our life of faith and the certainty that such a wonderful gift bestows upon us, we all walk in hope. No matter our feelings about the happenings in our country and throughout the world, we respond always first in prayer and gratitude. As we maintain attitudes of gratitude for the many blessings which have been bestowed upon us our eyes are opened to see the positive and not the negative, hope not despair, love not hate. Read more.

As we celebrate this weekend the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, we also observe the relatively new “Sunday of the Word of God”. By an initiative of Pope Francis two years ago, this day reminds us that we are indeed a “People of the Book” – that our history, our tradition, and the core of our faith is grounded in and through the Bible – the eternal Word of the Father. As a sure sign of hope in the midst of the uncertainty of the world around us, it was reported this past week that: ”a Catholic podcast featuring a priest reading and analyzing the Bible has been at the top of the Apple Podcast charts since January 2nd, ahead of secular podcasts produced by such organizations as The New York Times, NBC News, and NPR. ‘The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz),’ produced by Ascension Catholic Faith Formation, part of Ascension Press, features episodes containing two to three scriptural readings, a reflection on those readings by Fr. Mike Schmitz, and a prayer. Each episode is about 15 to 25 minutes long, and a new episode is set to be released each day of 2021.” Read more.

Fr. Mike Schmitz is joined by renowned Catholic Bible scholar Jeff Cavins to talk about The Great Adventure Bible Timeline, their personal experiences with the Bible, and what it means to live life through the lens of Scripture.

Today, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, marks the end of the Christmas Season on our liturgical calendar. Now begins the short, yet important preparation for the coming Lenten Season, which begins on Ash Wednesday (February 17th). Given the pandemic restrictions we do not yet know what Ash Wednesday will look like, but I am sure that it will be much different than times past. Read more.

Hopefully, we all had a safe, healthy, and reasonably enjoyable Holy/holiday season. It was surreal in many ways, for sure. I am sure it’s not a stretch to say that I hope and pray that 2021 will be a much better year for all of us. With the hope and promise of a vaccine being available for most of us by this spring, the end seems around the corner. I hope that the letter in the bulletin a few weeks ago outlining the moral implications of the vaccine will have allayed any fears or doubts about receiving the vaccine. I am sure by the time that I am eligible to get it I will be in line. I cannot say that I don’t get a bit concerned each time that either Father JM or I have to go to the hospital, a long-term health care facility, or even a parishioner’s home. Read more.

Due to publishing deadlines, I am forced to write this letter even before the Fourth Sunday of Advent, so I cannot honestly report just how things went during the celebration of Christmas. Father JM and I pray fervently that indeed it went well, and I sincerely hope that such will be the case when I pen my next missive for the bulletin. Read more.

¡Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noël! Frohe Weihnachten! Buon Natale! Wesołych Świąt! Veselé Vánoce! Maligayang Pasko! Jwaye Nwèl! Nollaig Shona! ... no matter how you say it with your family and friends ... Merry Christmas! Read more.

Advent seems to have flown by – I guess it always does. As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas this week (Friday, as if anyone needs reminding) there are a few important reminders and appeals from our end. Read more.

These 4 tips can help you enjoy one of the best Christmas seasons yet.

Anton Raphael Mengs, “Saint John the Baptist Preaching,” circa 1775 On this third Sunday of Advent, we witness the prophetic call of St. John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord. Anton Raphael Mengs’ Saint John the Baptist Preaching brings us face-to-face with John, as he addresses us with expressive gestures. Mengs’ portrayal is intensely psychological, inviting us to encounter John’s deep conviction, prophetic presence, and sense of urgency. John’s penetrating look, coupled with his raised arms, make a burning appeal for us to listen, to look for “the one among us whom we do not recognize,” and to wait attentively for the coming of him whose sandal this prophet is not fit to untie.

This week two important liturgical events occur. Once is deeply ingrained in the Liturgical cycle and goes unnoticed by most of us each year. The other is the beginning of the Simbang Gabi celebration, the unique Filipino pre-Christmas novena of Masses that we are pleased and happy to host this year.

The voice of John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness and gathering great crowds invites us into the Second Sunday of Advent. Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s St. John the Baptist Preaching captures this moment as he presents a wooded wilderness embracing a colorful crowd. Left of center is John the Baptist, clad in camelhair, though we have to search the scene to find him. Instead of standing as a dominating figure, John is one of the crowd, one of the people who serves his peers with prophetic passion.

It’s beginning to look a bit like Christmas. We celebrated the blessing and lighting of our tree on Friday night, providing light in the midst of darkness. I don’t know if it’s just me but I feel like more and more people have decorated already and that the Christmas cheer is beginning to break through the noise of all that is going on around us. Read more.

We mark the passing of seasons and of years through various milestones. While it remains 2020 in the Year of Our Lord, this weekend the church begins a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent. This means on a practical level that subtle changes occur within the Mass itself. Although it is subtle, the readings for the Masses shift to new cycles. We will be using the readings for Year 1 (of 2) for daily Masses. While the Gospel remains the same each year, the first reading changes. On Sundays and major feasts we move into Year B (of A-B-C) where the Gospel is generally from Saint Mark, though there are some includes of John’s Gospel as well. These annual shifts of the readings enable us to read through virtually the entire Bible in the course of three years. A good reminder and point of discussion when someone says to you that we are not a Bible-based church! Read more.

With Thanksgiving this week it is a good time to think of all the blessings which come into our lives each and every day. Even in the midst of a ten-month long global pandemic, political turmoil, and economic uncertainty, we are blessed beyond measure, and it is through our prayers of gratitude that we can begin to become aware of the great need before us as we pray for healing for all of us in spirit, mind, and body, as well as for healing and peace in our homes, our streets, throughout the nation and the world. For many of us this Thanksgiving will be different than in the past. Many are afraid to travel --- even across town – to be with family and friends. Whatever you do, or cannot do, do it with a spirit of gratitude and generosity. As Christians we are infused with hope, and hope is the constant and necessary remedy for fear. Read more.

A few basic steps to help you stay focused and peaceful when life keeps throwing challenges your way.