Fr. Greg

In my many Lenten fails, I’ve learned a different way of approaching Lent. I view Lent as a time to try adding or taking away things from my life to see if I am able to improve. I make it a time, not of suffering (necessarily) but rather of increased focus on God and others and decreased focus on self and personal comfort. I have found that I can take up or give up just about anything, no matter how big or small, and use it as a reminder to pray more and love more.

Jesus focuses on the precepts of human relationships and offers insight into how God would have us act toward one another. God seems to have a preferential (but not exclusive) love for the spiritually, emotionally, and materially poor, but it seems like we humans tend to avoid confronting normal life difficulties.

Wherever two or more people gather, some sharing of germs is inevitable. When Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist, our first concern is sharing our gratitude, our faith and our belief in Christ among us. However, during cold and flu season, each of us has the responsibility of taking precautions to prevent the spread of illnesses by:
-Washing hands frequently and for the appropriate length of time using soap and water, or using hand sanitizing products.
-Covering up using the upper part of your sleeve or a tissue when coughing/sneezing.

Today is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This is depicted in the beautiful stained glass windows in our Church. It shows Mary and Joseph in the temple, with their two turtle doves, to be presented as an offering, and Simeon holding the infant Christ child.

When can we expect to experience God fully?

Do you desire to face the refiner’s fire? How are you preparing to meet Him? The Lord is coming, we learn in the scriptures today, but before we meet Him, He will burn away everything in our lives that would keep us from experiencing Him fully.

We begin our annual celebration of Catholic Schools Week. It is such a blessing to be in a parish that has our own Catholic preschool, day care and elementary school. I am very proud of our parish school and of the members of our parish who since our beginning 40 years ago, desired and sacrificed so that we might have our school. Our current school faculty and staff are committed to educating the whole child – spiritually, academically, socially and physically. We welcome all children with our primary goal to develop young Disciples of Christ within our Catholic faith tradition.

Last Sunday we concluded the Christmas season with the Baptism of the Lord, and today we read John the Evangelist’s story of the baptism of Jesus told from his perspective.

It is that time of year for the Annual Archbishop’s Call to Share. It reminds us of our responsibility to help the Archdiocesan Church with its outreach to so many and to help with continued evangelization efforts.

We are also still in the midst of the Special Archdiocesan Capital Campaign, One Faith, One Family, One Future In Christ campaign and we will conclude that at the end of February with an In-Pew Appeal. Please see our updated pledge numbers for this campaign in this weekends bulletin and for the date of our In-Pew Appeal weekend.

On this Sunday of the Epiphany of the Lord, we hear about gifts in the Gospel reading. The image of ‘gift’ is an appropriate one since today we acknowledge and celebrate the gift of God’s saving grace offered to everyone in the birth of His Son Jesus.

Is there such a thing as the perfect family? Mine is not, is yours? What would it mean to be the “perfect family”?

Today’s feast makes clear that holy families are human families, with gifts and challenges. Love contains joy and wonder, but also pain and struggle. But families are and should be our schools of love and holiness.

The grace of Christmas is Christ himself. Jesus is the radiant “day” which has dawned on the horizon of humanity. A day of mercy, in which God our Father has revealed His great tenderness to the entire world. A day of light, which dispels the darkness of fear and anxiety. A day of peace, which makes for encounter, dialogue and, above all, reconciliation. A day of joy: a “great joy” for the poor, the lowly, and for all the people (cf. Lk 2:10).