Notes from the Pastor

Opportunities may arise each day that may not come our way again. In order to take advantage of them, one must seize the day (“Carpe diem!” as it is said in Latin). Sad to say, many times people just fail to respond, and lose out on an opportunity. God places an array of opportunities before his people; opportunities to choose life. God not only gave us life, he redeemed our lives and showed us the path to everlasting life through the ministry and sacrifice of his Son, Jesus.

Having concluded the Christmas Season last Sunday with the Baptism of the Lord, we now begin the Mass readings for Ordinary Time. The Sunday Mass readings are on a three-year cycle with Year A containing the Gospel of Matthew, Year B containing the Gospel of Mark, Year C containing the Gospel of Luke, and readings from the Gospel of John appearing in all three years.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and the official end to the Church’s observance of the Christmas season. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, he was praying when Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove; and a voice came from the heavens declaring, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11).

Fr. John, Fr. Anthony, and I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the many acts of kindness that we have received in the past few weeks. I am humbled by the thoughtfulness of so many people who sent cards, or brought over home-made cookies and other gifts. A special “thank-you” also to all those who donated baby diapers and baby clothing to our “Giving Tree” to support Birthright in their mission to provide for mothers who are in need of assistance. May the Lord’s blessing be upon you throughout the new year.

Each of our readings today gives us a glimpse into the complications of family life
and those glimpses let us know we are not alone in our trials and tribulations. Our family can be the source of our greatest joys, but also sometimes the source of our greatest sorrows. From the earliest days of Israel’s history, God was interceding in the difficulties of family relationships: commanding the honor and respect of parents by children, and of children by parents; and promising faithfulness to those who abided in faithfulness to him; instructing us in what it means to love as Christ loves; and ordering the family to the raising of children and the placing of God at the center of their lives.

Today we enter into the Fourth Week of Advent. Christmas is only a few short days away. It may be a very busy time for you, but please make the time to read the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. You will read about Elizabeth, her husband Zechariah and the birth of their child who would be known as John the Baptist. You will read about the Archangel Gabriel, Mary and Joseph and the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. If you do this, you will likely be better prepared to celebrate with joy the birth of our Savior on Christmas Day.

The past two Sundays, the dominant liturgical color has been violet for the Advent season. Today, it is rose for Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete” is a Latin word meaning “rejoice,” and rose is a bright and beautiful color of rejoicing for this Third Sunday of Advent, since we are more than halfway through our journey to Christmas. But, did some people not get the memo? Because for many it seems that Christmas has already come. Outside of church there is no violet and rose, but red and green (and I’m not just talking about chile!). There is Christmas music on the radio and in the stores, and Christmas specials on television and streaming on the internet. Our homes and communities are decorated. Stores have been decked out in Christmas décor for weeks. The rejoicing has begun. So, why Gaudete Sunday now?

This time of year, we start seeing holiday movies centering on the idea of “the magic of Christmas spirit.” At the end of many of these films, the antagonist is fundamentally changed for the better: the Grinch’s heart grows, Scrooge becomes generous, and dozens of films end with skeptics finding joy in the season. While most of these holiday “classics” are secular in nature, they do touch on the belief that Christmas changes things. The difference is that while these Hollywood “classics” might give the credit to Santa Claus, we as Catholics, know that Jesus’ coming is what changed everything.