From Our Pastor: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
This weekend we focus on the Feast of the Holy Family. A beautiful feast day that reminds us of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in their love as a family. It is such a beautiful feast day to remind us that although there are great difficulties we may encounter as a family, as long as the Lord is the center, Jesus, and all are focused on the will of the Father in heaven, we can endure every trial and overcome any difficulty.
We may be asked for impossible tasks as a family, but with Christ at the center of our family, as He is in the Holy Family, the impossible becomes possible. Model your families after the Holy Family and see the many blessings that come from the very gift of Family.
We also celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God this Monday. Since it is a Monday this year, it is NOT A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION! We have a mass for the vigil at 5:30 p.m. and a mass at
9 a.m. on the feast. This day we remind ourselves of the gift of Mary as her oldest title, Mary the Mother of God, the Theotokos. What a blessing we have in the Blessed Mother, as even her title tells us who Jesus is more and more. She always leads us and points us to her son.
Lastly, we are still in Christmas. Keep your trees, decorations, lights, etc. up! Christmas has just begun and we must turn the tide of this cultural Christmas that has upended how Christmas is to be celebrated. The world used to follow our lead, but we started following the lead of the world, and we need to turn that back around.
Keep wishing people a Merry Christmas and remind them we are in the 12 days of Christmas right now (December 25-January 5). Keep celebrating and know it’s ok to keep sending Christmas cards. What a blessing we have as Catholics to know that we prepare well, but we celebrate more! Enjoy this Christmas season.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas day and I wish you many blessings into the New Year. May we get excited for the new year in our parish as well! The Lord has many blessings and much excitement for the coming year! Happy New Year to you all!
Merry Christmas! Keep your families holy in the example of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
- Rev. Steven Arisman