From the Pastor's Desk

From the Pastor's Desk
1/11/26

This is My Beloved Son
With today’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, our Church season of Christmas comes to a close because the baby has become a man. Jesus’ baptism occurred about a quarter century after His birth and marked a new stage in His life as He leaves Nazareth and begins His public ministry. This Sunday is a chance to reflect not so much on Jesus’ baptism but on our own. For Jesus, John’s baptism signified a turning point as the Lord enters His public ministry to fulfill the words of Isaiah, to give sight and release to every generation since. For us, the sacrament of Baptism is more than a “rite of passage.” It makes us a new creation with a new identity. Do we see our Baptism as something that happened to us years ago as a baby and is now over, or do we see it as a lasting power, call and mission for our adult life? If, after Baptism, there is no further formation and growth in the faith, all the potential, promise and power of Baptism can be neglected and even lost. We can lose the power of Baptism as the key to holiness. When we enter a church and bless ourselves with holy water, we should be reminded of our identity, our Church, and our mission. That self-blessing with holy water should remind us that each of us has been touched and called by Christ personally in Baptism. That spiritual mark of Christ upon us in Baptism can either be a sign of what can happen in our life or what might have been. Our Baptism can be only history, a memory captured in pictures and evidenced by a certificate. It can also be a lifelong commitment that shapes our life now and tomorrow. In Baptism, Jesus gave us an identity, a mission and a destiny. Each time we come to Mass and each time we pray can be a time to embrace that identity, live that mission and take a step closer to that destiny. (Fr. S. Joseph Krempa)

Pondering Our Faith

1. Jesus hears the voice of the Father saying, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased. Do you believe God loves you in much the same way? Where do you struggle to recognize God’s love?
2. What does it look like for you to share in Jesus’ prophetic ministry, begun at his baptism?
3. Isaiah refers to God’s servant as someone who “shall bring forth justice to the nations” and “open the eyes of the blind” – a responsibility that falls to each of us by baptism. Where in your life can you more intentionally seek justice and restoration?

Special Thanks

• Thank you to everyone who worked so very hard to prepare and decorate our churches for the Christmas season. We are blessed to have you. Thank you for sharing your time and talents with our faith community.
• Thank you to all of our Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers, Ushers, Musicians, Cantors, and Choir Members for your dedication and service during the Christmas Season. Your preparation, hard work, and attention to detail is greatly appreciated.
• Thank you to our parishioners who shared special Christmas treats, cookies, and goodies with the MQSP Clergy Team. We are most grateful for your thoughtfulness and kindness.
• Thank you to everyone who donated to our 2025 Christmas Flower Fund. Because of your generosity, we were able to provide many beautiful poinsettias for each of our church sanctuaries.
• Thank the following parishioners for taking time out of their Christmas season schedules to assemble our Epiphany Home Blessing Kits: Jacqueline D’Alessandris, Cathy Ebel, Lynn Fusco, Ann Kirstein, Loretta Martella, Elena Orsen, and Helen Pajak. 
• Thanks to our Parish Pastoral Staff for their hard work, especially in the weeks leading up to the Christmas season. I am very thankful for their dedicated work behind-the-scenes in preparing the parish for this busy season. 
• Finally, thank you to all of our faithful and generous parishioners for their continued dedication and support of Mary, Queen of Saints Parish, not only during the Christmas season, but throughout the entire year. 

Looking Ahead
As we look ahead to the next few months of this new year, please be sure to mark you calendar with these important parish events and sacramental celebrations:
 

• St. Valentine’s Dinner (SFC-O’Connell Hall): Saturday, February 7
• MQSP Winter Carnival (SJB Pastoral Center): Friday, February 13 – Sunday, February 15
• Ash Wednesday: Wednesday, February 18
• First Reconciliation: Saturday, March 14
• Feast of St. Joseph Mass & Dinner (ST Church/Titan Hall): Thursday, March 19
• The Resurrection of the Lord: Sunday, April 5
• Sacrament of Confirmation: Tuesday, April 14
• First Holy Communion: Saturday, May 2

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From the Pastor's Desk
1/4/26

Epiphany: The Meaning of the Magi
The Greek word Epiphany means “showing forth.” The baby born in Bethlehem presented in today’s Gospel of Matthew (2:1-12), is the Savior of all the nations and not just of his own people, Israel. Just as there is equal opportunity and equal rights these days, so in the Savior there is equal opportunity of salvation for all of God’s children. The point of today’s Gospel story, then, is to have the magi, as representatives of all the nations, present at the birth of the world’s Savior. In them, our Gentile forebears, you and I — of all races and of all colors — were present when Christ was born. Before that moment, we were religious outsiders to God and to grace. But, through the Magi, we were chosen for intimacy with the Lord. The gifts that the magi placed at the foot of the manger were gold, frankincense and myrrh. God symbolizes royalty, incense symbolizes divinity. Early Christian tradition understood these gifts as signaling the kingship and the divinity of Jesu. Myrrh was seen as a prophecy about the child’s future death, since myrrh is a resin that was used in perfume and in the anointing of the body for burial. We may interpret the magi’s gifts in that manner. It is time for us to make our own journey of faith to the Infant, following his star and not our own. It’s time to surrender the darkness of our false values to the light of his true values. It is time for us to offer the Savior our most prized gold, which is our heart; the incense that is genuine prayer from the heart, and the myrrh that is our works of love for others. It is time for us to be wise men and women who walk with commitment in the light of Christ, and whose hearts are always pining for their place at the manger of their salvation. (Fr. Joseph Pollard)

What Gift Will You Bring to Christ?
On this Feast of the Epiphany, we cannot go to Jesus empty-handed. He does not need our gifts since He is the Creator of all things. But He wants us to be generous so that we may receive more graces and gifts from Him. Today, we put at His disposal the gold of our charity. This is our desire to love Him more; to love others with more love. We will present Him with the frankincense of our prayers and good works. We will give Him the myrrh of our sacrifices united to His Sacrifice on the Cross, as renewed in the Holy Mass. What gift will you bring to His Holy Altar this day and every day of the New Year?

Spiritual Resolutions for the New Year
Well-known spiritual writer Deacon Greg Kandra offers us a few ideas and suggestions to chart a new path for this New Year. You don’t have to tackle them all; try one or two. You might be surprised at what happens. Our God is a God of astonishment and miracles. 
 

1. Prayer and Gratitude: Hit the ground running – and start by hitting your knee. You can kickstart your daily prayer life by resolving to begin and end each day in prayer. 
2. Adoration: “O come let us adore Him.” You don’t have to sing those words just at Christmas. Resolve to carve out some time during the week to drop by our St. Carlo Acutis Adoration Chapel (OLF Campus) and have a talk with Jesus.
3. Pray the Rosary: Grab those beads. Maybe they’ve been sitting in your dresser drawer unused. Resolve to pray the Rosary daily or weekly and ask Mary to intercede on your behalf.
4. Get Involved: Stop avoiding that parish group that’s been asking you to join. “Family” is more than just the people you live with. It’s also the people around you in the pew every Sunday. Resolve to learn what your parish is doing to reach out to the sick, the elderly, the hungry, or the poor. 
5. Confession: Get a few things off your chest. When was the last time you went to confession? Resolve to be reconciled regularly. Aim for once a month. Build up a routine. Make it a Saturday ritual. 
6. Works of Mercy: Remember that “giving up” begins with “giving.” Resolve to practice the corporal works of mercy. These involve acts of generosity and sacrifice that can bring abundant amounts of grace. And it all begins with giving – giving time, giving attention, giving a prayer to someone in need. 
7. Pilgrimage: Take a hike. That’s another way of saying pack a bag and go on that pilgrimage you’ve been meaning to take. How about St. Vincent Basilica (Latrobe) or St. Anthony’s Chapel (Pittsburgh)? A pilgrimage doesn’t have to be expensive, exotic, or far away. 
8. Reflect: If you do nothing else, just do this: remember. Resolve to remember what last year was like. In your remembrance, remember patience, kindness, mercy. Remember lessons learned, hope resolved. We Catholics live as people who every week hear again the quiet, transformative command: “Do this in memory of me.” Remembering is central to our faith. Take nothing for granted. Reflect on it all. Share what you learned with your children, your grandchildren. You won’t regret it. 

A Prayer for the Epiphany of the Lord
Almighty God, your Son was revealed in the most unexpected ways, challenging us to embrace simplicity, humility, and weakness. Like the star that rose to shine for the newborn King, grant us the joy to signal the presence of your Son to others, allowing the witness of our lives lead the way to your Son. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

On behalf of our entire Clergy Team and Pastoral Staff, I want to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year! As we journey together as Mary, Queen of Saints Parish, may we open our hearts to the many blessings and graces God wishes to bestow upon us in this New Year.