From the Pastor's Desk (12/28/25)

From the Pastor's Desk
12/28/25

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
On this Feast of the Holy Family, in the Gospel of Matthew (2:13-15,19-23), we read of Joseph receiving angelic instruction in a dream: first to flee Bethlehem for Egypt to escape King Herod’s murderous plans, and later to return to Egypt once King Herod has died. In addition to the paralleling events in the life of Moses, this story confronts us with the precarious and dangerous situation into which Jesus was born. From the moment of Christ’s entry into the world, the powers that be seek to take his life. The shadow of the cross falls across the Christmas crib. The danger in which the child Jesus finds himself drives home for us the way in which God, in the Incarnation, identifies with our human condition. Many families live today in precarious and dangerous situations, whether this is a result of political violence or economic deprivation. Many have to flee their homes, never knowing when they will be able to return. Some are simply victims of circumstances; others are paying the price of one or more family members standing up for justice. Whatever the reason for their hardship, in Jesus Christ, God becomes one with them. Matthew’s story of the trials of the Holy Family reminds us that holiness does not ensure that one’s life will never contain uncertainty. Indeed, if we take the Holy Family as our model, then it seems that holiness – whole-hearted dedication to God’s will for the world – is likely to make one’s life more uncertain, not less. Yet doing the will of God is of such surpassing worth that we should be willing to embrace such uncertainty for its sake. 

A Prayer to the Holy Family of Nazareth by Pope Francis
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendor of true love; to you we turn with trust. Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic churches. Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division; may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing. Holy Family of Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s plan. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, graciously hear our prayer. Amen.

Is Your Family Holy?
When the Bible says ‘holy’ it means ‘separate’ or ‘different.’ The word implies being healthy and whole in a world where much is un-healthy and fragmented. The old English phrase, ‘hale and hearty,’ sums up holiness. True holiness includes humor, laughter, compassion, understanding, the capacity to forgive and to be forgiven, to love and to be loved. That’s holiness. Holy families are not free from conflict, nor do they ever hurt one another. Holiness in families, rather, comes from learning to forgive and to be reconciled and learning to face our problems and do something about them. In family life, holy means striving to surrender to God’s light within us when the darkness around us seems overwhelming. It means struggling day after day to bring creative order – if only for a bit – to the chaos of our lives. When we work at cultivating forgiveness, reconciliation, and community, we embody God’s holy will in the context of family life. A family embodies holiness buy striving to be ‘hale and hearty,’ not by trying to be ‘perfect’ according to a set of other worldly standards. (Catholic Digest)
 
Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God
Thursday, January 1 is the Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, a Holy Day of Obligation. Please be sure to review the Mass Times for the Holy Day in today’s bulletin. As we celebrate our Blessed Mother, I want to share this brief reflection from Saint Pope John Paul II, taken from a compendium of his, The Genius of Women, in 1997: “Mary, Queen of peace, is close to the women of our day because of her motherhood, her example of openness to other’s needs, and her witness to suffering. Mary lived with a deep sense of responsibility, the plan which God willed to carry out in her for the salvation of all humanity. When she was made aware of the miracles God had worked in her by making her the mother of his Incarnate Son, her first thought was to visit her elderly kinswoman, Elizabeth, to express in the marvelous canticle of the Magnificat, her gratitude to God, who with and through her, had begun a new creation, a new history. I implore the most holy Virgin Mary to sustain those men and women who, in the service of life, have committed themselves to building peace. With her help, may they bear witness before all people, especially those who live in darkness and suffering, and who hunger and thirst for justice, to the loving presence of the God of peace.”
 
Parish Finance Council Appointments
I am happy to announce the names of the following parishioners who’ve been appointed to the new Parish Finance Council: Anthony DeFerrari, Christine McClure, Joseph Sawinski, David Wytiaz and Joseph Zanella. Thirteen parishioners were nominated and nine completed the Calling Forth Process and panel interviews, all required for membership. Their appointments are effective January 1, 2026. Because this is a newly formed council, the diocese requires a combination of three and four-year membership terms. I look forward to working with this council, along with our Business and Facilities Manager, Dave Deiter, as well as the new Parish Pastoral Council, which will be formed by March. 

Dearest Parishioners, On behalf of our Clergy Team and Parish Pastoral Staff, I want to wish you a Blessed Christmas Season and a very Happy and Healthy New Year! Sincerely in Christ Jesus, Reverend Father John B. Gizler, III.