Letter from the Pastor
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December 29, 2024On this last Sunday of 2024, the Church celebrates the very beautiful and important Feast of the Holy Family, the Fifth Day of Christmas. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day with your family and friends.
Today’s Feast honors the family life of Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph. It invites us to reflect on the virtues, love and holiness embodied within the Holy Family.
At its core, the feast emphasizes the humanity of Jesus and His upbringing within a family. Mary, the Mother of God, and St. Joseph, a righteous and devoted foster father and protector, provided a nurturing environment for our Lord’s growth, protection and education. Their lives were marked by obedience to God’s Will, humility and a solid faith.
Like all of our families, they had good times and bad, fun moments as well as sadness. They celebrated Jesus’ first tooth, the moment He took His first steps, they bandaged His knee, when He fell. St. Joseph showed Him how to saw wood and hammer nails. They watched Him grow up; they laughed together, and cried when St. Joseph died. The Holy Family was not immune from the human condition. Certainly their flight into Egypt and their everyday hard life in Nazareth, shows us how to deal with challenges, trusting in God’s help and toughness in the face of adversity.
This feast also calls for consideration on the importance of family in our faith and the significance of the family as the core of society. It encourages a deepened commitment to fostering love, understanding, and support within families, thereby strengthening the broader community. Ultimately, the lessons learned from the Holy Family can guide and nurture contemporary families in their journey towards spiritual growth, unity and holiness.
Enjoy your family, love the children growing up and maturing, and enjoy their own unique personalities, their sense of humor. Love your spouse, the greatest gift you can give your children. Love your parents and learn from them. Obviously the family is important, Our Lord wanted to experience it and like us made Him, humanly speaking, the Man He became. He made family life holy. No family is perfect, but all are called to be holy within our family.
As we enter the New Year of the Lord 2025 this Wednesday, may we all, with the grace of the Lord and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and St. Joseph build strong, faithful and loving families and foster peace, love and kindness in our world.
Reminder: January 1st is a Holyday of Obligation.
The Mass Schedule is 9:00 AM, 12 Noon, and for those who need to sleep in: 5:30 PM!
