Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Welcome to all and blessings to you and your family during this holy Christmas season as we celebrate the great joy and happiness of the Lord’s coming.
We faced many challenges this year…dark times for many…but Christ has not left us alone…He comes to us in the darkness of the night and in His light dispels our fears and fills us with renewed hope. My prayer for all of you…is good health, safety and well-being. In a spirit of gratitude for our faith and love and the spirit of community, I thank you for all the ways you have helped our parish family in these tough times. We have had to go virtual and adjust to so much…and we still grow as community…Praise the Lord!
As we renewed our spirit of discipleship this fall, we focused on growing Generous Hearts and gratitude to God for all He has given us—Time, Talent and Treasure. We continue to focus on Hospitality, Prayer, Formation and Service.
Even in the midst of this pandemic, you demonstrated your discipleship in a number of ways. Many ministries have continued, and are even thriving, despite COVID. I thank the music ministry, our new livestreaming ministry, liturgical ministers, youth group, those who called and reached out to parishioners, and all the other ministries who have adapted to keep us growing in community and fellowship.
All of this is the grateful response of a disciple—one who follows Jesus and embraces a new way of life built upon developing a personal relationship with Him through an active prayer life and growing generous hearts. I invite you to pick up our parish Christmas gift, the book “I Heard God Laugh.” We all need to learn to laugh again…after all “laughter is medicine for the body, mind and soul.”
I thank you for your ongoing support and generosity to our parish with your time, talent and treasure. At all times of the year, but especially during this season, we can reflect on the fact that we…and every person in the world…are loved unconditionally by God. May you treasure this in your heart…and receive the hope and peace of Christmas.
Peace,
Father John “Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord”
