Dear Parishioners,

Christmas Thank You

We thank God and thank you all for a wonderful Christmas celebration. My special thanks to all those who participated in the Angel Giving Tree. I was speechless when I saw the outpouring of gifts and the overwhelming response of our parishioners to the needs of those around our community. I thank the Art and Environment ministry for the beautiful Christmas decorations. Also, thanks to the Choir and the Liturgy team for wonderful Liturgies during the Christmas. This Christmas was a very memorable one for me and I pray for more joyful celebrations with you all in this community.

Holy Family

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Dear Parishioners,

A very big thank you to our St. John Bosco School community for the beautiful Christmas Program and the Our Lady of Guadalupe play during the week. Thanks, also, to the teachers and staff who helped organize the different Christmas events with the school this year. Wishing our SJB community a wonderful Christmas and a Blessed New Year. I would also like to thank everyone who participated in our Advent Penance Service last Tuesday. The turnout was wonderful and the visiting priests appreciate your warm welcome and prayers.

In the First Reading today, we hear how God sent the prophet Isaiah to ask King Ahaz to ask for a sign from God. Why did Ahaz refuse to ask for a sign? He said, “I will not put God to the test.” He prefers to do what God wants for him, rather than to challenge God. At this time as we prepare for Christmas, suppose we have Santa play the role of God and our children play the role of King Ahaz. What do you think we would hear as their responses? Most likely requests for material gifts, right? But what about us, the adults, if God were to ask us to make a request for something this Christmas, what would you ask for? It is amazing how materialism has taken over the meaning of Christmas these days.

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Dear Parishioners,

This weekend we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete” is a Latin word for “rejoice.” Today, we light the rose-colored candle on our Advent Wreath, symbolic of our expression of joy on this Gaudete, or Rejoice, Sunday. We are invited to reflect on the things that make us truly joyful. What brings us joy? Is it our job, family, faith, money, good health, sports, or something else? We are also invited to go beyond identifying what makes us joyful during this Advent season, to determine how we can share our joy with those who are in need around us. The tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is a way of sharing our joy, not only with those who are in need, but also with our family and friends. I thank all those who have participated in the Angel Giving Tree. I saw many precious gifts brought in to the parish to be shared with many of our friends around our community. Thanks, also, to our parish choir for the beautiful Christmas concert this past week. We await the St. John Bosco School Christmas Program, coming up this Wednesday, December 18. These are an indication that we are truly a people of joy!

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Dear Parishioners,

As we set up our Christmas decorations during this second week of Advent, Pope Francis invites Christians all over the world to be conscious of including the nativity scene in our decorations as a sign of our joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. In his Apostolic Letter titled “Admirabile Signum,” Latin term meaning, “Enchanting Image” which he signed last Sunday, the Pope stated, “With this Letter, I wish to encourage the beautiful family tradition of preparing the nativity scene in the days before Christmas, but also the custom of setting it up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares. Great imagination and creativity is always shown in employing the most diverse materials to create small masterpieces of beauty. As children, we learn from our parents and grandparents to carry on this joyful tradition, which encapsulates a wealth of popular piety. It is my hope that this custom will never be lost and that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered and revived.”

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Dear Parishioners,

Thank You

I thank God and would like to thank everyone for the wonderful Thanksgiving celebration during the week. I was particularly happy to see a good attendance at the Thanksgiving Mass to thank God first before our family celebrations. My special thanks to St. Vincent De Paul Society, the Knights of Columbus and all those who donated turkey and food items for our Thanksgiving outreach this year. Through your generosity, our parish community was able to put food on the table for so many families in and around our community this year. May God continue to bless you all as you willingly share your time, talents, and treasures with those in need.

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