Pastor's Corner

As part of the Archdiocese of Boston’s Pastoral Planning Process, parish lay leaders and staff members are undertaking a self-examination of how Holy Family Parish should carry on its mission in the years ahead with a renewed emphasis on evangelization. A parish pastoral plan writing team has begun looking at areas of strength and need for growth within our parish. Presently, the team has proposed a Vision Statement that will help us all - parishioners and staff members - focus our mission, and guide us to identify areas that will help us better fulfill it.

Many more people are dying at home rather than the hospital these days thanks to the great work of hospice care. The Catholic Church offers wonderful spiritual and emotional support to those facing their end. However, unless this support is offered soon enough, it will not be all that helpful to the dying person. The Rite of Pastoral Care of the Sick explains, “Priests and other ministers entrusted with the spiritual care of the sick should do everything they can to ensure that those in proximate danger of death receive the body and blood of Christ in viaticum.” #176. But, to do this a priest needs to be notified early in the dying process.

There’s been a lot of contentiousness in our society these days – on many fronts. Some of it is sparked by a growing fatigue with the pandemic and the irritability around having to wear masks when indoors in many places – even in church. Then, there are the political divisions that have affected relationships among family members and friends, and in some cases, have pitted vaxers against anti-vaxers, not to mention the differences between a conservative outlook as opposed to a liberal outlook. Unfortunately, along with these differences has been a growing tendency to demonize the other. The lack of civility, which has been growing for many years, has only been amplified in such a climate.

As Catholics, we proclaim that human life is a precious gift from God; that each person who receives this gift has responsibilities toward God, self and others; and that society, through its laws and social institutions, must protect and nurture human life at every stage of its existence. Citizens from all walks of life and religious backgrounds will join together in support of the intrinsic right to life of all people, born and unborn, to participate in the National March for Life in Washington DC on January 21, 2022. This date marks the vigil of the 49th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which made abortion legal in our country. To learn more about this march, visit http://marchforlife.org.

The start of a new year often prompts us to look back at what was, as well as to look ahead at what possibilities there might be. Besides the resolutions to shed the pounds added over time or to recommit to personal goals left unmet, a faith-focused approach to the new year could make quite a difference in how our days ahead unfold.

Do you need hope? Are you overwhelmed by the worries and anxieties of your life, whether they be personal, family, work-related or even the uncertainties that exist in our nation and in our world? Christmas is about hope! Hope for the future was born when God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. God became a human being to experience our joys and sorrows, our pain and suffering, and to encounter us in the realities of our human existence.

What are your plans for Christmas? Will be going away or staying home? If you’re staying home, you may be planning to bring along to Christmas Mass some children, grandchildren or other guests who may not have weekend Mass a normal part of their routine. This is an opportunity! It’s a chance to share with them how special your participation at Mass is to you.

As we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent this weekend, Gaudate (Rejoice) Sunday, we grow in anticipation and joy at the coming celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Still, some of us might be in panic mode because there's still a lot of shopping and other preparations to take care of before Christmas.

What does this season mean for you? Amidst the shopping, cards, decorations and parties, we enjoy a special spirit in the air. It’s a time of hope for happiness and renewed love in our relationships with family members and friends. But, however hard we try to create this atmosphere and come together for fun, there is still something missing… something intangible, which calls from the depths of our hearts.

This weekend begins the season of Advent, which marks the start of a new liturgical / Church year. The Advent wreath helps us mark the four weeks preceding the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus at Christmas when we marvel at how God became a human being! There is a dual nature to the spiritual preparation we undertake in this season.

What or who do you take for granted? I know, it’s hard to think about something you don’t think much about! But try… especially at this time of Thanksgiving. There are certainly people and things you and I depend upon that we just expect to be there for us. Maybe it’s the person who delivers the newspaper or those who provide emergency services. Mindfulness is important in the process of being thankful.

Recently, I received these suggestions of Random Acts of Kindness to Spread Hope & Make Someone Smile from an Executive Coach from Floyd Associates, a company founded by Matthew Kelly. I thought I’d share them with you. When done intentionally in the name of Jesus, these “acts of kindness” will help you to be a true disciple of Jesus whose Spirit will work powerfully in you and through you! It’s not merely humanitarianism, but intentional, Spirit-led discipleship, which will “accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by power at work within us .” (Ephesians 3:20)

As you may know, our parish is in Phase 7 of the Archdiocese of Boston’s Pastoral Planning Process called Disciples in Mission. With a hiatus necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, our parish has recently begun working on the development of a local – parish pastoral plan to be submitted eventually to Cardinal Sean for his approval.