Pastor's Corner

What’s your focus for Lent? Some might say, I’m going to work at avoiding these certain sins. Others might say, I’m going to try to pray more to make God a more important part of my life.

Well, it might help to first, ask yourself this fundamental question: What is my ultimate goal as a Catholic? I often hear people say, “My goal is to get to heaven!” Yes, a worthy goal. But, is that the best reason?

This week we begin the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, February 18. Have you thought much about what you plan to do for Lent?

Traditionally, we reflect on what Jesus came to do for us. By suffering and dying on the Cross, Jesus has taken upon himself our sins and the sins of the world, which expresses God’s great mercy and forgiveness.

Over the last year or more, I have observed some older Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors, as well as our weekend senior assistant, Fr. Jim Ronan having difficulty going up and down the altar sanctuary stairs without something to hold onto. With the unanimous support of the members of our Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council, and the approval of Archbishop Henning, we are in the process of having constructed and installed 4 custom made handrails for our rather expansive altar sanctuary.

The reality of evil in the world manifests itself in various ways, both obvious and subtle. Every time we pray the Our Father, we say: “deliver us from evil.” War, genocide, murder, child abuse, domestic violence and satanic involvement are rather obvious examples. Yet, other types, such as animosity followed by hateful and even unkind words, can be more subtle, such as detraction, slander, and gossip, which can destroy one’s reputation and honor.

Early in this new year and with Lent around the corner, I invite you to make a resolution – to become more conscious of what you are supposed to do at Mass. The message introducing each weekend Mass invites us to, “recommit ourselves to participate fully in the congregation’s parts of the Mass, and so bring honor and glory to God by worshiping in Spirit and in truth.” This refers to what Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:24, "God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship in Spirit and in truth."

On January 9, Pope Leo provided a forceful commentary on what is currently happening in our world and in our country in an address to 184 ambassadors from countries with full diplomatic relations with the Holy See. He said, “War is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading... The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined.

You probably have made one or more New Year’s resolutions for 2026. Some may address areas such as our physical wellbeing, others our mental/emotional/spiritual wellbeing and others may have to do with our relationships. I share with you portions of a reflection from the January 5th installment of The Daily Anchor entitled “Step 1 to lasting change” from Chris Stefanick of www.reallifecatholic.com.

Happy New Year! As we look at the new year ahead of us, I invite you to keep in mind that God calls each of us to courageously live His Will in our lives, not merely our own will. Hopefully, our will and God’s will match. But, it’s not easy. Pope Benedict XVI once shared a timely thought about what our lives should be about. He said, "The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness." Here is a reflection from St. Ignatius of Loyola that can help you focus on what is most important in life.

Did you ever think about the lengths God went through to show how much He loves you by becoming a human being?

Jesus is God’s way of reaching out to you and me. By sharing our humanity, He’s letting us know how very special we are, that He wants to be one with us, that He understands us, and that He’s someone we can relate to.

During this season, we’ll probably hear more than once the familiar song: “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” But, for some among us, it’s really not. If anything, they might say just the opposite. That’s because this time of year is very difficult for them. There are a number of circumstances that can make it so. Some people are grieving the loss of a loved one. For these folks, this season brings back some fond memories, but they are tinged with sadness. Other people are facing financial hardship and are unable to provide gifts for their family members as they usually do.

Back in 2021, we began to offer a monthly 5 pm Mass on Sunday in response to the need expressed by many parishioners for a time that makes Weekend Mass more accessible to active families. The attendance at it indicated that it indeed filled a need, not only for young families, but for young adults and many others as well. And so, a year later, as this Mass became more popular, with the support of the Parish Pastoral Council and the cooperation of our Senior Assistant Priest at the time, Fr. Bill Williams who agreed to alternate with me celebrating this Mass, we decided to offer it on a weekly basis.

The following is an excerpt from Archbishop Richard Henning’s “I Believe” column in the November 28 edition of the Pilot newspaper entitled, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” He invites us to consider this time of Advent as a time of spiritual preparation for the Coming of Jesus that involves some penitential practice.

He writes, “As I reflect on these powerful readings for the beginning of Advent, I feel moved to speak of penance. When we see the depth of God's love and recognize the magnitude of His grace, it is right to turn away from sin and towards the light of Christ.