The time is going by quickly! Can you believe that Lent begins this Wednesday, March 2? If you haven’t thought much about what you’ll do for Lent this year, here are some things to think about. Lent is a season in the Church year when Catholics prepare for the celebration of Easter. We’re invited to renew our baptismal promises, reject Satan and all his empty promises and pledge anew our commitment to follow Christ more closely. We work at transforming our lives so that we can be more authentically Christ-like, and as a result, experience a true joy, peace and spiritual integrity.

With all the tensions and injustices going on in the world, the prevalence of contentiousness in our society and the call by Jesus in this Sunday’s Gospel to “love your enemies and do good to those who hate you,” (Luke 6: 27) I offer this prayer for our enemies that comes from the Our Sunday Visitor “What the Church Teaches” pamphlet (P4) entitled, Praying for Peace and Protection.

The recent headlines describing difficult negotiations over the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine, prompt me to encourage you to pray now in a special way for peace. At the conclusion of his weekly General Audience at the end of January, Pope Francis asked the faithful "to pray for peace in Ukraine, now and throughout this day." It was January 26, when he called for an international day of prayer for peace as Russia had amassed troops along its border with Ukraine.

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.

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.