Let’s say you were at your own birthday party. All the guests were gathered and the traditional song, Happy Birthday to You, was started, but only a few people bothered to sing! How would you feel? Besides being disappointed, you’d wonder whether they really wanted to be there. The guests who did sing along would feel a bit awkward as the celebratory spirit of that song had some of the “air” taken out of it. I’ve noticed that the same thing happens at Mass here at Holy Family.

I’ve become more aware of people who are experiencing loss in one form or another. It might be the loss of a loved one through death, the loss of a spouse through divorce, the loss of innocence, the loss of a job and one’s livelihood, the loss of the ability to function normally because of disability or old age, the loss of one’s honor and standing in the community, the loss of a friend because of the parting of ways, or the loss of the “safe and familiar” having been uprooted. Maybe you can add to this list from your own experience.

Do you need to be renewed in spirit? In what way? What steps do you need to take to accomplish that goal? Built in to our liturgical year is a time set aside to refocus on what will enable us to become all that God has made us to be and, in turn, be renewed in spirit. That special time is the season of Lent, which begins this Wednesday, February 14.

Not long ago, I came across this quote from St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. It highlights the gift each of us can be to each other. We may not think much about the difference we make in the lives of others. However, this beautiful and timely quote invites us to realize what God wants to do in us and through us – if we nurture the peace that comes from a close and personal relationship with God.

I came across this beautiful personal reflection from Nancy Hallczuk about how the Lord invited her to a closer relationship with Him, even when she had stayed away. Does that sound familiar? Have hope – nothing can separate you from the love of Jesus! He’s always ready to fill you with His mercy and His peace.

Do you know that as a lay person, you have a unique contribution to make in God’s plan for our society? The holy People of God indeed have a very special and important role. This is described in the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church #31. “It belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God’s will. They live in the world, that is, they are engaged in each and every work and business of the earth and in the ordinary circumstances of social and family life, from which, as it were, the very web of their existence is woven.

This past week a reflection from a stranger confirmed for me an observation I have witnessed myself among members of our society lately. There seems to be a “pall” hanging over people these days. Do you feel it? It comes out in various forms. There seems to be a growing anxiety about the state of our world with the war in Ukraine, the Holy Land, and other troubled areas causing fear and uncertainty about the future of our country and our world, including the specter of nuclear war.

Pope Francis included this prayer in his encyclical, Laudato Si (On Care for Our Common Home) published in May 2015. May it serve to inspire your heart and actions in this new year.

Cardinal Seán issued the following statement on December 19 regarding the Declaration "Fiducia Supplicans" on the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings.

“We thank the Holy Father for his love and care of all the people in the flock. We caution and make clear that the Holy Father has not endorsed gay marriage, but has recognized all Catholics, including those whose unions are not recognized by the Church, as equally in need of God's grace and love.

When you think about it, God went through “great lengths” to save humanity. At the right moment in history, in His tender mercy, God chose to come down to earth as a human being and reveal Himself in the person of JESUS! Humanity was in desperate need for meaning, purpose, hope and supernatural power / grace. We needed help to live joyfully, peacefully, and harmoniously with others, ourselves, and with Him.

This weekend, we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent traditionally known as Gaudete (Latin for “rejoice”) Sunday. It is so named because “Rejoice” is the first word in the entrance antiphon for today's Mass taken from Philippians 4:4,5: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.”

In Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) available HERE, the Holy Father focuses on the theme of the Church’s missionary role. He emphasizes our need to make the proclamation of the Gospel a lived reality in all of what we say and do. He speaks about becoming “Spirit-filled evangelizers” with a “renewed missionary impulse” marked by a “joy ever new, a joy which is shared.”

Today, the First Sunday of Advent, marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. This year’s Season of Advent is rather short because Christmas occurs the day after the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The Church’s Universal Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar #39 explains the season in this way. “Advent has a two-fold character, for it is a time of preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered, and likewise a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time. For these two reasons, Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight.”