A Collection of Bulletin Letters and Reflections

Bulletin letter

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:41:32 -0700

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,

In today’s gospel we are told that Jesus and his chosen disciples go to Capernaum on the Sabbath where he begins to teach. We are told His teaching is done with authority. Even further through the gospel passage we are informed that Jesus even commands the unclean spirit out of the man with authority, and all were amazed! So after hearing about Jesus’ authority I decided to look up the word authority to see if its definition applies.
The very first definition tells us that authority is “the power or right to give orders, make decisions and enforce obedience.” I think we can all agree that Jesus has both the power and the right to give orders (as One who is the Son of God). I think we would also all agree that he has the right and the power to make decisions (as Creator of the Universe) and to enforce obedience (as the Just Judge of all creation).
The second definition speaks of authority as “one having power or control in a particular sphere.” It is my belief, and I think you would agree, that all that we know of Jesus shows him as one who, when confronted by evil or those who are in darkness, brings light and freedom and does so with certainty.
Lastly the dictionary tells us that authority means “the power to influence others, especially because of one’s commanding manner or one’s recognized knowledge about something.” In any passage of scripture, in any story of Jesus, in any of our personal encounters and experiences of Jesus in our every day life, we cannot truly know Him without acknowledging His loving ability to influence us because of His unconditional loving manner and His knowledge of our hearts. Therefore, let His authority reign in us and bring us to holiness.

God’s peace and my love and prayers,
Father Michael

Bulletin letter

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:07:55 -0700

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
In today’s gospel we are at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. He comes with a message that the Kingdom of God is at hand and so therefore we must repent and believe in the gospel.
In addition, Jesus, while announcing His mission, calls others to cooperate with Him in His mission. He begins by calling simple fisherman he encounters along the Sea of Galilee. He invites them saying, “Come follow me,” while promising them, “and I will make you fishers of men.” He uses their professional title as workers of the sea and adjusts it to fit the work in which He is calling them to participate. From now on, these fishermen will no longer dedicate their lives to catching fish but rather catching people to follow the Christ.
To the average person the call of these fishermen might seem a bit ridiculous. Why wouldn’t Jesus instead go and find good priests or more professional people like the scribes and Pharisees who were better educated in religion to be the ones to follow Him? Perhaps, as with everything that Jesus did, it was to awaken in us a new understanding. Maybe He wanted us to know that being called to be leaders in the faith requires that one be obedient, faithful and have a knowledge of real life “ups and downs,” issues that require one to not just have book knowledge but life experience. Who better to change a sinner than a sinner who has been changed.
If the Lord is calling you today – don’t run away! Follow!

God’s peace and my love and prayers,
Father Michael

Bulletin letter

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:14:51 -0700

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
“Behold the Lamb of God.” This statement of faith proclaimed by John the Baptist echoes through the ages and is still present among us today. Every time the host is raised before the reception of Holy Communion we hear that powerful statement of faith, “behold the Lamb of God.” There before us is the Body and Blood of Jesus and the invitation into a deep and intimate relationship with Him. This relationship uniquely draws us into God’s grace and strengthens us in faith, hope and charity.

In the reception of His Body and Blood, Jesus nourishes us and brings us to a deeper sense of our call to be living witnesses of His unchanging love. Not only are we “blessed” in this reception of His Body and Blood but we “bless” others by reaching out in charity to imitate HE whom we have received.

To “behold” is more than just “to look at.” In this moment “to behold” means to “gaze upon, discern, watch, hold as in one’s grasp.” In this moment of grace we are called to fix our gaze upon the Lord and see with eyes of faith the One who comes to set us free; our Messiah and Lord.

When John the Baptist makes this proclamation he recognizes the One for whom he has been preparing and for whom he has prepared others to embrace. Just by fixing his gaze upon Jesus, he KNOWS and can testify. So too, brothers and sisters, we are called to fix our gaze upon the Lord. We are to behold the One for whom we seek to come in glory and with whom we desire to spend all eternity. Let us look to Him with faith, hope and love. Let our life be so ordered that we recognize and testify by word and deed, “This is the One to whom we look to save us.”

God’s peace and my love and prayers,
Father Michael

Bulletin letter

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 17:26:17 -0700

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
Today we celebrate the great Feast of the Epiphany and the patronal feast of our parish. For it is on this day that Jesus is revealed as the Light of the World, from which comes the title for our Catholic parish.
Today the Holy Roman Catholic Church celebrates Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. This feast reveals Jesus to the Gentiles as the Savior of the World. It is this feast where the Magi (three Gentile astrologers) from the East follow a star which leads them to the place where they find the infant Jesus. They present him with gifts of Gold, (a symbol of kingship), Frankincense, (a symbol of priesthood), and Myrrh, (a symbol of one who is anointed). All three of these gifts symbolize the very nature of who Jesus is for us and for the whole world, namely Priest, Prophet and King; the One who has come to save us from our sins and deliver us to the Father.
Whenever a person is baptized, they are anointed with the Chrism oil and marked as “priest, prophet and king” so that they may live as Christ and follow His example.
The word epiphany is of Greek origin and means “manifestation.” The feast of the Epiphany is where Christ is made manifest to the world (specifically the Gentiles by the visit of the Magi) as Savior and Messiah. He is revealed on this feast as the “true Light shattering the darkness.” Therefore, as “gentiles” this is our awakening to the manifestation of Jesus in our lives. Each time we participate in the Eucharist, Jesus is made known to us and we are humbled with reverent joy!
On this great feast, let us continue to reflect the Light of Christ and so work diligently towards the goal of His Kingdom.

God’s peace and my love and prayers,
Father Michael

Bulletin letter

Sun, 1 Jan 2012 13:34:24 -0700

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
On behalf of our deacons and our Parish Pastoral Staff, I pray this is a hopefilled and prosperous New Year for you and for us as a parish family as we begin to look forward to the task of raising funds to build a new church for God’s glory and our worship.
We begin the first day of the New Year with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This feast calls us to begin a new year with our eyes fixed on Mary, the Blessed Mother of Jesus, as our intercessor and guide. She is the model of all fidelity to the will of God. Her “yes” changed the course of human history and allowed God to move His hand and begin the great task of saving us from all our sins and bringing us to salvation. Her “yes” is the beginning of all hope for humanity.
That being said, let me restate, in the days, months and year ahead, we are faced with a blessed and daunting task. It will require great sacrifice, faithful to God’s will. We will enter into the beginning stages of raising money to build a new church for the glory of God and the worship of ourselves and our brothers and sisters who come seeking to grow in holiness. It will not be easy. It will require the sacrificial love of everyone. We know, however, this is the fulfillment of a plan started long ago in our parish. This holy place will become a new home for our worship, built by the work of our hands, letting the whole world know we have been faithful to God and said “yes” to His command.
Let us continue to seek the intercession of our Blessed Mother that we too may accomplish the will of God in order to better serve the Lord and all who come to us..
Have a Blessed New Year!

God’s peace and my love and prayers,
Father Michael

Bulletin letter

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:13:29 -0700

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
On behalf of our deacons and our Parish Pastoral Staff, I pray this is a Blessed Christmas for you and your loved ones.
As we celebrate the Incarnation, when Christ Our Lord took flesh and came to earth, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we recall this blessed moment when heaven came down to earth. In many ways this was a Eucharistic moment in time when the flesh and the blood of the Lord Jesus was given to us. Now in this celebration of the Mass today, we behold the actual presence of Christ given to each of us as we receive His flesh and blood in the consecrated bread and wine. Our very soul becomes the new manger for the Lord to take up residence and continue to fulfill His presence on earth. Today, with all the heavenly host, we sing with joy the praises of the Lord for entrusting to us the blessed gift of His Son and subsequently, the mission of the Church.
In the days, months and year ahead, we are faced with a blessed and daunting task. We are embarking on a mission of great sacrifice, faithful to God’s will. We will enter into the beginning stages of building a new church for the glory of God and the worship of ourselves and our brothers and sisters who come seeking to grow in holiness. It will not be easy. It will require the sacrificial love of everyone. We know, however, this is the fulfillment of a plan started long ago in our parish. This holy place will become a new home for our worship, built by the work of our hands, letting the whole world know, we have made room for the Lord to reside in our midst.
As we reflect upon what awaits us, we begin this holy work by first making room for the Lord in our hearts and our lives. Let His example and love this holy season continue to root itself in us so that we may accomplish His work with unfailing hope and constant joy.
May the Christmas Season enable us to reflect the Light of the World, who is Christ our Lord

God’s peace and my love and prayers,
Father Michael

Bulletin letter

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:08:14 -0700

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
On this the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we hear in the Gospel of Luke today that precious moment in time when the Angel Gabriel, God’s messenger, comes to Mary and greets her as the one “full of grace” who “has found favor with God” and will conceive a son and name him Jesus, who is the long awaited Messiah.
We can only imagine the incredible rush of emotions Mary must have been feeling as she tried to make sense out of this heavenly encounter. Certainly this was a moment filled with both fear and excitement. Her fidelity to the promise of the Lord and her obedience to His will did not prevent her from possible feelings of fear or confusion. However, in that most profound and holy moment, Mary came to realize that doing God’s will, though sometimes confusing, frightening and challenging, is still necessary. So she took the risk.
She would be faced with much ridicule, disbelief from some and even rejection from others. Yet, there would be those who would support, love, embrace and understand her “yes” and the importance of her desire to follow God’s will as she knew it.
There are times in our lives when we are asked to do something or when we are faced with a decision between God’s way or the way of the world and we are uncertain of the outcome. Sometimes we will choose one way over another just to avoid the ridicule, rejection or fear that may be caused by doing the right thing...the God thing! Today is an awesome moment in time for us to ask for the intercession of Mary and to strive to model her example of fidelity and obedience to God’s will in our lives and in our parish as well. Let us ask her to help us in doing the right thing and to take away our fear. Let us ask her to assist us in being as obedient as she, knowing the outcome may change the world...or at least our life, for the better!

God’s peace and my love and prayers,
Father Michael

Bulletin letter

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:53:27 -0700

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
On this the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as GAUDETE SUNDAY, we are made aware of the fact that the season of Advent is quickly coming to an end and moving us ever more closely to the celebration of the Incarnation of the Christ. In fact, it should be rather obvious in the readings today that the theme of the Advent season has turned from preparing for Christ’s second coming in glory to a definite preparation to remember Christ’s coming in incarnation over 2,000 years ago. This is the time when we actually begin preparing for the birthday of Jesus.
The word “Gaudete” means “rejoice.” Our rejoicing is born in the reality that the Lord is near! This is marked by the rose colored candle upon our advent wreaths.
Today we are also made aware of the fact that John came to “testify to the light” who is Christ, the Light of the World. This testimony means that he as well as we who are the present day prophetic voices for this age, must do good works and build on our relationship with Jesus Christ in order to grow in holiness, accomplish His will and spend eternity in heaven.
The Lord Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything extraordinary to prepare for His birthday. Our simple, everyday faithfulness should suffice. But maybe being faithful, doing those simple acts of charity are in fact extraordinary for us. So praise God. Bless Him for His great love and the gift of His Son and ready yourself for His coming by being the best you can be as a faithful Catholic/Christian and REJOICE!

God’s peace and my love and prayers,
Fr. Michael

P.S. As you know, over the holidays we will have a lot of visitors who will be coming. Please show them great hospitality and kindness. God may be using you as the “angel” to bring them back to the Church.

Bulletin letter

Sun, 4 Dec 2011 15:23:52 -0700

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,

John the Baptizer is a common figure we encounter in the scriptures during Advent. His words and his bold proclamation stops us in our tracks forcing us to contemplate our readiness for the Lord’s coming. John the Baptizer reminds us of our individual responsibility to proclaim the Lord’s presence among us and to ready the world for the Lord’s second coming.
As a family of faith, we must live contrary to the world and its values seeking to live that which we profess to be true. With every Advent Season we are being invited to let the true meaning of this season penetrate our hearts and saturate our lives in order to be prepared and to prepare others for the Lord’s coming. But living contrary to the worlds values and seeking to walk in light of the gospel isn’t easy. It means being willing to risk being popular in order to glorify the Lord. It means sacrificing our desires for the needs of others. It means being willing to put my hope, my trust, my whole life in the hand of the Lord.
All these measures were taken by John the Baptizer and many came to hear him and believe in his word. These were the ones prepared for the first coming of the Lord to earth. We too must be ready! Let the power of the Eucharist and the celebration of the sacraments take root in our hearts and be the very center of our lives to welcome Him in glory!

God’s peace and my love and prayers,
Father Michael

P.S. This weekend at all the Masses we have made available a glimpse into the new building project for our church. Please keep us in prayer as we go to the Archdiocese for permission to begin raising money for this long-awaited project for the glory of God.

Bulletin letter

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:57:43 -0700

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
Welcome to the Liturgical Year of Grace 2012. Today, with the First Sunday of Advent, we begin a new liturgical year, a new cycle of readings for the Mass, new prayers and responses in the Mass and with it comes a new hope, a new conviction, a new promise to know, love and serve the Lord.
Each new Liturgical year begins with the Season of Advent; a time of joyful anticipation and waiting. This season has two very distinct parts. The first is waiting for the second coming of Christ, when He will bring all the faithful into His kingdom. The second is a preparation for His incarnation known as Christmas, where we allow Christ to be born in our hearts; to take up residence in us so that we might live as true servants of our brothers and sisters in doing the will of the Father?
“BE ALERT!” “WATCH!” The Lord shouts out to His disciples, and to us, as if to wake us up and help us to see where we have gotten lazy. Our hearts can become drowsy and forgetful, tired out by the anxieties of daily life. We distract ourselves from our troubles by working very hard, or becoming depressed, or becoming fascinated with drinking, sex, out-of-control emotions, gambling, email, sports, the web, gossip, being critical of others, pride, or any number of things. Whatever it is for you, the very clear message of Advent is, Jesus wants us to be ready for His coming. It’s time to WAKE UP, WATCH! and RECOMMIT to the Lord, putting our faith into practice by putting God FIRST above everything else.
In our own parish we “watch” and “wait” as we witness the great work that we must do as God’s will is accomplished in us preparing a new place for His holy presence in a new church building, providing more space for us to worship and for us to expand our ministries and programs.
Let us take that first step by welcoming HIM into our hearts and readying ourselves for HIS coming. The blessings that await us are many. Our faith has shown us we can accomplish whatever God asks if we do it with love and we do it together.
God’s peace and my love and prayers,
Fr. Michael