Dear Friends in Christ,
Merry Christmas to you and yours! And if I do not see you, blessings on your New Year!! I hope 2026 is full of God’s graces for your family. This weekend we celebrate and honor the Holy Family. Let us take a moment to recognize that Jesus entered the world in the fullness of time, meaning right when the Father thought it was best, optimal timing. And yet, he did not become one of us under “ideal” circumstances; all was not arranged and perfectly planned - from a human perspective. Joseph and Mary could find no lodging, and then with an infant, they had to flee to Egypt. Life was tenuous and unsettled. They were immigrants in a foreign land fleeing to protect their son. So, the fullness of time from the human perspective appears quite chaotic. Give us Lord eyes to see as you see!
In a few days, we welcome the new year of God’s grace by honoring Mary the Mother of God and celebrating the holy Eucharist together. What a joy to begin 2026 by placing our highest priority—worship—right where it belongs: at the top. We are made for worship. We get to worship, to exist in right relation to our God and Father, united to his Son our savior, and gathered at his Bride, the Church. True… we are commanded and obligated to worship on the Sabbath (in Old Testament lingo), or the Lord’s Day (in New Testament lingo) and holy days. But this imposition is placed upon us for our good, because our good Father knows who we are and what we need.
So, God calls us forth to praise and glorify him while being fed with the bread of life. I hope you will make the time to join us for Masses at 5pm 12/31 and 11am 1/1. We are stronger when we are gathered together, when we live life united to Christ and his Church.
That sharing life together is something I would like to touch on more deeply. Whenever I am trying to turn over a new leaf, to build a new habit, what helps the most is friends together on the road. No matter the area of life, when I have some people supporting me, we accomplish a lot more than we would on our own. Regular check-ins and accountability are a major help, as well as knowing that someone else has the same goals in mind. To that end, I would invite you to give small groups a try for the first 6 weeks of 2026. Next week we will begin to open our parish Christmas present: Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy by Matthew Kelly.
For 2026, our first initiative as a parish family will be to slow down, to declutter, to simplify, to rest and take stock, to spend time thinking and praying about what is most important in our lives for 2026. This year, it is not time to do more, but to do less better. We invite you to enter on that road, especially after the bustle of the Advent and Christmas seasons! Let us begin 2026 with a deep breath and put what is most important front and center once again in our lives. This endeavor will take some doing and I promise you that it will be more fruitful and long lasting if you engage the process with other members of our parish who care about you and are seeking the same thing you are, to walk with the Lord.
I will leave you with the simple wisdom of the prophet Micah, “You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (6:8) A simple recipe that at the same time can challenge us for the whole of our lives. And we would be enriched by walking closely together on the road.
Wishing you a beautiful 2026!
Fr. Joel
