Pastor's Corner

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
As part of the celebration of the Christmas Mystery, the Church observes today the Feast of the Holy Family. Jesus, fully human as well as fully God, was a member of the human family of Mary and Joseph. While obedient to his parents in his human nature, Jesus learned from Joseph and Mary all the human skills and virtues necessary to live an upright and moral life. While the Scriptures don’t reveal a great deal of knowledge about his family life during his first thirty years, we do know that Joseph and Mary were Saints and that they provided the perfect examples for him to follow: they were devout, pious, disciplined, industrious, and courageous. They took their roles as Jesus’ earthly guardians seriously.  While none of us can claim to have the perfect household (or to come from one), we do have the grace of baptism (and some of us, the graces of Matrimony) that help us to live out our family obligations in mutual respect and devotion. It is sad, sometimes very sad, when this is not the case. 

On this special feast at the end of my homily at the 9am & 11am Masses, I will give a special blessing to the  couples from the parish, who will assist me in the effort to consecrate individually as many homes of the parish as possible to the Sacred Hearts. A statue of Our Lady of Fatima will be part of the observance, and a number of these statues will be included in the blessing. I am most appreciative of these couples who have volunteered for this service to the parish. At your invitation, they will bring the statue of Our Lady as well as the prayer materials necessary for the consecration. You will be asked to pray a daily rosary together for the five or six days that the large statue will remain in your home. The statue will be picked up, and the image of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary will be left for you to prominently display in your home. If you would like to have your family prayer life kick-started or reinvigorated by this home consecration, please contact Kari O’Halloran at the parish office. Arrangements will be made in a timely fashion.

MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
Thursday, Jan. 1, is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother God, a Holy Day of obligation for all Catholics. We will have the regular Sunday Mass schedule for this Holy Day: Wednesday, 5:15pm; Thursday 6:30am, 9am, and 11am. May you and your family have a happy and safe New Year!  There will be NO 8am Mass on Dec. 31.

MAY HE REST IN PEACE Ernie Wagner died on Dec. 12 and was buried from Blessed Sacrament on Dec. 17. He was a daily communicant with his wife, Virginia, often sitting with the kindergarten class at their all-school Masses on Friday. He was a veteran of World War II, and worked many years at Boeing as an engineer. Ernie had great affection for his children and grandchildren, as well as the children of our parish. He and Virginia joined Blessed Sacrament from the Magdalen parish when it was moved. He will be dearly missed by the children and his other good friends from the parish. Our prayers and condolences go to Virginia and her family.