From the Pastor’s Desk: January 6, 2019

The Epiphany of the Lord

      Today the Church in the United States celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.  The word “epiphany” means “manifestation” or “revelation”, which in the context of today’s Gospel is the manifestation of the glory of Christ that was shown not only to the people of Israel, but in the person of the Magi, to all peoples of every language and nation called by God to adore Jesus. “And when they came into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (Mt 2:11)
 
     The generosity of the gifts presented by the Magi go far beyond their value. They reflect something far more significant – their character.  The character of these gifts is one of genuine love – love for God and one another. They reflect the character of the greatest gift ever given – Christ Jesus, Himself, as “God so loved the world…”
 
     So in giving, we enter into a relationship between the one who gives and the one who receives.
When the Magi encountered the Christ-Child, they worshiped Him: “On entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they knelt down and paid Him homage.” Worship is an expression of a relationship at its deepest level. However, when we define the word worship, it has its meaning in how we relate to God; it is the very reason, Scripture tells us, that we were created.
 
     We are created for relationships- a relationship with God and relationships with each other. Like the gift giving of the Magi, that’s what our gift giving to one another is all about. It is a tangible expression of relationship; although gifts are given out of love with no expectation of reciprocation, they do provoke a response. They are personal, and in the way we relate to each other, especially in our giving of gifts to each other, we exhibit how we relate to God.
 
     Today, the Lord continues His epiphany. He continues to reveal of who we really are, our character, our desires. In that encounter, He wants to make us truly holy, to help us to unite ourselves to the divine life of Him who loved us so much as to empty Himself to take on our humanity so as to share our human life.
 
     I would like to offer you the opportunity to share some updates on our projects. The Roof Repair Project is going very well. We have discovered some major issues that- to the surprise of the contactor- held things together.  To support the project we have collected over $112,000.00! Thank you very much! I would like to remind you that our initial hope was to invite all the active families in the parish to contribute $375.00 per family that would allow us to fund the entire project without taking any additional liabilities to burden the parish budget. We are most grateful to everyone who already contributed to the project and kindly ask those who did not, to prayerfully discern your support for the good of our parish community.
 
    In the past few months you were able to notice the progress of the gym construction at Annunciation Catholic School. We are truly blessed to support this project, and in doing so, to enhance the quality of Catholic Education. This project is on schedule and we plan for the completion of this project in June of 2019. As the Administrator of ACS, I am most grateful for your support and prayers.
 
     The feast of Epiphany in our parish invites us to celebrate the Annual Ethnic Dinner. After the 11:00 am Mass in the parish hall, members of different ethnic groups from our parish will share some of the finest examples of their cultures and tradition. Please come and join us in our celebration!
 
     Wishing you a blessed and grace-filled week!
 
With prayers,
Fr. Andy