From Father George's Desk 12/28/25

This weekend we are celebrating the patronal feasts of both of our partner parishes… On Saturday the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. John and his brother, James, were the Sons of Zebedee; Jesus nicknamed them the “Sons of Thunder” for their often fiery and zealous reactions during his ministry [Mark 3:17]. Known as the Beloved Disciple for his close relationship with Jesus, John is present at many significant moments in Jesus’ life, most notably at the Last Supper, in the Garden, and at the foot of the Cross. In addition to the Fourth Gospel, John is also credited with authoring three New Testament epistles that bear his name and the Book of Revelation. He is the only apostle not to be martyred, rather, he lived a very long life (especially by first century standards), dying at Ephesus around the year 100. John’s Gospel is markedly different from the other three evangelists due to its emphasis on Christ’s divinity, which is expressed through symbolic language and poetic form. The eagle is the chosen symbol for John’s Gospel, representing the depth and height to which the human spirit must soar in order to grasp the meaning of John’s texts. [2018 Sourcebook for Sundays, Seasons, and Weekdays, p. 43] And on Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Although devotion to the Holy Family is deeply rooted in the history of the Church, this liturgical feast is a relative newcomer to the Church’s calendar. It was originally observed just after Epiphany when it was instituted by Pope Benedict XV in 1921 to build up devotion in family life but Pope Paul VI transferred it to the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas in 1969. Today’s feast upholds the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the ideal family. We hear in today’s gospel that Jesus lived in a real human family with real troubles and real fear—-just like us. What is evident in the life of the Holy Family, and what makes it the ideal for us, is the profound love present among its members. It is that selfless love we should all strive to model in our families at home, our parish family, and in the human family. As previously announced, our weekday Mass schedule is changing beginning this Friday. The new daily Mass schedule will be: Monday 8:00AM at St. John Thursday 8:00AM at St. John Tuesday 8:00AM at Holy Family Friday 8:00AM at Holy Family Wednesday 9:00AM at Holy Family In order to accommodate as many families as possible throughout the year, the limit on the number of intentions per family must be strictly enforced since only so many intentions can be scheduled in a year. While I understand the desire to have Masses celebrated for your loved ones at our parishes, the most important thing is not where the Mass is said but that it is said! Our retired priests are able to celebrate particular Mass intentions in short order. If you have Mass intentions that you would like offered beyond our ability to satisfy them here at our parishes, please bring them to either parish office with the customary $10 offering per Mass and they will be forwarded to our retired priests to be satisfied. All Masses sent out to be satisfied will listed in bulletin periodically. Thank you for your understanding as we make this adjustment to our parishes’ Mass schedule. Finally, one of my pet peeves about this time of year is how quickly many people begin to rip down their Christmas decorations so that by New Year’s Eve there’s no sign that Christmas ever happened. The Christmas Season began on Christmas Eve and continues through a series of beautiful feasts as we celebrate the coming of the Word-Made-Flesh as the light of the world and Mercy Incarnate. After today’s feast, we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God (January 1), and then celebrate the great Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord next weekend and conclude the season with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on January 11. Consider keeping your homes decorated and the lights lit at least through the Epiphany. May the peace, joy and love, which the Christ child brings to us, continue to resound in our hearts and our homes throughout this Christmas Season and the year ahead