From the Pastor: 1.1.12

“Fast away the old year passes!  Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la.  Hail the new, ye lads and lasses!  Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la.”  And remarkable as it may seem, another year has indeed come and gone.  As I noted with some incredulity in my thank-yous at the Christmas Masses, we have now celebrated FOUR Christmases together…  As Catholics, we observe New Year’s Day as the Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God; and therefore, the turning of the year seems a good time to review and to look ahead.  We follow Mary’s contemplative example and “keep all...

From the Pastor: 12.25.11

The Scripture readings for Christmas Mass are filled with powerful symbols that convey the mystery and the wonder of this great feast.  Isaiah the prophet has people who once walked in darkness seeing a great light and rejoicing greatly, because their God has smashed “the yoke that burdened them…and the rod of their taskmaster.”  The prophet also promises that “every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak that rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames.”  Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?  Illumination… celebration… and as the old folk song put...

Homily: Christmas Eve, 9 p.m. Mass

A mom recalls driving home from a Christmas party with her nine-year old and her six-year old who were more than a little rambunctious with the excitement of the season – and from eating too many Christmas cookies and candy canes.  As they inched along through the holiday traffic, they chanced to pass a small church which was staging a live nativity scene on its front lawn.  The mom weighed whether or not it was worth the hassle of stopping; but when her son – her younger child – spotted the live donkey, the stop became inevitable.  Putting aside her mental to-do...

Homily: 4th Advent, 12.18.11

If the middle of Advent belongs to John the Baptist, then the end of this holy season of longing must surely belong to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  And so, in today’s readings, she takes center stage, where she will remain for the duration of Advent and throughout the Christmas season. We are saved by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah.  In the audacious divine move which is the incarnation, God chose in Jesus to bridge the gap between human and divine, to unite divinity to corruptible flesh, to reverse the rebellion and pride of Adam with...

Old St. Joseph’s Holiday Mass Sche...

CHRISTMAS EVE: 11:30am: Confessions & 12:05pm Daily Mass; Children’s Mass at 4:00pm; Mass at 6:30pm; Prelude, Organ & Choral Selections at 8:30pm; Mass at 9:00pm CHRISTMAS DAY: Organ & Choral Selections at 9:30am; Mass at 10:00am  

From the Pastor: 12.25.11

The Scripture readings for Christmas Mass are filled with powerful symbols that convey the mystery and the wonder of this great feast.  Isaiah the prophet has people who once walked in darkness seeing a great light and rejoicing greatly, because their God has smashed “the yoke that burdened them…and the rod of their taskmaster.”  The prophet also promises that “every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak that rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames.”  Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?  Illumination… celebration… and as the old folk song put...

From the Pastor: 12.18.11

About 15 years ago, as part of a summer vacation tour through South Dakota, a Jesuit friend and I visited Wind Cave National Park.  Historically venerated by the Lakota Sioux as the place where their people emerged onto the surface of the earth at the creation of the world, Wind Cave was discovered for the Euro-American population by brothers Tom and Jesse Bingham in 1881 when they heard the “wind” rushing from a narrow entrance.  Known for its calcite formations of “boxwork” and “frostwork,” the Cave remains a treasure to geologists and a popular tourist...

From the Pastor: 12.11.11

Recently, Fr. Dennis shared with me an article that appeared in “The Tablet” in an early November issue.  (“The Tablet” is a distinguished British-based Catholic weekly with a long history and an international readership.  It “reports on religion current affairs, politics, social issues, literature and the arts with a special emphasis on Roman Catholicism while remaining ecumenical.”  I would say that it is a bit like a European version of “Commonweal.”)  The article, by Benedictine monk Laurence Freeman, is entitled “Teaching meditation to the poor...

From the Pastor: 12.4.11

In a November 26 address, Pope Benedict XVI reminded the U.S. Bishops visiting Rome that he continues “to summon the Church in America to recognize, in the light of a dramatically changing social and religious landscape, the urgency and demands of a new evangelization.”  In particular, he reflects on the concern which many American bishops have shared with him about “the grave challenges to a consistent Christian witness presented by an increasingly secularized society.” The Pope also spoke of “an increased sense of concern on the part of many men and women,...

From the Pastor: 11.27.11

Thanksgiving in North America had its origins in a mix of European and Native American traditions.  Typically in Europe, festivals were held before and after the harvest cycles to give thanks for a good harvest, and to rejoice together after much hard work with the rest of the community.  At the same time, Native Americans already had a tradition of celebrating the end of harvest season.  When Europeans first arrived to the Americas, they brought with them their own harvest festival traditions from Europe, celebrating their safe voyage, peace and good harvest.  At...