The Transfiguration

This weekend we hear the familiar account of Jesus’ Transfiguration.  Jesus takes his three closest apostles, Peter, James and John, up the mountain with Him.  Going up the mountain is an important action throughout the Old Testament.  People went up the mountain to experience God in a powerful way.  Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments, Abraham went up the mountain to sacrifice his son Isaac, David captures land on Mount Zion, that would later become the location for King Solomon’s Temple, Elijah calls upon God to light a sacrifice on fire on Mount Carmel, proving to the prophets of Baal that the God of Israel is the one true God.  The list could go on and on.  Throughout the Old Testament, going up the mountain symbolized getting closer to God and experiencing Him in a special way. 

Jesus, as fulfillment of the Old Testament, continues that imagery throughout His life.  His most famous sermon, The Beatitudes, was given on a mountain, which is why it is called the Sermon on the Mount.   Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray after the Last Supper to ask His Father if there was any way this cup (His Crucifixion) could pass by Him.  After His Resurrection, Jesus went back to the Mount of Olives where He gave His Apostles the great commissioning and ascended into Heaven. 

When Peter, James and John were at the top of the mountain praying with Jesus, He was transformed and His face changed and He was dressed in dazzling white.  Suddenly, there were 2 other people on the mountain with them and the three of them conversed while the apostles watched, unsure of what was happening. But it wasn’t just two random prophets that joined Jesus on the mountain; it was Moses and Elijah, the two pillars of the Jewish faith.  Their being present with Jesus, further symbolizes Jesus’ authority and His fulfillment of the Old Law.

What I find most interesting about this account is how it ends; the apostles “fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.”  How different is that from our world and our culture today?  When was the last time you saw or heard something absolutely incredible and stayed silent about it?  We live in a world today where we want to “show off” the awesome thing we just saw or did and the media competes to be the first one to break the “big news” so they can get the most clicks or likes.  If you look around big events, you see thousands of cell phones out taking pictures and videos.  We don’t take time to just enjoy the beauty of special moment and be present. 

I would imagine that if this event took place today, at the end of if it, if Jesus asked the apostles not to share the event with anyone, the apostles would look at each other nervously and the conversation would go something like this:

Jesus “Please don’t tell anyone about this event until the time has come”

Peter, James and John: look at each other nervously

John: “Uh, Jesus…”

Jesus: “Yes John?”

John: “I may have already tweeted it out to all of my followers on twitter, you know #transfiguation #moses #elijah”

Peter: “Jesus, that’s not all…”

Jesus: “Peter, what did you do this time…”

Peter: “I may have broadcast everything live on my instagram account”

Jesus: “you did what?”

James: “If it makes you feel any better it already has over a million likes”

Jesus shakes his head and walks back down the mountain. 

This Lent, take some time to go “up the mountain” and enjoy some alone time with the Lord and experience Him in a new and powerful way.  How would you respond to seeing the glorified face of Christ?

Reflection By Matthew Bensman

How is it Lent Already?

First Sunday of Lent

How is it possible that the season of Lent is once again upon us?  It seems just a short while ago that I was un-trimming my tree, packing up my nativity sets, taking down my window lights – all the while reflecting on the joyful moments we had just celebrated.  And now Lent – with the somber color of purple and the reminder just a couple of days ago, with the ashes marked in the sign of the cross on our foreheads, that this current home of ours is only temporary.  We are invited to enter into a period of solemn reflection and repentance, one that hopefully will lead to reconciliation and a commitment to a new beginning at Easter. Are there sign posts along the way that will help us to reach that goal?  Possibly - some might be intentional prayer, spiritual silence, study of scripture, regular worship and giving to those in need. In past years, on this first Sunday of Lent, I have had the best of intentions…and then I lapse.

Perhaps the message in the readings of today will be a crutch for me in this Lenten season of 2019.  

The Entrance Antiphon (which typically is not read aloud) starts with the words, “When He calls on me, I will answer Him.”  Okay, let this be a reminder of my commitment to follow through on the resolutions I have made, knowing that I only have to ask for his help whenever I may falter.

The two readings from today proclaim the faith of those who have gone before us.  In Deuteronomy 26:4-10 we hear the story of God’s chosen people and their flight out of Egypt.  There were no paved highways, speeding trains or jet planes. The Israelites trudged through the sand, probably encountering all kinds of horrible weather conditions, arriving 40-years later in the Promised Land.  There were many periods of unfaithfulness, but in the end, they professed their faith in God. In Romans 10:8-13 St. Paul stresses the love that God has for each of us and that by the death of Jesus, all people who believe in him, are forgiven.  Faith is the segue to help us reach our eternal home.

I do believe this, but there are occasional days when my faith falters.  At that point I hope I will remember today’s Responsorial Psalm and pray, “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble”.

In Luke’s Gospel 4:1-13 we hear of Jesus’ temptation in the desert.  I think for me this gospel has always been one of encouragement. Jesus was God/Man and in his humanity he was just like us.  By the help of the Holy Spirit he overcame these temptations. Like him, we face struggles in many different forms as we walk through life, but by truly believing that help is available, we can overcome these.   

As I start through this first week in Lent, I will remind myself that the dark days of purple will give way to joy, that God will draw us close to him and prepare us for the glory of Easter.

May God’s peace be with you.

Reflection by Barbara McMorrow

“Do not be afraid to go to confession!” - Pope Francis

“Do not be afraid to go to confession!”  - Pope Francis

When was the last time you went to confession?  If it’s been a while, listen to what Pope Francis said in his instruction on the sacraments on February 19, 2014, “Be courageous and go to confession… If a long time has passed, don’t miss another day, go, the priest will be good.  Jesus is there, and Jesus is much better than the priests, Jesus receives you.  He receives you with so much love.  Do not be afraid of confession!  When one is in line to confess, they feel these things, even shame, but when confession is ended, they feel free, great, beautiful, forgiveness, clean, happy.  And this is the beauty of confession!”  

Some may say, I only confess to God by myself.  I don’t need to confess to a priest.  That is true for less serious (venial) sin, but for serious (mortal) sin, it is necessary to be formally reconciled with God and the Church through the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession).  Pope Francis explains, “Yes, you can say to God “forgive me” and say your sins, but our sins are also against the brothers (and sisters), against the Church.  For this it is necessary to ask forgiveness from the Church, from the brothers (and sisters), in the person of the priest.”  Jesus said to his disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound they are held bound.” (John 20:23)  Implicit in this statement is the need for a person to confess his/her sins to the priest in order for the priest to either forgive or “hold bound.”  In fact, confession is a necessary first step before receiving Holy Communion when one has sinned seriously.  Think of it this way.  It’s only fitting to express sorrow to God and the Church first by going to confession if one has sinned seriously before celebrating friendship/union with Christ and His Church in the reception of Holy Communion.  As I sometimes tell children, you can’t punch your brother and then shake hands with him in friendship before you say you’re sorry.  That doesn’t make sense. 

In this season of Lent, we seek to grow in our relationship with God, with one another and with the Church.  We strive to be all that God has made us to be.  Take advantage of this important gift Jesus has provided to help in this effort.  He offers it as a source of divine healing, reconciliation, freedom and peace.  During Lent here at Holy Family we offer several opportunities for a person to receive God’s mercy in confession.  The season of Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, March 6 with Day of Open Doors when our church will be open from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm for confession as well as the distribution of ashes throughout the day, three Masses (8:15 am, 4:15 & 7:00 pm) at which ashes will be offered, Eucharistic Adoration in our chapel all day and Stephen Ministers available to pray and offer support to individuals in need of a caring outreach.  Confessions are also available on Thursdays during Lent from 6:30 – 7:30 pm in our church Reconciliation Room as well as our regular Saturday confession times: 4:00 – 4:45 pm and First Friday, April 5 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm and First Saturday, April 6 from 7:30 – 8:00 am, and we’ll have confession available with visiting priests at the end of a Lenten Evening of Reflection with Fr. Bob Johnson, SVD on Tuesday, March 19 at 7:00 pm.  As always, one can contact Fr. Tom or me to go to confession by appointment.   

Confession is a wonderful opportunity to receive God’s grace and true peace… and it’s free!  There’s no better deal you can get out there than that.

Fr. Bob

Are we prepared for Lent?

In a few short weeks we will begin the season of Lent.  On Ash Wednesday we will have a cross of ashes put on our foreheads, and so begins our preparation for Holy Week and the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  During this time between Ash Wednesday and Holy Thursday, we are given a great opportunity to pray, examine our own personal walk with the Lord, repent, and to begin anew.  Questions you might ask are, how am I doing in this spiritual walk?  Do I pray every day?  Have I grown closer to the Lord this year?  Have I turned from sinful habits?     

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus is pretty clear about what he expects from each and every one of us.  Love your enemies, don’t judge people, and basically “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”  Sounds good, but much easier said than done.  When someone slights us or harms us in some way, the first thought is not one with the word love in it.  So how do we love our enemies and forgive unconditionally? 

Love and forgiveness is not about feelings.  It’s about obedience to the will of God.  I know when I’ve had ill feelings towards someone who I feel has harmed me in some way, that feeling doesn’t just go away.  I have to pray and ask the Lord to show me where I may have been at fault, and even if I’m not, to show me how to forgive, to let it go, and to pray for the other person.   Ultimately, I must give it to God to deal with. I can’t do it, but He can and will!  Harboring bad feelings towards another person, for me at least, can be exhausting and it causes me to lose my peace of mind.  Every time I’ve surrendered, and trusted that God will take care of it, my peace returns.  Why do I fight it sometimes?  Because I’m human and Jesus knows all about my imperfections.  We will, and do fail on many occasions.   The good news is that we have confession.  There will be many opportunities during lent to go to confession.  Avail yourself to this beautiful sacrament and set yourself free!

“The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Reflection by Cheryl Provost

“Will you be happy in the world’s way or in Christ’s way?”

Luke’s Sermon on the Plain and Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount closely correspond. Both start with a series of Beatitudes. There are differences in the two … but there is no question they both are a series of bombshells. It may well be that we have read and/or listened to them so often that we have forgotten how revolutionary they are.

And it would appear that they are even more contrary to our American lifestyle than ever before. Outside of Church or when reading Scripture, when in your lifetime have you ever heard anyone say, in effect: “Happy are the poor and woe to the rich?” It is so antithesis to our capitalistic style of government in the United States.

What Jesus basically saying is this, according to theologian William, Barclay: “If you set your heart and bend your whole energies to obtain the things which the world values, you will get them --- but that is all you will ever get.”

Since we all need to eat, feed our families, keep a roof over our heads and pay our bills, it is a balance that we need to strive for. Keeping us constantly aware of Jesus’ presence in and with us through prayer and receiving Him in the Eucharist, we perform whatever roles our lives have led us to … and go on one day at a time.

There was a time back in the ‘80s that I lost a great deal of focus in “Jesus’ Way” vs. the “Way of the World.” I morphed my site finding efforts for national retailers from the “brokerage” end into “developmental.” The latter has much higher rewards … but also huge financial risks. After co-developing Cranberry Crossing in Kingston at the intersection of Routes 53 & 3A, I bought out my partner and purchased a large home on the water in Duxbury’s Standish Shore.

Then the bottom fell out of the economy around 1990, and my many “mom and pop” tenants started vacating this 60,000 s.f. shopping center. And I could no longer pay my bills. I had over-extended myself on another center in Carver, and it was all over; my wife Mary and I had to file for bankruptcy, and endured having to practically give away our waterfront palace and find a rental home.

It was within a year of that when the Lord called me to apply to become a deacon … and the 5-year process of becoming one and upon receiving the grace of the Sacrament of Holy Orders at ordination turned out re-focusing me.

As weird as it may sound, my loving wife & I have each said more than once that going bankrupt was one of the best things that ever happened to us. The challenge of the Beatitudes is: “Will you be happy in the world’s way or in Christ’s way?”

Reflection by Deacon Art

Are we worthy of holiness?

As I went through the readings for the fifth Sunday in Ordinary time, a few things were resonating with me.  I felt throughout all the readings there was this common theme of unworthiness.  I felt it when Isaiah cried out “woe is me, I am doomed, for I am an unclean man of unclean lips, living among people of unclean lips”.  I felt it from Paul in his letter to the Corinthians when he says “I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God”.  Lastly I noticed it in Luke’s gospel when Simon Peter falls at the knees of Jesus and says “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man”.  

I’m not sure if anyone has had the opportunity to read our parish Christmas gift “The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity” by Matthew Kelly.  It’s a very good read and I highly recommend it.  In it Kelly explores that same theme about how unworthy or rather unholy we all might feel and how that feeling paralyzes us in our daily lives.  Kelly says, “The great majority of modern Christians don’t actually believe holiness is possible.” “This lie is diabolical in its subtlety. There is evil genius in its effectiveness.”  Why is Kelly saying this?  He is saying this because this thinking makes us feel unworthy, imperfect and therefore unable to achieve happiness in ourselves, assist our neighbors and give glory to God.  So what do we do?  Do we just throw up our hands and give up?  Do we fall at the feet of Jesus and push him away wallowing in our own imperfections?  This is not how God wants us to be.  He wants us to be happy and He wants us to love Him and love one another.  So yes we are imperfect and flawed and we sin.  But as we see in this week’s readings God has offered a kind of “exit strategy” out of this false catastrophic thinking.  In Isaiah God sends an angel with an ember from the altar that purifies Isaiah’s unclean spirit…ah salvation and relief.  Saint Paul in his infinite wisdom recognizes that yes indeed he has sinned and as he puts it “by the Grace of God I am what I am” and then he further goes on to say that God’s grace has been very effective.   Wow what a great and easy solution, grace from God and it’s so easy to get.  We receive grace in our sacraments, when we receive communion, when we go to confession it’s truly God’s gift to us.  Celebrate it! Enjoy it!  It’s there for you!

Our God is a happy God and he wants us to be happy.  We never hear God say, “I’ll be happy when…”  He never says I’ll be happy when my people worship me or I’ll be happy when my people reject evil in the world and so on.  By that same philosophy, we shouldn’t be caught up in the “I’ll be happy when” game either.  I’ll be happy when I pay off my debt, I’ll be happy when I lose weight, I’ll be happy when I pass that test or complete that project etc.  No, God wants you to be happy now and he wants you to live and love one another joyfully.  You are worthy of his grace, you can be holy, and you can live out the gospel joyfully.

Now I don’t know about you but I don’t think I’m as bad as Saint Paul was during his persecuting days.  He certainly abused and persecuted Christians and yet today he is called a Saint.  Paul didn’t even think he was worthy of the title apostle imagine what he’d think of himself being known as saint today.  If that’s not grace in action, I don’t know what is.  We may not go through such a transformation as Paul and people in the future may not call us “saint” but we can certainly do our small part to create holy moments that show our love for one another, our love of our “happy” God and our worthiness of his gift of grace.

Reflection by Mary Juliano Hayes

A prophet is not welcome in his hometown

As the Mom of three children, I have often said that I have enjoyed my children at each age and stage of their lives.  Every stage has challenges and blessings and I continue to see that in our family’s current stage.  My children are 9, 12, and 13 and I call it a sweet spot.  They are independent, free from nap time and diapers, but still not driving and spending large amounts of time away from my husband and I.   I know the clock is ticking and although I am sure that I will enjoy the next stage as well, I worry about launching these three into the world out of the cocoon of our home and where they will need to make decisions on their own.  Will they live as we have taught them?  Will love conquer all?  Have I loved them well enough and given them the tools to prosper in the world? While I worry about these things, each day I feel a little more like Jesus in today’s Gospel.  “..no prophet is accepted in his native place.”  Just a few years ago my kids turned to me with every questions concern and decision and my word was uncontestable.  But little by little the uncontestability of my word is waning.  Jesus' statement that no prophet is accepted in his home town reminds us that it is often difficult to hear a challenging message from those who know us best, even if it is true. Perhaps we remember and even regret this aspect of our own adolescence. It’s my job to teach my children values and right from wrong and how to make decisions but I know I did exactly the opposite of my parents’ advice on more than one occasion and of course I regretted it.  I try to convince myself that this developmental stage is a natural part of life!  Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it any easier and often drives me to frustration where I try to force my kids to hear me and hear my perspective the way they did in earlier stages of life.    But I know as time goes on my voice is only one among many and it may not be the coolest or the most current way of thinking in their opinion.    I will continue to offer a perspective that is often in contrast to the culture.  Despite my frustration, I know I will never give up trying. I will continue to try to be a prophet in my native land. Not surprisingly, unlike me, Jesus responds with calm and grace and the folks “rose up, drove him out of town…”  Jesus wasn’t the Messiah they expected.  They were not going to accept teaching on a new way of life from the son of a carpenter. They were challenging him.  They wanted to expel him from town and potentially kill him if necessary.  I like to think of myself as above this.  I assure myself that obviously I would recognize Jesus as the Messiah if I were there and soaked in his teachings… But would I? Have I changed that much from my adolescent ways of assuming my parents didn’t know best? How different am I from my children?  Do I soak in Jesus’ teachings in all areas of life?  How many times have I considered the way of life Jesus has presented in the Gospels to me and done it my way instead?  How many times have I pushed Jesus away so I don’t have to struggle to follow His way?  I know better! I expel him from my heart and mind at times because it is easier! We call it sin… we expel Jesus from the town of our hearts and minds… luckily like a loving parent our Messiah never gives up.  He “calmly passes through” and continues to offer us chance after chance to accept his invitation and take his words into our hearts!  Luckily Jesus’ love is like the love of a parent.  It is patient and kind.  The second reading is all about Love and how true love wants the best for the other above ourselves.  It is that love that keeps me from giving up on my children despite their rejection and keeps Jesus from giving up on me (or us) when I reject him and true Gospel Living!

Reflection by Jeanne Cregan

We are one body in Christ

This Sunday’s second reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians is one of his better known messages, one that many of us have heard on numerous occasions but I think often times don’t contemplate what it fully means.  We hear Paul say:

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.

But what does that really mean?  How does that affect me or change my life?  What does it mean that we are all part of Christ’s body?

I think there are two important ways to look at this passage; one that is easy and pleasant to think about and one that is a lot harder and potentially more painful.

Let’s start off with the easy, pleasant thought – We are all part of Christ’s body and when we come together we work as Christ would.  We all have different talents and abilities that God has given us and we are called to use them to the fullest.  When we do that, everyone thrives: the Church thrives, the community thrives, we are happy.  No matter who you are: the 3 year old that is having trouble sitting through Mass, the teenager that doesn’t know if they really believe in all of this “Jesus stuff”, the high school or college student who just had an amazing retreat experience who thinks they have it all figured out, the young married couple who just had their first baby, or the couple who is struggling with infertility, the old married couple who just celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary, the family who just went through a painful divorce, the varsity athlete, the shy introvert, the person struggling with their sexuality; the list could go on and on, but no matter who you are or where you are at in life, you have a special gift to contribute to the body of Christ. And that is awesome.  Together we all make up Christ’s body, no matter how different we may be, we are one in Christ together.

Now comes the hard part of that message: 

            “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.” 

When one of our brothers or sisters is hurting, we hurt.  That is why social justice issues are so important in the Church.  When we see people struggling with hunger, we hurt.  When people are homeless, especially in these freezing temperatures, we hurt.  When someone is killed before they have a chance to be born, we hurt.  When someone is bullied or ostracized at school, we hurt.  When a child is kicked out of their house because they tell their parents they are gay, we hurt.  When someone is sick and can’t receive medical care, we hurt.  When an elderly person isn’t seen as having any value or worth, so they are tossed to the side and left to die, we hurt.  When a person is persecuted because of the color of their skin, or country they are from, or language they speak, or religion they practice, we hurt. 

So what do we do when part of our body hurts?  We try to help it heal and feel better.  That is what we are called to do for our brothers and sisters in Christ and it all starts with love.  Love one another.  Give generously, not only out of your surplus but your need as well.  If you see someone being bullied or persecuted, stand up and say something.  Be the voice for the voiceless.  Fight for those who can’t fight for themselves.  March for those who can’t march for themselves.

If we really want to be a part of Christ’s body, we must care for all members of his body and love like Christ loved.

Thoughts on the Wedding Feast of Cana

Imagine the scene… everyone is rocking out to the latest re-mix of The Horah. The bride and groom are getting their groove on in the center of a circle of happy party-goers. Delicious trays of dates, figs and lamb kabobs are everywhere.  Heaps of hummus and olives entice the guests. And then- THE WINE IS GONE!

The hosts of the party would be disgraced. The celebration would end. The wedding would be ruined.

So, being the quintessential Jewish mom, Mary looks at Jesus from across the room and beckons Him with one finger (as only your mom can).  Jesus sees his mother and begrudgingly tells His friends to, “Hold that thought!” and he trudges over to Mary.

“Mom! I was talking to my friends,” He bemoans.

Mary smiles and says, “They have no more wine.”

Jesus looks at her and thinks, “And…” 

Mary does not say anything else.

Then Jesus realizes what she is saying.

Here? Now?  He thinks to Himself.

“But, Mom! No way! That is not my problem! Nuh-uh!  It is not time yet!”

Mary smiles at Jesus. She looks at the servants and tells them, “Do whatever He tells you.”

Jesus could never deny His mom. His love for His mother is so great.  Even though He might not have wanted to perform His first miracle at the wedding-He did. He saw that it was for the good of the bride and groom and it was what His mother wanted.

I have always loved this story.  It is my favorite in the whole Bible. When I was young, I loved it because I thought Jesus was being cool and did not want the party to stop-LOL!

When I became a mom, the significance changed as I felt Jesus’ overwhelming love for Mary through my babies.

And now?  Now I love this this story even more and I reflect on it often. I know with absolute certainty that when we bring our prayers and petitions to Mary, she will bring them to her Son. She will tell Him what we need and if our petitions are for our good, Jesus will not deny His mom’s requests.

If Jesus can turn water into wine, imagine what He can do for us when His mom asks.  

Reflection by: Jackie Halpin Curran

Baptism of Jesus

Baptism of Jesus

I don’t know about you, but as a child growing up and being the youngest and only one still in our family home, when my mother or father spoke with authority, I definitely listened and sometimes shook wondering what the message was going to be this time.

As we read in Luke’s Gospel on the feast of the Baptism of Jesus, he hears the voice of the Father.  In the Entrance Antiphon this weekend, the message is even stronger……‘the voice of the Lord thundered’!  God had Jesus’ attention without a question of a doubt.  And the message you ask?? 
“This is my beloved Son, with whom (you) I am well pleased.”

Now if my parents had proclaimed such an outspoken affirmation to me, I think I would have fainted on the spot.  However, even though my loving parents were not big on verbal expressions of affection, the love was always there.

I re-read the scripture for this feast, and each time kept coming back to the Father’s words to his Son.  Jesus, being fully human, must have LOVED that message. Only God knew what Jesus was on earth to do.  To suffer and die in order to save us.  So the Lord gave his Son a very loud loving message so Jesus would know just how much he was loved for all that he was going to sacrifice for us. 

The message this weekend is one of gratefulness.  The Father proclaimed his words of love and thankfulness to Jesus.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if we heard God say to us, ‘with you I am well pleased’. Strangely enough, as I began writing this blog, I found buried on my desk a reflection that began, “A friend dared me to start counting one thousand things I love……one thousand gifts, one thousand graces…… Before I knew it, thankfulness to God began fully to change me…..to usher me into a fuller life, one of joy.” 

The year is new. Plenty of time to start afresh. My youngest granddaughter gave me a “gratitude box”, filled with small note paper and a little pen and said she had one also, writing a note each day for something she was thankful for. She encouraged me to do the same.  With Brooke’s encouragement and the words of God in our readings this week, I will start anew – once again. 

“We are his and he forever is our God and he alone”     (Christ the Lord, by Sarah Hart)

By Mary Keefe

 

National Migration Week

This Sunday, the Church in the United States marks National Migration Week (January 6 – 12).  It usually coincides with the Feast of the Epiphany when we celebrate the time when the three strangers from the East came to do homage to the newborn King, Jesus.  I share with you below information from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website about this week.

For nearly a half century, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week, which is an opportunity for the Church to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, including immigrants, refugees, children, and victims and survivors of human trafficking.  The theme for National Migration Week 2019, “Building Communities of Welcome” draws attention to the fact that each of our families have a migration story, some recent and others in the distant past.  Regardless of where we are and where we came from, we remain part of the human family and are called to live in solidarity with one another.   Unfortunately, in our contemporary culture we often fail to encounter migrants as persons, and instead look at them as unknown others, if we even notice them at all.  We do not take the time to engage migrants in a meaningful way, as fellow children of God, but remain aloof to their presence and suspicious or fearful of them.  During this National Migration Week, let us all take the opportunity to engage migrants as community members, neighbors, and friends.  To do so, we will look at the important role that foster care plays in the lives of unaccompanied immigrants and refugees, highlight MRS’ Parishes Organized to Welcome Refugees, and examine local initiatives that are making important contributions in this regard.  For more information, visit:

https://justiceforimmigrants.org/take-action/national-migration-week/.

                                   

Fr. Bob