During the Christmas season we celebrate special feasts. This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. The feast calls us to remember that Jesus was born into a family household as well as into the human family. May we reflect today on the gift of our families; the family into which we were born and our church family, which we entered through our rebirth in Jesus, our Savior.

On Friday, New Year’s Day we celebrate the Feast of Mary, The Mother of God. We will have two Vigil Masses for the feast; Thursday, New Year’s Eve, at 4:00 p.m. at St. Patrick Church, Moravia and at 5:30 p.m. at Our Lady of the Lake Church in King Ferry. On New Year’s Day we will have a 10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Patrick Church in Aurora.  As the New Year begins let us pray for Peace in our world and an end to the coronavirus pandemic.

On the weekend of January 3/4  we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany.  Epiphany is the feast that reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the World  and that he came to be a light to the nations. As we begin the New Year may we always remember that in spite of the fact that people come from different races, religions, cultures and nationalities, in God’s eyes we are all children of God and that Jesus came help us all be one with Him and God the Father.

We will conclude the Christmas season on the weekend of January 10/11 as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  On this feast we are reminded how the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus as he was baptized by John in the Jordan river.  Following his baptism Jesus began his ministry on earth, a ministry that would lead to the ultimate giving of His life on the cross for us.  The mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection opened for us the greatest gift of God’s love, the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We have received this gift of God’s love through the waters of baptism, a baptism that calls us to continue the mystery of the incarnation in reverse.  The Word of God entered into our humanity through the Virgin Mary; we are now called to participate as human beings in the Devine life of God through the power of the Holy Spirit residing in our hearts.  As we begin the New Year may we follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, allowing our selves to be Christ for one another by giving ourselves in loving service to our sisters and brothers in Christ.

Merry Christmas & Happy Year

May God bless you & your family,

  Father Bill