The deadlines for the bulletin have all been moved up this season so I write these words on the day before Christmas Eve, with a sense of anticipation and light. The big tree in the church, as of now, has yet to be decorated; when it’s lit, especially in the dark church, it’s a magnificent sight. Every year a member of our parish donates this tree to us, so we are grateful.
We are now in a new year, we celebrate this weekend the Epiphany of the Lord which tells the story of the arrival of the magi from the east. They come to pay homage to the newborn Christ child, and already within the story there is the shadow of a threat, as Herod is suspicious of their asking about a newborn king, and responds with the massacre of all male children under the age of two. The Christ child from His birth will walk in the shadow of threat and death as he announces the good news of God’s kingdom of justice,
peace, mercy, and reconciliation, and He will go to the cross and die for that kingdom. In so many ways, the message of the Christ has always been and still is under threat, anytime we do not see and respond to the radical message of the gospel in our times.
A very fine book recommendation: “A Book of Uncommon Prayer:100 Celebrations of the Miracle and Muddle of the Ordinary” by Brian Doyle. The description on the back cover begins this way: “Prayers for cashiers and good shoes; for shorter sermons and better senators; prayers for the bruised, foolish, glorious, stumbling, brilliant Church; for chaplains and mathematicians; for idiot authors and muddy dogs..” The preface is titled, “Prayer for the Idiot Author That He Doesn’t Totally Punt in the Pages That Follow.” What I love about this book is that the 100 prayers are all about the everyday and ordinary, that they are not necessarily “proper” or pious, but are rooted in the everyday stuff and happenings of life. And isn’t that where God meets us?
Blessings on your week!
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – June 6, 2021
FR. JAIRO’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY: Please join me in congratulating Fr. Jairo as he celebrates his first anniversary as a priest on June 6. He is away on vacation but I am sure he would be happy to receive your words of gratitude for his service to our parish as a...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – May 23, 2021
FACEMASKS AT ST. FRANCIS: YES OR NO? CONFUSED?? With the CDC and the NC Governor’s Office announcing shifts in facemask protocols for those fully vaccinated, parishioners are asking why we are requiring those coming for Mass to wear one inside the church...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – May 16, 2021
STAFF GRADUATIONS: We are blessed to have four staff members receive master’s degrees. Celina Manville, the resource teacher for Grades K-4 at The Franciscan School, received her Master’s in Education in December 2019 from the Franciscan University of...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – May 9, 2021
One of the most significant retrievals of Vatican IIcentered on the importance of the Word of God.Of the 16 documents promulgated by the world’sCatholic bishops at Vatican II, two exist at thehighest level of solemnity by the use of the word“Dogmatic” in their title....
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – May 2, 2021
We continue the conversation within the parish in consultation with various Task Forces comprised of medical professionals and other personnel on how to reopen the two schools and the church slowly but surely. With the newest directive from the Governor’s...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – April 25, 2021
I was really struck by an article I read by David Leonhardt in the New York Times last Monday on the risks associated with vaccinations in our current pandemic. Here is an abbreviated version of what he wrote:“Guido Calabresi, a federal judge and Yale law...
St. Francis Of Assisi Pastor’s Column – April 18, 2021
Americans love their “Top 10” lists! The media regularly produces things like the top 10 pasta dishes (one of my favorites), vacation destinations, books, area restaurants, video games, movies, contemporary music, etc. There is also a Top 10 list of things...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – April 11, 2021
In three weeks we will begin a series of 10 virtual sessions with a discussion option to acquaint or reacquaint the St. Francis of Assisi family with the essential beliefs every Christian should know but sometimes may have a limited understanding. The series will...
St. Francis Of Assisi Pastor’s Column – April 4, 2021 (Happy Easter)
I extend my blessings and best wishes to all who celebrate the great feast of Easter today. A year ago, no public celebrations of the Sacred Triduum could occur. This year we can gather with 250 in the church for each Mass but I know thousands will still...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – March 28, 2021
The Catholic Community of St. Francis of Assisi has a long tradition of inclusivity, a reflection of Jesus himself who came to break down barriers and divisions among peoples of every nation and way of life. For many years, we have been the only parish...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – June 6, 2021
FR. JAIRO’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY: Please join me in congratulating Fr. Jairo as he celebrates his first anniversary as a priest on June 6. He is away on vacation but I am sure he would be happy to receive your words of gratitude for his service to our parish as a...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – May 23, 2021
FACEMASKS AT ST. FRANCIS: YES OR NO? CONFUSED?? With the CDC and the NC Governor’s Office announcing shifts in facemask protocols for those fully vaccinated, parishioners are asking why we are requiring those coming for Mass to wear one inside the church...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – May 16, 2021
STAFF GRADUATIONS: We are blessed to have four staff members receive master’s degrees. Celina Manville, the resource teacher for Grades K-4 at The Franciscan School, received her Master’s in Education in December 2019 from the Franciscan University of...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – May 9, 2021
One of the most significant retrievals of Vatican IIcentered on the importance of the Word of God.Of the 16 documents promulgated by the world’sCatholic bishops at Vatican II, two exist at thehighest level of solemnity by the use of the word“Dogmatic” in their title....
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – May 2, 2021
We continue the conversation within the parish in consultation with various Task Forces comprised of medical professionals and other personnel on how to reopen the two schools and the church slowly but surely. With the newest directive from the Governor’s...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – April 25, 2021
I was really struck by an article I read by David Leonhardt in the New York Times last Monday on the risks associated with vaccinations in our current pandemic. Here is an abbreviated version of what he wrote:“Guido Calabresi, a federal judge and Yale law...
St. Francis Of Assisi Pastor’s Column – April 18, 2021
Americans love their “Top 10” lists! The media regularly produces things like the top 10 pasta dishes (one of my favorites), vacation destinations, books, area restaurants, video games, movies, contemporary music, etc. There is also a Top 10 list of things...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – April 11, 2021
In three weeks we will begin a series of 10 virtual sessions with a discussion option to acquaint or reacquaint the St. Francis of Assisi family with the essential beliefs every Christian should know but sometimes may have a limited understanding. The series will...
St. Francis Of Assisi Pastor’s Column – April 4, 2021 (Happy Easter)
I extend my blessings and best wishes to all who celebrate the great feast of Easter today. A year ago, no public celebrations of the Sacred Triduum could occur. This year we can gather with 250 in the church for each Mass but I know thousands will still...
St. Francis of Assisi Pastor’s Column – March 28, 2021
The Catholic Community of St. Francis of Assisi has a long tradition of inclusivity, a reflection of Jesus himself who came to break down barriers and divisions among peoples of every nation and way of life. For many years, we have been the only parish...
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