Hope, Peace and Providence in the New Year

From our Lay Director

Happy New Year! As often as I share this greeting as a new year is approaching or has just arrived, it usually has a unique meaning for me. Some years, it is the hope of a new year that doesn’t have the difficult losses or changes that I’ve experienced in the past year. Sometimes, it is the hope of a new year that is already inviting me into the excitement of events to come that look to bring much joy and/or fulfillment. At other times, there is a peace with the knowledge that although I don’t know of something special to look forward to in the coming year or have experienced a past year that was particularly challenging, God is still in control (as usual!), and I don’t have to fear the future or regret the past.

This year, I came upon (by God’s providence!), the Surrender Novena written by Padre Pio’s Spiritual Director, Servant of God Fr. Dolindo Ruotolo. The Novena contains 9 days of prayers that Jesus spoke to Fr. Ruotolo, each day ending with “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”, recited 10 times. I prayed the 9-day Novena, then prayed it again 2 more times. I couldn’t sustain that practice but have found myself (usually several times daily) praying, “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!” And Jesus does. He continually answers my prayer for Him to take care of everything, often with surprises that exceed anything I could have hoped for.

I have appreciated this verse from Jeremiah 29:11 “Yes, I know what plans I have in mind for you, plans for peace, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” It has been a source of peace and comfort for many years. The verses from Proverbs 3:5-6 have also been a good reminder of who is in control of my life. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” The prayer of surrendering myself has helped to more frequently connect me with my loving Jesus who desires me with His whole heart, who wants nothing for me but what is best for me.

I am looking forward to this new year with the hope that I can become ever more joined to Jesus, my Lord and Savior, the One who came to this earth to teach us how to love and to show us how to surrender ourselves to the will of the Father. Ultreya!

Your brother and sister in Christ,

John Lyons, Kathy Otermat

Seek Humility

From Our Spiritual Advisor              

Ark Spiritual Directors' Article   

What sacrifice or virtue do you want to work on for the Lord in the new year as a gift for the Christ Child; for Palanca for our upcoming Cursillo weekends?  One suggestion is working on humility and that requires sacrifice. 

Humility is the act of being Humble. It is the virtue by which we acknowledge that all good comes from God; always putting God’s will and the needs of others before ours.  

Thinking back over the course of my life, the people that have made the most impact on me as a person, were, and are the humblest people I have had in my life.  To name a few:  

• My Mother – Putting her needs aside for our family; always serving in our parish or being of assistance to friends and relatives, not judging others; 

• My first grade teacher - Sister Carmel, Precious Blood Sister; 

• Mr. Siegel, my H.S. Industrial Arts teacher; 

• Ernie – One of the men I served with in the U.S.A.F. with in Texas; 

• Charles – My father-in-law; 

• Fr. Tom Wehinger – One of our former pastors who has passed away; 

• Several men and women in my parish; 

• And Several Saints who intercessions I request daily.  

People who seek humility, who are always trying to do God’s will, putting His plan for their lives and the needs of others first, are always the ones whose lives bear the most fruit in our lives and in the world.  Consider - Jesus, Mary, Joseph, All of the Saints, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King and Saint John Paul II. 

St, Luke’s Gospel for Dec. 24, just passed, narrates the Annunciation – Mary giving God her permission to send his Holy Spirit to conceive in her womb His son Jesus, our Savior.  Next to Jesus’ death and resurrection it is the most important event that ever happened in the history of the world.  Because of Mary’s choice, the human race has hope of heaven.  

Notice all of the humility in this passage: the Angels are spectacular – but are humble and obedient to God’s will.  The Angel Gabriel was not sent to Jerusalem or Rome, but to the humble little town of Nazareth in the humblest and most remote area of Israel.  He was sent to humble peasants, descendants of King David.  St. Joseph was so humble that not a single word of his is recorded in Scripture.  Mary, like God, in all of her miraculous appearances over the next 2,000 years chooses humble places to appear: to St. Juan Diego in Mexico, to Bernadette at Lourdes, France and the peasant children at Fatima, Portugal.  

If God is so consistently humble, how dare we be proud or arrogant?  

There never has been and never will be a merely human being as high and holy and so totally full of divine grace as Mary.  But Mary’s highness is her lowliness, her humility (She referred to herself as Handmaid of the Lord).  And this was not because she was afraid of God or His angel, but because she was too humble to think of herself as special.  

The saintlier you are as a person, the less self-centered you are.  Mary did not think of herself as bad (that’s not humility).  Humble people don’t think of themselves as good or bad, they just don’t think of themselves at all.  They only think of doing God’s will.  Mary is full of God’s grace, not of herself.  Mary knew God much better than we do because of her humility, her total openness to God.  

As we think about a New Year’s resolution, let’s think about what gift we are going to give the Christ Child now, and our Heavenly Father in the year 2024 ahead.  The best gift, and the best Palanca that I can think to give Him is to seek the Humility of the Holy Family Jesus, Mary and Joseph; and total openness to God.  

Deacon Denny Scherger, Cursillo 115

Seasons of Holydays

Our Spiritual Advisor

Ark Spiritual Director’s Article from Fr Jim Brown

Happy Holydays dear sisters and brothers in Christ, I say that greeting not to mimic the secular culture going on around us. A culture that relegates to two events during the “Winter Holidays”, Thanksgiving Day, focused on overeating and football on T.V. and the one day of December 24/25th with a focus on material stuff exchange. Oh there might be a slight religious expression given to thanksgiving and Christmas spirit, family gatherings and sharing memories, but that is about all a secular culture can offer.

I remember many years ago, I wanted to spend Advent and Christmas locked away in a quiet monastery somewhere hidden in the hills. Then I realized that God sent His Son into the very cacophony of the world that is our secular culture. So I decided to make the most of our own holi holy Days.

Our “HolyDays” span two months, from the four weeks of Advent, to the Christmas Octave, to the Season of Epiphany to the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple on February 2nd. Plus a string of holy days as well. Following the Advent Season we have Christmas tide, Epiphany of the Lord, and the conclusion of the Christmas Season (not on December 26th) on February second.

As we anticipate Christmas, we first must prepare ourselves to be open to what God wants to do in our own lives. This year, Cycle B - from Mark’s Gospel, Advent is the shortest Season because the Fourth Week is only a few hours long instead of a week. No matter, we still celebrate four Sundays of Advent.

Each of the four weeks have their own violet candle, representing a period of time (centuries) that God prepared for the Birth of His Son, Jesus, except the third week which is rose color called Gaudete Sunday. I am using a book by Fr. Mark Toups called “Rejoice!, An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture.” from Ascension Press. (YEAR B). His reflections for each week as well as each day of the week. The first week centers on the HEAR, the second week: SPEAK; the third: HEAL; and the fourth: ENTER IN. This year we are following Mary and Joseph on their Advent Journey.

Always during Advent we celebrate several very import feast days, December 6th St Nicholas Day (the authentic St Nick not the imposter); December 8th the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (a Holy Day of Opportunity read obligation); December 12th the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Also our Jewish brothers and sisters will celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah from December 8-15th.

The Christmas Season then begins on Christmas Eve, December 24 and continues for the twelve days until The Feast of Epiphany. Within those days we celebrate January First, The Feast of the Mary’s Motherhood of God and the Day Dedicated for Prayer for Peace as the new calendar years begins.

Epiphany runs to the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus and then to the Presentation (40 days) from His birth, on February 2nd.

What a blessing we have in celebrating not just a few days, but several seasons during these Winter Holidays. It’s even better than something Hallmark Christmas movies can produce.

The real blessing is that we don’t have to do much in preparation but to open our hearts and our lives and surrender to what the Lord wants to do for us. I do hope you can share some of my thoughts with others and witness our faith life in the true meaning of what Christmas is really all about…God’s tremendous love for you and me.

Enjoy! And Happy Holy Days!

Fr Jim Brown