Rejoice in the Lord Always

On this third Sunday of Advent, our readings clearly tell us that it is the time to rejoice; the Light is near to us; He is already at the door. The prophet Isaiah writes to the people returning from the darkness of the Babylonian captivity. He tells them it is a new day; it is the time to rejoice. God will bring justice; He will bring liberty to the captives and give release to prisoners. God will heal the broken hearted, so today we also rejoice in Christ Jesus who is the Light who is nearby. We hear in today’s gospel that the Light is near and make straight the path for the coming of Jesus. Yes, it is the time to rejoice. It is the time to give up all the bad activities, activities of the darkness and put on the armor of light. Jesus Christ is the Light who can dispel the darkness in our life. So therefore, we shall come out of the shadows where we are hiding. We shall stand in front of him plainly; let him see us. Then it will be easy for him to save us. We shall give up all our hiding places and things which block us from being seen.

Paul writes: In all circumstances, give thanks! No matter what the situation, in good times and in bad, we need to thank God for what we have, for all that we’ve received, even the life that we have. St. Paul was thanking God for all that he received, even the pains and sufferings he received for the sake of Christ. So,we too must be able to thank Him from our hearts for all that we are now. When we’re truly grateful for all that we have, the list of things we think we need can often quickly shorten. As it is with our joys, so it is with our gratitude. I may not be joyful today and I might be in need today, but we all have a history of God’s goodness to us and for which we have reason to give thanks and praise.

Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing! In all circumstances, give thanks!

Let’s stop for a moment and close our eyes… and remember something joyful in our lives, something we’re grateful for… and in prayer, let’s thank God for that joy… and hold that joy in our hearts for a moment. By thanking God for all his blessings and waiting joyfully for his coming to us, we shall welcome him with a heart full of love and gratitude. Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice!

Love and prayers,
Fr. Charley

Forgiveness Is the Key to Open Heaven

A MESSAGE FROM FR. CHARLEY

As Seen in the Bulletin

September 17, 2023

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Forgiveness Is the Key to Open Heaven

Today, through a beautiful parable, Jesus is highlighting why a Christian should be repeatedly forgiving the offenses done to him. The parable starts by saying "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king." This king is enormously rich. "A huge amount" in v. 24 is literally translated as "ten thousand talents," which is equal to seven hundred and fifty-five thousand pounds of gold! This servant is pleading for more time to pay back the loan. V.27 says, "Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan." The loan of such an enormous amount is written off! This resembles the mercy of our Heavenly Father. He writes off all our sins and offenses!

"A much smaller amount" in V.28 is literally translated as "a hundred denarii." A denarius was the normal daily wage of a laborer. Therefore, a hundred denarii when compared to 755,000 pounds of gold is nothing! The mercy of God is without any limits. He forgives all our sins. And so, a Christian has to forgive all the offenses done to him. At the end of the story, we see the servant in prison and being tortured for NOT forgiving! If you don't forgive, then you will find yourself in prison/in bondage and being tortured!

Offenses leave us with inner wounds. Inner wounds are more painful and will take more time to heal. But still, let us keep in mind that there is no wound that God cannot heal. Inner healing needs more time and so we need more time to forgive the offenders. Let us take strong willful decisions that we will forgive, and then in due time we will be able to forgive the other.

If we can forgive unconditionally, then we will enjoy absolute freedom as children of God. It is these forgiving and loving deeds of mercy that help us to be blessed and to enjoy peace.

Forgiveness is a heavenly gift that God has already put into our hearts. It is also a sacred duty. Always take these gifts and put them into practice towards our brethren. Don’t think that when you forgive others you become less before others; you become greater! Forgiveness is the key to open heaven. That’s how Jesus opened heaven for us. When He was crucified, He looked down and saw his offenders and Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father to forgive them, "because they do not know what they are doing." We shall ask the Good Lord to give us a heart like His to forgive others unconditionally. Make our hearts like Thine. Be blessed and always be a blessing to others.

With love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

Dispensation Update from Bishop Raica

Since COVID infection rates are improving but not yet in a safe range, Bishop Raica has made the following decree:

I hereby extend the dispensation from the obligation to assist at Holy Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation through Sunday, May 23, 2021 (inclusive) – the Solemnity of Pentecost – for all the Roman Catholic faithful who reside or are visiting and present in the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama.

You can read the entire text of the decree here.

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We Need New Members

Your Pastoral Council is preparing to select new members for the coming year. Registered parishioners who are 18 years of age or older are eligible for Council membership. Any parishioner who is qualified to serve on the Council may have his or her name entered as a candidate by submitting a written request to the Council Chairperson, Rumaasha Maasha, by the end of the day on January 22, at maashaemail address is masked to prevent unauthorized spammingmindspring.com. The selection occurs during February, and the Council is seeking three new members and four alternates.

The Council advises the Pastor on matters affecting the Parish, and coordinates with the Ministries on carrying out parish programs. Currently, the Council is working on improving communication between the staff and Ministries and the Parish Family, helping coordinate connections between the Parish and the homebound, recognizing new members, working with Religious Education on reopening the classrooms safely, and more. In normal years, the Council also sponsors Welcome Sundays and the Parish Picnic.

Write a Letter to Santa

Hey, kids! If your parents are taking you through the drive-thru to visit Santa on December 12, you can write a letter to Santa, and it will be collected as you drive through. Details about the drive thru are here.