October 19, 2025

October 17, 2025

Dear Friends,

 

I am traveling to attend a friend’s wedding, so in lieu of my usual column, I am sharing with you some words of wisdom as we enjoy the season of autumn.

 

Blessings,

Father Rob 

Sparking Holiness

As the seasons change, a lot of us like to clean out our homes and unload some of the junk we’ve acquired over the summer. One trendy approach to decluttering is the Marie Kondo method, named after the author who popularized it. Overly simplified, it’s a process that compels you to go through your closets, your garage, your basement — all the places you collect the dreaded “stuff.” As you do so, you hold up the items and ask yourself: “Does it spark joy?”

It’s a question that is bold in its simplicity. In answering, you’re supposed to go with your gut. If it’s a quick “Yes, it sparks joy,” the item should be kept. If the answer is no, it gets tossed. (Fr. Rob here—donate or recycle first!).

There are people in life who will support our efforts to do God’s will. There are those who will, as Paul says, “convince, reprimand, (and) encourage,” unafraid of the reaction we give them. There are those who will shore up our defenses when the battle goes longer than we thought.

The same goes for hobbies and pastimes. There are those that will ennoble our minds and bring us closer to God. And there are also those that will drain our funds and our free time, with nothing to show for it.

During these autumn months, don’t just declutter your basement in preparation for the hauling out of the Christmas ornaments. Take stock of the people and pursuits that make up your life. With each one, ask yourself: “Does it spark holiness?” If the answer is yes, thank God that our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. If the answer is no, maybe it’s time to declutter.— Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS ©LPi

 

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Father Rob's Weekly Message

December 28, 2025

December 23, 2025
Dear Friends, I hope you and your loved ones had a beautiful Christmas celebration and continue to experience joy during these 12 days of Christmas through the Epiphany of our Lord. This week we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. What memories do you have of your childhood and the challenges your family faced? What memories and traditions might you be creating with your children over the holidays and every day? I thought you would enjoy this reflection from Fr. John Muir on his family, the Holy Family and perhaps your family. When I was ten, my dad gathered our family around the table in small-town Vermont and told us we were moving to the big desert city of Phoenix, Arizona. We were leaving behind family, friends, and everything familiar. None of us knew what to expect. But something beautiful happened. As we made the move together, our family grew closer. In retrospect, I’m amazed at my parents’ courage to go on that adventure. Even as a kid I realized our family found, in that challenge, a deeper unity and mutual love. In today’s Gospel, Joseph is told: “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee…” (Matthew 2:13, 20). First to Egypt, then later to Israel. The Holy Family is frequently challenged to move and change, to adapt to God’s will for them, in order to find safety in the midst of threat. It’s not just an idiosyncratic story about survival. It’s a spiritual pattern for all of us. Every Christian family is called to be a kind of sanctuary, especially in a world full of noise, busyness, and fear. May I make a practical application for us? The Lord’s Day, Sunday, is perhaps the most practical way we imitate this dynamic we see in Joseph and his family. Sunday is not meant to be just like every other day, filled with errands and stress. It’s meant to be a day set apart; a holy “escape” into rest, worship, joy, and peace. A day to rise, take your family, and flee, into God’s presence. — Father John Muir ©LPi May we all flee into God’s presence at Mass, whether it is the weekday or weekend. I wish all of you a happy and healthy New Year. Blessings, Fr. Rob

December 21, 2025 and Christmas

December 17, 2025
MERRY CHRISTMAS! We all pray that your Advent has been full of faith and HOPE , and that you have found PEACE along the way despite the busy pace of the season. We are filled with JOY from being your staff members, and LOVE working with each other and serving the needs of our parishioners and our community. May the joy and wonder of Christmas be with you all year. We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2026. God Bless! Rob, Mike, Jeff, Margie, Eric, Ben, Anne, Shauna, Bob, Dan, Meg, Karen, Pam, Katie, Nancy and Sue

December 14, 2025

December 8, 2025
Dear Friends, The third weekend of Advent is referred to as Gaudete Sunday! This Sunday is a day of rejoicing within the penitential season of Advent, named from the Latin word for “rejoice.” Our celebration will be marked with the lighting of the pink candle on our Advent wreath, which signifies a foretaste of the joy of Christ’s coming at Christmas and His second coming. The day’s readings and themes emphasize hope and joyful anticipation, even amidst life’s challenges. Isaiah the great prophet sets out our hope in the one who is coming. James counsels patience in the face of delay, offering us a spirit of waiting and expectation. Matthew proclaims how John the Baptizer is praised by Jesus for his way of life and focus on the message of God, which allowed him to be seen as the forerunner of Jesus’ own message. Our beautiful season of Advent is coming soon to a close. May we all take time amid all we have to do and want to do to prepare for acknowledging the true meaning of Christmas. I know I must remind myself, like each of you, to take a breath with all the demands upon us and center on the birth of our Lord. I look forward to celebrating with you these last days of Advent and the Christmas season! Blessings, Father Rob