Encountering God

Dear Parish Family,
Where do we encounter God? Certainly in the Eucharist: the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, in the proclamation of the Word and in the people gathered, the body of Christ. We also meet God in all of the Sacraments, in our private and communal prayer and in reading Sacred scripture. God also is found in the daily business of living, if we just look and listen with an open heart and soul. God can be found in music, both liturgical and secular, that lifts us up and brings delight. Certainly God can be found in the gathering of family and friends, enjoying life and laughter; in the sound of children playing, adolescents exploring new things and in the wisdom of the elderly. St. Bonaventure teaches us that God can be found in nature; in nature we see the (Vestigia Dei), the footprints of God: in the wonder of spring, the power of a storm, the spectacle of Autumn and the quiet peace of winter. God can also be found in adversity and struggle, even pain can give us a glimpse of God’s sacrificial love for us. Even sorrow at loss can bring us an experience of God. We feel sorrow at this loss because of love, and where there is love there is God. Look for God, be open to God, let God in at every moment and every experience. God knows us intimately as our Creator, and in the Incarnation of Jesus, God became like us in all things but sin; experiencing the fullness of what it means to be truly, authentically, human. God loves you!

God Bless, Fr. Dan

Tune in to the CATHOLIC CONVERSATIONS PODCAST!  The Diocese of Syracuse invites you to explore faith, tradition, and community through engaging discussions with insightful guests on our official podcast. New episodes are released weekly on Tuesdays and offer inspiration for spiritual growth!

Find out more and listen today at:

syracusediocese.org/catholic-conversations

Lent: a Season of HOPE & JOY

Dear Parish Family,

Most people view Lent as a penitential season, which it is, but it is so much more! It is not just about ‘giving up something’ or ‘sacrificing something’, it is about growing in our honesty with ourselves and deepening our relationship with God and the Church.  As we move through this season we should be filled with a great joy and hope. Joy that our God offers to us: the gift of true freedom and unconditional love. Hope, that in Jesus our sins can be forgiven, and we can be restored to our Baptismal dignity of being a daughter or son of God.  When we are at Mass and the consecrated Host is elevated, the priest proclaims:  “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.  Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”  What a great gift, what a great joy, what inextinguishable hope. Look at and gaze upon the Eucharistic Lord, do not hide your face from Him or look down or away.  Jesus Christ is present and wants you to have a deeper relationship with Him. He wants you to experience that great joy and hope of His gift of sacrificial love for you. Certainly, you and I are not worthy to have Jesus come to us, no one is yet the Mass continues: “… but only say the word and my soul will be healed.”  What could be a greater joy?  What could fill the human heart and soul with greater hope.  Celebrate Lent, this great penitential season that ends with the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death; a victory the He invites all of us to share.

God Bless, Fr. Dan

Here is Bishop Lucia’s letter and timeline for Safe Environment Training.

Church
Dear Parish Family,
While it is true that the celebration of the Eucharist is the summit and perfection of the Church and our worship; I was reminded last Saturday night at the St. Patrick’s/St. Joseph’s dinner of the many ways the Church is expressed. First, thank you to all who worked so hard to make the dinner a great success: for those who shopped, prepared and served to those who helped clean up. Thank you to all who came together to enjoy a good meal and a lot of fellowship: for the very young to the ‘not quite so young’, there was a true expression of the Church as the Body of Christ. The more we come together as a family: at our annual picnic, golf outing, Turkey Raffle, coffee and donut hours and the St. Patrick/St. Joseph’s dinner; we deepen our sense of community and enhance our prayer experience as we celebrate the greatest gift of Jesus: His Body and Blood.

God Bless, Fr.Dan

Effective March 1, 2025 and over a 2 and a half year period, the diocese is requiring all adult liturgical ministers to undergo Safe Environment Training. The reason for this is quite simple; our Church has a commitment to safeguarding and caring for all children, youth and vulnerable adults. This week’s bulletin insert is Bishop Lucia’s letter explaining his rationale and the schedule of when this training is to be completed for each category of adult liturgical ministers. We will place in our bulletin and on our website the locations and times of these training sessions so that each one can accommodate the training to their schedule.
Thank you, Fr. Dan

https://syracusediocese.org/safe-environment

(For example: Initial Safe Environment Training,
Tuesday, May 6 @ Holy Family, Syracuse 6 – 8pm)

Catholic Leadership Institute DMI Survey

(It will be open on Ash Wednesday)

Spiritual Checkup

Dear Parish Family,

Most of us take time to get our annual physical; dental checkups and cleanings, and eye exams; I thought that this would be an appropriate time to focus on our Spiritual Life,with a Spiritual Check up.

Lent and Advent are the ‘usual’ times that we focus specifically on our Spiritual Lives, but when these are over, the passing of time and the business of life can get in the way of our prayer resolutions and time for our spiritual life.

Some questions for individual consideration:

Do I pray daily:  not just when I need or want something, or in a time of crisis, but do I take the time every day to praise God and thank Him for the many gifts and blessings He has given to me?

Do I regularly celebrate the Sacraments:  Mass every Sunday and Holy and regular Confession (If I can’t recall the last time I went to Confession, then it has been too long)

Do I use my gifts and talents to help the Parish Family and those less fortunate than I?

Some questions for families:

Do we, as a family, pray together?  Say grace before meals?  Do my children see me pray, or know that I do pray?

Do we make it a priority to go to Mass together, go to Confession together, pray together before the children, and when we go to bed for the night?

Come to Adoration and/or Benediction as a family?

Have we considered praying the Rosary together as a family?

Maybe read a passage of Scripture daily and discuss it as a family?

Talked together about Mass and the homily?

Some questions about our environment:

Would someone entering my house know that it is a Catholic household?

Do we have a Crucefix prominently displayed?

Pictures of the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart?

Statue of  our and our children’s patron saint?

Do we own and use a Catholic Bible?

These are just a few suggestions that I offer to help us, our families and our parish stay truly connected to our Catholic faith in the midst of so much turmoil, secularism and anti-religious bias.

God Bless, Fr. Dan

Dear Parish Family,
This Monday, February 3, is the commemoration of St. Blaise, to honor this Saint we will be blessing throats after each Mass this weekend.

Whatever became of sin?
There was a book in the 1970’s entitled: Whatever Became of Sin?; and spoke about a culture that doesn’t acknowledge the truth that sin is real and that individuals are sinners. When Pope Francis was asked immediately after his elevation as Pope to describe himself he said: “I am a sinner.” The fact is that we are all , you and I, are sinners in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness that was obtained for us by the obedience of Jesus Christ in His Passion, Death, and Glorious Resurrection. Sin is not a mistake or a psychological problem: but the choices that we make to ignore what God asks us to do (omission) or to do what we know is wrong (commission). There is nothing that I can do to atone for my sins, nothing that I can do that can expiate my sin, nothing that allows me to deserve forgiveness for my sin. This act of forgiveness is offered freely to me in the great gift of the Sacrament of Confession (also called Penance and/or reconciliation). In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (1:18 ) it is written: “..though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow though they are red like crimson, they shall become white as wool.” In the first letter of John (1:10) we read “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him (God) a liar, and his word is not in us.” So, ask yourself, when was the last time you were honest with yourself and acknowledged that you are a sinner; came, in humility before God in the Sacrament of Confession, confessed your sin and heard the lifegiving, freeing prayer of absolution? Confession is celebrated each Tuesday from 5:30 – 6:30 PM (before Mass, Saturday form 3:30 – 4:00 PM, twice for the “Light is on For you”: once during Advent and again during Lent; and you can make an appointment for confession by calling the Rectory and speaking to me. Jesus is waiting for each of us to turn to Him and receive the gift of forgiveness, redemption and His mercy and love.
God Bless, Fr. Dan