Dear Parish Family,

This weekend a number of our children will be celebrating First Penance; not only is this a blessing for our parish, but also a time for each of us to reflect on our own celebration of this great Sacrament of healing.  Confession is one of those Sacraments that seem to have fallen out of favor with many; perhaps we don’t believe that we are in need of forgiveness, or perhaps we think that my ‘sin’ is only between God and me. So why should I go to the priest for absolution?  First, we are all sinners and in need of forgiveness, St. John writes:  “Whoever says that they are not a sinner has made God out to be a liar.” Sin is not just a breaking of a law or a commandment, it is a disruption of righteousness and relationships. When I sin, I choose to diminish (or in the case of mortal sin) cut off my ability to receive and experience God’s grace.  If God’s grace was only given to me for me then I do not need to be reconciled with anyone other than God. However, God’s grace is given not just for the individual, but through the individual for the community and the world.  My sin, my refusal to love, affects my relationship with God, with my authentic self (the person God created me to be), the community of the Church and the world.  I need to be reconciled, not just with God, but with myself, the community and the world. In the Sacrament, God forgives sin, restores relationships and empowers one to live more closely in line with Jesus’ life. Also, in this sacrament we experience both pardon and peace. Take a moment and prayerfully ask yourself: “When was the last time I went to Confession?” If you can’t remember or if it has been over a year then it is time to reacquaint yourself with the celebration of this great gift of healing, reconciliation, restoration and grace.

God Bless, Fr Dan

Let the Children Come…

Thank you to all you parents who bring your children to celebrate the Eucharist with us; they are a delight and joy and remind us of how wonderful a gift children really are. Please know that ALL children, no matter their age, are welcome here at St. Francis Xavier and by our Lord. To quote one of my favorite Scripture passages: “And the people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced them, blessed them, placing his hands on them.” Mark 10: 13-15
God bless, Fr. Dan

A New Liturgical Season

Once again we are in the Liturgical Season that is called Ordinary Time which will run until Ash Wednesday. I think that this is an unfortunate title for this time of the Church year, as there is nothing ‘ordinary’ about what we proclaim and celebrate. Today’s readings call us back to the Baptism of Jesus where He is identified by John, anointed by the Holy Spirit and proclaimed to be the ‘beloved’ Son of the Father.
Now the work of the Mission of Jesus begins to proclaim and establish the Kingdom of God among us; which culminates in His Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension.
We also have been Baptized and now that the Christmas celebrations are over, we too are to begin the work of living lives that proclaim and recognize the active presence of our God’s Kingdom among us. How then can I do this, how can I work for justice, proclaim faith and hope and live in God’s love? Each of us in our own circumstance, vocation and stage of life are called to do this; and as we rely on God’s grace to hear His voice and empower us to live as His disciples; we are given the insight, graces and ability to live as His people, His children, the people He has redeemed and call others to experience the gift of our God. God Bless, Fr. Dan

Christmas Letter 2022

A Note from Father Dan

With Advent we begin another liturgical year, another year of grace. There is a singular beauty to Advent in the church, it invites us to calm down and remove ourselves from the hectic pace in our preparation to celebrate Christmas, although it is good and necessary to prepare for Christmas, Advent invites us to prepare spiritually for the coming of Christ. If we pay attention we see the sights and sounds of Advent in the liturgy sets the scene for quiet reflection; there is no Gloria at Mass, the music is more subdued and the liturgical color is violet. The Advent wreath is the visible reminder of the waiting in expectation for the coming of Jesus, as the ‘light of the world’.
I would like to offer some suggestions as how each of us can prepare spiritually during Advent. Have a family Advent Wreath and light it together each evening with the appropriate prayers; think about attending our Advent Parish Mission; use the Advent books that are provided with daily reflections and activities; and make a special effort to bring the entire family to Confession before celebrating the birth of Christ. However you and your family choose to celebrate Advent, ember: “Come, Lord Jesus” is our hope, not only for Advent and Christmas, but for our entire life’s journey.
God Bless, Fr. Dan

Each year we set aside a day to pay special tribute to the Veterans who have served us in the Military, and especially we recall those who were injured or gave their life so that we might enjoy our liberties.  It was the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month that the guns of August went silent bringing an end to the hostilities that came to be called World War I.   This was proclaimed to be the end of all wars because no one could fathom the horror of the destruction, maiming and loss of life that this war inflicted on so many would never be repeated.  Yet, humankind did not learn the lesson of World War I, and in fact  over the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st century there has been more and and greater carnage and violence as people still turn to violence and nations to war to resolve their differences.  I would like to suggest that if we return to our God, honor His name, keep His commandments and embrace the dignity of each and every human person as a child of God and therefore our brother or sister we could go a long way to finally achieving that peace of which Jesus spoke and the Gospel proclaims; the peace that only Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace can give.  May the peace of the Lord be always with you.

God Bless, Fr. Dan

Bishop Lucia’s Pentecost Letter

Dear parish family,
A unique understanding of our Catholic Faith is the office of the papacy. The Pope is the head of our Church; the office of the papacy enjoys universal magisterium (teaching authority) and universal jurisdiction (governing authority). As early as 90 AD, St. Iraneus when writing about the Bishop of Rome, one of the many titles for the Pope wrote that he is: Primus Inter Paris; that is “first among equals.” Among the many titles of the office of the Pope are: Bishop of Rome, Patriarch of the West, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Successor of St. Peter, Vicar of Christ on Earth and the Servant of the servants of God. In addition to being a spiritual leader, the Pope is the head of Vatican City, an independent political entity within the city of Rome. (You can see the Papal flag in the front right of our Church). One unique charism of the office of the Papacy is “Infallibility”; the phrase; “When Rome speaks, the case is closed” refers to this charism. Infallibility, as defined by the First Vatican Council is the understanding that in matters of faith and morals, the Pope is incapable of error. The conditions necessary for a teaching to be infallible are: 1) it must be about faith and /or morals; 2) it must be clear that the Holy Father is exercising the authority of His office (ex cathedra); and the teaching must be made public. If these conditions are met; we Catholics are bound to accept the infallible truth that the Pope has taught. The Pope can teach infallibly on His own; he does not need to consult with or get the majority approval of any other church office.

God Bless, Fr. Dan

Dear parish family,

We are at the time in the Church Liturgical calendar that is called ‘Ordinary Time’  Ordinary time is broken into two parts:  the time from Easter to Advent and the time from Christmas to Lent.  The Liturgical color is green, a color that represents hope and promise.

Although it is called Ordinary Time, there is nothing ordinary about the message of this Liturgical season.  We focus on the public ministry of Jesus;  His teaching, miracles and call of the disciples and Apostles. We take the time to reflect, ponder and pray over each year the gift of Jesus’ public ministry and the message of the Good News of His Gospel. Hearing His teaching of the disciples (and us) by both word and deed and ultimately preparing them (and us for the Glory of His Cross and the wonder of His Resurrection.

God Bless,

Fr. Dan

Dear parish family,
The Feast of the Most Holy Trinity celebrates the central mystery of our Christian Faith: the very nature of God. We are monotheists, that is we believe that there is only One God; however we believe in the Trinity. This teaching is not that there are three gods, but that there is One God in Three Divine Persons; what we believe about God we can only profess because God has made Himself known through Scripture and Tradition. We profess the immanent Trinity; that is the dynamic relationship of loving that exists between and among the Three Divine Persons. We also profess the economic Trinity: the activity of God in history as God has made His activity known. The Father – The Creator, the Son (Jesus) – the Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit – the Sanctified. What we profess about One Dive Perso, we must also necessarily profess about all because there is no distinction, separation or partition in the very essence and nature of our One God. Ultimately, God is Mystery above and beyond our limited human capacity to know or understand. As St. Thomas Aquinas so aptly said: “Before the wonder that is our God, we must stand in wonderful, grateful silence before so great a loving mystery.”
God Bless, Fr. Dan