PASTOR'S COLUMN

The feast of the Baptism of the Lord draws our Christmas season to a close.  We begin Ordinary Time (ordinary as in ordinal numbers … counting time).  Ordinary Time begins on Monday, January 11th and continues to Tuesday, February 16th, the day before Ash Wednesday.  We pick it back up when the Easter season ends with Pentecost on Sunday, May 24.
The General Norms for our liturgical celebrations describes Ordinary Time as follows: “Apart from those seasons having their own distinctive character, there remains in the yearly cycle those weeks (33 or 34) that do not celebrate a specific mystery of Christ.  Rather, especially on Sundays, they are devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its fullness.  This period is known as Ordinary Time.  [General Norms, #43]
I cannot let the Christmas season end without extending a huge round of thanks to everyone who helped make it so lovely.  You know who you are, but I really hope you know how much I appreciate what you do and how much what you do helps build up the family of St. Mary’s.
Each year I have tried to offer the parish community a chance to help clean and decorate the church before Christmas.  Some years we do it during the week (to involve those attending our parochial schools).  This year it was held after Lessons and Carols on the Sunday before Christmas.  Snow was predicted, that turned into a dusting.  Instead of the dozens that have shown up in the past we ended up with 8.  Together we stayed several hours to complete the transformation of our environment from the sparse simplicity of Advent to the glory of Christmas.  Thanks.
Being a musician myself, I know the effort it takes to plan, practice and put forward good music.  From our Senior Choir, to our Family Mass Folk Group, to the many different music groups that serve our Hispanic Community, to the Youth Mass Folk Group … the music this season was uplifting, innovative and beautiful.  Thanks.
We all have busy schedules.  Most of us are over scheduled.  But we have a group of dedicated and faithful men, women and youth who serve at Church.  Our Ushers and Ministers of Hospitality, our Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, Lectors and Altar Servers, our Sacristans and Altar Guild … they all do this gracefully, humbly and courageously.  Thanks.
We have an amazing staff (and volunteers) at our schools, in our maintenance department, throughout our Office of Religious Education, serving in Pastoral Ministry and in the front lines of our Rectory.  Parishioners see the faces of the priests, but what we do is part of a team (we are ONE, holy, catholic and apostolic after all).  For their creative, faithful and humble service … thanks.
May God bless us all in this new year.  Pax.                             Fr. b.