Posted on January 1, 2025 View all news
The Fathers and Brothers of the Oratory wish each of you a very Happy New Year! Be assured of our prayers for you in this upcoming year for God’s blessings, and please pray for us!
Laudetur Jesus Christus! Gelobt sei Jesus Christus! Sia lodato Gesù Cristo! Praised be Jesus Christ!
I wish each of you a very happy, and hopefully healthy, New Year! There is much to be thankful for during the past year, and there is much to look forward to in the year to come. May we certainly give thanks to the Lord for the blessings he has poured down upon us, and may we continually ask the Holy Spirit to look upon us with favor. I thank everyone who has helped the parish in any way over the past year. If you are interested in helping in any way in the upcoming year, please get in touch with the parish office. We can always use cleaners, people to help launder linens, prepare flowers, decorate, or polish. We also always need altar boys at the 12:10 p.m. Daily Mass or sacristans. If you can assist in any way, please contact the parish office.
As we begin this new year, this is an opportunity for us to continue to work on our spiritual life. We should ensure that we form good habits such as prayer, the Rosary, frequent confession, maybe some daily Masses, and participation in special things here at church. This also gives us an opportunity to evaluate how we are giving back to the Church, each according to their own means and talents. It is the fifth precept of the Church to “help to provide for the needs of the Church.” This is not optional for us but rather a requirement that flows from the virtues of Justice and Religion. Everyone has different means and talents, but each should give back as they are able.
St. Paul teaches in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (16:2-3): “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.” Less than half of those who attend seem to donate to the upkeep of the Church, so there is room for improvement within our parish in the way of stewardship. I remind you of this duty and precept so that we may more faithfully follow both the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church. So may we do well to be generous in our time, talent, and treasure with the Church that offers us so much!
I wish each of you a blessed month and year ahead!
