December 27

by David Lins  |  12/27/2020  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

December 27th is the Feast of the Holy Family and it has me reflecting on our parish.

Why? Well, the parish is—in many ways—the local family of the worldwide Church.

Our Lady of Joy has exemplified that reality this year. Maybe you haven’t witnessed it, so let me share a bit of it with you.

I’ve been told of parishioners who prayed for all the staff members who were knocked down with sickness over the summer.

In turn, the staff went above and beyond to try and call every single parishioner—to make sure they were alright. (A special shout out to Sr. Margery!)

I’ve gotten notes of support, while the parish continued to receive truly sacrificial donations so that our staff could continue to serve this amazing community.

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December 20

by David Lins  |  12/20/2020  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

In this week’s Gospel, the angel Gabriel unveils God’s plan to Mary (answering that old Christmas hymn “Mary Did You Know?” once and for all.

She knew this plan would be full of scandal, heartbreak, and pain. But she didn’t let it make her angry, bitter, or fearful. She was grateful to do what God desired of her.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

This coming Christmas, I beg you to live in gratitude for whatever God’s plan is in your life.

To help, here is a gratitude examination of conscience:

Are you still healthy enough to take care of yourself?

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December 13

by David Lins  |  12/13/2020  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

Saturday, December 12th, is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It commemorates a poor villager by the name of Cuauhtlatohauc. He was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. On December 9, 1531, he was headed to Mass to honor the Blessed Mother. Well, she decided to visit him first. Much of what happened next seems fantastical to our skeptical minds.

In fact, Mary has appeared several times throughout the world. But a word of caution: please be careful to understand which apparitions have been approved by the Church. This doesn’t mean you can’t potentially take good and faith-building messages from other apparitions that haven’t been condemned. It just means you need to discern critically when hearing any of their “messages.” Put simply: proceed with caution.

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December 6

by David Lins  |  12/06/2020  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

We find ourselves already in the second week of Advent and we are in the midst of an epidemic.

I can hear you saying, “No David! Covid 19 has been declared a pandemic!” I’m not talking about Covid 19. That has gotten plenty of press.

I’m talking about anger. And I’m not talking about righteous anger. I’m talking about the attitudes that seem to be most prevalent in our current culture.

“I can’t believe that everyone doesn’t see the world as I do!”

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