Pope Francis gave the Church a Christmas present this year in a very special way. As he marked the 5th anniversary of his Apostolic Exhortation “Amoris Laetitia: The Joy of Love” he declared the next year to be devoted to the family…this on top of his earlier gift of the year devoted to St. Joseph.

In Pope Francis’ own words, “As of now, I invite everyone to take part in the initiatives that will be promoted during the Year and that will be coordinated by the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life. Let us entrust this journey, with families all over the world, to the Holy Family of Nazareth, in particular to St. Joseph, the devoted spouse and father.” (taken from the CNA article dated 12/27)
Pope Francis reminds us of how St. Joseph within the blessing of the Holy Family offers us a vision of a man of faith and the call to journey together united in the obedience of love. The Year “Amoris Laetitia Family”, which will begin on March 19th, the Solemnity of St. Joseph Husband of Mary, is a year dedicated to remind us of the need and foundational blessing the family is to society as God has called us to be in unity with Him as the family of the Church.

I’m a big fan of both families and St. Jospeh. I fell in love with St. Joseph fairly early in my life. We of course celebrate the March 19 Solemnity with great joy but my birthday, May 1, is the smaller feast of St. Joseph the Worker and the more I read about him I also discovered the other names and patronages he has, such as of a “Happy Death” and then there are other titles like “Terror of Demons”.
Pope Francis points out in the below quote the reality of the battle of good and evil and how the evil one seeks to exploit our weaknesses and drive us away from God. “The evil one makes us see and condemn our frailty, whereas the Spirit brings it to light with tender love. Tenderness is the best way to touch the frailty within us. Pointing fingers and judging others are frequently signs of an inability to accept our own weaknesses, our own frailty. Only tender love will save us from the snares of the accuser (cf. Rev 12:10). That is why it is so important to encounter God’s mercy, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we experience his truth and tenderness. Paradoxically, the evil one can also speak the truth to us, yet he does so only to condemn us. We know that God’s truth does not condemn, but instead welcomes, embraces, sustains and forgives us. That truth always presents itself to us like the merciful father in Jesus’ parable (cf. Lk 15:11-32). It comes out to meet us, restores our dignity, sets us back on our feet and rejoices for us, for, as the father says: “This my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (v. 24).” (#2 Patris Corde)

One of the unique ways we see Joseph is in his silence. We never hear or read a word spoken by him in the Gospels, he simply listens and then leads by following the will of God in his life and the life of the Holy Family. This is not a passivity but rather the courageous desire of doing God’s will. In the face of evil, Joseph stands as the silent sentinel protecting and guarding our Blessed Mother and the child Jesus. His holiness, his virtue and his courage enable him to tune out the cacophony of lies, hatred and slander thrown at him by the evil one and to be able to simply hear the love and joy of God’s tender whisper drawing him closer and closer in love.
I can only imagine the fury of the devil at this quiet and peaceful rebuke with the confidence of God’s abiding presence with him. I believe this is one of the great lessons I continue to learn from St. Joseph…words are important but living the virtue of holiness shows greater strength and trust in God’s will and plan for our lives against the snares and temptations of sin. It is in tenderness, the care for the frailty of the other, where we live the true gift of our Christian vocation in the call to holiness. We embrace the cry of the poor, the wounds of the afflicted and the pain of the brokenhearted no matter the origin or those who are carrying this cross. It is in the silent witness to faith where we discover the vocation of service and care for the other.
During this year of St. Joseph and the overlapping Year “Amoris Laetitia Family” we are all called to witness and join in the virtue St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, Protector of the Catholic Church, Patron of a Happy Death, Patron of Workers, Terror of Demons and the many other titles he holds, shares with us daily and through his prayers and intercessions we may grow in the sacred virtues.
St. Joseph…pray for us.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.

Text to Patris Corde

http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco-lettera-ap_20201208_patris-corde.html

The twelve days of Christmas are upon us and we celebrate the brith of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My normal Friday letter is a Monday addition because of the work and time needed to set up the outdoor celebration I did not adequately allot my time to be able to write and reflect on the joy of Christmas. The good thing about this on my part is the ability to now look back and share some of the joys and blessings this odd and strange Christmas gave to me as a gift.

God does not abandon us…Christmas still occurred amidst the dire warning and the stern gazes…Christmas still occurred. In speaking with many people who came to Christmas Mass and then the Masses of the following weekend a trend appeared very quickly. Christmas was with family. Christmas didn’t involve traveling or much visiting of other members of the family. There was lot of “zooming” and video chatting. And in the end there was Christmas with the reading of the Christmas story, the sharing of memories, the exchange of a gift and the family not bustling about but enjoying the day.
The waves from the sunroofs…this happened at almost every Mass…one of our younger parishioners would appear, head and shoulders sticking out of the roof of the car waving, wishing others a Merry Christmas, the peace of Jesus Christ and a smile of joy and blessing to everyone who could see them. From my vantage point at the altar it was the reminder of who we are as a community. Young and old, families and singles, brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ gathered together in joy and blessing.

Help from friends…we are not in this alone…no matter how much social distancing, isolation and keeping apart we are asked to do…we are not in this alone. From Wednesday afternoon until Christmas day on Friday, brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow parishioners and priests stepped forward to set-up the worship spaces and prepare the environment for the coming holy days of celebration. I slept fitfully on the night of the 23rd wondering and worrying about how we would get all the things that needed to be done finished by the time people began showing up for our 2:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. Walking into the church that morning I was shocked and overjoyed to see a Christmas elf had been in the church that night and had completed most of the work in the building. Next was the joy and innovative creativity from those who set up the outside worship space. Taking what we had (normally only used for inside) and finding ways to make it work so that we could honor our God with a beautiful and holy prayer space. And finally a brother priest, knowing my stress stepping in to celebrate with our community. Thanks Fr. Randy!

St. Joseph…”The greatness of Saint Joseph is that he was the spouse of Mary and the father of Jesus. In this way, he placed himself, in the words of Saint John Chrysostom, “at the service of the entire plan of salvation”.” (#1 Patris Corde) I used this short sentence from our Holy Father Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter as the foundation for my homilies on Christmas day. It was the refocusing of my heart not on simply getting through the day, but to be more like St. Joseph in being of service to God’s plan of salvation. Looking at the day not as an endurance test but as a blessing of life to be given and shared with others our out of love.
Thank you for all your prayers and blessings over the past year. Just a reminder…God does not abandon us…because we are a community of love…full of friendship were we journey together…at the service of God’s salvation.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

As some of you may know, I like sports. I follow my baseball team, the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers with great joy, but I also enjoy the other beautiful game; soccer. Whether it is our own San Jose Earthquakes or the teams I follow in Europe or Mexico, watching a good soccer match is food for the soul.

The last few years in the English Premier League, I am a short suffering Everton fan, two teams, Liverpool and Manchester City, have dominated with winning point totals (over 100 in some years) that have reached historic levels. This year seems to be different, not just because of the pandemic or the empty stadia but there seems to be a more level playing field. We hear the pundits and the coaches and managers of the teams complain about the number of games, the tiredness of the teams that are playing multiple competitions and the growing number of injuries as the reason for the much tighter race for the league, the number of teams that are near the top and the surprising results of teams beating and holding at bay the mighty Man City and Liverpool teams of the past few years.

What they and many of us seem to forget that this is not and oddity but rather it is the normal. Every once in a while you have a great and dominant team, like the 2020 World Champion Dodgers, (I get to say that for a whole year) but in most years there is a hard fought battle with the perceived best team in the league and those who are chasing them. It is often a reality in our minds that we forget the long history as our memories hold on to the glories or the sufferings but forget the import middle, the long road that ultimately gets you to where you want to be.
Which is a very long way to getting us to God, faith and the long and winding road of conversion and hope. If where we want to be is Heaven, then there is only one road and that is the road of life. We can’t avoid it and there are no short cuts. This year has certainly shone a light on the need to be steady and secure in what we believe and how we act towards one another and even how we treat our self in these times of stress. There are some years when it seems easy but clearly this isn’t one of those years.
We might listen to the wisdom of Dorothy Day, “Most cradle Catholics have gone through, or need to go through, a second conversion which binds them with a more mature love and obedience to the Church.” I think she would also add: a third, a fourth, a fifth etc… As we know and understand God more and more we find ourselves in the winding road of conversion and hopefulness. We seek a deeper and truer meaning to life found only in the acceptance of a greater will and a more beautiful grace than our poor human endeavors can ever create.

What does this look like? I was talking with a parish family a few weeks ago about what has changed. They described what sounded like a six month fast and decluttering of their life. The sense was that in all the frustrations, the angers, the loneliness they had been shaken off their comfortable stool and allowed to roam about in a room they could discover anew. They didn’t deny they tragedy of loosing work, having a close friend die of the virus and the economic pain their family is going through but they also saw a greater reliance on the providence of God’s powerful grace leading them through the healing and growth in faith they began to understand is necessary. It is what a very wise priest once told me long ago when I was struggling, “Relax, slow down and let God catch up.” We can’t run ahead in life, we must walk with Jesus.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

“Heaven is filled with converted sinners of all kinds, and there is room for one more.”—St. Joseph Cafasso

It looks like rain! In dry and drought stricken California those words often bring joy, hope and thanksgiving. For us who are outside, worshiping under tents, with the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe this weekend those words, “It looks like rain” bring about other emotions mixed-in with the joy, the hope and the thanksgiving.

It has been one of the great blessings of this time of pandemic to see so many members of the parish community stepping and joining together, at a social distance😁, to help us continue to be able to celebrate the Eucharist in dignity and reverence even with the many restrictions placed upon us. I am in the midsts of reading a book of reflections by Blessed Concepción Cabrera de Armida, during my Holy Hour. One of the first lessons she has taught me is the need to continue to seek hope and joy in the darkness of the problems of the world. Like many Mexican Catholics who lived during the horrendous persecutions of the late 19th and early 20th century Blessed Concepción endured and grew more confident in her faith as she shared it with her husband, children and many others in her circle of life.
“I have offered myself for the hundredth time to my beloved Father, I have deeply abased myself in the ashes, while admitting his infinite gentleness for me. I never want to have my own will any more and every day, at each moment, I will lose myself in his adorable will. I love it.”(p 20 from “Under the Gaze of the Father”)

The gift of continually offering ourselves to God to do His will is one of the great challenges of our call to discipleship. This Third Sunday of Advent is an invitation to joy in the midst of suffering and an invitation to joy in the preparing for seeing the gift of hope filled love in the coming Nativity that is close and yet not here. The endurance in our faith is the central blessing we are called to share.

Endurance is founded on a hope of something greater and better, something that is known and deeply cherished, where it is near at hand. This is the love we have for our family, friends and world, it is the hope the Church is called to proclaim. And while the suffering we are enduring during this pandemic is real, we also must put in a perspective of what we hope for as sons and daughters of the living God. St. Paul reminds us, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 20:20) In other words…it is that famous phrase…“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” (C.S. Lewis) or the reminder Pope Benedict XVI shared, “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness”

It is even true in reality I have not had to endure great suffering and yet I know the call to greatness lives within each person I meet. We hear so many stories of people struggling to overcome obstacles both large and small and enduring to greatness. I remember working with a student in New Mexico where each turn it seemed like another door closed, another boulder would block his path or the winds would be always against his hopes and dreams but with each turn his determination would be great and stronger and you saw this in his prayers and his trust in God knowing tomorrow would be another day and he would wake up and move forward again.
It is not a comfortable world for many of us right now…but we know we were made for so much more. Let us pray for all who suffer that the hope and faith of Jesus Christ may fill them in love.
God Bless
Fr. Mark .

As we enter into our Advent Season we are reminded of the joy and generosity of God as we celebrate the many days and blessings the season brings. It is hard not to begin celebrating Christmas early and with the Feast of St. Nicholas happening on the 6th of December we truly begin the joy and celebration of gift giving.
We know with the commercial intrusion on these holy days, the Black Friday which is the tradition touching off of the gorging of holiday spending, the new and improved Cyber Monday offering us another chance to spend, spend and spend. Even small things like the Hallmark Channel with the inundation of movies themed around Christmas beginning sometime in October. Then finally, during this year of pandemic, we have some people calling for the cancelling of Christmas. I even read where one public official pondered if it would be wise to move Christmas into February.

What each of these have in common is the use of the word Christmas without the actual understanding and sharing of the meaning of Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the giving and sharing of gifts, but I also understand: this is not Christmas. Christmas is the moment when God breaks into the world in the person of the second person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Son of God, Jesus born of the Virgin Mary that night in Bethlehem.
“Open wide your door to the one who comes. Open your soul, throw open the depths of your heart to see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the sweetness of grace. Open your heart and run to meet the Sun of eternal light that illuminates all men.” (St. Ambrose of Milan) Once more, it is a time of celebration and of generosity towards others, but more importantly it is a time of deep and profound thanksgiving, prayer and the embracing of the other in the person of the child Jesus.
This returns us to St. Nicholas. He is the inspiration for the image of Santa Claus is some small way. He was also a bishop of the early Church in Myra, modern day Turkey, in the 4th century. St. Nicholas was a stout defender of the orthodoxy of the Catholic faith and was imprisoned and exiled for his belief in Jesus. The hagiography of his life tells of him helping three young women with their dowry allowing them to marry…thus the legend of St. Nick/Santa Claus.
The St. Nicholas day tradition of putting your shoes outside the door and during the night the holy Saint will come by and put a small gift, candy, fruit or even a little money, in them is a small precursor to the gifts under the Christmas tree delivered on the night of our Lord and Savior’s birth.

It is a powerful reminder of how Jesus comes to us. We may not be able to travel and visit as we would wish, but the child Jesus comes to us. We may have economic and physical challenges that limit us, but the child Jesus comes to us. God comes to us and invites us into a relationship of love. Let us prepare the our hearts, our homes and our families for the child Jesus and welcome him with open arms knowing that God is with us, our Emmanuel.
“Christ is born, glorify Him! Christ from heaven, go out to meet Him! Christ on earth, be exalted! Sing to the Lord all the whole earth; and that I may join both in one word, let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, for Him who is of heaven and then of earth. Christ in the flesh, rejoice with trembling and with joy; with trembling because of your sins, with joy because of your hope.” (St. Gregory Nazianzen)

God Bless
Fr. Mark