Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

        We have come to the final stretch of our Advent preparations and perhaps you are like me in wishing there was more time.  Before this holy season I intended to do a number of things to emulate the season but none materialized only because there was always the unexpected that took precedence.  Only thing , however, that was consistent with the season was the overwhelming mail requests to contribute to this, that and the other cause,  each one stating how very important it was.  This brings me to issuing a caution, if not a warning,regarding the choice of your generosity  this Christmastime. 

    The reason for my concern is that this past week I found out that a particular charity that I was contributing to for some time was funneling funds to an organization incompatible with our Catholic Faith.  I was flabbergasted and immediately discontinued my contributions.  The American Life League brought this to my attention and I am very grateful that it did.  I highly recommend contacting them should you have misgivings about where your funds are going.

     In light of this you may want to consider helping out, as many of you have already done, our “sister” parish in Ghana, St. Anthony’s .  They have made great progress in the construction of their church but have recently stalled for lack of funds.  Fr. Dominic will be returning to his homeland in early February after a two year absence and it would be a great blessing for him to bring new contributions to the parish in order to resume construction.

      Always we want to recognize and be thankful to those who are generous to our parish.  Once again there have mysteriously arrived two beautiful live wreaths which are hanging on the front doors of St. Mary Magdalen.. We never know where they came from but I hope that the mystery-maker knows how very much we appreciate their kindness and generosity.  Also we are grateful to Hessling-Murray funeral home for the spiritually uplifting calendars that will grace our homes and offices in the coming year. A thousand thanks.

       Finally and most importantly May the grace of Christmas dispel all sadness and darkness in your lives.  The Savior has come , He is here and so desires that you allow Him to be reborn in your hearts.  We especially reach out to those who have drifted away.  The baby Jesus has His arms extended wordlessly pleading “come back to Me.” Where else could we possibly go other than His loving embrace!

   A blessed and holy Christmas to you and yours,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    In our rapid course through Advent we come already to Gaudete Sunday.  We hear in our Scriptures the call to rejoice in anticipation of the coming of our Savior.  Whenever we welcome someone to our homes one of the things we do almost instinctively is “turn on the lights”.  We want to see our visitor and be seen by them.  How odd it would be to just sit in the dark.  They may think we haven’t paid the electric bill.   Light is a means of welcoming.  Even with people whom we may encounter in a dark mood don’t we usually encourage them to “lighten up!” 

    The spiritual life is very much the same.  The weight of the world can descend upon us from time to time and gloom starts to take over but Christ has given us the remedy to overcome the shadows, namely Confession.  Sin always is a darkness that keeps the light from shining in us, the Light that comes from Jesus, Himself.  He came to cast out the darkness and pervade our souls with a brightness the world cannot give.

     As we draw closer to Christmas see how many lights are starting to shine around us whether it be from decorations. or candles or other sources.  We crave light even if artificial because it dispels all that brings what is contrary to joy.  So rejoice and let the Light of Christ permeate your souls and radiate He Who is to come.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     We hear in today’s second Reading from Paul’s letter to Philemon: ” May God Who began the good work in you bring it to fulfillment…”.  Have you ever asked yourself the question; “what is the good work God has begun in me?”.  It certainly is a fine point for our Advent reflections and preparation. Since the past two weeks of Scripture have been about the end times now we have the opportunity to set our sight on the future and what we are going to do about it.

     Today’s Gospel sheds light on our future and our answer.   We see that John the Baptist understood well the work God had planned for him.  With great diligence he prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah and had the ultimate joy of announcing Him to the world; “Behold the Lamb of God…”  He was chosen for this great responsibility.  John’s dramatic lifestyle evokes a lot of attention.  It was his hook that caught the attention of low and high alike to pay attention.   Our call, thank God , is much more subtle.  People, hopefully detect a peace and serenity in us even in the midst of hectic times.  This attribute comes from a solid prayer life and a continual focus on our relationship with Christ.  We may be surprised by this but there is no doubt that others perceive our closeness with the Lord.

    If, perhaps, we are not too sure about our “carrying on the good work that God has begun in us,” a good and thorough Confession and time before the Lord in Adoration can rectify our ability to witness to the Messiah.  It’s important to remember that this Season goes by so fast that it is easy to miss the opportunity to renew our spiritual lives.  Have a most productive and fulfilling Advent.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    Now that we have given thanks to God for all the many blessings we have received its time to fix our hearts and minds on that wondrous event of our Lord’s coming in the flesh.  This holy season of Advent allows us to be introspective and evaluate the spiritual progress made this past year and prepare us for new beginnings.  It is a new liturgical year and should be marked by a quiet sobriety.  However, we know that the opposite is what happens .  So how do we make the most out of this holy season?

     First, we recognize, as did our spiritual ancestors, that it is a time of waiting.  Not only are we waiting to celebrate the birthday of our Savior but we are awaiting His second coming in glory.  This begs the question: “Are we prepared should He come?”  As we would greet any visitor to our homes by cleaning up the place, since Christ seeks to visit our souls its only logical that we get them in order as well.  The Lord provides the cleaning supplies for that, namely the Sacrament of Confession.  That should be on the top of our Christmas preparation list.  Plan early to get that task done before being swept away by other lesser concerns.

     Secondly, slow down and pray.  Meditate, as did our Mother Mary, on the wonder of God’s love.  Think of Her preparation for the birth of Her Son, Her having to break the News to Her beloved Joseph, Her tending to Her cousin Elizabeth, Her and Joseph’s arduous trek to Bethlehem in the final days of Her pregnancy.  How did You do it Mary?  Only by the grace of God.  And isn’t that how we do it too.

A Blessed and Fruitful Advent.

Blessings,

Father Langan