Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     Epiphany, the manifestation of God-become-man to the Gentiles, reminds us of the on-going missionary nature of the Church. The words of Isaiah ring true to our ears:” those who live in darkness have seen a great light”. The Great Light is Jesus Christ and we glimpse the profound effect that the “Light” had on the Magi.  They thought they knew it all until that marvelous encounter with the Child of Bethlehem.  Only then did they come to understand Who was the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  One can only imagine what joy filled their hearts and minds and though we may not have a clear picture of their later response no doubt the word was out that the Long-awaited One had arrived.

     Right from the start the missionary nature of the Faith had begun, both locally with the shepherds and universally with the Magi.  Who would you like to imitate?  It is instilled in our spiritual DNA to make known Jesus Christ to the world.  Whatever our gifts may be, simple or spectacular, they are to be employed in advancing the Good News:  Our Savior is here among us, most especially in the Holy Eucharist.  In this year in which we are celebrating a Eucharistic revival it is all the more crucial that we evaluate our own reverence and devotion to our Eucharistic Lord and make it known to others that Jesus beckons us to come and be with Him.  Perhaps we have taken his Presence for granted and become a bit too casual before Him.  As the saying goes:       “actions speak louder than words”.  We would do well to review the manner in which we comport ourselves in the Presence of the Holy Eucharist:  Have I spent time in adoration and thanksgiving before Him?  Do I point to Jesus as did John the Baptist, saying He must increase and I must decrease?

     Let us take the opportunity to fulfill the mission of drawing others to Christ in the New Year before us rejoicing as we usher them into the Light.

     This year we will be welcoming Bishop Bambera three times to our Parish.

First , for the conferring of the Sacrament of Confirmation in April, then for the Ordination to the Holy Priesthood of Deacon William Asinari, and what a wonderful privilege and blessing this is for us.  In all my years as a priest I have never heard of a priestly Ordination being held in a parish church.  We are greatly honored, and thirdly for the 100th anniversary celebration of the founding of St. Bernard in Beach Lake.  It will be a very busy year.  Please assist in any way you can.

     Finally I want to thank all of you for your kindness and generosity to me personally in this Christmas season.  I regret that I cannot possibly get through to send individual thanks and recognition but please know that I am truly grateful  and appreciate your cards, gifts and endearing sentiments.

With Blessings for a Healthy and Happy New Year,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    Now that the hectic but joyful celebration of Our Lord’s birthday has passed we can take the time to reflect more deeply on the immensity of God’s love for us.  Happily, Christmas is not over in a day but the days between Christmas and Epiphany afford us the opportunity to, like Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men, to contemplate the truth that God became man for our salvation.  What wondrous love is this!

    Perhaps these recollections move us to ask the question of what is love.  There are so many misconceptions about that little but powerful word.  Certainly it goes beyond the “feeling” and “emotional ” connotations so often attributed to it.  Rather we might comprehend love as a dynamic, constructive and affirmative action that seeks to advance the well-being of others even if they do not realize it.  Just as the employment of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit produce fruits so too love is designed to produce good fruit. As we bid farewell to a year that has been short on producing good fruit, maybe in our recollection we can determine to make the effort always to produce the good fruit of real love. Pray that the New Year will fare better than the past as we ardently beg God’s gift of peace in our hearts and in the world.

    Several the beautiful manifestations of love have been exhibited in those who, thinking not of themselves but of God and others, include the distribution of food and meals for those in need in our community; the outreach of bringing the gift of song to our nursing home residents by our youth; and the time and talent that goes into  preparing our churches so beautifully for Christmas.  We are grateful to all who have devoted themselves to these holy works.   God knows, and He, of course, will dispense His blessings upon you. 

 Blessings of Good Health, Joy and Peace Upon All in the New Year,

Father Langan

“And the Word became  flesh and dwelt among us.”  These words that we utter whenever we pray the  Angelus, (morning, noon,  and evening), strikingly  remind us of God’s overwhelming love for us. But I would like to add a bit of revision to that profession of our belief. Change the word “dwelt” to “dwells” for that is exactly the result of His having come into our midst. He became flesh and now He becomes Bread and Wine in the Holy  Eucharist to continue what He began 2000 years ago. 

Awesome, overwhelming? You bet! That is why Christ-Mass is a never ending outpouring of God’s  mercy and love. If only people would realize this, as the song goes . . . “what a wonderful world this would be”. The word “mass” which comes from the  Latin word miseo means “to send” and as Christ was  first sent to us at the Annunciation and then at Bethlehem so He continues to come to us every time the  Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered.  

The joy that radiates throughout the Christian world  is something that should not be contained only to the  bleak winter or burgeoning Spring depending upon  where one lives. Rather, we carry that joy with us every day and throughout the year, especially when we receive our Blessed Lord in the Holy Eucharist. 

As you come to the crèche and gaze upon the  swaddling-wrapped infant in the manger, contemplate  the mystery of God waiting for you to pick Him up  and draw Him to your heart in Holy Communion.  Let Him disperse all anxiety from your heart and assure you that indeed He has come to dwell in you  now and forever.  

A Blessed and joyful Christmas to you and yours, 

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     Gaudete!  Rejoice for the Lord is near.  Ever so quickly we have come to Gaudete Sunday marking the latter half of the Advent season.  Though the Scriptures are promoting a sense of joy, Isaiah, St. Paul, the Responsorial Magnificat, but the Gospel goes in a different direction.  Surely there is the joy of John the Baptist since he has encountered his relative Jesus the Messiah but he is hounded by the curiosity of the authorities whose motives are suspect.  

    Curiosity is one of those human traits that can be for good or for ill.  Think of the curiosity of Adam and Eve regarding the forbidden fruit.  It seems that when it comes to curiosity it can lead us down two paths.  John was curious regarding Jesus and that was indeed a good return (” are You the one or our we to expect another?”).  Our Lord satisfies his curiosity and provides peace to John’s heart.  That is where we would like curiosity to lead us, closer to the love and mercy of God.  While most of the time we are intrigued by what surrounds us and would like answers to life’s mysteries, perhaps in these final days of Advent we should have a little curiosity about ourselves.  Who am I? Where am I going? What truly brings happiness to my life?  The answers to these important questions are to be found in a thorough examination of conscience and subsequent encounter with Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession.  Take note of the opportunities to partake of the Sacrament that bestows comfort and peace and guarantees a truly joyous Christmas.

     Once again we have been gifted and blessed by a mystery donor.  I am referring to the beautiful and artistic wreaths on the front doors of  St Mary Magdalen Church.  Every year they just appear and we have no idea who makes them or gives them.  My curiosity is peaked but my gratefulness and that of our fellow parishioners is most assured.  Thank you.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    What good can come from the desert?  It seems lifeless, scorching, and foreboding and yet from this desolate place emerges the messenger of the Lord John the Baptist.  Our Savior Himself absconded to the desert before He began His public ministry and Isaiah the prophet predicts that something good will come from the desert.  It can be seen as the start of a new creation. After all, God created this universe “ex nihilo”, out of nothing, and in ushering the creation new and superabundant life comes forth in the person of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

    In God’s unfolding plan He provides for a forerunner to prepare the way for the coming of the long-awaited One.  John the Baptist fulfils that mission.  By today’s standards the Baptist would be considered kind of kooky.  His hoary appearance would have turned off some people but it was the substance of his preaching and call to repentance that prepared a waiting world for the Savior.  Perhaps we should take a lesson from John and be a little kooky ourselves.  What if you, yes you, invited someone who for a long time has been away from the Church to come back and review once again what the Lord has done for them: Died for their sins, nourished them with the Bread of Life, the Holy Eucharist, and set them free from the gnawing guilt and remorse as a result of buried sin.  Would you be considered a bit kooky in encouraging them to go to confession.  Maybe so, but would you not be like John the Baptist.  Yor certainly would be in great company and I don’t think you have to fret too much about losing your head!

   Let these days of Advent be fruitful for you and those you care about by taking the risk and guiding your loved ones to the loving embrace of our Savior.

With Blessings,

Father Langan