January 7-8

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The celebration of the Epiphany of Our Lord is the zenith of the Christmas season. Whereas, the Nativity of Jesus was a revelation to the Jewish shepherds who longed for the promises of God to be fulfilled, now the Gentiles, as represented by the Magi, have their longings fulfilled as well. The Savior has come for all people at all times. (There is a word for that, CATHOLIC). It is absolutely necessary to remember that Christmas/Epiphany is NOT a one day or one week celebration. It happens every day throughout the globe whenever and wherever the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered. Christ-Mass assures us that the Lord is here. When we assimilate this dogma, this Truth into our daily lives, we are sustained by the Incarnate love of God, and it makes our life-journeys all the more bearable.
On the natural level, when we abstain from food for long periods of time we feel sluggish, without energy, not to mention hungry. When we absent ourselves from our Eucharistic Lord our soul falls into the same lethargy. We need Christ the Bread of Life to nourish, enlighten, and comfort us in order to face the trials of daily life. In the coming months and years, Catholics are being called to a renewed and revived appreciation of the Holy Eucharist. That which is so precious we sometimes take for granted or simply ignore because IT is so very common. A certain malaise has set in the hearts of fellow Catholics who have forgotten what Our Lord has done for us and has given us Himself as the Bread of Life.

This coming week I will be going to spend time with family and friends. We are very blessed to have Fr. Raphael Amoaka Tawiah from the Diocese of Sunyani (same as Fr. Dominic) to serve you in my absence. Some of you have already had the pleasure of meeting Fr. Raphael, and I know that you will continue to offer him a warm and kind welcome.

With Blessings,
Father Langan

The Parish Office will close today (Jan. 3) at noon. The office will reopen tomorrow (Jan. 4) at 9:00 A.M.

A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Magdalen Church, 12:05 PM on Wednesday, January 4 for the intention of the happy repose of the soul of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. All people of goodwill are invited to participate.

January 1

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 On this Eighth Day of Christmas, ever filled with joy at the birth of our Savior, we begin the new civil year under the mantle of our Blessed Mother.  She is, as the ancients referred to Her, the Theotokos--the God bearer.  Her bearing of the Son of God had a two-fold dimension.  Upon hearing the announcement of the Angel Gabriel, she bore the Word of God in Her heart and then she bore Him in Her womb.  These are the spiritual and physical aspects of Her Motherhood.  But as we well know She has continued to bear Him throughout the ages even to our present time.  Ceaselessly, she reminds us to allow the Incarnate Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be born in us.  What is birth but the bringing of Life into the world.  Mary has born that Life and Truth and Light thereby opening the world to receive Christ as the restoration of humankind's original innocence and relationship with our Heavenly Father.

   Mary cooperated with God's design for our salvation and we could not be more grateful to Her Who said yes to God.  As we begin this New Year and may wonder how to start off fresh perhaps the best thing we could do is follow the example and urgings of Our Lady.  What a wonderful year 2023 would be.

     Despite the uncertainty of weather, much good work has been accomplished in preparation of celebrating the Birth of Our Lord.  First, as always, we give glory to God by adorning His house, our churches with beauty and serenity.  This great effort is the result of our tireless and devoted decorators to whom we give our thanks and appreciation.   Our outreach program of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of our parish has assisted numerous families with food and gifts to brighten the lives of struggling members of our community.  So many of you generously gave presents for the youth of our area who otherwise might not have had anything under the tree.  May God reward you for your kindness.  A number of parishioners have made very sacrificial gifts to your parish at this time aware of how expenses have gone through the roof.  Thank you for being so very conscientious of parish finances.   Our staff always at this time experiences a greater volume of work and always they are on top of it.  How blessed we are to have them serve our office and our properties.  And finally thank you on behalf of Fr. Dominic and myself for your personal cards, gifts, Masses, and goodies which we receive with grateful hearts.

Blessings of Peace, Good Health and Happiness in the New Year,
Father Langan

December 24-25

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“The Glory of the Lord has shown upon us.”   This acclamation of the heavenly host to humble shepherds never ceases to lift our hearts.  Just as those “little people” were filled with awe and wonder and I’m sure a fair amount of fright, so too are we affected by the same emotions,  “For unto us a Son is given….”  In his incomparable MESSIAH, George Fredrick Handel repeats this phrase numerous times and ever so dramatically to convey the truth of the Son of God coming to us. Indeed, it would be beneficial to us to silently and orally repeat this message of great tidings throughout the Christmas season.  We need to let it sink in.

     Sometimes I think it would be better for us to strip away all the tinsel and schmaltz and climb spiritually into the cave of Bethlehem to experience the abject poverty, the cold, the rancid odors of those surroundings and yet at the same time be warmed by the love of mother and Child and foster father.  Have our Christmases become a bit too cluttered with the unessentials at the expense of what really matters?  That is why I suggest repeating:”…unto us a Son is given”.  It takes time and effort to contemplate and digest the wonder of God’s love in sending His Son to us, and the great mystery is that it was not just one day two millennia ago.  No it is today and tomorrow and the next day, until the end of time.  The Lord Jesus Christ never stops coming to us.  Can we say the same about coming to Him?  

    So, perhaps this Christmas can be a little different.   Since His First Coming was to renew Creation and prepare for our sanctification maybe we can start anew in coming to Him, most especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass because:..”unto us a Son is given.”   Come let us adore Him.

A Blessed Christmas to you and all your loved ones,

Father Langan