Dear Folks,

The Feast of the Holy Family falls right smack in the middle of Christmas week. It is a week where many folks slow down and enjoy some family time, as I hope you are doing.

One year, for this feast, I started my homily with, “I have a gift for the parish this weekend.” And I preached a 3 minute homily closing with “Merry Christmas, your gift is this three minute homily!” And the church spontaneously applauded!

Some folks apologized after Mass for applauding, to which I said, “haha…. I get it! It was truly a surprise and gift!” A few other folks complained that now they would be early for their dinner reservation, so we hung out, chatted and laughed until the ’normal’ departure time. But the gift was received with smiles.

I don’t promise you a short homily this weekend, and I can’t even promise that I will be on time for more Masses in the new year. But I do promise that I thank God for you, my parish family, with all of or joys, sorrows, quirks and gifts. We read these words recently at Mass, and I have been thinking of them in prayer since:

I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you, praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6)

pax,

Father John Mosimann