Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

What will the year & decade bring?  We all love potential, possibility, and dreams!  This is because it is a reflection of our soul’s deep desire for God who “makes all things new.” (Rev. 21:5).  As finite creatures diving into the arms of the infinite Lord, we will never exhaust discovering new delights and depths of his goodness.

I remember in my youth reading the In/Out list in the style section of the Washington Post.  I don’t know if they still print that, but I do know that I would likely have no clue for 95% of the incoming or outgoing cultural trends.  Being a priest can do that!

Moreover, when I think of the things I hoped for a year or a decade ago, I know that all of the best blessings were totally unexpected by me and gratuitous gifts from the Lord.  There is nothing that has or will happen that the Lord has not seen from all eternity.  And he has thus planned for my welfare since before the big bang.  “Who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?” (1 Cor 2:16).

What Jesus desires for us is not a spirit of despair or presumption, but of prayerful trust.  Heck, it is even on our money: “In God We Trust.”  Worried about 2020 or the entire decade?  That’s ok, look back and see how He has brought you thus far; he will not abandon you now.

pax,

fr mosimann

Something Else Entirely by Donna Lee Davis is just that: short stories that will make you smile and make you think, tales that will touch your heart, three poems that are prayers (or prayers that are poetic), and an essay that speaks truth. Perhaps more importantly, this collection includes Dust and Shadow, the sequel to the novel Matter of Discretion. If you already know Chaplin Damon Keith and that novel’s cast of characters, you will happily meet them again here. If not, you will surely want to get acquainted!

Join us for Book Club on January 14th, at 10 a.m. in the Father Rooney Room.

Merry Christmas.

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family.  A model family.  Intercessors.  Redeemer.

Which leeds me briefly to contemplate role models.  Sometimes folks look at Saints and say, “I can’t measure up.”  To that I say, “Well as a child I couldn’t measure up to Elvin Hayes, but that didn’t stop me from learning and emulating his fall away jumper.”  [Okay Boomer, who is Elvin Hayes?  A basketball player in the 70s for the Bullets — now Wizards].  I practiced his trademark shot over and over at the park, and got pretty good at it.  And failing to measure up to super-stars doesn’t stop people from auditioning for American Idol.

Not only are our heavenly role models happy to see us succeed, they will give us their own strength if we ask.  Can you imagine any athlete or pop star doing that?  I remind you of words said by the Blessed Mother to Saint Juan Diego, “do not fear any illness or vexation, am I not here who am your mother?”

So strive to make your families holy like the Holy Family.  Don’t fret about where you fall short.  Give even your failures to Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  This will make you happy forever.

pax,

fr mosimann