Entries for December 2020

Starting Mon., January 11, 2021 or Wed., Jan 13, 2021 or Fri., Jan 15, 2021 (Choose which day/time of the week works best for you.) Do you desire to hear God's voice? Do you long to be filled up by Him, led by Him, and live a dynamic relationship with the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit? You're not alone. So many of us see the relationship that we want with God, but don't know how to get there. Join one of Catholic Christian Outreach founders,  Andre Regnier, as he leads us toward the deep prayer life that we all desire. As we reach out to others, we are being invited to first c...

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Come and See Events for Men Discerning a Call to the Priesthood Various dates beginning January 17, 2021 Come and See events, hosted by the Vocations Office for the Diocesan Priesthood are designed to let young men (high school age and above) who are discerning the priesthood. Come and See Events are available for high school men (single day program) and post-high school men (overnight). These events are held monthly between January and March 2021. Ongoing online discernment groups are also available.  More information and registration: Visit https://heedthecall.org/comeandsee/    

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Saturday, January 23, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM With the Annual March for Life in Washington, DC being extremely limited by COVID restrictions, join us instead for a March for Life in Philadelphia. Come and give joy-filled witness to the dignity and sanctity of human life from conception to natural death! Schedule: 9:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul followed by a March, ending with a rally on Independence Mall.  Event will conclude at 1:00 PM.  More info:  Click here for the flyer or visit the website.

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Happy New Year! I pray this year brings abundant blessings to you and your family.  I’d like to simply share a prayer with you that was given to me years ago by a priest mentor that is a wonderful prayer.  Maybe this can be our theme this year - abandonment into the arms of God.  I invite you to cut it out of the bulletin and put it maybe next to your bed or in your car.  It comes from Fr. Charles de Foucauld. Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me,  and ...

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Happy New Year! I pray this year brings abundant blessings to you and your family.  I’d like to simply share a prayer with you that was given to me years ago by a priest mentor that is a wonderful prayer.  Maybe this can be our theme this year - abandonment into the arms of God.  I invite you to cut it out of the bulletin and put it maybe next to your bed or in your car.  It comes from Fr. Charles de Foucauld. Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me,  and ...

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This Christmas season, let’s remember that we are called to be a people of Hope.  Our hope is in our Lord.  He made heaven and earth.  Of course, our hope is in our Lord.  It has to be, otherwise we couldn’t make it through our days.  It has been a challenge to remain hopeful this past year.  Whether we’re enduring the unpredictable storms in life or enjoying the stillness after the rains have passed, the peace of God’s constant presence lights our way through the darkness.  Our God will always be our strength, our refuge, our sus...

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Christmas is just a few short days away! Exciting.      LOVE the first reading this week. It comes to us from the second book of Samuel. David has unified the people of Israel. It is the high point of the entire Old Testament. They have settled in the Holy Land, at peace, and numerous. David looks around and wants to do something nice for the Lord. The ark of the covenant, the dwelling of God, has been kept in a “tent of meeting” for centuries now - dating back to Moses receiving the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai. The ark has been protecting them and leading them to the promise land.   ...

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"Thank You, Father" Initiative We love, because He first loved us.  1 John 4:19 Serra would like to introduce the program called “THANK YOU, FATHER” to show our appreciation, affection, and support for our wonderful priests. Parishioners are invited to send a letter or email of gratitude for the remarkable priest in your life by December 31, 2020. Tell us how he made an impact in your life by God’s grace.  Please include your name and parish.  All letters will be sent to the corresponding priest.  The Vocation Office, on social media, may post select letters.  P...

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Fr. Bob's Corner: Rejoice!  It is Gaudete Sunday - the third Sunday of Advent.  It marks a time when we know that the coming of the Lord is near.  When I was growing up, I remember waking our parents up with my brother and sister on Christmas Day and waiting at the top of the stairs to be let down to open presents. I remember my parents - barely awake - rubbing their eyes and stalling.  Why wouldn’t they just let us go down and see what Santa brought us? Anticipation.  Think about a time when you had to wait for something great.  Perhaps it was the time when you were about to p...

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Happy Second Sunday of Advent!!!  Today, we are going to do a little bit of a “deep dive” into the Scriptures for this weekend.  So hold on to your hats: Our first reading today from the Old Testament, from the second of three parts in the Book of Isaiah, we hear the first time in all of Scripture the reference to God as a shepherd.  It is in reference to the “second exodus”.  The first Exodus was Moses leading the Israelite people out of slavery in Egypt into the desert for 40 years.  This second exodus is an exodus that happens when the Israelite people were permitted to ...

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