I hope you are enjoying our 45th Annual Parish Festival, which benefits our parish school 100%. It was originally begun as a one-day St. Paddy’s event for the school, but “has grown by leaps and bounds” over the years. Removed from the middle of March because of conflicting schedules of carnival workers and others, it has become a staple of the Delray and Boynton Beach communities and our “snow-bird” visitors. I thank our Moms and Dads (and a good number of Grandparents, too) for the volunteerism over these days, including setting up and taking down so many items that help make it a huge success. Our children are also involved with volunteer services at the festival, while benefitting from some time for the family fun. All of this takes place under the leadership of Mr. Gerard Olortegui and his countless assistants. May God bless them for their service to our parish in helping to keep the expense of receiving a quality Catholic education to a minimum. May our parish family continue to show their appreciation to these fine workers by treating them with the respect they deserve during these exhausting days at work.

We are sorry to say “good-bye” to our Sister Maria Gruszka, LSIC, who departed for her native Poland this past week in order to take care of her ailing mother, Zofia (89), who suffers from the effects of a debilitating stroke. Sister Maria has served us well as Director of Religious Education and Sacristan. Her many hours of dedicated service to God’s House and His people will be sorely missed. She asks for your prayers for her Mom, and I assured her you will do so. In her place as Director of Religious Education, I have appointed Mr. A.J. Castro, who will also serve as an assistant to Mrs. Heather Hackett in our Youth Ministry Program of LIFE TEEN and EDGE. “A.J.” has had experience working in these areas, and I’ve assured him of your support in his work here. You’ll probably be seeing him at this weekend’s Festival.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has flatly rejected President Obama’s obsequious so-called “accommodation,” on the recently issued mandatory birth control edict, calling it “an assault on the freedoms and sensibilities of all religious believers everywhere.” Good for them! They have stood up for the religious freedom of their own faithful as well as all other believers. Some media pundits are calling this “the greatest fight for religious liberty in our domestic politics in our lifetime.” But, the real issue here is not contraception or even abortion, although the media and the pro-choice crowd are trying to put contraception in the forefront in order to isolate the Bishops. No, the issue here is religious liberty: Can the state trample on the rights of people’s consciences and force citizens to violate what they believe are their obligations before God? I sure don’t want my tax money going to violate my principles!

What we are witnessing is a profound assault on what our Nation’s founders thought was the primary, foundational liberty which had to be guaranteed—the right to the free exercise of religion. If this right is destroyed, then no bulwark against tyranny will remain. This is why we must redouble our efforts to defend religious freedom. In the end, we all know this is a spiritual battle. If you call this a “battle,” then the battle lines are drawn. No Christian can afford to be on the sidelines. Many Churches and believers of many Christian traditions and denominations are standing together as one. Even non-Christian leaders have signed a petition to address this issue with Mr. Obama. Our strength is in our unity and in our determination to be faithful to the Lord in whatever he calls us to do.

Though it’s occurring in an election year, and some are saying that the Catholics have made this a political issue, our President could have very easily avoided this situation at this time; it seems that the “political football” was punted from his side of the field at the moment his advisors thought best. So, while we get on our knees, let’s ask our friends to join alongside us to pray, especially, that God might use this dreadful threat to unite His Church and raise us up for action. We must also contact our Congress (both Houses) to ask them to circumvent the whimsical fantasies of this Administration by introducing legislative action that will stop the executive “fiat” of our President and his puppet, the so-called “Catholic” head of the Health and Human Services Department. I thank you for your co-operation in our defense of the most precious of all our basic 4 freedoms: freedom of religion.

Very Rev. Canon Tom

As we enter our 71st year of the existence of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, we have so much to be grateful for, and many people to pray for, including our long-time members, some of whom who cannot always get to church because of weakness or illness. We also have people whose lives were deeply affected by their Catholic education in our parish school in past years, many of whom have gone on to be successful in different areas of the state or country, yet, who continue to proudly reflect the benefits of being a member of our parish. We are particularly grateful to those parishioners, friends and visitors who take the time, effort and resources to support our parish and its school in numerous ways: the Ferrer Fund, our Annual Parish Festival, the Auction/Dinner-Dance and our Golf-Tennis Tourney, to name just a few. For all who help “keep us going,” we say “THANK YOU!!” Now, we are entering the final days of our preparation for the festival – our 45th one! The many hands and hearts that make this possible are a great blessing to our parish school and its children - - YOUR children - - OUR CHILDREN! In order for this enterprise to be a financial success, we still need to sell those $100 raffle tickets. Our kids are counting on us! So, for the last few weeks before we hold the $50,000 worth of prizes drawing (with a $25,000 Grand Prize going to the 1st place winner), let’s see if we can pool our resources (already successful in the preliminary drawing in January) and purchase the remaining tickets to make it all work!

This weekend is COMMITMENT SUNDAY for our annual DSA (Diocesan Services Appeal), and if you haven’t filled out your pledge envelope yet (or forgot it, or didn’t even get it mailed to you), there will be plenty of envelopes available for you via our Ushers and Ministers of Hospitality. As we prayerfully reflected this past week upon the sacrificial commitment that Bishop Barbarito asked us to make, may our response be one that expresses our gratitude to God for all that He bestows upon us. Even if you are a guest here, your gift still counts! Many men and women, who have reached out to us over the years as members of our Catholic Faith in a “Circle of Friends” and “extended family,” help us grow closer to the Lord by service to His people everywhere. Here is our chance to make an effective response in gratitude.

What a wonderful “collection of celebrations” we had during CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK. Among the ones that especially touched me, was the performance of our children on Grandparents’ Day and their loving display of their God-given gifts in the Talent Show that took place in conjunction with the Annual Spaghetti Dinner on Saturday night. They really exploded with joy and exuberance as they put forth their best efforts to entertain and demonstrate how well they are maturing in the right ways because of their Catholic school education. These are our precious children and the hope of the future for the Catholic Church in America. I pray they will continue to use their God-given talents to develop their minds as Christian men and women leaders in years to come. Let’s thank their teachers and administrators, too.

Yet, there is a deep concern I have for our young people if their parents don’t bring them to church on Sunday to worship God. The rationalizations that are poured forth for not being in the House of God on the Sabbath read like classic dribble from a godless author, or an anti-Christian polemic on why we don’t need God in the 21st century. Growing up in a Catholic household, where expected participation at Sunday weekly worship was a “given,” and not an option, we took seriously the clear command, found in the third of the Ten Commandments: “to Keep Holy the Lord’s Day.” If our children are not shown a good example in this area of their lives through the undoing of week-long efforts of teaching in our Catholic schools, what can we expect of them when faced with other challenges once they leave school? I apologize for the scandal also given by those who walk out of Mass early each weekend. It’s not really reflective of the majority who stay for God’s blessing. Jesus saw one of “His own” do that, and He warns us of the consequences of giving scandal to “little ones.” He’s quite blunt, and didn’t mince His words.

We were privileged to have our shepherd, Bishop Gerald Barbarito, celebrate the annual Anniversary Mass for Married Couples in our church this past Saturday for those who have been married for 25, 40, 50 or more years. There were several of our parishioners among these honored. It’s nice to see the large number who made and continue to make the great effort to live out their wedding vows, supporting one another and building up in each other the love of Christ. They and their families are the “little church” that the last two popes have spoken of so glowingly, and serve as a fitting example of real commitment.

This past week afforded me two special privileges. On Monday, I was able to concelebrate Mass with Stanislaus Cardinal Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, and long-time secretary of our late pope, Blessed John Paul II. My friendship with Cardinal Dziwisz goes back to Rome, in June of 1967, when he was a young priest-secretary of then-Cardinal Wojtyla (the future Pope John Paul II) and I was a young seminarian. I didn’t even suspect that his “boss” would one day become the great spiritual leader of our Church, though the recollection of our meeting then should have been an indication of the possibility of his future greatness. I still remember those days fondly, and cherish the souvenir photos of that time. On Wednesday, I was in Tallahassee for the annual “Catholic Days at the Capitol,” and offered the prayer for the opening session for the Florida Senate, thanks to the kind influence of our local Catholic State Senator, Maria Sachs. It wasn’t the first time I’ve offered the prayer in our capitol (County Tax Collector and parishioner, Ann Gannon, first offered it to me several years ago), but each time it is a cherished opportunity to lead legislators in prayer to consider the needs of our state and nation. The week in Tallahassee is also a time as concerned Catholics to express our concerns for upcoming legislation and to lobby local leaders to respect and consider the Catholic point of view on those issues that have direct moral implications affecting our lives and those of many others. Among those who assist us in the lobbying are the members of the Florida Catholic Conference, including our former parishioner, Sheila Hopkins, who directs much of the legislative program that assists us in our visit. May our civic leaders be sufficiently inspired to lead us closer to our God-directed destiny!!

Very Rev. Canon Tom

This weekend, besides being “Super Bowl Sunday,” is also the official “kick-off” weekend for the 2012 Annual Bishop’s Appeal.  It begins the opportunity to pledge our special support of our Bishop in his efforts to promote the work of charity throughout our five-county diocese. In sponsoring a number of institutions and programs that help those in greatest need, we foster a sense of “ownership” of these organizations and programs and help them carry out the work of God through us. How can you help?  By making the pledge that best indicates your desire to assist Bishop Barbarito in reaching our diocesan goal, as well as once again making our parish goal ($199,000). Encourage your little ones to help, too.

Our young people will also be showing their concern for the homeless of our region by holding out their soup pots for your generous donation that will support the “Family Promise” program that’s HQ’d on our campus. Several of them will also spend a day in makeshift cardboard shelters, trying to fathom, if only for a day, what it might be like to be homeless and dependent upon others for food and shelter.

Thank you for the efforts you made last week to show your continued support of our Catholic school. The Knights of Columbus gave a generous gift of $1,000, the result of several fund-raising efforts on their part, including last week’s fun-filled “Knight at the Races,” Pancake Breakfasts, Fish Frys and 50-50s. Our observance of Catholic Schools Week, with its theme of “faith, academics and service,” is highlighted by the Spaghetti Dinner fund-raiser that brings us together as a family, enjoying food and fun together. Thank you to Mrs. Delgado, the staff and all the parents who worked so hard to make all these great things happen for our kids. Our students are God’s special people and are certainly worth it! Now let’s keep the momentum going with the upcoming $100 raffle ticket sales. It helps keep our school going.

This week, I want to share some further thoughts on the theme of the dignity of human life that we’ve been promoting in these past few bulletin letters. Admittedly not mine, these thoughts come from the new President of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops. I found them to be “right-on.” In a recent address at Fordham University, Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan of New York said that “Natural law is a concept of objective truth, not religious preference; and reliance on natural law and human rights will move the culture and its laws in the direction of authentic respect for human life.” The most effective way, according to him, to engage in conversations about human life with people who disagree with the Church's position is to "untether" discussions of natural law "from what might be thought of as unique Catholic confessionalism," and reference the writings of non-Catholic authors. After all, it's not really a ‘Catholic’ thing; it's a natural thing; it's a human thing!

"Our society has caricatured natural law as some medieval tool the Church is using to justify its own unique and antiquated system of teaching. Of course, the opposite is true," he said. "Natural law theory is not uniquely Catholic; it's human! Some of the greatest exponents of the natural law, like Aristotle and Cicero, never heard of the Catholic Church. These things we teach are not true because they happen to be taught by the Church. We teach them because they happen to be true.” This pre-dates the Church.

Blessed John Paul II's encyclical "Evangelium Vitae," described the culture of death as one that denies the basic solidarity inherent in the human person, and is obsessed with efficiency and convenience, waging a war of the powerful against the weak. The Cardinal asks, "Can sustained human rights, girded by law, survive in such a culture? The pragmatic, utilitarian world view depends upon sand to construct a system of laws protecting human rights, particularly, human life itself, since everything is constantly being re-negotiated, based on drifting dunes of utility, convenience, privacy, and self-interest."

An important proposition of the Gospel of Life is "that the dignity of the human person and respect for inviolable human rights are not just based on divine revelation, but on an objective moral law which, as the 'natural law' written in the human heart, is the obligatory point of reference for civil law itself.”

A strange feature of modern political and legal theory is that only neutral, utilitarian principles can provide a basis for public policy discussions and law; so, appeals to transcendent values, such as religion, cannot legitimately be presented. “The Gospel of Life proposes an alternative vision of law and culture, one that provides an antidote to the pragmatic nihilism that produces a culture of death. It seeks to recapture the essential relationship between the civil law and the moral law, and to foster a culture in which all human life is valued and authentic human development is possible. The Gospel of Life calls us specifically to offer a clear, faith-based view of humanity as a basis for human law. Christians propose that truth can only be known and freedom truly exercised by recognizing that they are a gift from God."

Dolan continued, "A reliance on the natural law and human rights will enable us to move the culture, and thus our laws, in the direction of authentic respect for human life. It will be a gradual, incremental process ... and require compromise and acceptance of intermediary steps."

He described pragmatism, utilitarianism and consumerism as a trinity of related culprits that chisel away at the culture of life and "seem to be ascendant in culture and normative in making laws." From this point of view, "A baby is useless and impractical from a raw, pragmatic, utilitarian or consumerist view" and is seen by some in the culture of death "as a commodity, an accessory.  We have babies, if at all, to satisfy our desires, not to sacrifice for theirs; to fulfill our needs, not to invite us to spend the rest of our lives fulfilling their needs; to reward us, not because we want to give to them."

"To this culture of death, the Church boldly and joyfully promotes the culture of life," he said. “People can promote the culture of life by living, speaking and teaching the truth in love. Usually, we will attract more people by the compelling nature of our love and, in the end that will be what most hypnotizes and magnetizes people."

Very Rev. Canon Tom

As we get closer to our 45th Annual Parish Festival, you’ll continue to hear our priests and committee members “push” the event at our church, particularly by selling the $100 raffle tickets that account for a major part of our all-important fund-raising effort for our school. Though the economy has not been the best, we’re still offering the same amount of prizes that we had offered in more prosperous times. If you and your friends, family-members or co-workers get-together and consolidate your donation for the purchase of the ticket, you’ll be one of those who stand a chance at winning gifts that will more than cover your expenses for the ticket. Again, I thank our volunteer Moms and Dads who will man the tables outside of church to bring us the opportunity to take home one of the cash prizes. They do make nice gifts for any number of occasions. Buy a ticket and help support Catholic education in our parish school!

Did you notice the new Baptismal/holy water font at the front entrance of our church? It’s quite heavy, weighing half-a-ton, and with its richly sculptured white marble will enhance the entrance and add beauty and dignity to our church and to the Sacrament of Baptism. It replaces a temporary wooden piece that has served that same purpose for several years. We still have a little gold-leaf embellishment to add as a touch-up for the font to finish the project that was commissioned in our 70th anniversary year by our Parish Pastoral Council. If you are interested in being one of the donors for the font, please contact Deacon Bruce or me for that possibility. Ten donors at $1,000 a piece, or four at $2,500, or two at $5,000, or even one at $10,000 will ensure your remembrance in that gift.

Were you as puzzled as I to see the very poor coverage that the media gave to this past week’s annual “MARCH FOR LIFE” in Washington, D.C.? Yet, why should we be surprised? The current administration is overtly commandeering the media in its attempt to get its anti-life, “pro-choice” (read: “pro-abort”) propaganda out to the public in order to obscure the valiant efforts of the faithful to promote respect for life in all forms. Additionally, our news reported that under new federal regulations, most Catholic institutions will have to get “in-step” with the rest of the country’s industries and organizations to offer medical “benefits” (as they call them) that will include many that are antithetical to Catholic teachings and traditional moral practices. What have we done to ourselves in allowing these challenges our basic Constitutionally-guaranteed “freedom” of religion to go unchecked?

Recently, Pope Benedict XVI spoke with a group of bishops from the U.S. telling them that at the heart of every culture is a consensus about the nature of reality and [the] moral good. In America, that consensus was grounded in a worldview shaped not only by faith but a commitment to certain ethical principles deriving from nature and nature's God. Today that consensus has eroded significantly in the face of powerful new cultural currents which are not only directly opposed to core moral teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but increasingly hostile to Christianity as such. To the extent that some current cultural trends contain elements that would curtail the proclamation of these truths, they represent a threat not just to the Christian faith, but also to humanity itself, and to the deepest truth about our being and ultimate vocation: our relationship to God.

He said that the Church's defense of a moral reasoning based on the natural law is grounded on her conviction that this law is not a threat to our freedom, but rather a 'language' which enables us to understand ourselves and the truth of our being, and so to shape a more just and humane world. “She thus proposes her moral teaching as a message not of constraint but of liberation, and as the basis for building a secure future.” He explained that the Church's witness is “of its nature public: she seeks to convince by proposing rational arguments in the public square. The legitimate separation of Church and State cannot be taken to mean that the Church must be silent on certain issues, nor that the State may choose not to engage…. the voices of committed believers in determining the values which will shape the future of the nation." He also stated that it is "imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States come to realize the grave threats to the Church's public moral witness presented by a radical secularism, which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres. Of particular concern are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms, the freedom of religion."

The pope noted concerns about the right of conscientious objection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices; and a tendency to reduce religious freedom to mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect for freedom of conscience. "Here … we see the need for an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-àvis the dominant culture and with the courage to counter a... secularism which would delegitimize the Church's participation in public debate about the issues which are determining the future of American society. The preparation of committed lay leaders and the presentation of a convincing articulation of the Christian vision of man and society remain a primary task of the Church in your country; as essential components of the new evangelization, these concerns must shape the vision and goals of catechetical programs at every level."

Benedict XVI lauded the bishops' efforts “to maintain contacts with Catholics involved in political life and to help them understand their personal responsibility to offer public witness to their faith, especially with regard to the great moral issues of our time: respect for God's gift of life, the protection of human dignity and the promotion of authentic human rights." He stated that anyone who looks realistically at the issues he described will see "the genuine difficulties which the Church encounters at the present moment."

Very Rev. Canon Tom

It’s the weekend for Respect Human Life, and I have a twist on our annual observance. Everybody has a hero, it seems, though what type of hero and what is the source of that admiration seems to play differently to the vast audience of hero‐worshippers. Some admire “heroes” from the spiritual realm, others are to be found in Hollywood on the celluloid or other make‐believe stages of the entertainment world. Others are war or civic heroes, true to form. Still, some are found among the vast array of political, sports or financial entrepreneurs. A current one for me, believe it or not, is a sports hero, too. His name: Tim Tebow!

In spite of the Broncos loss last weekend, the question still will be asked whether Tim Tebow will end up an NFL great, like fellow Bronco, John Elway? That remains to be seen. I could probably get as many opinions as the number of people that I ask. But what is certain is that Tim has become a special person in my book (though I’m not known to particularly favor the Broncos) because he’s not afraid to live and proclaim his Christian faith. He’s a walking, living pro‐life testimonial, going back even to before he was born. When he was still in‐the‐womb, his mother courageously chose to carry him to term despite doctors’ recommendations that she abort him.

Even before he went pro, a Christian family group commissioned an innocuous TV ad that ran during the 2010 Saints‐Colts Super Bowl game. It briefly told the story of his family’s struggle about Tim’s impending birth. The word “abortion” wasn’t even mentioned, but all it took to rock the liberal “anti‐life” movement was a positive portrayal of child‐bearing. Radical feminist groups (some call them femi‐Nazis), media‐types and liberal pundits went haywire even before the ad ran. The vice president of The National Organization for Women (NOW) told ABC News that Tebow’s story of survival was “really quite offensive… This ad is hate masquerading as love!” she barked. But guess where the real hate was? You see, Tim wasn’t dismembered alive and scraped in pieces from his mother’s womb. The New York‐based Women’s Media Center launched a failed censorship petition drive to pull the ad, framing it as an “attack on choice.” Yet, Tim’s mom did make a “choice,” only it wasn’t the right choice for them, and she dared to make it known publicly.

As Tim Tebow’s claim to fame has grown exponentially, so, too, has the left’s hatred for him. This is due in large part to his very open Christian faith. After each game, Tim begins by thanking God: “First and foremost, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” The new expression known as “Tebowing” is about his dropping to one knee in prayer. Then there’s Tim’s favorite Scripture verse, John 3:16, (also found on Notre Dame’s Library wall facing their football field) which he’s known to wear painted in black swaths under each eye. After the Broncos’ recent electrifying playoff win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime, John 3:16, was reportedly the most popular search term on the Internet. During that game, Tebow coincidentally passed for precisely 316 yards and averaged 31.6 yards per completed pass. As the television viewing audience for the last 15 minutes of the game was 31.6 percent, to add this to his mystique.

The attention that Tebow’s bold faith has drawn to the Gospel message has secular “progressives” and other Goddeniers furious ranting as raving lunatics. American Atheists, a New Jersey‐based group that promotes religious cleansing from the public sphere, says that Tebow is “full of cr*p.” “Tebow takes religion and injects it into the mix and divides the fan base,” complained David Silverman, the group’s president. “[Religion] injects the divisive force into football,” he continued. “Why in the world are we talking about religion when we are talking about football?” he demanded (because, leaving out religion, then football is just a touchy‐feely snuggle fest). Of course, Tebow is merely doing what Jesus asks of his followers: “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32) 

The problem is that secular “progressives” don’t want Christ acknowledged before anyone ‐‐ period! They endeavor to shut down or mock anybody who tries. For example, during the Broncos’ regular season loss to the Buffalo Bills, socalled “progressive” anti‐Catholic and pseudo‐intellectual funnyman Bill Maher tweeted about the game, capturing the left’s visceral hatred for Tim Tebow in 140 characters or less: “Wow, Jesus just [expletive deleted] TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve!! Somewhere in hell Satan is Tebowing, saying to Hitler ‘Hey, Buffalo’s killing them.’”

Jesus addressed the Bill Mahers of the world — past, present and future — on more than one occasion. In John 15:18‐20, for instance, He reminds His followers: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” Those who belong to the world do indeed hate Tim Tebow. He stands for much of what our post‐modern popular culture despises: sexual purity within the bonds of natural marriage, the sanctity of human life, selflessness, personal charity, humility and much, much more. After all, Tebow has never even been arrested for drug possession or sexual assault, for Pete’s sake! We simply can’t allow children this kind of sports’ role model now, can we?

So, even if God doesn’t care about who wins NFL football games, He unquestionably cares about those who play, watch and love football. Win or lose, no matter what happens with the rest of the football season, one thing is for sure: people will keep talking about the Broncos’ Tim Tebow. And when people are talking about Tim they can’t help but talk about the profound faith that drives him both on and off the field.

Very Rev. Canon Tom

Our annual diocesan Catholic Men for Jesus Rally will take place Saturday, Jan. 28th, from 8 am to 1 pm, in the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola, 9999 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens. It’s open to all men from ages 14 and up, and breakfast and lunch will be served. The closing liturgy will be celebrated by Bishop Babrbarito, and our featured speaker will be author and nationally syndicated radio host, Allen Hunt, a convert from Methodism. He is now associated with Matthew Kelly’s Dynamic Catholic Institute. Last year, we sold out, so please register early. Our parish rally coordinator is Jamie Lesane, at 752-4278. It’s a great uplift for all men who want to be good Catholic men, husbands and fathers.

It has been 39 years since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in the U.S. So, on Monday, January 23rd, the annual Palm Beach Diocesan observance of the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision of the Supreme Court will take place across the street from the County Court House (in front of the old court house), with Bishop Barbarito leading the Rosary, beginning at 11:00 a.m. I invite you to join in this peaceful, prayerful demonstration against the unjust taking of human life by abortion, and to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide those women facing the loneliness.

The results of our election last weekend of a new member to the Parish Pastoral Council shows that the majority vote went to Kit Johansen. Congratulations to Kit, and to all who exercised their right to vote in the election. These men and women are an important source of information and help in guiding me with the administration of our parish and planning its future.

The winners of the Early-Bird Special Raffle of the hundred-dollar raffle tickets for the 45th Annual Parish Festival are: Pat Fuller, Anna Powell, Larry Clarke and “The Ten of Us” (% Pat Scarpino). Each of these lucky ticket holders win $500 now, and have a chance to win again in the Grand Prize Drawing on February 26th. Congratulations! Thank you to the sellers of our tickets outside the church doors on the weekends. I appreciate your support of the festival; it is a blessing for all the parents who want to keep our school as the best one in town and beyond!

Our annual Men’s & Women’s retreats at Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center in North Palm Beach are fast approaching. This year’s theme is “Handing on the Faith.” The retreat will be a reflection both on receiving the Faith, and our Baptismal call to hand it on and make it known through our lives and words to others in this world. The men’s retreat will be held February 3-5, and the women’s on March 16-18. For more info and registration, the website address is: http://www.ourladyofflorida.org/programs.htm. Our parish coordinators are: (Men) David Henninger (251-2866) or David Schmidt (665-1107); (Women) Deborah Dowd (276-3991). This is a great way to launch our adults into the spirit of the Lenten season.

As we draw closer to the weekend of our 45th Annual Parish Festival, I thank all the members of the Parish Festival Committee, under the leadership of Geraldo Olortegui, for exercising their stewardship of time and talent for the sake of our parish, especially our school. Also, the parents and students who sell the tickets on the weekend are a big plus in our efforts to promote the event. My prayer is that all of our parents will participate in volunteering for the festival (“volunteering” really means doing it without counting the cost or seeking a personal reward or “perks”). This helps us to save on the costs involved in educating our kids in a Catholic setting, and that’s what makes the difference! God bless our volunteers!

We’ve officially closed the Christmas season last Monday afternoon, with the Feast of Jesus’ Baptism. During the Christmas celebration this year, I was asked this question more than once: “Is missing Mass on Sundays and Holy Days still a mortal sin that has to be confessed; and if so, why?” I think they must have been visitors, because I think our parishioners already know the real answer. But in case there may be some doubt, let’s consult the law. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we learn that, “The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin (CCC 2181)[emphasis mine]. That directive is quite emphatic in its own right. So, I just wonder how many are failing to exercise this serious obligation, and then proceed to receive the Holy Eucharist (unworthily?), as if nothing serious happened in their responsibility and obligation to keep holy the Lord’s Day. The Code of Church Law (CIC #1247) says, “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.” Notice, it doesn’t say just “go to Mass.” Thank God, we have the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Now, if we could just get those who regularly walk out of Mass early (and miss God’s blessing at the conclusion) and think they still are pleasing God because they “came to church,” --to rethink their heresy……

Very Rev. Canon Tom

Is your celebration of Christmas over yet? --Not ours, nor the Church’s -- for today we celebrate a feast often referred to as “Little Christmas,” or the Feast of the Epiphany, or the Feast of the Three Kings. Traditionally, it was celebrated in the Western part of the Catholic Church on January 6th, right after the 12th day of Christmas (hence “little” Christmas). It was the real day when gifts were exchanged. In the earlier centuries, it was considered an even more important day than the feast of Christmas itself. Sadly, it has lost a lot of its significance, so much so that the Catholic Church decided to put it on a moveable date: the first Sunday after the first of the New Year, when it could be celebrated with greater attendance at Mass.

The symbolism of this Gospel story today gives us deeper insight into God’s love for us, and how we can better live the Christian life. Most of us have sweet memories of that time that our parents first brought us, as little children, to kneel at the Christmas crib and marvel at the peaceful scene before us. I recall that the baby Jesus had His arms reaching out, as if to embrace everyone in the world. That image sums up perfectly the meaning of His Epiphany (manifestation), to the Magi or Wise Men from the East. Jesus, sharing in our humanity, invites men and women of all nations and races to share in His kingdom.

The Magi were Gentiles, sincere men seeking the truth, and they made a long journey to find the Wisdom of the ages: Jesus. They offered Him gifts, which were perfectly appropriate: gold, which acknowledged His kingship; incense, which represented His divinity, and myrrh, which indicated the sacrifice He was to make for us.

The Magi worshipped Jesus and gave Him their most valuable gifts. What would be our most valuable gift that we could give to the newborn Christ? I’m not sure that there’s a right answer, but I think that there is no greater gift we could give than the gift of ourselves. By giving ourselves, we become disciples of Jesus. Pope John Paul II, in a homily on one Epiphany feast, invited all of us “to do everything that the Magi did: offer gifts – the gold of love, the incense of prayer and the myrrh of sacrifice.

God reveals Himself to us so that we will be epiphanies (manifestations) for others! Just as He revealed Jesus to the Magi from foreign countries, we must reveal Jesus to people who still do not know Him, or to those who need to know Him better, even among our friends, families, and neighbors. Christ, the light of our life, is “out there,” in the world. But He is also within us, to be revealed by our words and actions as people who have been redeemed out of love and who are to continue to spread that love to a world that has been darkened by sin.

Today, we also honor the Wise Men in their finding of Christ with the tradition of the 3 Kings brought from Central Europe: by invoking their intercession as we inscribe in blessed chalk on the main doorways of our home the initials of the traditional names of the Magi: namely, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. The inscription can be done this way: 20+C+M+B+12. The incense can be burned as desired at home, perhaps during a family prayer get-together (but please do it in a safe manner).

This Tuesday, after the 8:30 a.m. Mass, we will dismantle the Christmas decorations in church, as we have returned to Ordinary time in the Church calendar. I need some volunteers for about two hours to help our maintenance staff put away the manger and decorations and clean the sanctuary. A lunch will be served (as always) for those volunteers who help. Do you have the time and volunteer spirit to help?

This Sunday, after all of the weekend Masses, we vote in the Parish Family life Center for one of the proposed candidates for our Parish Pastoral Council. Their pictures and a brief biography have been posted near the entrances of our church and Parish Center. If you are a registered parishioner who is 18 or older, you may cast your ballot. The winner will serve a specified term on the Pastoral Council, which serves to give me advice in administering our parish. I thank the candidates for their willingness to serve.

Also, this Sunday in Kellaghan Hall, we will be drawing the winning prizes for our “early-bird special” raffle (those who already bought their $100 tickets for the Annual Parish Festival that occurs toward the end of next month). The winners are also eligible to win again in the drawing at the end of the festival!

We welcome back Father Jay Haskin, recently retired from the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, who graciously assists us on weekdays and weekends in the midst of his retirement. We also welcome back from the Alaskan outback, our poster boy for Blue Bell ice cream, Monsignor Anderson. Both priests are a blessing to our parish and a great assistance to me in ministering to our parish.

Very Rev. Canon Tom

Today (January 1st), besides beginning the New Year, we celebrate the Solemn Feast of Mary, Mother of God. In actuality, this is one of the oldest Marian celebrations in the Christian calendar, but somehow slipped into obscurity for many generations. Revived by Pope Paul VI, this feast now stands at the head of the calendar year, although, not the liturgical calendar (which began on the 1st Sunday of Advent). We invoke the intercession of Mary as we begin our New Year. This year, on January 8th, we will celebrate the greatest feast of the Christmas season, the Epiphany (also called the Feast of the Three Kings, and “Little Christmas,” a real misnomer, for it should be the “Great Christmas!”). Then we will conclude our 12 days of Christmas, which will end on January 9th, the Baptism of Our Lord. Afterwards, we’ll revert to Ordinary Time, until we begin Lent.

Thank you for your generous contribution to our annual Christmas collection. Though final figures are not in, our Christmas collection, thus far, is over $55,000 this year, with promises of more gifts to be received. Though we lost out on a Sunday collection this year because of the occurrence of Christmas Day on a Sunday, your generous gift to make up for that loss closes us in nearer to last year’s double opportunity to give. Additional gifts for tax write-off purposes will also help close the financial gap. May you be rewarded by Our Lord for your continuous help and support of our parish!

I express my hearty “Thank you” to the men, women and teens who help set up all the Christmas decorations in our church this year. Many of our out-of-town visitors expressed comments such as “stunning” and “inspiring” regarding the beauty of the arrangement. I hope the flowers will last through the Christmas season, and I thank you for your support in paying for their purchase. I also express my gratitude to Bill Stafford and the Adult Choir, along with solo members of our Liturgical Music group that brought such delight to our parishioners and visitors with their musical enhancement of the Masses here. It seems that they took special effort during the Advent season to truly prepare for the celebration of Christmas at St. Vincent, and brought much joy to the people who participated at Mass on Christmas. The extra hard work of practicing and rehearsing truly “paid off” this year.

The following “Thank You” note comes from Rami Qumsieh, of the Catholic Palestinian community, who spoke recently in our church about the plight of Catholics and other Christians in the Holy Land.

“I am very pleased that many of you took the time to come to meet me after Mass. Your community – Msgr. Skindeleski, other priests and deacons-- made me feel very welcome and appreciated. So many of you gave me kind and sincere words of gratitude; your kindness to this cause is very humbling. I know if enough of us become aware of this issue, a solution will be at hand quickly. I appreciate that many of you purchased the religious articles that were available.

Many Christian Palestinians will soon be hard at work to replenish what you purchased, and more. This, in turn, creates a virtuous cycle of simple commerce, all because of those who chose to participate. Thanks!

Please remember, money is part of stewardship. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer. Now that you know we exist and realize our natural role in the family of Christ, please pray, and ask others to pray for us, as well.

I pray that our Prince of Peace will always protect the Christian character of the Holy Land for generations to come. Please visit our website, www.HolyLandDirect.com and feel free to drop me a note; I read them all.

Wishing you blessings in the Christmas season and a holy New Year, Rami Qumsieh.”

Next weekend, we will hold the elections for vacancies on the Parish Pastoral Council for the coming year. The names of the candidates to be elected are posted on the church doors and the lobby of our Parish Family Life Center. They include Phil Bukowski, Kit Johansen, John Lynch, Frank Manfredonia and Joe Mastrullo. All registered adults (18 or over) will have an opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice after the Masses next weekend. They will serve as advisors for me in making certain decisions that affect the life of our parish family. Here’s your chance to get the representative you feel will best serve in this role.

That same day (Jan 8th), we will also hold the pre-Festival Raffle for those who have already purchased their $100 raffle ticket. You will again have a chance to win big at the Festival in February (24, 25, 26). The raffle, to be held in the Family Life Center, will follow the last morning Mass. I wish you Good Luck!!!

Our Ferrer Fund begins its new year for a major support of our parish school and our church. The past year’s total, as of December 27th, was $150,432.75, with pledges still being honored totaling $4,300. Even though we had originally hoped to reach a higher set goal, most of the figure is based on gifts for the first half of the year, rather than the full year (since we began the program in the calendar year 2011). Our scheduling of this year’s goal coincides, for the most part, with the academic year of our school, which began last August and ends around May 31st, though this year’s challenge will continue until the end of the fiscal year, June 30th. Your past gift is so well appreciated, making possible the improvements already being utilized in the school, and that makes a difference in the way our children receive a quality education. Thank you for your gracious assist in meeting the needs of our parish.

Very Rev. Canon Tom