December 28, 2008

Dear friends in life and in ministry . . .

As surprising as it may seem, the past week brought one of the quietest and least stressful Christmases in memory. With Annie and her almost two year old Jack in Florida and Monica and her boyfriend Nate in Chicago, only Chris and his friend Audrey were available to join us for dinner on Christmas Day.

This year we could offer only two parish Masses for the Holy Day. The Christmas Eve celebration at 3:30 p.m. was as expected - a full house, a touching nativity re-enactment by our children and great music by our choir. Our Christmas Day tradition is for Pat and me to lead the singing of carols with the guitar at 10 a.m. Mass. My friends Kenneth Anderson and Jack Lyle joined us this year and the much quieter congregation still sang heartily.

I have included my Christmas homily which I've entitled "A Christmas Story 2008" (See downloadable file below: A Christmas Story 2008). The story actually took place in Bath on the week before Christmas when fire destroyed a family home. These links will lead you to newspaper and TV coverage of the event which inspired my homily.

http://www.the-leader.com/news/x946488954

http://www.weny.com/News-Local.asp?ARTICLE3864=9140009

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family. At St. Mary's my homily included the viewing of a DVD movie "The Joy of Saint Mary's" which I put together with help from our Stewardship Committee. It included about 300 photos of our parishioners and their ministries. Next weekend, we'll be giving a copy of the DVD to each parishioner as a Christmas Gift. I hope to get a shorter version of it on You Tube by next weekend so any of you who would like to watch can view it. The file is much too large to attach.

Emanuel. God is with us. May your Christmas be blest.

PS: Tragedy struck the Corning community early Saturday morning when fire destroyed Sorge's Restaurant. For 57 years, Sorges's has been a popular family restaurant specializing in Italian American food. My prayers are with three wonderful friends Joe and Mike Sorge and their sister Teresa Bullock during this time of loss.
http://www.the-leader.com/news/x1369589156

TRAVEL WITH US IN 2009
Pat and I invite you to join us on a "Lands of the Bible Cruise" that we've scheduled for November 11, 2009. Follow the link below to download our itinerary. Then, if you are interested, drop me an email and I'll send you a brochures and registration form. (http://www.deaconray.com/travel.htm)

December 25, 2008 - Christmas Blessings

Merry Christmas! On behalf of our Parish Staff, I wish you all the best in this holy season of grace and peace. This is not only a time of family celebrations and new life, but a time of reaching out to others. If you are visiting us this Christmas, we extend our warmest welcome! It's our parishioners who make a St. Mary’s a welcoming place! As a parish we work hard to make room for all, not just because it is a courteous thing to do, but because it is who we are! Each week the first page of our bulletin carries our Parish Mission Statement to remind us of who we are- “A welcoming oasis of peace, love and outreach.”

At St. Mary’s, we know that “Church” is more than a building; it is also a community of faith, the gathering of the faithful, the "people of God." In Baptism, we are received into God's family. Church is the home where that family gathers to celebrate God's unconditional love.

Throughout our lives, church is the home where we mark the pivotal moments that tell us who God is and who we are because of God's love. We are like homing pigeons returning time and again to celebrate births and deaths, Baptisms and Marriages, Confirmations and Eucharist with God’s family. These sacramental moments are spent together in addition to our regular "family" gatherings at Sunday Mass. These sacred times include Faith Formation classes and Youth Group sessions, Committee meetings, parish dinners, bereavement luncheons, coffee hours and pancake breakfasts, choir rehearsals and monthly “Can and Quarter collections for the poor. They also include Lenten and Youth Retreats, K of C gatherings, Bible Study, Prayer groups, “Healing” Masses and so much more.

Regrettably we know that a large number of Roman Catholics are no longer comfortable in their home. Sometimes it is the circumstances of life that cause people to feel estranged or separated. Occasionally it is that an individual carries a deep pain that is rooted in some difficult situation of the past or worse, they feel that who they are is unacceptable.

We are called to BE church - God's Family to one another. In giving us this Church, God gives us a spiritual home on earth. It is a precursor of the home we will have for all eternity. There all walls and barriers will come down and we will dwell fully in union with God and all God's people. Our task while in this earthly home is to do all we can to help each other grow into the home we will share in heaven.

Christmas is often a great "homecoming" for many who have been away from Church or God. Do you know someone who is not “at home” in our parish? Do you know someone who has just drifted away? Someone who feels alienated or shut out? Please tell them that we are here for them and that our parish is a “home” where they can always expect a warm welcome (and an apology if needed)! Our Pastoral Staff is ready to assist anyone who needs our help. May we always reach out to others so they too can be at home with us!

Have a Blessed Christmas.

Deacon Ray

This Week's Column: December 28, 2008 - The Spirit of Stewardship

Throughout the Season of Advent we have celebrated the Spirit of Stewardship that gives life to our parishioners and their ministries. At weekend Masses we’ve listened to Al Hanning, Denise Crossett, Paula Gardner and Frieda Fiordo witness to the profound ways this parish has touched their lives. In bulletin articles, Barb Perry, Pam Colomaio and Kathy Warren have shared how God has touched their lives and nourished their family’s faith through St. Mary’s.

These witnesses will continue through the month of January month during which we will be asked to renew your commitment to faithful stewardship of God’s gifts and our parish family.

If you attended Christmas Mass with us on either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning, you heard about a DVD produced by our Stewardship Committee entitled “The Joy of St. Mary’s.” The DVD includes nearly 300 photos of people and ministries that make St. Mary’s such a wonderful place to worship, to grow in faith, and to Serve God and our community. The DVD also includes an original “Christmas Song” written about St. Mary’s and performed by our own singer/songwriter Brad Ordway and “All Saints Together” a song that I wrote and sang on the Feast of All Saints. A copy of this DVD is reserved for you in thanksgiving for your Stewardship of Time, Talent and Treasure. A certificate redeemable for the DVD will be included with a letter I will be sending you this week which will also include information about Parish Stewardship and a Commitment Card.

Then, next weekend, January 3/4, as the Church celebrates the Feast of Epiphany, you will be asked to make a pledge of commitment to return your gifts of time, talents and financial resources to God and the support of this remarkable parish. Epiphany celebrates the need of Christians to proclaim the Good News of God’s love to all people.

Your commitment to financially support your parish over the next six months will help us operate in the black during this period of pastoral transition. In May 2009, you will again be asked to renew and if necessary adjust (up or down) your financial commitment to St. Mary’s for the fiscal year 2009/2010. With you cooperation, our Finance Committee will then be able to develop a responsible budget to present to our next pastoral leader.

Please prayerfully consider the scripture passage from St. Luke and the ways that you now give back a portion of your Time and Talents to God. Then complete the Stewardship Commitment Card which you’ll receive in the mail this week and bring it with you to Mass next weekend. Following the collection of your weekly offering of financial gifts, you will be asked to commit or recommit to the Stewardship of your Time and Talent gifts within your family, parish and community over the next six months.

Thank You!
Father Jim and I are extremely grateful for the many Christmas cards and gifts that we received during the past few weeks. We pray that your Christmas holiday was truly blest and that you will face a New Year that may be one of great challenges, trusting fully in the God who has promised to be always faithful.

Serve one another well!

	Christmas Day: Dec 25, 2008	Bulletin: Dec 28, 2008
Click image for printable document... (Adobe PDF file, plugin needed)   (Click Here For Sent To Serve Archives)	A Christmas Story: December, 2008	The Challenges of the Holy Family