Pastoral Messages from Fr. Rick 11/20/22

Happy Thanksgiving!  Mass on Thursday, November 24 will be celebrated at the regular time:  8:00 AM

Elizabeth Curtis Memorial:  The regular 8:00 AM Mass on Friday, November 25, will be celebrated for the repose of Elizabeth’s soul.  (Not a funeral).  A reception will follow in the social hall.  All are invited.

+ Annual Navaho Holiday Outreach, December 3-4.  We delayed our customary 5th Sunday Collection in October in order to direct these charity funds more specifically to this collection for some of our more needy and elderly Navaho neighbors in Utah and northern Arizona.  As with last year, we are committed to donating at least $1000 from our charity outreach account so your donations will keep our charity account and local opportunities flexible as needs arise.

Hospitality:  Remember that we are a ‘Hospitality Parish’ with a major outreach to our many visitors. Please sign up to help host our Sunday morning Coffee and Muffin gathering. Sign up list is in the gathering space.

Join us for Liturgy of the Hours after the Tuesday Morning 8:00 AM Mass and after Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 5:00 PM on Thursday.  See our website for the ibreviary website or app.  Also, hard copies of the Hours will be availableBeing a Eucharistic people invites us into a deeper and more personal relationship with each other in the community and then sends us out to be this deep presence to the worldIt’s the real presence of Christ.  When we pray the Liturgy of the Hours we pray with and for the whole Church.  At St. Christopher’s this action has a particularly relevant meaning as we welcome people from all over the country and the world.  We then send them out and ultimately back where they came from. They are changed by being here and being together.  We can even join the whole world in praying for them throughout the week.  This is a real connection and world changing.

The Diocesan Advent Retreat will be live-streamed on December 3rd from 9:00 -11:00 AM in the St. Christopher’s Social Hall.  “He will Come: The Poetry of Advent” will be presented by Fr. Tristan Dillon, parochial vicar of St. George Parish.  All are invited.  Coffee and breakfast snacks will be provided.

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Homily Reflection: “Today you will be with me in paradise!” 

Now THAT is GOOD NEWS!!

We should take this line seriously on the Feast of Jesus Christ the King of the Universe.  By His death and resurrection Jesus has established the Kingdom of God (heaven); it has arrived.  This is no hoax.  This is NOT fake news.

In this political season we are probably of little more wary than usual about big promises of good times to come.  This promise of paradise has already happened.  In strong, peaceful kingdoms the righteous king makes the rules and the subjects follow them.  In this case, Jesus is the King and that’s why:

-We don’t have to lock the doors in our cars, houses or businesses because stealing and vandalism are against the king’s law;

-We don’t need anti-virus or spyware for our computers because nobody hacks private info or steals data;

-Political campaigns are never negative or petty because all candidates want to focus in on the real problems and reach collaborative solutions;

-Recreational drugs have no market because most people have meaningful and minimally stressful lives.

-People living in the same neighborhood know each other well and look out for each other.

-Neighbors help each other identify and develop the many spiritual gifts God has given to us and those gifts are directed back out into the community.

-Good, tasty, affordable food is grown locally and available to everyone;

-Elders are excited about sharing their biblically and sacramentally based wisdom with younger generations;

-Young people are confident in God’s mercy and trust in His plan.

Well, maybe we still have some work to do.  Advent to the rescue!!  Here, but still waiting……

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“The cross is the way to paradise, but only when it is borne willingly.”                     St. Paul of the Cross.