Happy Sunday!

This third Sunday in ordinary time has been declared by a motu propio by Pope Francis in 2019 to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God. Many opportunities are made available in podcasts and books to take a deeper understanding into the Word of God. We rely on our Blessed Lord to open our eyes and hearts to understand and ponder the inspired Word of God.

A friend invited me to an invitation-only wine-tasting event. There were over two hundred varieties of wine. Having no idea how to approach such a massive selection, I wandered aimlessly among the tables, sipping this and that. At the end of the evening, my friend asked if I had tried some of the exceptionally expensive wines. I hadn’t. “The really good stuff disappears first,” he said.

Happy New Year!

Our solemn and joyful celebrations of the Christmas season have left an impact on our hearts that must continue. From the vespers canticle of the Epiphany we reflect and move forward in our joyful hope: “Three mysteries mark this holy day: today the star leads the Magi to the Infant Christ; today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast; today Christ wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation.”

Happy Epiphany!

As our Christmas season continues into the Epiphany, we thank God for the beautiful celebrations thus far. I am so grateful for the many volunteers and staff that have been hospitable during our very busy time. A tradition I am encouraging you all to partake in this New Year 2025 is the Chalking of the Doors. On Sunday, January 5th at 2:00pm, our water will be Epiphany Water in our baptismal font.

Happy Feast of the Holy Family & Happy New Year!

The parish of Saint Joan of Arc is blessed with many families. This is a tremendous joy to have at the center of life and love for the local church. Today we are reminded that “the future of the world and of the Church passes through the family.” (Familioris consortio, 75) The family we commemorate today is the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Merry Christmas!

This is the most wonderful time to celebrate the Christmas Child, Jesus Christ! We have been preparing for this season with the prophets proclaiming that the One who is to come as an infant child will save us and lead us into His glory forever. When we gather at Christmas time, we bring our inner child within us. This can be sorrow, joy, anger, charity, darkness, the possibilities are many.

On a bright Spring morning, a passerby once saw St. Francis of Assisi hoeing a row of beans and asked him, “What would you be doing right now if you knew this was the last day of your earthly life?” The Saint responded, “I’d keep hoeing this row of beans.” Preparing for this world to end — whether by our death or by Jesus’ glorious coming — invites us to live not in the past or the present, but deeply in the present moment.

In the year 1995, in the seventeenth year of my life, when Fife Symington was governor of Arizona, Bill Clinton was president of the United States, Chuck Keiffer was pastor of St. Theresa parish in Phoenix, Arizona, and Ron and Mary were my parents, the word of God came to my youth minister Eric and through him, I started to see the salvation of God. Soon, Christ came into my life never to leave. I’m thankful beyond words.

Happy Advent!

This season of advent brings a great amount of hope in our preparation for the coming Solemnities of Christmas. Hope is essential to our lives, without hope to live for, without something to look forward to brings about a despair in life that becomes unbearable and an ultimate surrender to death.