From Father Chris:
As we gather this weekend, it seems like just yesterday that I arrived, and here we are preparing to celebrate and indeed are celebrating a New Year. Happy 2020!!! My 1st day at St Teresa's was 11 years ago on New Year’s day!!
Clearly, on this Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Theotokos, God-bearer, we are both called and invited to follow her example and “reflect on these things in our hearts.” We may think about what it means to be “blessed.”
Yes, we know that like Mary, our lives can also have hard days and many days of suffering and loss. It is at these moments in our lives, that Mary constantly invites us to reach out to her, to pray to her for her courage to keep the faith alive in spite of the pain and sorrow of loss and loneliness
When we do that, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, will seek us out, wrap us up in the mantle of her maternal love and comfort us as any mother would do. Then she will clean us off, freshen us up and lead us to her Son.
Finally, she will present us to her Son and let Jesus also embrace us with His healing and love so we may hear those blessed words, “Well done my good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master’s house.” “Hail Mary Full of grace the Lord is with thee, Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death. Amen.”
May God bless you and protect you & your families throughout this New Year. Prayers for all of you are always in our hearts.
Thank you for these 11 years in our parish.
Father Chris