Dear Parishioners,

Last Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This feast is the liturgical conclusion to Christmas Time and celebrates yet another manifestation of the Lord as our Savior. The liturgical time that follows the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is known as Ordinary Time. This is the time between Christmas Time and Ash Wednesday, and between Pentecost and the First Sunday of Advent. The use of the title “Ordinary” is a reference to the numbered Sundays during these periods. Ordinary Time presents to us through biblical texts and prayers of the Mass, an invitation to focus on faithfully following the Lord as His disciples, learning from his teaching, and finding strength in his wonderful deeds. Ordinary Time encourages us to live more fully from the graces of our recent celebration of the Nativity and Epiphany of the Lord. As we begin this new period of liturgical time, may we resolve to hear more fully the Gospel of Jesus and pray with his Church for a greater fidelity to this Gospel in our Christian lives.

On December 8, 2020, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, announced the Year of Saint Joseph that will continue until December 8, 2021. This year honors Saint Joseph in a singular way as the patron of the Universal Church. I invite you to turn to Saint Joseph in your own prayers, asking his heavenly aid for the Church and for all of us to be devoted to Jesus.

Thank you so very much for all your goodness and generosity to Saint Benedict Parish in so many ways.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

God bless you,

Father Jose Elias