Entering Lent is trying to enter that desert that Jesus enters to prepare us with him. What can we do in this Lenten season?

Fasting not only from that food that we like, but also looking beyond, giving up what we like, that sometimes is not good for us. Fasting is not just stopping eating, it is doing something we want to stop in our lives; something that can affect us in our lives not only physically but spiritually as well.

This February, our school’s 7th and 8th grade students attended a 3 day retreat away from the school. It is an annual tradition for our students and an opportunity to grow in faith together and as individuals. It is always a gift to see them experiencing their faith, sharing their faith and praying together. This year’s retreat focused on what it means to be a community. Our students participated in activities where they had to rely on each other to succeed. In essence, they were learning the lesson that Jesus teaches us this Sunday, In the first reading, he said to Moses “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”; then again in the gospel, he goes further and tells us, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”.

“Let your yes mean yes…” Last weekend, we began the monthly “Young Adult” Mass at the 5:00pm Saturday Mass. It was a beautiful liturgy and an impressive turnout-Praise God! The hospitality ministry even handed out water and popcorn after that Mass! The next Young Adult Mass will be Saturday, March 4 at 5:00pm, and after that Mass, I would like to invite the young adults to stay for a bit afterwards to begin to get to know one another and plan the first social event for this ministry.

Greetings St. Stanislaus!

I am writing to you to say hello and to remind you all of the monthly “young adult” Mass we will be having the 1st Saturday of each month at the 5:00pm Saturday Mass. This weekend was the first one and the next one will be Saturday, March 4 at 5:00pm. You are all invited, especially if you have some youth in your family, and I am especially encouraging any young adult to step up and help serve this specific Mass.

To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.

We have begun the Ordinary Liturgical Season. Ordinary is not being casual or cynical with our spiritual duties during this time; But the Season itself challenges us to live the life of simplicity and purity every day, filled with deeds of repentance, forgiveness, love and charity.

The Word of God challenges every couple to live Life of faithfulness and fidelity.

In the readings for this Sunday, the Lord tells us clearly how he is the one who has chosen his people Israel to manifest his glory. Through Jesus we are given his grace and glory, and through his light he makes us joint heirs of salvation.

We hear John the Baptist announce his baptism with water and also declare that there is someone greater than him, who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit. John recognizes Jesus when he was walking and announces him, "this is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" and this is how John bears witness and presents him to those who are there.

Dear friends.

We have started a new year, 2023, one more cycle in our life that is placed in front of us. And at the beginning we are reminded of the beautiful text of Saint Matthew who says: "... in the time of King Herod, some wise men who came from the East appeared in Jerusalem, saying: "Where is the king of the Jews who has been born? For we saw his star in the East and we have come to adore him” (Cf. Matthew 2,1-2). Those men who came from distant lands embark on a journey, in front of them a new horizon opens.

Welcome to 2023. We are often motivated to make changes in our lives when a new calendar year begins. We focus on things such as exercise, healthy eating, and attitude adjustments; and these are all good things. Brothers and sisters, let’s encourage each other to begin anew and strengthen our relationship with the Lord because our spiritual well-being is far more important. Like the magi, let us be intentional about seeking Jesus and hearing His voice. Our Lord often speaks in the quiet of our hearts so it’s important to be silent when we seek Him.

This is my first Christmas in my pastoral role here at St. Stanislaus, and I have been looking forward to it since before Advent began. As we have been hearing over and over again in the readings in Advent, I have been preparing right alongside you in many ways, including for my new little puppy-her name is Lucia. I will introduce her to you in time, but I believe she will be a great gift to me and our community!

Today IV Sunday of Advent the readings invite us to reflect on the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ true God and true Man.

God reveals himself in Jesus Christ to save us and achieve Eternal Life, but God also reveals himself so that we can remove from ourselves the image of a distant God, of a God that cannot be accessed, the image of a God who does not care of us. God manifests himself in the incarnation of his Son Jesus Christ, so that like Moses we have a friendly relationship with Him (Ex.33:11). God wants us to experience his presence, he wants us to understand that he accompanies us in moments of danger, illness, in problems, in the hour of experiencing pain, in death...

Today is the third Sunday of the Advent season, known as Gaudete Sunday, which means Sunday of Joy. Today's readings really speak to us of great joy as we await the coming of the Lord.

“The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers and rejoice with joyful song.” (Is 35:1)

John the Baptist has a powerful message for us this Second Sunday of Advent:

He is inviting us to make our paths straight and prepare the way of the Lord! We are beautifying and doing lots of landscaping work around our churches and making everything look straight and nice. We should also do this with our life during this Advent Season. Making our crooked paths straight and cleaning our hearts for the Messiah to dwell and journey with us until the end of times.