St. Francis of Assisi Blog

As a Church, we (everyone that belongs to the parish) have to assume that anyone that walks through the doors hasn’t been to our church before.

I’m talking about the most basic sainthood there is — being a citizen of heaven. Did you know that everyone in heaven is a saint? It’s true! There are millions of souls in heaven that we may never know about in this life that are enjoying the fullness of the presence of God right at this moment.

I personally know three of the previous pastors of your parish, and they only have good things to say about the community at St. Francis of Assisi. I am aware of the amazing job that Fr. Flynn did as your pastor. I know that he is a hard act to follow, and I have big shoes to fill. I hope to rely on the Lord and in your support in my ministry at St. Francis of Assisi.

And what I have come to realize above all else is this – one thing NEVER changes. Jesus Christ. And more specifically, His desire for a personal relationship with each and every one of us.

I love my vocation and try to embrace everything that comes to me without reservation or regrets as my journey requires.  My time here has been filled with enormous blessings as well as challenges. … Thank you for your good wishes for my future and know that you will always be in my prayers.

I spent so much of my early faith journey just learning things about the faith rather than becoming a holier person, internalizing the Catholic worldview, and learning to think with the mind of the Church.

And the whole internet indulges our need to get pumped for next year, helping us decide to finally lose that gut, or start a small business, or go paleo, or get a raise, or be less anxious, or to just vaguely do better as we march into January.

The season begins with the celebration of Christ’s birth as God-man, the first of His three most significant days on earth (the other two being the day He died and the day He rose from the dead), the day that changed the world forever because never before had we experienced the presence of God in our midst as we would for the 30+ years to follow. 

“Deny yourself.  Take up your cross.  Follow me.”  These words spoken by Jesus Christ to the young ruler in answer to his question of what he must do to gain eternal life form the foundation of our quest for salvation.