Your Greatest Gifts Need No Wrapping

As we celebrate Epiphany, we give thanks for the revelation of Jesus as not only human but also as God – particularly in his infancy by the visit of the magi, and in his baptism as an adult, when the Father and the Spirit confirmed him as the Son of God (tomorrow’s feast). The depth of God’s love to come share in our humanity reminds us that everything in this life is ultimately a gift from God. As servants and friends of the Lord, we share our gifts without the expectation of being thanked, but from time to time we like to remind you how much you are appreciated by your parish family. Your faith, prayers, and participation in the life of St. Martha Parish and St. Mary Parish make you a tangible sign of Christ and his body the Church to each of us around you!

As we said verbally at Masses on Christmas, Fr. Lambert and I want to express our appreciation for all those parishioners who contribute to our Christmas celebrations and the ministry of our parishes throughout the year. Most importantly, we thank all parishioners who graciously welcomed the influx of worshippers and provided the critical ministry of hospitality, making our churches places people know they will not be judged but included in the community of the faithful. All of our music ministries help us raise our voices and hearts to God in song, guided by the leadership of Anne DiSanto and Jeff Johnson at St. Martha, and Jillian Carelli at St. Mary - who also directed the beautiful Lessons & Carols. The art & environment teams in each parish, with a lot of help from the building & grounds keepers Rich Hender and Armand Pepin at St. Mary, make our churches beautiful and festive with the joy of the season. Those who donated toward Christmas flowers allowed us to decorate God's houses fittingly with these living creations of God; the list of donors and those they honored is published in a binder in each church and on our website (copies can be requested from your parish office). Those who participated in the giving trees provided many gifts for families and others in our area who would have had little this Christmas. Maggie Hoagland and her helpers ran another very precious collaborative Christmas Pageant. The altar servers, lectors, ushers, greeters and extraordinary-ministers of Communion enrich our liturgy as they serve with dedication at the tables of God's Word and of the Eucharist each week. The Lewicki family at St. Martha and the Anderson family at St. Mary continue their abundant generosity in plowing and sanding our properties at no cost to our parishes! Tim Pac works very hard to clear walkways & stairs - now at both of our churches - with much needed assistance from adult and teen parishioners (we need more snow removal helpers - see separate article). Other collaborative staff worked extra hard facilitating your participation and offering a compassionate ear to those who are struggling. The ministry of our deacons and priests are signs of God's promise to be with us always, and I am grateful to be among them as part of our whole Pastoral Team. Finally, it is a sign of your dedication to your parish and our ministry together that you have contributed generously to the Clergy Trust, your Parish Grand Annual and regular Offertory collections.

Taken all together, this is true Christian Stewardship of our God-given time, talents and treasure. In your active service at Christmas and year-round, in your financial support, and in your prayerful participation in our liturgies - you are making a difference: strengthening our parish families!