A Christmas Message from our Pastor

December 24, 2023

Merry Christmas, St. Ann

Dear parishioners,

Each Christmas day is meant to be uniquely different from those in our memories and those in our dreams. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ is a testimony of God’s love for us as he sends his only begotten son to live among us and thus show us how to truly live our lives. Christmas is there for us, to realize that giving of ourselves generously to others in a trusting and caring way is God’s message to us as he shows us the way. It is the annual inspiration to see that we have also been created in the image and likeness of God and so our lives and daily actions should reflect that gift from God.

These are exciting, wonderful, hope-filled moments as we celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas. I do pray that they will fill our hearts, and minds, and lives with the treasures of the Incarnation. I am so deeply impressed by the spirit of the season that so permeates the Catholic community of St. Ann these days. Your generous support of our outreach programs for the disadvantaged, the elderly, the sick and struggling has been most impressive. Celebrating, giving, loving and gathering are the ultimate ways in which we keep Christ in Christmas.

I want to thank all those who have been supporting the community in this season’s celebrations. I want to give a shout out to all the staff who were willing to personally sign over 4,000 Christmas cards that we have been sending out to you. This is a tradition and dedication that I personally value in my Christmases before. The expansion of our annual Christmas gathering to include both the sing-along and a Christmas dinner together set us in the right spirits. Our parish Christmas trees with an ornament requested from each of our family are further signs that we celebrate as the greater community of St. Ann and at the same time as unique and special families.

I hope you and your family, relatives and friends receive the blessing of the season as God shows us the way to true life as he sends his son into our midst this year.

Father Jim Henault, MS

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Advent Week Four: Love Filled Hearts

December 21, 2024

Week 4: Love-filled Hearts Luke 1:39-45 If you’ve ever driven into the property at Disney World you think, “We’re almost there!” Then you keep driving and driving and driving and seeing sign after sign. Finally, the destination is in sight. Our persistence and faith have paid off and our hearts are filled with LOVE as we reach our destination. As we move through this last week of Advent, be it a short week, we know the small things we accomplished and the bigger things we’ve planned with LOVE for our future are possible. Let us pray that when we do finally see God face to face, we can repeat the words of Elizabeth heard in our Gospel account today, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Morning prayer during the fourth week of Advent Lord, let LOVE fill my life during these last few of days before Christmas. There is so much to do, and so little time left. Let me not ruin this Advent journey with busyness but allow me to realize every moment is an opportunity to share your LOVE. Let me focus on what I am truly celebrating, a gift from God, the birth of a Savior—our Savior. No paper or ribbon or bows are needed to tell me what a wonderful gift this will be. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Advent Week Three: Joy Filled Hearts

December 14, 2024

Week 3: Joy-filled Hearts Luke 3: 10-18 Whether you have or have had small children, remember the days when we heard, “I’m bored. What should we do ?” In today’s Gospel, we hear that phrase posed to John the Baptist three times, once from the crowd, once from the tax collectors and once from the soldiers. Our lives need meaning. There is no JOY in life without a purpose. No purpose leads to boredom. So how do we get purpose? How do we introduce JOY in our lives? We all know when we are doing things we love to do, we are happy, we have JOY. So, John says stop the things you’re doing that hurt others and yourself. Start appreciating where you are and where you’re going. That leads to a life of expectation and JOY. So, when the question arises, “What should we do,” have a JOY-filled answer of “Here’s what I did!” Morning prayer during the third week of Advent Good morning, Lord. My heart is filled with JOY today because despite the material world around me filled with negativity, conflict, greed, power and political correctness, I choose liberating JOY. I choose to look at the positive things in my life. Lord, let me, with your guidance, be able to pause, deeply breathe and say: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit exalts in God, my Savior. For he has looked with mercy on my lowliness and my name will be forever exalted. For the mighty God has done great things for me and his mercy will reach from age to age. And holy, holy, holy is his name.

Advent Week Two: Peace Filled Hearts

December 7, 2024

Week 2: Peace-filled Hearts Luke 3: 1-6 Again, the gospel calls us to the hard work of preparing ourselves and the world to receive God’s love and peace. We are reminded of the second coming of Christ and the need to be prepared. Yet, we must be reminded that God is love brings us PEACE and he wants nothing more than to share his PEACE with us, the children he loves. Luke tells us that God promises us PEACE when we travel with him. Vacation planning is always interesting. Should we go by plane or by car? How long should we stay? Do we have to see the relatives this time? And so on. One question, however, that always remains is we need to know the destination before we can plan the trip. Without a clear destination, we will never achieve our goal of being with the God of PEACE, the God who desires PEACE in our hearts and in the world and loves us beyond measure. Morning prayer during the second week of Advent Lord, thank you for another day, a day I put my trust in you. I know how you love and desire PEACE in my heart. You will see me through the remaining weeks until Christmas. Help me to keep focused on your PEACE as I stumble through the chores and the gift buying. Remind me this season is about sharing your PEACE and not about me. As I face times of “chaos,” I will turn to you. Your love will bring me PEACE.

Advent Week One: Hope Filled Hearts

November 25, 2024

Week 1: Hope-filled Hearts Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36 It would be easy to gloss over this week’s Gospel. After all, most of us don’t like the “doom and gloom” message we hear. However, the message is very fitting. Advent points us not only to the upcoming feast of Christmas but to the second coming of Christ. Isn’t that what we are living our earthly life for—the HOPE that we will be united to Christ at his second coming. We’ve all been given a limited amount of time on earth. We wish we knew how much time that was, but we don’t. The gospel message is: we always need to be prepared. We always HOPE besides the short-term destination of Christmas, God will give us an Advent season that extends beyond this year to when we will ultimately reside with Him in Heaven. Morning prayer during the first week of Advent Lord, thank for another day, a day that brings me closer to the time we will be together. It’s hard getting up these dark mornings. So, I sit here in silence filled with a sense of HOPE knowing your presence in my life. I am filled with gratitude this day for the gift of your love. Let me carry a sense of how much you love me to others I will meet and let that awareness change the way I treat them not only today but all days. Let me be more reverent in the irritations of the day. I ask your help as I move though my errands and the busyness of this season. Lord, my HOPE is in you. Amen.

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