“Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come.” On this Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, we might paraphrase this quotation as: “Rise up in splendor, O earth! Your light has come.” Indeed, the splendor of the Lord shines on all people. This is a great feast for many cultures; this is the day when presents are exchanged and the blessings of the Lord are celebrated. The First Reading proclaims that “darkness covers the earth, but upon you the Lord shines.” Yes, there still is darkness in the world, locally and well as far away. It is by embracing the Lord and opening ourselves to his light that this darkness is transformed into light. It is, indeed, a day of celebration as we move into the year 2020.
The beautiful liturgies, the beautifully decorated church, and all of the festivities were the result of the work of many people working together. Our Maintenance Crew works behind the scenes setting up and cleaning up, Meredith Augustin and the musicians practice long hours for our liturgies; Edward Trochimczuk is assigning our volunteers for the many jobs that need to be done; Joe Nuzzi organizes our use of technology; the Friars prepare homilies and hear many, many confessions; the receptionists serve the many people who want to purchase items or arrange Masses; the Development Office records and sorts through the volume of mail received daily; and the other ministries keep running smoothly even thought there are more pressures. And you are a blessing to us – thank you for your donations, greetings, cards, and presence at the many things that happen here.
Happy New Year!
-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.