Dear Parishioners,

 

Today, the Church Year ends with the great Solemnity of Christ the King. This feast was established in the 1920's by Pope Pius XI to combat many of the "isms" of his day - Communism, Fascism, National Socialism. They were ideologies that were calling people away from their faith in Jesus Christ. This feast was meant to help us focus on the fact that, for Christians, Christ is our ultimate ruler. It's a feast that still remains pertinent for us. there is a lot out in "the world" that calls us away from putting Jesus Christ front and center in our lives, that calls us to compartmentalize our faith as an aspect of our lives rather than seeing our faith as the primary force in our lives. As we honor Christ the King today, let's  take the opportunity to look at our faith, and (as I mentioned in my homily last Sunday), to resolve to deepen our faith this coming Advent and throughout the new Church Year.

This Thursday is, of course, Thanksgiving Day. Like the Pilgrims of old who celebrated that first Thanksgiving for surviving a rough first year in North America, our parish, too, has weathered a lot this year. It still boggles my mind that I am the third pastor here since June - and I'm sure it was a very disconcerting and perhaps disheartening time for all of you as well. So this Thursday, start with Mass. The word "eucharist" means thanksgiving. Even if your year hasn't been the greatest, come and offer your thanks for what you have, especially the great gift of our faith. I will be spending the day at my brother's house in Monroe, where, with my sister in law's family, there are usually around 25-30 of us - and since many of them are also musicians, we usually have some great "jam" sessions after dinner. I usually also make a "dessert" stop at a former parishioners' house in Kendall Park where we all pick our "Secret Santa." While there were many challenges for me this year, I have a great deal to be thankful for - and one of the greatest blessings is being here with all of you. I'm not even here a month, and I already feel like this is home. Have a great Thanksgiving - and get ready for a busy month ahead!

 

Father Mike Krull