St Joseph's Church

Dear Parishioners and Visitors:

I hope that your time with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday was blessed and enjoyable.  Now, as the seasons of Advent and the Nativity of the Lord approach, we prepare our hearts to emulate God’s sharing with us the gift of His son.

Sharing resources was the theme of the Parish Outreach Committee’s recent meetings. This year – and in light of the many concerns raised last Advent about the security of the gifts left  unguarded in the narthex under The Giving Tree – the Outreach Committee has opted to send a $3000 cash donation from St. Joseph’s parish community to the Linwood Rotary’s Community Chest program. As you may know, the Community Chest has the personnel available to screen, to shop, and to deliver to deserving families Thanksgiving meals and food baskets, as well as Christmas dinners and gifts for children in our local neighborhoods.

If you would like to contribute to this effort, please utilize the church’s Poor Box, the proceeds of which are always directed to the many area charitable organizations, such as   Haven Pregnancy Center, The Bridge Project, Vets Rest Stop, Linwood Recreation Center,  Linwood Ambulance, and the Knights of          Columbus, as well as providing Price Chopper gift cards for the hungry and bereavement refreshments for the grieving.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors:

Giving thanks to God for all His blessings and provisions at Thanksgiving time is a wonderful tradition, but continuing this posture throughout the year is spiritually beneficial. It evolves from being an annual tradition to a constant way of life, made possible by the love of God shown to us in Christ. This is how we can live in a state of praise and adoration for our Lord with true Christian thankfulness all year long. 

Liturgically, we’ve arrived at the violet season of Advent. But everywhere else around us “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”  Let’s not rush past these spiritually rich weeks of  recollection and anticipation, pondering in review the fruits of the year and looking ahead to the hope of making Jesus incarnate in our words, decisions, and relationships. Advent includes rituals incorporated into home use, like the Advent wreath or the gradually assembled crèche.

Please take home with you a copy of “Advent & Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope,” available at the church’s doors this weekend. It is filled with “brief, down-to-earth reflections that bring prayer and Scripture into everyday life.”  May it guide you to a deeper appreciation for God’s gift of Himself in the Christ Child.

Wishing you Happy Thanksgiving and a blessed Advent Season,

Fr. John Mahoney