My Dear Friends,
Happy New Year and Happy Epiphany! We gather to continue our Christmas celebration while the rest of the world moves on. The birth of Christ must still resonate in our hearts as we continue to sing the praises of the newborn King. Today, we celebrate his revelation to all nations. Christ comes to save all, not just a few, and we rejoice like the magi did when they saw the star at its rising. The star is a reminder for us to be a light to the nations just like our Lord is, and the dawning of a new year challenges us to cast off the old deeds of last year and to embrace the light that Christ bring us.
When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, we embrace those closest to us, and our hearts of filled with hope of what the new year might bring. We make resolutions, try to correct bad habits, and admirably try to better ourselves. Now let us apply that mentality to our faith. Are we living our Catholic faith to the fullest? Are we spending quality time in prayer? Almost every year in this column to begin a new year, I challenge everyone to spend more in our Adoration Chapel and to live out the faith beyond one hour a week on Sundays. Prayer that leads to action and Christan witness is what our Church and our world need in 2026. There are wounds to be healed, mouths to be fed, homeless to house, prisoners and homebound to visit, babies to save, mothers to journey with, and a kingdom to build up for our Lord. Yes, a new year brings all sorts of hope and promise. Let’s make sure that our resolutions line up with our faith and more importantly with the will of God in our lives. Following the Lord’s will is the surest way to have the best year ever.
On another note, as our centennial year rolls on, we turn the page to 2026 which is the year in which we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of our parish. We have so many wonderful events planned this year which will culminate in October with a Pontifical Mass and a gala. We give thanks to the Almighty for bringing our parish to its 100th year and for a century of graces bestowed on all who have called Little Flower home.
Next weekend, I will be traveling up to New England with pilgrims from our parish to see our newly completed pipe organ before it is shipped down to us next month. This is an exciting venture as this pipe organ will be present up in our balcony for generations to come, inspiring and lifting up the souls of all who hear this glorious instrument constructed for the greater glory of God.
There is also one more pilgrimage that I would like to draw your attention to which is our Centennial Pilgrimage to visit the hometown of our patroness, St. Therese, in Lisieux, France. This will be an unforgettable journey in late June where we will begin in Paris and celebrate Mass in the newly renovated Cathedral of Notre Dame and also in the chapel of the Miraculous Medal. From there our journey continues to Lisieux where we will visit the tombs of Therese’s saintly parents and the tomb of our patroness as well. We will also visit the town of her birth before heading south to Lourdes to experience the peace of that small town in the French Pyrenees where Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette. With stops in a few medieval town we make our way into Spain where we will visit Montserrat before finishing in Barcelona where we will conclude our pilgrimage with a Mass in the famed, and almost completed, Sagrada Familia. There are a few spots left on this once in a century pilgrimage, so sign up today by emailing tours@cotlf.org. There is a more detailed flyer at the back of this bulletin.
May this new year, our 100th as a parish, be a year full of many blessing for you and your family. May Christ, our morning star, guide our paths always as we continue our journey towards Him!
God bless you all,
