Epiphany – Seeing Past Appearances

As I share in this month’s FlockNote, growing up,

I tried a couple of times to position the Magi from our family nativity scene starting from the hallway and making their slow way from Christmas to Epiphany across the living room to the stable at the foot of the Christmas tree. This interfered clearly with my mother’s plans to vacuum and with everyone’s

navigation of the room, so it didn’t get much traction. But for me, it captured the movement and momentum of these searchers, making their gradual way to meet Jesus. And that is, of course, true for all of us.

Epiphany is rich with symbols – the Wise Men, the Star, the journey, the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the jealousy of Herod, and usually a camel or two. It is also rich with various meanings that inspire our reflection: following the Light that leads us to Christ, bringing our own gifts to Jesus; being willing to persevere when we are not sure what we will find.

Physically, the Magi saw a baby with his parents. Trusting in the Hebrew prophecies, they recognized that this Child was something more: the Light of the World, the Savior, the Promised One. They adored Jesus, gave their gifts, and left; the Gospels record nothing more of them. What they understood from that time spent with the Child and Mary, his Mother, is not clear to us. But perhaps their lasting gift to us is the lesson of looking beyond the present, the now, what appears before our eyes, and to see the future, the potential, the beginning of God fulfilling promises whose end wemay not see ourselves. This is faith. It begets hope, not only for our own personal lives and interests, but for the world and its many challenges, some which seem beyond resolution.May Epiphany hold for you some new revelation of God’s presence, promise, and providential care.

All Things New

Our ACC presented our proposed plan to the CAP (Committee on the Affirmation of Plans) on December 3. It was a good dialogue with insightful questions from the CAP and an honest exchange of viewpoints. The CAP will be voting formally on our plan soon, and it will take its place along with the other 28 ACC plans to form an overall vision of the future of our Diocese, which becomes official with the approval of Bishop Neary, perhaps in March or April. Again, this is not official, but it is likely that we will be asked to merge the two smaller parishes into the two larger ones by July, 2027. All four sites will remain in use for Masses and programming. That gives us a year to work on the following five areas carefully and well:

1) - create financial and accounting structures and procedures that bring all finances and property of Annunciation under the parish and civil corporation of Sacred Heart, and the finances and property of St. Stephen under the parish and civil corporation of St. Francis Xavier. We are committed to ensure that no site’s debts or liabilities are paid for by another site’s assets.

2) - review our ACC staffing to look for functions and procedures that could be combined or streamlined, alignment of job descriptions, and support and resources for staff to do their ministry well

3) - review our faith formation (youth / young adult / adult) ministries across the ACC. Currently there are both combined and individual aspects of programming in their area. We want to do an objective review with an enhanced existing Faith Formation Committee from the ACC Council to make recommendations. A continued mixture of coordinated combined and individual programming is certainly one of the options.

4) - similarly, review our social outreach and pastoral ministries across the ACC. Currently there are both combined and individual aspects of programming in their area, with many good internal and external opportunities. Here too we want to do an objective review with an ad hoc committee from the ACC Council to make recommendations. A continued mixture of coordinated combined and individual programming is certainly one of the options here as well.

5) - review and revise the Constitution and bylaws of this ACC Council to be more clearly and effectively the primary visionary and advisory leadership body in the ACC. While there will be two Finance Councils (now each overseeing a larger area), the ACC Council will move from an information clearinghouse of existing councils and committees to a more deliberative leadership body. This work will take some time and a motivated sub-committee to envision.

Please continue to pray for the future full of hope God desires for us.

Thank You

On a personal note, I want to thank all of you for your prayers, cards, words of concern and support in my unexpected health challenges since October 20, along with the many kind Christmas messages. I have a few more steps to take with doctors to explore returning to full health, but I am feeling slowly stronger and striving to keep up with the service of God’s people. I am grateful for your patience as I have had to trim my schedule somewhat and focus on getting back to normal. Your kindness has been a remarkable Christmas gift!