Today is Holy Family Sunday. As we celebrate our patronal feast day, I want to express my gratitude to you, parishioners of Holy Family Parish. Your generosity and love make this a wonderful parish to serve as pastor. I am particularly grateful for you at Christmas time. Your attendance and active participation made our Advent and Christmas liturgies very meaningful. I want to again thank those who worked on the cleaning and decorating of our church. A special thanks goes to Anna Aquila and the Rosso Nursery family for the donation of the Christmas trees and poinsettias in memory of Gina Rosso, Mario Aquila and Nick Sproviero. And thank you to all who donated poinsettias and other flowers and decorations to make our church so beautiful during this Christmas season.

I want to express my gratitude to all who performed different roles in the Mass: lectors, extraordinary ministers of Communion, ushers, sacristans and altar servers. A special thanks goes to those who spend so much time in practice and preparation to provide uplifting music for our Masses. The youth choir was gorgeous at the 5 p.m. children’s Christmas Mass and the adult choir with its new director, Craig Nim, made a glorious debut at the 9 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. Besides our wonderful choirs, I am grateful to those who serve as cantors at various Masses. You can feel their faith and devotion as they lead us in praising God in song.

Along with Fr. Ramon, I want to say a word of personal thanks to all those who gave us cards and gifts during the Christmas season. It is great to be part of a parish so supportive to its priests. You also show great care for the poor in our parish neighborhoods by giving to our St. Vincent de Paul Society – and you help the poor in other parts of the world, for example, by your support of the Mary Bloom Center. Your contributions last Sunday to Birthright help those in our area who are facing a crisis pregnancy. In many other ways, you have reached out to those in difficulties. This Sunday in our two-bit collection, we are focusing on a need in our parish not covered by the Capital Campaign – the improvement of acoustics in the Tice Hall and church. Next Sunday we will be asking your support for something vital to the future of our parish school – the Randy Terlicker Endowment Fund.

Of course, what sustains our parish and makes all of the ministries possible are your contributions in the first collection. I thank you for your commitment to parish Stewardship. We have received new members as “pledge parishioners” and others have increased their pledge. Because of that increase, I felt confident to hire Craig Nim as part-time choir director for our adult choir. Those who attended the 9 p.m. Christmas Mass realize the great gifts he brings. The adult choir will be singing at the 11 a.m. Mass, except for the first Sunday of each month when we will have the Youth Choir at that Mass. We want our celebration of Mass to be as beautiful as possible. Your commitment to Stewardship makes that – and all other parish ministries – possible.

I received a nice surprise on Christmas Eve. Martin and Maria Flores, together with their little daughter, Karina, presented me with a beautiful statue of the Infant Jesus. We are using it in our church’s manger scene (pictured above). I invite you during these days to go to Bethlehem: not so much the city in the Holy Land, but the Bethlehem right here in White Center – our Blessed Sacrament Chapel. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings, once said, “I fell in love with the Blessed Sacrament from the beginning – and by the Mercy of God have never fallen out again.” He wrote this beautiful tribute to the Blessed Sacrament:

“ Out of darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament.... There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth, and more than that: Death: by the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the complete surrender of all, and yet by the taste [or foretaste] of which alone can give you what you seek in your earthly relationships [love, faithfulness, joy] be maintained, or take on the complexity of reality, of eternal endurance, which every man's heart desires.”

Come to Bethlehem. Come to Jesus. Come to the Blessed Sacrament. In the Ailbe House, our Divine Mercy Chapel is open twenty-four hours a day. One of the best New Year’s Resolutions is to dedicate time in prayer before Jesus, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.

Finally, speaking of New Years, do not forget that January 1 is the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God and is a Holy Day of Obligation. You will find a full schedule of New Year’s Day Masses in another part of the bulletin. Once again we will have an 11 p.m. New Year’s Eve Mass followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I can think of no better way to begin the New Year.

En la parte en ingles expresé mi gratitud por su asistencia, generosidad y apoyo durante este tiempo de Navidad. Realmente la celebracion del Nacimiento de Nuestro Salvador ha sido muy especial este año. El Señor aun nos dio el regalo de la nieve después de la misa de 12:30 p.m.

Les invito venir a Belen – no tanto la ciudad en la Tierra Santa como el Belen de nuestra Capilla de Adoracion Perpetua. San Pedro Julian Eymard dijo: “La Eucaristia comenzo; en Belen, en los brazos de Mara. Ella fue la que trajo a la humanidad el Pan del cual tenia hambre, y el unico que puede alimentarla.”

Aquí es una oracion a Jesus realmente presente en el Santisimo Sacramento: Creo, Jesús mío, que estáis en el Santísimo Sacramento del Altar, tan real y verdaderamente como estabais en Belén, como estabais en la cruz y como estáis ahora en el Cielo. Espero en Vos, que sois poderoso y bueno, para santificar mi alma y salvarme Os amo con todo mi corazón, porque sois la Bondad infinita, digno de ser amado de todas las criaturas del Cielo y de la tierra; y me habéis amado hasta derramar vuestra sangre y dar vuestra vida en la cruz por mi. Vengo aquí a buscar un refugio contra la corrupción del mundo. En el mundo todo es falsedad y mentira; vengo a Vos que sois la Verdad eterna. El mundo está lleno de abismos de iniquidad; vengo a Vos que sois el único Camino de la felicidad. En el mundo todo es sensualidad y pecado; vengo a Vos que sois Vida y Santidad de las almas. ¡Dadme luz, Señor! ¡Que yo os vea presente en el Sagrario con los ojos de la fe; y que mi corazón beba hasta saciarse de la fuente del Amor divino que brota de vuestro Corazón Sacramentado!

December 26: Louie, Hannah & Sam:

December 30, 2007

Dear Parishioners,

I want to thank you for your continued support of Holy Family Parish School. Specifically, your generosity in contributing to the 2- Bit Collections provides substantial support for families who could not otherwise attend our parish, Catholic school.

Next weekend (January 5 – 6), the 2-Bit Collection will be taken up in the name of Randy Terlicker. The donations will go into the Tuition Assistance Fund and help parish families who are currently enrolled in the school.

Thirteen years ago, January 5, 1995, Randy Terlicker and three other firemen made the supreme sacrifice, their lives in order to save others. The grief caused by the Pang Warehouse Fire is still felt by many families. If you plan to attend the 11:00 Mass, you will see and hear Mrs. Colleen Terlicker, an active parishioner, who also sings in the choir. The Terlickers long ago placed their hearts in God’s hands as Randy entered the Communion of Saints. The anniversary of Randy’s death reminds us of Christ’s living and loving presence at the most difficult and, often courageous filled moments of life.

Please consider contributing to the 2-Bit Collection in Randy’s name, for Randy, as a true Firefighter continues in his ministry of helping others in need.

God Bless,
Glen t. Lutz
Principal




30 de diciembre de 2007

Queridos Feligreses:

Quisiera agradecerles por su apoyo constante del la Escuela Parroquial de la Sagrada Familia.  Especificamente, su generosidad en las Segundas Collects que proveen apoyo para familias que, de otro modo, no pudieron asistir a nuestra escuela parroquial.

El proximo fin de semana (5-6 de enero) la Segunda Colecta sera recolectada en nombre de Randy Terlicker.  Sus donaciones irán a Fondo de Ayuda de Colegiatura y ayudarán familias de la parroquia que actualmente están inscritas en la escuela.

Hace trece años, el 5 de enero de 1995, Randy Terlicker y tres otros bomberos hicieron el sacrficio mayor, dieron sus vidas para salvar a otros.  El dolor, causado por el incendio del Almacen Pang, todavia se siente por muchas familias – especialmente la mamá de Randy, la Sra. Colleen Terlicker, que es miembro activo del coro y de la parroquia.  Los Terlickers ya han puesto a Randy en las manos de Dios, pidiendo que entrara en la Comunion de Santos.  El aniversario de su fallecimiento de Randy nos recuerda de la presencia viva de Cristo en los momentos mas dificiles de la vida.

Favor de considerer contribuyendo a la Segunda Colecta en nombre de Randy, porque Randay, como verdadero Bombero, continue su ministro de ayudar a otros en necesidad.

Dios los bendiga,

God Bless,
Glen t. Lutz
Principal (Director) 
Escuela de Sagrada Familia, Seattle