With Advent we begin a new church year as we renew our preparations for the coming of Christ. The scriptures show a profound movement from despair in the first reading, as we feel the wrath of God's anger and a sense of being abandoned, to the responsorial psalm, which begs us to turn toward God, and the second reading where we see a glimmer of hope. Brimstone returns in the Gospel.

Dear San Francisco de Asis Parishioners,

For the past couple of years I have been spiritually moved by the Companions of Christ, a community of diocesan priests in Denver, Colorado who are committed to a common life of prayer, fraternity, and a rule of life inspired by the evangelical counsels of obedience, chastity, and poverty. After consultation with Bishop Olmsted and other priests and seminarians from the diocese, we believe there is a potential calling from the Lord to establish a community like the Companions of Christ within the Diocese of Phoenix, and the bishop has given me his blessing to take a sabbatical (from January through May of 2021) to live with the Companions of Christ in Denver, so as to experience their way of life and further discern the possibility of establishing a similar community within the diocese. In addition, while living with the Companions of Christ, I have been invited by St. John Vianney Seminary to assist with the spiritual formation of seminarians for the spring semester.

As we celebrate the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, many of the traditional hymns and images for the day are joyful and triumphal. For some, these connotations may be perceived as negative. In these days when there are strong divisions within the Church, and when some government leaders are so far away from the people, we need to hear all of today's scriptures, and draw a bigger, fuller picture of Christ as servant king. In Ezekiel, we see God as both the tender, loving shepherd and the one who will judge at the Second Coming. This ties in with Matthew's Gospel and separation of sheep and goats and "whatsoever you do." We pray Psalm 23 with great familiarity and hope. First Corinthians carefully explains to us the order in which all will happen. This is not an evil dictatorship, or a power-hungry leader, but the culmination of a plan that was carefully laid out in love.

Paul Harvey was a popular radio broadcaster with a daily program during which he would relate a historical anecdote, but it would have a twist at the end, and then he would intone "and now you know the rest of the story." Our scriptures today are like that. We await the coming Christ as the readings describe for us how to be good servants, but they give us a limited picture. The famous Proverbs passage, "The Valiant Wife" is edited down from the full selection (31: 10-31) to just a few verses. Take a couple moments to explore the fuller selection. Psalm 128 proclaims, "Blessed are those who fear the Lord," but in this context "fear" doesn't mean dread and trepidation. Rather, this kind of fear means "to show awe" and there are wonderful promises made to those who do. The letter to the Thessalonians continues the call to be alert, and Matthew shows us various ways that people might respond to God in the parable of the talents. The Gospel is presented in long and shortened versions, be sure to read the whole thing so you can get "the rest of the story."

I was born and raised in the Southwest and lived in Oklahoma, Texas, California,and Arizona by the time I was in fourth grade. I grew up in a Catholichome where my parents lived their faith simply and steadfastly. I am thethird of four children where my sister is the oldest and I am the middle ofthree boys. I definitely experienced my family as the first school of lovejust as the Church documents teach.

Dear Parishioners,

As time moves on and restrictions implemented to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus are still in place, we find ourselves in a dilemma. While it is advantageous to keep the church doors, windows, and air intake system open during Mass to allow for increased ventilation, the colder weather, wind, and upcoming snow will make it more difficult to maintain the church temperature at a healthy level.

Today we celebrate a glorious family reunion, the solemn feast that gives us a glimpse of all our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone home to God before us. When we quiet ourselves to hear the Word of God today, we recall the mystery of our salvation. We praise the Lord who saves our loved ones who have died and who promises to have mercy on us as well. The reading from Revelation amazes us with its sweeping images of countless souls basking in God's glory. The Responsorial Psalm echoes our own longing to join those saints and look on the face of God. Saint John's letter affirms our deep desire to be with God, providing robust advice about how we may realize our hope: by living purely. The familiar words of Matthew's Beatitudes show the way to purity - and to genuine happiness, now and forever.