Happy New Year! Dr. Ralph Wilson, a California pastor and Vietnam War veteran, wrote a fable about two newly-married mice. The young mouse-couple had made their first home in a nest of sticks and brush in the midst of a pile of firewood near the edge of the woods. One day this whole pile was lifted, log by log - with a lot of the sticks and brush caught up in them, including their home - and thrown into the back of a pickup truck. Despite their best attempts to cling to the wood, the married-mice couple were suddenly homeless. This terrible destruction of their home from some unseen force in the sky had never happened to them and they were devastated to now be starting back from scratch. But they were together and alive, safe from their home’s eventual winter fireplace destination. Dr. Wilson’s moral: “don’t cling to the firewood.”

Merry Christmas! On behalf of the priests and staff of the parish, we all hope you are able to share the many blessings of this holy season together with family and friends. Let us join together in prayer - both in Church and around our family dinner tables - asking our Heavenly Father for real peace and healing in the world today. In our prayer we are also mindful of those who are celebrating Christmas separated from loved ones because of distance or disagreement. Others are going through their first Christmas after the passing of a spouse, child, parent or sibling.

As St. Paul writes, "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks" (1 Thes 5:16) and so, here at SJV we are! Today's rose-colored vestments are a visible sign that we are getting very close to the Nativity of Our Savior and are rejoicing, praying and giving thanks. We have many reasons for each.

What a busy few weeks at SJV and beyond! On November 11, the Carmel of St. Teresa in Alhambra, California, celebrated the profession of solemn vows of Sr. Elizabeth Cristina of Mary, O.C.D., (who taught in our parish pre- school when she was "just" Ms. Eli Gama) Several parishioners - and former pastors! -were in attendance and they tell us it was a very joyful day. Sister Elizabeth wrote to say she is praying for us all!

Since it has been a few weeks since I went down an “origin-of-the-word trail” I am happy to announce I am back on one, today the word Advent. Other than our liturgical season before Christmas I don’t think it is a very common word these days. Sometimes you’ll read about the advent of a new era or product - which of course means the arrival or coming.