Dear friends,

The flight of the “Holy Family” to Egypt

We heard in today’s Gospel how the angel commands Joseph:” rise, take the child and flee to Egypt; the very country the Israelites fled centuries before. We learn how the Holy family is not exempt from life-threatening difficulties. Rather, it is in the midst of difficulty that their holiness is tested, deepened and offered to us as an example to imitate.

Many folk-stories describe their flight. As a child I used to eat what in Italian is called “lupine” a kind of bean which resembles the soy-bean. It is a strange bean which gives a sense filling the belly, but its nutritional value is almost zero. My grandmother used to point this out to me saying that it was so because they had been cursed by Jesus. The story goes that while fleeing from King Herod the Holy Family hid themselves in a “Lupini field while the soldiers were looking for them. The stalks with the dry pods started rattling indicating their presence to the soldiers who came after them in hot pursuit. Nearby there was an old olive tree which came to the rescue of the Holy family inviting them to take shelter into its trunk which the tree split open, condemning itself to wither. The Holy family entered inside while a spider spun a cobweb at the entrance. When the soldiers came close they noticed the cobweb and thought that should the fugitives have hidden themselves inside they would have torn it. They decided to continue the search in the field.

When the danger was over the babe Jesus cursed the lupine saying that their fruit will not satisfy the hunger of human beings. Blessed the olive tree for its generosity and promised it that its oil would have brought joy to the heart of man and been using for consecration. To the spider he said that in remembrance of his cleverness he would have been inhabiting human houses and not been disturbed. Since now the holy family was traveling in the Egyptian desert and they were thirsty and hungry, Jesus order a Palm tree to bend its foliage and allow Mary to pick its sweet dates, while he made water gush from its roots.

It is an idyllic situation emphasizing how God is at work with his Providence especially in the midst of difficulties.

The reality must have been quite different and very harsh.

The Holy Family was not spared the problems, sorrows, anxieties and joy that we experience as families.

Today hardly a day goes by without a report of adults being arrested for abusing or even killing chil­dren, through abortion.

Joseph and Mary are models for parents of all ages of fidelity and concern for the safe­ty and welfare of their child.

We want to pray, in a very special way for our families that God may bless them during the forthcoming New Year 2008. We pray also for our larger family which is the Church in general, and our Parish in particular. We are slowly moving from the idea of a church which I call “Supermarket of the sacred” where individual shop for there spiritual needs: marriages, blessings, funerals, etc. Where you pay, take your merchandise and you go home not paying very much attention to the Parish, happy that your needs have been fulfilled.

The new idea that is coming in slowly is that we are a family where everybody is known, loved and cared for. A family where we share our gifts of time, money and skills. A family that experiences problems and difficulties and tries to solve them to the best of its ability. It is not looking for rescuers and saviors coming from outside in the awareness that the solution has to come from within. We know that we are very much laidback and at time, when we want we can achieve and accomplish a lot, but usually we like to wait till the last minute to jump aboard. Can we change? Hardly! Do we need to change? Badly! Will we change? It depends on you as an individual and your personal dedication.

We have to consider seriously: “Do we want this reality which is called ‘St. Therese’? or its time has passed and there is no longer need for an ethnic Church? Do we want it? If so, what price am I ready to pay?

 The following considerations could describe who could be considered a “good parishioner”:

Who is a “good parishioner” ?

One who embodied four specific qualities:

1) Grateful: thanking God daily for the bless­ings he or she has received. A “good parishioner” never stops saying "thank you:'

2) Responsible with the blessings that God has bestowed; not using them prudently.

Parents are good stewards when they care for, protect, and nurture their chil­dren's natural aptitude for faith, beginning in the early childhood.

3) Sharing. A “good parishioner” knows that it is better to give than to receive, for in giving we receive far more than we could ever have imagined.

4) Accountable. One day, we will have to stand in accountability before the judgment seat of God. And God will ask:

"What did you do with all the time that you had? What did you do with all the gifts that I gave you? What did you do with your life?"

Hopefully, we will be able to say, "Lord, I tried to thank you every day. I tried to be responsible with those gifts. And I tried to share those gifts with others." Please God, may He respond, "Well done, good and faithful servant ... enter into the joy of your master" (cf. Mt. 25:21).

5) Stewardship of Time:

Some people say "time is money," but. Time is much more valuable than money! We've all had the experience of wasting money on poor purchases or bad decisions. We recover from that, but not so with time.

Time once spent can never be recov­ered. Every day, every hour is precious. Stewardship of time requires us to look at our lives, twenty-four hours each day, as an opportuni­ty to serve the Lord and to build up His Kingdom., here at St. Therese.