Dear Parishioners & Friends of St. Mary’s of the Lake:

During the Christmas Season and New Year, we have received many ‘happy wishes’ –e.g. Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, Happy New Year etc. Now we may want to pause and ask, ‘Have we truly been happy?’ Have all the wonderful Season’s greetings and wishes somehow come true? As a matter of fact, as Christians, we have to say that, in all seasons (Christmas, New Year and beyond), our true happiness has to come from the Lord.  Our Lord Jesus did offer to us the Beatitudes, which are the 8 special items which may powerfully make us happy, blessed and satisfied deep down in our hearts. Among the 8 items are: Blessed are the poor in spirit, the peace-maker, and those who hunger for righteousness… Can you remember the other five?  Flowing from the Beatitudes are applications for our concrete situations! On Pope Francis’ 80^th Birthday, our Holy Father listed his recipe for happiness. This recipe includes 10 ‘secrets’ as follows:

⬥ Live and let live, that is the first step towards peace and joy.
⬥  Give oneself to others.
⬥  The capacity to move with kindness & humility, the peaceful oasis of life. Old people have this wisdom, they are the memory of a nation. And a nation that does not look after its old people has no future.
⬥  Play with children.
⬥  Spend Sunday with family.
⬥  Help young people find employment: Bring bread home is what gives you dignity.
⬥  Look after nature. We have to look after creation and we are not doing it. It is one of the greatest challenges we have.
⬥  Quickly forgetting what is negative is healthy.
⬥  Respect those who think differently. The Church grows by attraction, not by proselytism.
⬥  Actively seek peace. Peace at times gives the impression of stillness, but it is never stillness, it is always an active peace.

 Make me a channel of your peace/ Where there is hatred let me bring your love/ Where there is injury, your pardon Lord/ And where there's doubt, true faith in you (Prayer of St. Francis).    
Fr. Philip