Dear Parishioners,

Here we are at the beginning of a New Year. Even though, to complete the Christmas season, we’ve yet to celebrate Epiphany, this weekend, and the Baptism of Jesus next weekend, shopping malls and ad men have already shut down Christmas and are gearing up for Valentine’s and Ground Hog Day! Meanwhile we bask in the light of Christ among us and the mysterious God made flesh, and cast hopeful hearts to the year ahead. What is it you hope for in 2010? For what then shall we pray?

I, for one, hope 2010 won’t go by as fast as last year! That good health will return to our parish house and parish staff (be sure to join us this Thursday at 7:30 pm as we celebrate a mass of healing with and for Fr. Declan Deane), and finally that our broken down economy recovers and our job networking efforts at Christ the King bear positive fruit.

Well that’s enough of a mouthful and heartful of hope, but let me go on with my own hopes (you have to gather up yours) for parish, Church and world for 2010 and well beyond. For our parish community, I hope for a growth and deepening of spirituality; may women and men retreats, our Christ Light weekend and our observance of Lent, Holy Week and Pentecost spur us on. And I hope for a sense of joy and fun together, from John McCutcheon’s Concert to Parish Festival and summer fun and many joyful moments and celebrations along the way.

For the Church, I have continuing hopes; but let’s face it, I am an inveterate, dyed in the wool, “Vatican II priest”. That means two things: 1) that I continue to be committed to and hopeful about the vision of the Vatican II Council where not just a slim majority of likeminded bishops, but with votes like 2,400 to 4(!) the world bishops agreed to a change of direction that called for collegial leadership, liturgical reform, and commitment of the Church to be an active presence in the joys and sorrows, politics and pain of the modern world.

As a recent blog on a national newspaper website said. “Fr. Joyce and his like are a dying breed. He was an updated priest in the 70’s, but his kind are retiring or passing away and younger priests today just roll their eyes at him”. Well, I am not retiring and I don’t plan to pass away soon so my hopes and wants for the Church in 2010 are that it be a Church of dialogue (rather than top-down mandates and secret investigations), that it be a Church of renewed spirituality and liturgy (rather than nostalgia for a pre-Vatican Church that really never existed and rubric reading in place of life giving liturgies) and that it be a Church committed to justice, reform and peace.

Finally my hopes for the world in 2010: First I hope for a greater sense of wonder that leads us to enjoy, celebrate and protect the world and incredible universe that we are part of. Secondly, given the sacrifice of sons and daughters overseas in uniform and in harms way in our name, as well as the continuing danger to the innocent children and people in Iraq and Afghanistan, I hope for a world where our nation and others take concrete steps to real peace. And, finally may all our earth seek justice; as Pope Paul VI said, “if you want peace, work for justice”. Obviously, I’m not asking for much, but then it never hurts to ask, and it always helps to pray, Happy New Year!

Your Pastor,
Brian T. Joyce