The Feast of The Presentation of The Lord

My dear friends in Christ,

Today we celebrate The Feast of The Presentation of The Lord. This feast is known as the Feast of Encounter in the Eastern Church where it began. In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted a World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life attached to this feast. Of course, in the United States and Canada, when one hears February 2, what comes to mind is Groundhog Day, the day when a prediction is made about how many more weeks of winter are left depending on whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not. Unlike the uncertainty of the weather, the Feast of the Presentation of The Lord has a sense of certainty associated with it. In this feast, we celebrate the certainty of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel that is fulfilled in Jesus but that is extended to the entire world. We celebrate the continuation of God’s love in our own world, of God continually reaching out towards us and inviting us into a relationship or encounter.

Faith To Move Mountains update: The architect was here last week and presented us with the schematic for the renovation of the restrooms outside Bogdan Hall. Once the engineer gives approval, the project will be ready for the contractor to begin work.

There has been some confusion and a false rumor spreading that Corpus Christi Parish (myself in particular) made the decision to close Pope John Paul II School. The school is a REGIONAL SCHOOL under the auspices of the Diocese of Trenton. The decision to close the school came from the Office of Catholic Education of the Diocese of Trenton and not from the parish.

May God bless you all,

Father John