Deacon John’s Stewardship Blog

Advent is a time of waiting and expectation, a season of anticipation and preparation. We are waiting for our Lord to come into the world as the baby Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. We are also preparing for His return, to restore harmony and right relationships to all of Creation. Advent is a season yearning for God to come and set the world right with perfect justice, truth, and peace. It is a season of hope.

The word Advent means “coming” or “coming toward.” It has the same root as the word arrival. It is our time to prepare for the “coming” or “arrival” of the King of Christmas, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Stewardship is a kind of eternal Christmas. Actually, stewardship can be defined as “All that I am and all that I have is entrusted to me from God.” Advent is a time of preparation to share in the extravagant goodness and grace of God. I pray that as we journey together this Advent season, God may continue to pour his grace upon our parish and our families.

A blessed Advent to all,
Deacon John

In November, as the holiday season fast approaches, we are filled with a deep sense of sentimentality and gratefulness for all our blessings. At the same time, we encounter many wonderful ways to give – to cheerfully share our own gifts – during this time of thanksgiving.

It’s with this spirit of gratitude that we can truly live out the stewardship way of life. This Thanksgiving there are plenty of ways to do this in a direct way. Is there a family member or friend you have not spoken to in a long time, or someone you know who is spending Thanksgiving alone? You can drop them an email, pick up the phone and call them, or even catch up with them virtually via zoom or facetime. Such connections at this time can be life changing!

This Thanksgiving, ask the Holy Spirit where he is calling you to serve. May the joy of the Thanksgiving season flow into our lives as good stewards, everyday and throughout the entire year.

Our parish family has so much to be thankful for, after all that we have been through over the past several years. The Light of Christ has permeated through the darkness, giving us hope and confidence in our future. May we continue to express our thanks to God by being the very best stewards that we can be.

Love,
Deacon John

Over the past year we have recognized many of the heroes of our community. The Hubbard community is so blessed to have a dedicated police and fire department. The first responders of our community are there in a moment to protect and serve us. We thank God for them.

Today in my stewardship column, I would like to recognize some very special heroes in our parish – that being the young moms and dads who make it a priority to bring their children to Mass and keep holy the Lord’s Day.

We see these families coming into church every Sunday as the young children greet Fr. Mike  when entering the church or the moms and dads bringing the diaper bags, snacks and toys that will occupy their toddlers during Mass. I always enjoy the stern look that the dads give the children when they talk a little too loud. I am always moved during the Lord’s Prayer as the families are joined by God’s grace, as they hold hands and pray together. 

One of our greatest responsibilities is to be stewards of our children’s faith. These parents have embraced the calling. We as parents, want the best for all our children. The greatest gift that you will ever give your child is the gift of faith. It is the gift of eternity. I invite all of us to recognize these “heroes” with a smile, handshake, or a thank you. May God continue to bless our parish with the special gift of the wonderful moms and dads who pass forward our beautiful Catholic faith.

God bless, 
Deacon John 

         Our parish is so blessed to have a vibrant community of young adults within our parish. These young men and women have committed their lives to Jesus Christ and model their lives in harmony with their Catholic faith. Within this community they have found love, support, and direction in their life. I have built a great friendship with these young people. I respect and admire them for their dedication to their Catholic faith.

The young adults are serving our parish in many capacities such as altar servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, catechists, Celebrate Advisors, festival workers and at all our social and fundraising events.

It is exciting for me to be part of their lives. Many of them are attending college, starting their first jobs, or just became engaged and planning their wedding. The young adults of our parish are a special gift to the Church. I encourage all of us to get to know them and in some special way, they will be a gift to you!

Love,
Deacon John