Dear Parishioners,

Happy New Year everyone! I say that with gratitude to God as this is the beginning of my 10th year as Pastor of St. Leo the Great. I can hardly believe that as I write it because it seems like it was yesterday when I first arrived here with dog & cat in tow (and both still living, gratefully). It’s been a wonderful time getting to know people of this parish and as time goes on, I have the opportunity to get to know even more people, and the ones I already know, I come to know even better. It is with that same gratitude that I thank you for your prayers, Christmas cards and support throughout the year. I am also very thankful for all who continue to bless us with a beautifully decorated church each year at Christmas and to Mickey & Mary & all the cantors & choir members who enhance our worship so much by their musical & vocal talent. I am especially grateful to those added musicians both from our parish and from other parishes who play for us at Christmas & Easter. As the psalms call for repeatedly, we need to praise God with every musical instrument at our disposal. This music lifts our hearts in union with the prayers that lift our minds to God in prayer and praise.

I have to confess that I struggle to find words to write from time to time in this column when I have to submit them to the publisher weeks in advance (due to the holidays) & when nothing too out of the ordinary is happening in the parish. So again I’m going to share some words that come from my spiritual reading. I try to read from a spiritual book every day & can’t get enough of what others have learned and shared regarding faith, the Catholic Church, and the incredible works of God. And since an important part of my ministry as a priest is to preach the Word of God to you, I am always grateful for the opportunity to share the words of others that have enriched me, whether I share them with you from the pulpit or here in this column. Right now I’m reading a book from my favorite author and evangelist, Bishop Robert Barron. It’s called “Light from Light” and he takes each line (& sometimes each word) from the Nicene Creed which we recite each Sunday at Mass & goes into its history & meaning. So I wanted to share a few thoughts from that book which really sheds light (excuse the pun) on this bold statement of our belief which we proudly proclaim each weekend. This Creed has developed over centuries and is the result of much debate, discussion, even arguments between those who have been faithful stewards of the Church’s teaching and those who have been found to be heretics (people who profess what the Church has proclaimed to be untrue). So much conversation and prayer has gone to make up this Creed that the Church insists it be recited in every solemn liturgy.

This Creed was developed from the Council of Nicaea (hence called the “Nicene” Creed) in the year 325 (so obviously, very ancient!). It was slightly elaborated at the Council of Constantinople in 381 (so sometimes also called the” Nicene Constaninopolitan Creed”…say that 3 times fast, or even once!). But while these statements about God as Father, Son & Holy Spirit are very precise and descriptive, we must remember that God is such a transcendent mystery that we struggle to find the right words to describe who God is. In fact, St. Augustine said, “Si comprehendis, non est Deus” which means, if you think you understand God, it is not God. But we can be confident in what we profess about God not just because of human reason but mainly because God has chosen to reveal Himself to us. All we must do then is believe what God has told us about Himself. And this we do when we say each Sunday, “I believe…”