Christmas Thank You and New Year Resolutions

12-29-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

Christmas Thank You

We thank God and thank you all for a wonderful Christmas celebration. My special thanks to all those who participated in the Angel Giving Tree. I was speechless when I saw the outpouring of gifts and the overwhelming response of our parishioners to the needs of those around our community. I thank the Art and Environment ministry for the beautiful Christmas decorations. Also, thanks to the Choir and the Liturgy team for wonderful Liturgies during the Christmas. This Christmas was a very memorable one for me and I pray for more joyful celebrations with you all in this community.

Holy Family

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Fourth Sunday of Advent

12-22-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

A very big thank you to our St. John Bosco School community for the beautiful Christmas Program and the Our Lady of Guadalupe play during the week. Thanks, also, to the teachers and staff who helped organize the different Christmas events with the school this year. Wishing our SJB community a wonderful Christmas and a Blessed New Year. I would also like to thank everyone who participated in our Advent Penance Service last Tuesday. The turnout was wonderful and the visiting priests appreciate your warm welcome and prayers.

In the First Reading today, we hear how God sent the prophet Isaiah to ask King Ahaz to ask for a sign from God. Why did Ahaz refuse to ask for a sign? He said, “I will not put God to the test.” He prefers to do what God wants for him, rather than to challenge God. At this time as we prepare for Christmas, suppose we have Santa play the role of God and our children play the role of King Ahaz. What do you think we would hear as their responses? Most likely requests for material gifts, right? But what about us, the adults, if God were to ask us to make a request for something this Christmas, what would you ask for? It is amazing how materialism has taken over the meaning of Christmas these days.

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Third Sunday of Advent

12-15-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete” is a Latin word for “rejoice.” Today, we light the rose-colored candle on our Advent Wreath, symbolic of our expression of joy on this Gaudete, or Rejoice, Sunday. We are invited to reflect on the things that make us truly joyful. What brings us joy? Is it our job, family, faith, money, good health, sports, or something else? We are also invited to go beyond identifying what makes us joyful during this Advent season, to determine how we can share our joy with those who are in need around us. The tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is a way of sharing our joy, not only with those who are in need, but also with our family and friends. I thank all those who have participated in the Angel Giving Tree. I saw many precious gifts brought in to the parish to be shared with many of our friends around our community. Thanks, also, to our parish choir for the beautiful Christmas concert this past week. We await the St. John Bosco School Christmas Program, coming up this Wednesday, December 18. These are an indication that we are truly a people of joy!

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The Eucharistic Bread

12-08-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

As we set up our Christmas decorations during this second week of Advent, Pope Francis invites Christians all over the world to be conscious of including the nativity scene in our decorations as a sign of our joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. In his Apostolic Letter titled “Admirabile Signum,” Latin term meaning, “Enchanting Image” which he signed last Sunday, the Pope stated, “With this Letter, I wish to encourage the beautiful family tradition of preparing the nativity scene in the days before Christmas, but also the custom of setting it up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares. Great imagination and creativity is always shown in employing the most diverse materials to create small masterpieces of beauty. As children, we learn from our parents and grandparents to carry on this joyful tradition, which encapsulates a wealth of popular piety. It is my hope that this custom will never be lost and that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered and revived.”

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First Sunday of Advent

12-01-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

Thank You

I thank God and would like to thank everyone for the wonderful Thanksgiving celebration during the week. I was particularly happy to see a good attendance at the Thanksgiving Mass to thank God first before our family celebrations. My special thanks to St. Vincent De Paul Society, the Knights of Columbus and all those who donated turkey and food items for our Thanksgiving outreach this year. Through your generosity, our parish community was able to put food on the table for so many families in and around our community this year. May God continue to bless you all as you willingly share your time, talents, and treasures with those in need.

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Eucharistic Bread

11-24-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

I would like to thank everyone who participated in the Together Let Us Go Forth~Juntos Sigamos Adelante Campaign. I really appreciate your generous and sacrificial giving to support the campaign. This weekend I invite those who have not yet participated to join us in supporting the campaign by filling out a pledge card to be fulfilled over the next 5 years. We all have different reasons whether or not we choose to participate in the campaign. Personally, as a religious Priest with a Vow of Poverty, even with my meager income, plus my financial obligations to my Religious Order and my family, I have enough reasons not to participate in the campaign. However, like an African Proverb says, “No matter how short a man is, he too can see the Sun.” I chose to support the campaign because I wanted to be part of this historical moment. My participation is my way of saying “thank you” to the Diocese of Phoenix and to the St. Benedict community for the love and support I have received.

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Together Let Us Go Forth...

11-17-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

Over the past three months, I have visited and met with a number of families in our parish community to get to know them and to hear their concerns, questions and suggestions regarding our parish community, as well as to discuss the ongoing diocesan wide campaign, Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante. During our visits, many families shared with me their struggles and how they arrived at the decision to give sacrificial financial support to the parish weekly collection, parish building campaign and now the diocesan campaign. I thank all of the families who gave me the opportunity to visit them and those who have already participated in both the parish building and the diocesan campaign. Because of your support, you are helping us reach our goals.

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Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante

11-10-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

Finally, we have come to the last week of preparation for our long-awaited Parish BBQ and Boot Scoot, coming up this Saturday, November 16. Don’t miss out on the fun! Lots of food, fellowship, silent auction items, music, dancing, entertainment and more. Invite your friends and neighbors to come join us. Remember to buy your ticket for the dinner this weekend or this week at the parish office. Much thanks to those on the Event Committee for all the planning and dedication to ensure that we have a successful celebration. I look forward with excitement to a wonderful and memorable evening on Saturday.

Together Let Us Go Forth~Juntos Sigamos Adelante

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The Month of November

11-03-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

Welcome to the month of November. In the Church tradition, the month of November is a period dedicated for prayers for the dead. On Nov 1, the Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints when we thank God for the lives of all the dead who have made it to heaven. On Nov 2, we celebrate the Memorial of All Souls when we pray for those who have passed and are still undergoing the period of purification in Purgatory before they can be admitted into heaven. On the Church’s teaching on Purgatory, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that:

“All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire” (CCC 1030 -1031).

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Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante

10-27-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

It is my pleasure to introduce to you the Diocesan-wide campaign: Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante. This is a historic campaign where every parish and mission in our Diocese will join together in an effort to strengthen and embolden discipleship and evangelization efforts that will impact millions today and in the future. Discipleship is a dynamic journey of becoming like Jesus and it starts with a “yes.” As we grow in our relationship with God, we evangelize and share the Gospel with our families and communities, bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ into every human situation.

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Annual Pastoral & Finance Reports

10-20-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

I am pleased to present to you our Parish Annual Pastoral and Finance Reports for the fiscal years 2017/18 and 2018/19. As I stated earlier this year, I was not able to give you the Annual Report for the 2017/18 last year due to the transition of leadership and grief period we experienced. The reports presented to you this weekend are in two parts: the Pastoral Report (which covers the last fiscal year 2018/19) and the Financial Report (which covers fiscal years 2017/18 and 2018/19). Please note that the parish fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.

READ ANNUAL REPORT

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Ministry Fair, Harvest Fest and Arizona Rosary Celebration

10-13-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

I thank Jay Iole, Chettie Dodson, the Knights of Columbus and everyone who helped last weekend to make our Ministry Fair very successful. Special thanks also to the members of all the ministries that participated in the Fair. I was glad to see good participation and big signups in the different ministries. May God continue to bless you all for the generous giving of your time, talents and treasures that keep our parish running.

Harvest Fest

I look forward to another exciting event at the St. John Bosco Harvest Fest next weekend. I invite everyone to come and show your support for our school after the 5 pm Mass this Saturday, October 19. There will be lots of fun: a costume contest, haunted house, beer & wine garden, raffle baskets, food trucks, lip sync battle, bouncy houses, cake walk, petting zoo, pumpkins for sale and more! Please invite your family, friends and neighbors to come join us at the event.

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Parish Ministry Fair

10-06-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

The Ministry Fair weekend is here at last! We have all been working so hard, planning and preparing for this weekend through the year. I am so excited and looking forward to the fun after all the Masses this weekend. The overall goal of the Ministry Fair is not to just showcase our ministries, but to provide opportunities for everyone to get involved in the different ministries they feel called to join. Every Catholic is called to participate in building God’s Church through our services in different ministries. Everyone has different talents and something to contribute to the growth of the parish community. The Ministry Fair gives us the opportunity to know what ministries we have available and what each ministry does.

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