Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which recalls Mary and Joseph taking the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem where they offered a pair of doves in sacrifice for him. Before the liturgical renewal of the Second Vatican Council, February 2nd was known as The Feast of the Purification of Our Lady, because Mary and Joseph also made that visit to the Temple for Mary’s ritual purification after child-birth.

Today the Church’s Christmas Season ends on the Baptism of the Lord (January 12th, this year). Formerly the Christmas Season ended on February 2nd, the Feast of the Purification. So if you still have Christmas decorations displayed in your home, you can say that you are following the older tradition. (It is a good idea to put the Christmas decorations away before Ash Wednesday on March 5th.)

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Catholic Ministries Appeal. As we have reported before, Our Lady of Lourdes has reached our goal. As of 1/27/2025 St. Anne was about $3500 short of our goal. If every St. Anne parishioner who has not yet contributed to the CMA were to each give a small amount, we would reach our goal quickly.

Thank you to the Lourdes parishioner who last Sunday told me they were going to make their donation now, and as Lourdes as made their goal, this Lourdes parishioner would be designating their contribution to St. Anne’s credit!

Grace and Peace,
Fr. Gary Tyman