Now, lest you think that perhaps I’ve lost track of time, and forgotten that Christmas is now almost a week gone, I assure you that I have not yet lost my marbles. We Catholics celebrate our two most major feasts--Christmas and Easter--with what are known as “Octaves” (week-long celebrations), in which every day during the Octave is, in a sense, the same as the actual feast day itself. And so, far from being “done” with Christmas, today is no less Christmas Day than the actual Christmas Day itself. Today is the 7th Day of Christmas, and tomorrow, as we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, and New Year’s Day 2024, our Christmas Octave will come to its close as the 8th Day of Christmas reaches its conclusion tomorrow evening. 

But wait, there’s more! While the Octave of Christmas brings Christmas Day to its close, we then enter the Christmas Season, which lasts until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, next Monday, January 8th. While it’s true, then, that our secular culture celebrated the Christmas Season before Christmas, while we were still waiting for Jesus during Advent, and has now dropped it like a hot potato, we Catholics are still feasting with great joy as we welcome the birth of Christ the Lord.

Might I suggest as well that we all make use of this time of feasting and joy, and for one particular liturgical reason? My friends, Lent starts super early this coming year, with Ash Wednesday falling on February 14, 2024. Yep, you read that right: Valentine’s Day this year is a Day of Fasting and Abstinence, which we will mark with the imposition of ashes on our foreheads, and with only one very vegetarian, or fish-based, meal (this is your first reminder to plan in advance for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and to remember that on those days we Catholics are only allowed one full meal, which has to be meatless, with two small snacks at other points in the day and no eating in between the meal and the snacks). Since that’s not a terribly romantic way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, and will be here before we know it, let’s feast while we can and celebrate with great gladness the Nativity of the King of Kings!

Once again, a very merry Christmas to you all! May the birth of God the Son in the flesh bring us the immense gladness of knowing that God became man, so that we human beings might share in His divine life for all eternity.

Between the actual Christmas Day last Monday, 12/25, and today, our parish has had the blessing of a special visitor on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, 12/28, namely, our diocesan bishop, His Excellency, the Most Rev. Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange. It was a delight to be able to celebrate with Bishop Vann on 12/28, and we had a beautiful bilingual Mass with many attendees. Our Mass was preceded by our annual march in honor of the pro-life cause from the La Habra City Hall to the church, and it was a solemn and lovely way to remember our common duty to protect the most innocent and vulnerable members of our society, the unborn. After Mass, we joined together in the Coleman Center for a festive reception. Thank you to Stephen Tarbell and our Knights of Columbus for organizing this celebration, and our parish especially expresses its gratitude to Bishop Vann for joining us. Thank you, Your Excellency! Here are some pictures from Thursday’s march and Mass, for your perusal.

Also, on Saturday, 12/30, one of our guest speakers for our upcoming speakers’ series, “Vespers and Vespers: A Mystagogical and Mixological Journey”, my dear friend, Fr. Cameron Forbes, arrived from Melbourne, Australia. Fr. Cameron will staying with us for two weeks at OLG, and we are thrilled that he is joining us! We will also be joined on 1/10 by another dear friend of mine, Fr. Henry Stephan, OP, a Dominican Friar of the Province of St. Joseph (East Coast), who will be our speaker for “Vespers and Vespers” that evening. Both of these speakers are brilliant, erudite, and quite humorous, and you don’t want to miss out on hearing them. During “Vespers and Vespers”, we will begin with sung Evening Prayer (Vespers), and then our guest speakers will be guiding us either through the preparation of a signature cocktail, such as my favorite, the Vesper Martini (whence our program gets its name), or through a priest-curated wine tasting, and then they will be presenting a dynamic talk or presentation. Heavy appetizers will be provided during the talks. If you haven’t already made your booking, don’t hesitate to do so today, as space is limited. You can make your booking through our parish website at: https://www.olglahabra.org/v+v. We look forward to seeing you at “Vespers and Vespers”, beginning this coming Wednesday, 1/3, at 6pm in the Coleman Center!

Oremus pro invicem—let us pray for each other—that as we continue to celebrate the Nativity of Christ, and as we begin the New Year of grace 2024, our hearts may be opened to the saving action of the Holy Spirit, who comes to give us new life, new hope, and new strength. 

A very happy New Year to you all! 

Yours sincerely in the Lord,

Fr. Will

When was the last time you intentionally made this simple prayer, “Call me and I’ll follow.” The reality is it’s nearly impossible to discern God’s voice unless we invite Him in through our prayer. Discernment isn’t just for pious folks or seminarians, but every second is an opportunity to hear God’s call on our lives. Young adult men and women (18-35) are invited to come and spend time with the Lord, the Diocese of Orange Vocation Team, and one another for a weekend of prayer, fellowship, guidance, and spiritual direction. This experience is not only for those discerning their vocation, but for any young adult who desires to learn how to listen to the voice of God in their lives.

Early Bird Cost is $150 until Dec. 28th. Scholarships are available, contact Benito at bmedrano@rcbo.org.

Registration information can be found at linktr.ee/ocvocations

Questions? Contact the Office of Vocations: ocvocations@rcbo.org or 714-282-3033

Join us in praying the rosary during the Christmas season as we reflect on the Joyful Mysteries with prayerful intention and engaging Imago Divina. Register for this FREE event at thecsd.org.

Únase a nosotros para rezar el rosario durante la temporada navideña mientras reflexionamos sobre los Misterios Gozosos con intención de oración y la participación de la Imago Divina. Regístrese para este evento GRATUITO en thecsd.org.

Retrouvaille of Orange Coast is holding their next weekend experience on January 19-21, 2024, in Santa Ana. Retrouvaille is a lifeline for couples who are or have experienced stress or conflict in their marriage and who are looking for a way back to a loving relationship. It is a Catholic-based program, but is open to married couples of all faiths. Space is limited, so we encourage registering for the weekend as early as possible. For more information and to register on-line, go to www.HelpOurMarriage.org. See flyer below for more information.