Dear OLP Family,

I remember reading this story about comedian Yakov Smirnoff, a Ukrainian-American comedian, actor and writer who began his career as a stand-up comedian in the Soviet Union. When he first came to the US, he was not prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores.

Dear OLP Family,

Our parish buildings have been lying vacant from last summer. You must have seen the “Space available for rent” sign for some time now. We have received inquiries from interested parties. We are in the process of renting our space. God willing, it will happen from this summer onwards. Please say a prayer for a fruitful outcome.

Dear OLP Family,

Happy St. Patrick’s Feast on Wednesday, March 17, when “everyone is an Irish.” Our parish is celebrating this popular feast today and our Knights of Columbus is hosting it in our parish hall. And Happy St. Joseph’s Feast two days later on March 19! Lavish celebrations for these two feasts, especially for St. Patrick’s Day, are typical. But it is very important to reflect on the spiritual dimension of each feast.

Dear OLP Family,

I wish to share two reflections with you in this column:

First: Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day, an annual celebration to honor the achievements and contributions of women, while challenging the discrimination and oppression they continue to face. We salute all the women for their invaluable contributions to enrich our families and communities, and pray for them in a special way.

Dear OLP Family,

A parishioner told me how touching and meaningful was last Sunday’s post-Communion meditation on “A different approach to fasting” and suggested that I put it in our bulletin. It was sent to me by a friend some time back and I am very glad that many felt that it was a very beautiful and spiritually enriching way to meditate in the church as a community.

Dear OLP Family,

So wonderful to see the big crowds in our church on Ash Wednesday – as in all the Catholic Churches all over the world - to mark entry into the penitential season of Lent. The traditional practices (fasting, meatless Fridays, saying extra prayers, giving up some favorite food or drink, refraining from certain habits, etc.) are all focused on personal or spiritual improvement of oneself.

Dear OLP Family,

Thank you to those of you who signed up: Last Sunday we had the lowest freezing temperature of the year, making it difficult for people to come to church - with only about half the usual numbers for each Mass. And yet the response of those who signed up to join the “LIVE LENT! Small groups for Bible sharing” was encouraging. Thank you.

Dear OLP Family,

MASS IN SIGNED LANGUAGE IN OUR PARISH: Our Diocese of Metuchen has a vibrant ministry for the deaf and hearing-impaired communities. I was asked if I would be open to hosting an interpreter at our 10:00 am Mass on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. I agreed and so the first signed language or interpreted Mass in our parish begins today.

Dear OLP Family,

I’m happy to be back after my three-weeks of vacation in India. Glad to reach back just in time to join you all to face the big winter storm of last Sunday. It was a good feeling to spend some quality time with my mother and siblings. Enjoyed a wide variety of the local food and delicacies. As a priest, it was expected of me to visit the many relatives who were sick or homebound, and I was happy to do so. To some I brought Holy Communion too.

Dear OLP Family,

What's the difference between a "Catholic Bible" and a "Protestant Bible"? This is a question that I have been asked many times, and probably you too. Catholic edition of the Bible has 73 books while the Protestant edition has only 66 books. The New Testaments books are 27 in Catholic and Protestant Bibles. But Protestant Bibles have only 39 books in the Old Testament, while Catholic Bibles have 46.

Dear OLP Family,

Happy Feast of Epiphany! Usually I take my vacation in January. As you read this, God willing, I will be far away in Kerala, India. I use this time to be with my mom who is in her 90’s and visit my siblings, family, and friends.

Let me now share with you a reflection on Epiphany. That word, in its Greek origin, refers to God’s revelation to humans.

Dear OLP Family,

Merry Christmas! I do hope you all had a happy time with your families for Christmas dinner. But it takes more than a festive Christmas dinner for many families to really have a great time with each other. Bringing a family together requires the patience to listen, the selflessness to forgive, the commitment to heal and mend.

Dear OLP Family,

Merry Christmas! Christmas is that magical time of the year when glittering decorations line the streets and homes and children are eagerly waiting to open the gifts under the tree. One word that we need to understand and reaffirm at Christmas is ‘incarnation.’ It literally means taking flesh. Christmas is the feast of God incarnating as a human being.

Dear OLP Family,

Just ten days more! It’s the season to be jolly! Christmas and New Year season is an exciting time but it can also be a time of frenzy. Is it going to be a wonderful time filled with fun, peace, joy, laughter, optimism, fellowship, family, friends, good food, giving, winter activities, cozy evenings, and fond memories? Or is it going to be a miserable time for stress, anxiety, sadness, frustration, hurry, loneliness, disappointment, overworking, overeating, over drinking, and overspending?

Dear OLP Family,

The Advent season is a time of preparation. “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.’” (Isaiah 40:3). We keep hearing this call from John the Baptist too, the immediate forerunner of the Messiah.