Normally when my pastor's column is devoted to our VIP of the month (which for January is Maureen Morgan), I begin by bringing up my own knowledge of the person and what I especially appreciate about them that has made (and in the case of Maureen still makes) them a blessing for this parish and others. Maureen and her husband, Colin, moved to Hot Springs Village and became members of our parish in 1993. She has been a longtime member of LOSH (since 2006) and chose to be active in the St Jude Guild because of its mission to support the youth of our parish through our REY (Religious Education for Youth). She has regularly helped as an "ice cream scooper" as this guild has a fundraiser(s) at Men's Club dinners to raise money to support our youth in special dinners, beginning and end of school year parties and receptions and gifts for those youth who are receiving sacraments at our parish. She has delivered food through Meals on Wheels, served and provided food for funeral receptions and contributed time and goodies for LOSH bake goods sales and food baskets. Maureen is best known for and is seen and appreciated by many for her beautiful singing voice which she has used over the years as a regular cantor at the 8:00 a.m. Mass, as a soloist and member of the funeral choir at Masses of Ressurection for parishioners, with special choirs for Christmas and the Easter Triduum and for special events like the Knight's Memorial Mass and LOSH May crowning service. She has entertained many by writing and leading a group of singers at deacons' retirement dinners and anniversary and birthday celebrations for me (which I truly appreciate). She honored and entertained Msgr Malone and us with a parody Irish song that brought a big smile to him and others there. I don't have space to mention all the ways she has volunteered and served the larger community of Hot Springs Village with her time and talents, but I can tell you it's impressive! Personally, I have been impressed and blessed by her perpetual smile, her positive demeanor, her high energy level, AND her willingness to communicate with me in person (or usually by e-mail) with compliments, questions, critiques, and information that I have found helpful to me and to the parish. I appreciate her and anyone sharing with honesty about what I'm doing (or could be doing) and ideas that could (and more often than not) will benefit our parish which Maureen loves deeply. I do want to also thank her dear husband, Colin who has supported, and I know will continue to support, the time and talent she has given and continues to give in so many ways to this wonderful parish and our Hot Springs Village community!

I have always been impressed by what is said in the Church's rite of the "Vigil for the Deceased" in the invitation to prayer which says "My brothers and sisters, we believe that all the ties of friendship and affection which knit as one throughout our lives do not unravel with death. Confident that God always remembers the good we have done and forgives our sins, let us pray, asking God to gather (Name) to himself." This statement not only reminds us of our belief in the Communion of Saints and the reality of our faith which assures us of continued connection and affection toward and with them, but it also emphasizes God's focus in life and after our life on earth on the good we do. God is not dwelling on the bad we do or have done, but instead is ready to forgive and forget our faults and bring us to his kingdom of eternal love and peace. Upon the passing of Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, on New Year's Eve at the age of 95, there were plenty in the media who spoke critically of his time as our pope. Some (if not many) of those remarks definitely reflected the thoughts and religious and secular views of the person who shared their reflections (which are biased in one direction or another). While I cannot, in one pastor's column, list the many blessings that came to the Church especially during his relatively short reign (about 8 years), I choose to give thanks to God and remember all the good he did in keeping us true to the Catholic Faith Tradition, and serving with great distinction as he followed the long and distinguished pontificate of Pope (now Saint) John Paul II. He had to accept the fact that the media within (and especially outside the Church) would dissect every word he spoke in public, and draw conclusions that were often not true to what he said. He travelled to various countries (including ours) and spoke of the love of God for all people while rightly speaking out for those who were poor and vunerable (in imitation of Jesus Christ)! History will indeed remember and applaud his humility, especially in his decision to resign as pope due to age and deteriorating health. In this time in history, when people are living so long (as he did), he paved the way for future popes who reach an age with declining health of mind and/or body (but not of spirit) to do as he did, and devote the rest of their life in large part to prayer for God's people and the world. Those of us whose heritiage is German are no doubt thankful to God for choosing someone who was proud of being German and more so, a Catholic and disciple of Jesus Christ, and whose younger years reflected a strong faith and courage in rejecting (and even deserting as a forced soldier) the ways of the "Third Reich". I am confident (as I hope all of us are) Jesus said in part when Benedict XVI resigned as pope and completely when he breathed his last breath. "Well done, good and faithful servant...enter the joy of your Master." (Mth 25:23).

I hope everyone who reads this column would agree that the greatest and most significant miracle that has come to humanity is the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, as this, in part, has led to our belief in our own Resurrection and future life with Jesus after we breathe our last breath of our earthly existence.  I would argue that the second greatest miracle from God was his coming down to share in our humanity through his conception (by the power of the Holy Spirit) and his birth through the Blessed Virgin Mary whom we celebrate this weekend as the "Mother of God."  The "reality" of these miracles, is of course in large part, a matter of faith (with the Resurrection backed with the testimony unto martyrdom of all of the apostles but one).  The other evening, after a Sunday afternoon football game that was watched by my mother, the show 60 Minutes came on and highlighted the stories for that hour that included one from Lourdes, France.  In that story, they reported on the countless people who flock from all over the world to the shrine in which "Our Lady" (of Lourdes) appeared to Bernadette so long ago.  Obviously, many of them are seeking a cure from physical and/or mental ailments and even deformities of their limbs.  In the story they focused on a nun named Bernadette who had several medical issues including something that caused her left foot to not be as functional as most people and which caused her more and more pain as time passed.  After going to the shrine and asking for the intercession of St. Bernadette, she experienced a cure and an ability to walk without a special brace on her foot and be free of pain.  She then submitted herself to an ongoing process there in Lourdes in which a team of doctors did all kinds of tests to determine if this "miracle" could be explained from a medical perspective.  By the end of the story, it was shared that it took almost 10 years and much ongoing effort for the conclusion that this "cure" was beyond medical explanation.  It was therefore added to only 70 other cases that ended with the same declaration being made.  I found myself wondering why such a process continues to be employed at Lourdes (and in other instances like with Padre Pio and the miracle of the wounds of Christ that stayed and afflicted him for 50 years).  I say such instances have shown (and will continue to show) the existence of God, who acts beyond human expectations and explanations, and, in and through his Son, Jesus Christ, and the intercession of the saints gives us "reasons" to believe and to live our lives in accordance to his example and teachings.  Personally, I don't see the need for people like Sister Bernadette to go through what she did, but instead just give thanks and praise to God for the greatest of miracles through Jesus Christ and the little miracles that we hear about or experience ourselves!