Beloved in the Lord,
Glory to Jesus Christ!

Most every Sunday a young member of our parish comes up to me after Mass and says, “This is for you Father.” He hands me a dollar bill.

I thank him and I get a hug.

He is six or seven years old. I assumed that he meant his gift was for Jesus and so I put it in the collection.

One Sunday I asked him where the money came from. The young one said, “The money comes from chores. I get six dollars (and his eyes lit up) every week.” “And you give some to me?” I asked. He nodded. I said, “Do you mean the money is for Jesus and the Church?” His face clouded and he told me, in no uncertain terms, “I give a dollar to Jesus when the money basket goes by. The money I give you is for you.”

I was rather surprised and thanked him for giving Jesus some money for His Church. I thought of his good parents who were raising him to be a good Catholic. They must share their love for the Lord and His Church with their children. Bless them.

I asked the boy if I could share the gift he gave me with Jesus. He looked exasperated and said, “Sure, it’s your money, but everyone needs some candy sometimes.” (Children are kind by nature, he obviously didn’t notice my gut.)

 

This time of year is a time for giving. Many organizations and worthy causes are asking for gifts. 

 

Plainly, bluntly, I am asking you to be generous with our parish during the Advent and Christmass (and it is Christ’s Mass) seasons.

I realize the Archdiocese is asking for money, Catholic Charities is asking for money and other causes are asking for money.

I am suggesting we give locally first, as we would for our families. Your generous giving allows our parish to operate day to day. Your giving helps us witness to Christ in the poor in our Lawton community and beyond. Your financial kindness helps our ministries to pass on our Catholic Faith. Your financial help gives us the power to witness to the religious and spiritual teachings of Christ Jesus in a world that seems to have gone mad.

I am coming to you asking for money to help our Holy Family. We were all impacted by Covid-19 and the economic downturns that followed.

Our parish is smaller, members have not returned after the quarantine lifted and the closing of the churches. I deeply regret that we closed the churches. While I was obedient to the bishop, there are those who genuinely feel that the Church was not there for them then so why should they be here for the Church now. There are others who use this as an excuse. 

 

We can never close the churches again, even if there is, God forbid, another pandemic. It is at times like that when we need the Church and the Sacraments even more.

Those who know me, know that I am not good at talking about money and hate doing so. But I do it anyway not for myself but for the good of the parish and the cause of Christ.

If you are truly generous to the parish, thank you; you are the folks that keep the doors open.

 

If you do not give or do not give in a fair proportion to your funds please reconsider this behavior. Yes, it’s your hard-earned money and you can give fairly or not give at all. That is your business. I would encourage you though to pray about this. As St. Paul teaches, “So let each one give as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).

Please remember our parish in your end of the year charitable giving and if you can give the parish an extra gift this Christmass time.

Thanks to all of you who have been consistently generous to Holy Family parish.

May the love and generosity of the young boy mentioned at the beginning of this missive be ours as well.

God be kind to you and bless all of you.

Fondly,
Fr. Phil

“A rich man is not one who has much, but one who gives much. For what he gives away remains his forever.” - St John Chrysostom