From the Pastor's Desk - December 28, 2025

Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,

Merry Christmas and Happy Feast of the Holy Family! Today’s Feast celebrates the sacredness of marriage and family life. For many of us, though, our families feel lightyears away from the holiness that Mary, Joseph and Jesus experienced in the home in Nazareth. The point of this Sunday’s feast isn’t to discourage us because of our dysfunction, but to show us that holiness is possible in the messiness of our lives! Here are some things we can do to strive for holiness at home:

1. Marriage in the Church: Marriage is a sacred bond, instituted by God at creation. Jesus raised marriage to being a sacrament when it is between two baptized individuals. Through the sacrament of matrimony, the husband and wife are instruments of sanctification for one another (and for their children), leading each other to heaven. If you are married outside the Church, speak to a priest about how you can seek the annulment of a previous marriage or begin preparation for marriage in the Church.

2. Eating dinner together: Just as the most sacred action in the Church is centered on a (Eucharistic) meal, so the most sacred moment for the family in daily life is around the dinner table. Make it a habit to turn off the TV and cell phones, pray before the meal, and eat together at dinner.

3. Pray together: My mom and dad had to get up early to pray together without the distraction of their eight kids. I remember them reading the daily Mass readings together early in the morning. Find a time where you can pray together, hopefully, daily, as a couple. The prayer of a married couple is extremely powerful!

4. Pray with your children: Often on long car trips, we prayed the rosary (sometimes with the very surprised friend who happened to be in the car). One of my first memories is my mom praying with me before bed. Make sure that your children grow up with memories of you praying with them.

5. Date Night: When is the last time you and your spouse planned on going out together for dinner or a movie without distractions? Your marriage needs these moments of intentionally having fun with one another on a regular basis! Don’t get so bogged down with life’s duties that you forget this.

In the love of the Holy Family,

Fr. Dave