Gratitude, Hope, and Walking Together

As we begin the New Year 2026, I warmly greet each one of you—our parish family made up of many cultures, languages, and life stories. A new year always invites us to pause, to look back with gratitude, and to look ahead with hope. It is a blessing that we begin this year with the beautiful feast of Mary, the Mother of God. On this day, the Church gently places us under Mary’s care. She teaches us how to receive life as a gift and how to move forward with trust, even when the way ahead is not always clear. With her, we place this New Year into the loving hands of God.

Recently, we received through email from the kyoudou senkyou siboku iinkai a copy of the the lecture given by Bishop Narui, where he reflected on Integral Ecology, inspired by Laudato Si’ and the bishops’ message “Behold, It Was Very Good.” One message stayed with me in a special way: our Christian response to the world should not begin with fear, anxiety, or trying to fix everything at once, but with praise and gratitude. Our lives, our cultures, our differences, and even the world around us are not problems to solve first—they are gifts to be received with thankful hearts.

Integral ecology reminds us that everything is connected. To care for creation is also to care for people. It invites us to seek harmony in our relationship with God, with one another, with nature, and even within ourselves. For us as a multicultural parish, this becomes very real and very practical. Respecting one another, listening patiently, showing compassion, and choosing kindness are not extra options—they are simple and concrete ways of living our faith each day.

One striking message from the lecture was this: the deepest ecological crisis is a crisis of the human heart. True change does not come only from better systems or new technology, but from a change within us—from conversion of heart. This invites us to look honestly at how we live, how we consume, and how we relate to people who may be different from us. Even the small choices we make each day—what we buy, how we use resources, how we speak and act toward others—carry moral and spiritual meaning. They quietly reveal what kind of world, and what kind of parish, we are helping to build.

Dear brothers and sisters, as your pastor, I invite you in 2026 to walk together as one parish family:

·        grateful for God’s gifts,

·        attentive to one another,

·        respectful of creation,

·        and open to ongoing conversion of heart.

As we honor Mary, the Mother of God, may we learn from her how to treasure life and how to say a gentle but faithful “yes” to God in our daily lives. In this New Year, let us continue to walk together in hope—caring for one another, caring for God’s creation, and building a parish that truly feels like home for everyone.

May the Lord bless you and your families with peace, good health, and deep joy throughout 2026.

Fr. Roed Desamparado, CM