Dear Brothers and Sisters of St. Andrew the Apostle,

Please read the bulletin or our parish website for all the St. Andrew's news and events. Here is a glimpse of what is coming up in the coming weeks:

• The Knights of Columbus will host their monthly Pancake Breakfast this Sunday, January 5, after the 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, and 10:30 AM Masses.
• Volunteers are needed to help take down the Christmas decorations in the church after the 12:30 PM Mass on Sunday, January 12.
• We will have a Respect Life Holy Hour on Thursday, July 23, at 7:00 PM.
• Join Fr. Wilton, me, and tens of thousands of others as we offer prayerful witness for an end to abortion at the March For Life in Washington, DC, on Friday, January 24. Our buses will leave St. Andrew's at 11:00 AM and return around 5:30 PM. For more information and to register for a seat on our bus, please visit our website.

Tomorrow is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. The Gospel reading is the visitation of the Magi. Epiphany comes from the Greek word epiphainein, meaning "to show." We recognize in this Feast that God has shown Himself and His divinity to the world. The presence of the Magi, who are Gentiles from a foreign land, reveals that the long-awaited Messiah of the Israelites has come to save not just the Jews, but all people.

In the Church's tradition, two other events of Christ's life are included in the celebration of His Epiphany: His Baptism in the Jordan and His miracle at the wedding feast at Cana. Like the Magi's visitation, they both provide a divine revelation to the world. At the Baptism of Jesus, we hear the voice of the Father proclaim, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Mt 3:17). At the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus reveals His divinity through his first public miracle, turning water into wine when the party for the newlyweds runs short of wine. In His discussion with the Blessed Mother before the miracle, Jesus says, "My hour has not yet come" (Jn 2:4), meaning that His public ministry, which will end with his Crucifixion and Resurrection, has not yet begun. This miracle changes that: "Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him" (Jn 2:11).

We are humbled that our God would take on human flesh to redeem us, and even more so that He would reveal this truth to us in love, for left to our own, we would not imagine such a glorious and intimate means of salvation. Let us rejoice that we have a God who loves us so deeply that He lays down His life for us, and through His Incarnation, raises us to His divinity.

... One of the Epiphany traditions that we have been participating in here at St. Andrew's over the past years is to bless our homes and mark them with chalk. This marks our homes as a place for Christ and provides us a reminder when we enter our homes that the faith we bring to us at church is the same faith we share in our homes among our family. So this weekend, I ask each household to take home a piece of blessed chalk and the prayers of blessing to say when "chalking" your home. Happy Epiphany!

... On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the Jubilee Year of 2025 at St. Peter's Basilica. The theme of this universal Jubilee Year is "Pilgrims of Hope." In May, Pope Francis announced this Jubilee with the Papal Bull, Spes Non Confundit ("Hope Does Not Disappoint"). While the Pope began the Jubilee Year by opening a Holy Door at St. Peter's, Bishop Burbidge will celebrate the Opening Mass for the Jubilee Year of 2025 here in our Diocese this Epiphany Sunday. The Bishop's Mass will be at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington at 11:00 AM. More information about the Opening Mass and the celebration of the Jubilee Year can be found here.

Our lives are caught up in so many activities this time of year that it can be difficult to focus on one more thing. Therefore, I will return to the topic of this Jubilee Year in later newsletters because it is important to our Catholic faith. We tend to think of these celebrations as self-created opportunities to promote our Church, but the Jubilee Year finds its roots in the Old Testament and is a time marked for praising God and freedom from slavery and debt. Dr. Scott Hahn recently hosted a show on the Jubilee Year on his podcast "Road to Emmaus" which offers a good introduction.

... As I write this on Friday night, January 3, the weather forecast predicts 10 to 12 inches of snow on Monday, January 6. I hope it is not that severe. We have been blessed with temperate winters last year and so far this year. As a pastor, my prayers are battling those of our school children in the parish. They are praying for snow to get out of school. I am praying against the snow because we have to pay to have the parking lot plowed. Do not worry; it is in the budget. I like to consider myself frugal. Others may describe me as cheap.

This is a good reminder to review our St. Andrew's inclement weather policy:

• No matter the weather, Masses and Confession will occur as scheduled since Fr. Wilton and I do not have to travel to get to the church. Parishioners do, however, so please be prudent when making the decision to come to Mass or Confessions when the weather is bad. We do our best to keep the parking lot salted and cleared, but sometimes the weather gets ahead of us.
• The St. Andrew's School, Religious Education classes, all ministry group meetings, and Eucharistic Adoration all follow Fairfax County Public Schools with regard to delays and cancellations. You can find FCPS weather cancellation information on their website.
• The Parish Office follows the Fairfax County Public School Offices with regard to delays and cancellations. The parish office usually opens at 9:00 AM from Monday through Friday. A 2-hour delay means the office will open at 11:00 AM.

.....It has been a few weeks since I have written about sports, and there is a lot going on. I could talk about how the Ravens have surpassed the Pittsburgh Steelers and now lead the AFC North Conference going into the last game of the season, but I won't out of charity for the far too many Steelers fans in the parish. Instead, I will wait until after the season is over. It is a good year to be a Washington Commanders fan as well, which is not something you can say very often. There is a lot for local football fans to celebrate this winter!

Be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions. Also, know of my prayers for your safety if this forecast is as severe as predicted.

In Christ,

Fr. Wagner