Spirituality With A View 
Greetings!

January 1 is New Year’s Day, and for many, it marks "day #1" of New Year’s Resolutions - those annoying promises we make that usually involve ending a bad habit or changing our appearance in some way. While not always bad, what do they tell us about ourselves? We start a New Year by automatically picking those things we don't like about ourselves, determined to not be or do those things anymore. 

January 1 is also the World Day of Prayer for Peace . Peace is so much more than just the absence of war and of violence. Peace, true peace, is to be in the midst of war, violence, fear, stress, frustration, and still be calm in our hearts. It is the acceptance of who we are and the acceptance of our lives, imperfect and difficult and frustrating as they may be.

This does not mean that our problems and worries are nothing and not worthy of any attention. It does not mean we don’t need to change.

But we don’t believe perfection is truly possible in this world. As Christians, we believe humanity is now destined for something greater than anything this world can offer.

And so we begin the year 2020, not just a New Year but a New Decade! Perhaps this year we can make our relationship with God and humanity our focus. 

Maybe we could devote ourselves more to prayer and reading God's Word.  Here are a few resources that I have found particularly helpful:
Websites like pray-as-you-go.org by The Jesuits or the website of the Carmelite Order can be helpful for prayerful meditation on the Scriptures. 
"Essence of Prayer" by Ruth Burrows and "Sister Wendy On Prayer" by Sister Wendy Beckett are two of the best books on prayer I have ever read! 
Perhaps we can make patience with our sisters and brothers a priority. Or maybe we can work on forgiving that one person who has hurt us most. "Facing Forgivness" by Brother Loughlan Sofield is a great resource for helping with that most difficult of journeys.
As we move into this new decade, let's make living fully and joyfully our priority. What have you always wanted to do? What has been your dream? Why keep putting it off? Maybe 2020 can be the year you finally follow your deepest desire! Maybe this can be the year we all focus, not just on our hips, but most importantly, on our hearts. May you and all those whom you love and care for be blessed with joy, peace, love, and good health in this New Year.
Blessings,
Father Chris
P.S. If you are looking for a good movie to watch on a cold January night, here are some recommendations from FORMED. Please visit Formed.org for more suggestions. Scroll down to page 2 to see specific ideas for the Feasts and Saint's Days in January, including suggestions for children. If you have not yet signed up for FORMED, instructions are on the FORMED page of our website.
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Remember to Stay Connected
If you are away from Lake Tahoe, remember to access our weekly bulletins and Father Chris's homilies from our website or the MyParish app. If you are not yet using the MyParish app, click the link below to add the app to your smart phone. After installing, designate St. Francis of Assisi as your parish. Besides bulletins and homilies, you will also have our parish calendar, prayers, reflections and daily readings at your fingertips.

You can also receive our weekly bulletin by e-mail every Saturday morning. Sign-up here .
Mission:
Making Disciples who joyfully share their gifts to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Vision:
To be a vibrant community that welcomes, prays, studies, gives, and shares our faith. We are guided by the Holy Spirit as we engage in ministry
with others through our love of God.
 St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
701 Mount Rose Hwy
Incline Village, NV 89451 
(775) 831-0490