Dear Fellow Parishioners, We have crossed the threshold into a new year, and I am sure many of us are wondering what 2022 will bring. We are still enduring a pandemic, gridlock in Washington, travel plans up in the air, inflation on the rise; the list goes on. Where is the comfort and joy? We need to be reminded that both comfort and joy come from within. Being in right relationship with ourselves, with God and with others lays the foundation for comfort and joy within our hearts, minds and spirits. Take stock of your relationship with YOU! Many of us are familiar with the acronym HALT to measure the four risk states that affect our inner being, moods and behavior. When we are not experiencing, comfort and joy, or inner peace and are agitated it is time to HALT. Take stock of what is going on inside of you. Am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired? Hunger takes many forms, not necessarily hunger for food. Hunger for understanding, hunger to be heard, hunger for recognition; you get the picture. However, only you can identify what’s “eating you!” Go deeper with the other three also. Why? Because inner peace and inner comfort and joy come from within. No one is responsible for making you happy, only you can do that. The greatest enemy of inner peace, comfort and joy, is isolation. We need to make sure we have people in our lives that we can talk to and let ourselves be known. We become as sick as our secrets, and sometimes we forget to invite God into our faith journey. Psalm 139 helps us to deepen our relationship with God and our inner self. One way I put things in perspective when things close in on me is to ask; is this a First World Problem, or a real-life difficulty? After living in Haiti, I have come to realize that leaky pipes, power outages, car repairs are nothing to get overwhelmed by. We cross the threshold into a new year. Shake the dust from your feet, and the holes in your heart and allow the comfort and joy of our faith to enter the adventures that lie ahead. Fr. Bill