Dear friends,
With great joy I greet you on this final Sunday before the great celebration of the Nativity, the birth of Jesus at Christmas. In these days we have been anxiously awaiting His birth and it has finally arrived. All the decorations will be arranged and the church will be ready to go, come Tuesday, to celebrate this wonderful day.
At this time I always reflect on the great gift that we have been given, Emmanuel, God with us. Each year my faith is renewed and deepened as we celebrate what happened some 2000 years ago in a manger in Bethlehem. How amazing is the impact that this one person, Jesus, has had on the world. Taking the time to meditate on this fact, it deepens our belief that He truly is the Son of God and at the same time fully human, born of a virgin in time. His life points us to the meaning of our life. If we follow Him, we will be where He is. He told us that He has prepared a place for us. (Jn 14) In these days it is for us to prepare a place for Him. With our hearts open He will show us more and more who we are, made in His image and likeness. He will reveal to us the infinite love that caused Him to be born in the poverty of a stable surrounded by animals and the love of His parents. He will help us to hear the Angels voices as they sing Gloria in Excelsis Deo, Glory to God in the Highest! All this set against the harsh backdrop of the world into which He was born helps us to understand more and more the great gift that God has given us, especially as we experience the harsh conditions of our world and seek refuge in Him.
Don’t let the opportunity pass. Take the time in these days to adore Jesus in the manger, maybe at church maybe at home. Take the time to contemplate this great mystery and the tender love that God has for us. We can easily move from one thing to the next and with all the activity and busyness of the season just move right on from Christmas to the New Year. Let the blessing of the birth of Jesus sink in. Ponder it in the silence. The more time you spend with Him, the more you will get to know Him. I thank God for the opportunity to be your priest and to serve you. I pray daily for all of you and your families. I wish you all a Merry Christmas.