Dear Parishioners:
Saint Augustine, the great Doctor of the Church, asked: "What greater cause is there of the Lord's coming than to show God's love for us?" Upon the threshold of the coming of Christ at Christmas, we must ponder and reflect upon God's love for us. For on Christmas, the great feast of the Incarnation, we celebrate God's love for us.
With joy, we celebrate the coming of our Messiah, who dispelled the darkness of the world. With faith, we welcome the Light of Christ that pierces the darkness of our world's sin and sadness and the darkness in our lives. Yes, there are dark things in our world, but the celebration of the Lord's Nativity is even more extraordinary, for the Divine Light has come from Heaven, and we rejoice that "the darkness has never overcome it."
The Incarnation, the doctrine that God became flesh, and assumed a human nature becoming a man in the form of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the second person of the Trinity, is a central mystery of our Catholic faith. As the Advent Season quickly ends and the Feast of the Incarnation arrives this Friday, let us prayerfully meditate upon our God who humbled Himself to become one of us.
Only then are we indeed blessed to see how the humble and tender Christ Child born in a simple manger pulls us away from darkness and draws us into the light of His goodness, peace, and love. For on Christmas, we celebrate the reality that Jesus Christ, God made Man, is genuinely present and good!
God desires to share the love and communion of his life with us. He makes himself accessible in the incarnate humanity of his only-begotten Son born on Christmas. He does so "that we might share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity." At the heart of the Christmas story is not merely a warm sentiment for a tiny child or a sense of nostalgia for a Christmas past. Rather it is the reality that because of Christmas, we rejoice with faith in the person of Jesus Christ and the salvation and new life he makes possible for us.
An English Catholic ecclesiastical artist, mystic, famous religious writer, and poet of the 20th Century Caryll Houselander reflects on this reality. Her prayerful poem, entitled, Be Born in Us, offers a powerful meditation as we celebrate and contemplate the Birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The poem reads:
"Be born in us, Incarnate Love. Take our flesh and blood, and give us Your humanity. Take our eyes, and give us Your vision. Take our minds, and give us Your pure thought. Take our feet, and set them in Your path. Take our hands, and fold them in Your prayer. Take our hearts, and give them Your will to love. Amen."
I offer thanks to the many parishioners who support OLM Outreach, especially over these last few weeks. Your generous donations of financial support, gift cards, food, and paper goods are much appreciated. It enables us to help those in need in our community at the holidays but also the many poor, hungry, homeless, and destitute who seek our assistance daily. In their name, I offer my sincere thanks for your mercy and charity this Christmas.
There are three priests on Monday night, including outside confessors, hearing Confessions from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM. Seize the opportunity to make a good Confession before Christmas. God's mercy and forgiveness of sins is a great gift for Christmas. It's free and readily available. All you need to do is deliver yourself to the Confessional Box on Monday. If you do, you can genuinely rejoice with Christ the Savior on Christmas this Friday!
Along with Fr. Barrow, Fr. Connors, Sister Lourdes, Sister Emma, I offer prayers and best wishes for a Holy and Happy Christmas Season. Be assured of our remembrance for you and your families as we offer Mass on Christmas.
As we approach Christmas, I extend St. John Henry Newman's Christmas Blessing upon you, your families and all: "May each Christmas, as it comes, find us more and more like Him who at this time became a little child, for our sake; more simple-minded, more humble, more affectionate, more resigned, more happy, more full of God. Amen"
A Happy and Holy Christmas! God’s Blessings!