Pastor's Letter-- December 25th & 27th

UNFOLD! unfold! take in His light,
Who makes thy cares more short than night.
The joyes which with his day-star rise
He deals to all but drowsie eyes;
And (what the men of this world miss)
Some drops and dews of future bliss.
 
Hark! how the winds have changed their note,
And with warm whispers call thee out!
The frosts are past, the storms are gone,
And backward life at last comes on.
The lofty groves, in express joyes,
Reply unto the turtle’s voice:
And here, in dust and dirt,—oh, here,
The lilies of his love appear!
  - Henry Vaughan (d. 1695)

Though more of a spring-time poem, these words seem to speak also to us of our winter feasts. So many emotions, the heights and the depths, are swirling in the hearts of the faithful nowadays throughout our country and our world. This great day of celebration of Christmas, in the midst of the most severe pandemic in living memory, offers us a unique perspective on what is important in life. While the secular view has its own perspective on what it deems “essential,” with the eyes of faith we are able to see the deeper meaning of life in the story that begins in a manger – with centuries of prelude through the patriarchs and     prophets.  The center of history is declared in the Christmas Proclamation before the night Mass: JESUS CHRIST, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to consecrate the world by his most loving presence, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and when nine months had passed since his conception, was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem of Judah, and was made man: The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. 

From our faith we see that the most essential of all things is this relationship that is open for us in the “home” of the church. In the Church, the house of God and the community of faith, we find the Lord in the manger. This Church is that stable where we come to find Him resting quietly and     waiting for us, but we too, like the shepherds, are meant to share with others what we see. We are meant to help people in their search for meaning, happiness, and life – in their search for Jesus.

Why did the Lord come among us? The Christmas Proclamation says Jesus wishes to consecrate the world by His loving presence. He wants to be present to us everywhere - even when we can’t come to church, can’t seek Him out to find Him in the stable of the church. It is in our hearts and in our homes that the Lord ultimately desires to reside as well.   Every Christian believer is meant to be a microcosm of the universal Church and local parish. This is why Pope St. John Paul II called the home “the domestic church” – for children it is the first community of faith, and for all of us it is the first step in bringing God’s kingdom into the world.

One thing has been clear this past year: the domestic church needs the wider community of faith. It is hard to keep the fire burning in our hearts when we are separated from each   other. Live-streaming is like a tourniquet: it cannot heal; it can only slow the damage. So our community is trying to build up the parish family by building up the domestic church. Resources, workshops, and other avenues will be utilized throughout the year. Please refer to other parts of this bulletin for more information.

Finally, the Lord Jesus came to earth because of His love for you, since before you were born. God created you out of love. "The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists, as the mother can love the unborn child.”( G.K. Chesterton) Love does whatever it can to be united with the beloved. Thus the story of the universe is a love story between God and His Church, all humanity, and every individual. As a   parish family we want to respond ever more deeply to that love that God shows us through loving Him and loving our neighbor created in His image.

Saint Thérèse, God's little flower, pray for us to build our life around the love of God, made visible in Jesus!