Merry Christmas!!

Dec 22

Letter from the Pastor
Christmas
December 24, 2023

Merry Christmas!!

It is much too warm for a White Christmas this year, but I do hope you’re not too disappointed. When a friar friend from Singapore [think tropical] asked me once, “What is up with you guys and this White Christmas?” I said, “It just goes to show you the power of mass marketing. If it wasn’t for Bing Crosby and a couple of movies, we might have an easier time remembering that Jesus was actually born in a desert!”

But I do love the Christmas music, the decorations, and the bright lights on our houses and Christmas trees. It does add to the joy of this season, but honestly, that is really just the “fluffy side” of this holiday. Much of it is simply cultural adaptations, accumulated over the centuries, of Christians accentuating the great importance of this Feast of the Nativity. Hopefully, it all directs us to what we are actually celebrating, the birth of Jesus and the recognition of one of the basic tenets of our faith: God is with us.

The Catholic Church in the United States is in the midst of a National Eucharistic Revival. This is an invitation for us to grow deeper in our understanding of the mystery of the Eucharist. This Sacrament tells us clearly that God is with us. The Revival is calling us to deepen our relationship with Jesus by encountering him in the Eucharist and then going out on mission to be like Christ to the world

In a time when the divisions in our world are seemingly becoming larger and larger, we remember Jesus’ ultimate prayer was that we all become one. [Jn 17:21]

As a Church we believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. It is what will heal us, unite us, and bring us closer to Jesus, to one another and to who Jesus is calling us to be.

This year the Parish offers everyone a Christmas gift of the book, This is My Body: A Call to Eucharistic Renewal, by Bishop Robert Barron. Bp. Barron explains the meaning of “source and summit” and looks at the Eucharist as a Sacred meal, as the Sacrifice of our salvation, and what Real Presence actually means. This Eucharistic Revival is about exploring what is central to our Catholic faith and how we can truly encounter Christ in our lives and in the life of the world.

Beginning in January, we will offer a number of opportunities to discuss not only the book but other resources that can help us come to a deeper understanding of the Body of Christ.

May God bless you and your family in this most special time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Christ, God with us.

Merry Christmas!