Merry Christmas with Love
As the year closes, I think it is important to remember and thank those who have helped make this year a success. This has been a hard year, financially for you and for our parish. That’s why the Spirit of Christmas is so important and why faithful Christians can be joyous even if the economic indicators show bad times ahead. Christians, while living in the world, are called to be not of the world, and we know that economic booms and busts are just part of living on this planet. On the other hand, keeping one’s earthly life in perspective as a temporary situation while looking forward to life eternal is the entire message of Jesus Christ.
The mark of the true Christian is a willingness to give of oneself freely for the sake of loving God and neighbor. Further, the committed Catholic’s very life should be a lifelong prayer offered to God. That forces us to reexamine our priorities. We must ask ourselves, is our commitment to our faith sufficiently strong so as to make this happen? I’ve had several individuals, with a perfectly straight face, ask me from time to time to curtail the length of my Mass because it makes them late for afternoon football on TV. Football is cool, I guess (I don’t really care for it), but when it becomes so important that prayer is tossed in favor of a game, well, a good examination of conscience is necessary. The same goes for failing to honor our obligation to attend Sunday Mass each and every week. What does casually forgiving ourselves of our promise to grow in the faith say about our relationship with the God who loves us so unconditionally? Freely giving of oneself is the very mark of the true Christian.
And with that being said, I want to thank all who have recognized their Christian call to serve God and neighbor and have continued to give so generously of themselves for the sake of God’s Kingdom in the year 2008. These include our Parochial Vicar, Fr. Ridley, our two deacons, the staff, the catechists, the Finance and Parish Councils, the volunteers, the choir, the lectors, the altar servers, the Eucharistic Ministers, the Women’s Guild, the Bible Study coordinators and participants, the Knights of Columbus, those who cook and help with our monthly pasta dinner, those who have organized the Giving Tree, the Remembrance Tree, and the Christmas Pageant, our Trustees, our sexton, and our parking lot safety team. If I’ve forgotten anybody, sorry. So many helpers is an indicator of spiritual growth. And each and every one of you who come to Mass to be part of our community and contribute to the support of your parish. YOU are the Spirit of Christmas, and I love you all.
We have many plans for 2009 to make this a better parish and to be a more effective outreach of Christ’s love to each other. Wait till you see what we have planned for Epiphany! Come, be part of our gift to ourselves in Jesus’ name! Give yourself as a present to Jesus Christ this Christmas and this year by giving yourself as a gift to your parish and your family. Forget about receiving, focus on giving.
We’re delighted and thankful that you’re here.
Merry Christmas with love.
Praised be to the Lord Jesus Christ! We have a lot to be thankful for.
When we heard Fr. Chip was being transferred, we held our breath, waiting to see who would replace him.
We are so glad to have you, Fr. Norm!
Most of our economic downturn is due to greed-and lots of it!
You are right in saying that we need to get our priorities in order.
We also must trust in Divine Providence, to help us through these times.
It is also important for us to stand up for our faith, to defend the Church’s teachings, and not be afraid to do so.
There are millions of people who call themselves Catholics; however, when it’s time to take a stand on a moral issue, not too many of them take a stand.
Let’s make 2009 a year in which we choose to do what’s right, not only for the Church, but for society as well.