My Dear People:
It’s Christmas – the time of year that brings such joy and excitement to young and old alike. For Christians, Christmas affords us the opportunity to reflect upon the promise of salvation that was fulfilled with the birth of the Christ child at Bethlehem. In this increasingly secular age in which we live, the great festival of Christmas has come to represent a shopping bonanza for the commercial world with advertisements beginning as soon as the Thanksgiving observance has ended. We almost have to rescue our Lord’s nativity, his birth story from all the trappings that threaten to completely submerge the real story of the first Christmas, when our God chose to enter fully into the human experience, being born of a woman. The Apostle Paul reminds us that it all occurred in the fullness of time – meaning, when God decided the time was right.

In the divine scheme of things brethren, nothing is allowed to happen unless God wills it. So that even though the actual details of the story in some way troubles us, for what was the King of Glory doing being born in a cowshed (with the offensive combined odor of hay and manure permeating the air), we still have to seek and find the faith lesson that demands that we look beyond the austere circumstances of this birth narrative. Our God as he decided to come among us chose to identify with the poor and homeless (his family could not even afford decent accommodations at Bethlehem). I believe this was intentional and we should not lose sight of the significance of that occurrence. Friends, the story took on a scandalous turn, for his teenage mother (Mary) was unmarried. Now you could well imagine the explaining that her folks had to do to their inquisitive neighbors who would have known that she was only engaged at the time to a skeptical Joseph. Think of the prudish and unkind comments that poor Mary would have endured during her pregnancy. Her crime, if you want to so characterize it – was only her willingness to go along with God’s offer – whatever is your will, she said. The Christmas story requires that we look beyond the bizarre details and instead focus on Mary’s obedience to the will of God. Yes, in order for our God to change the course of human history, some clearly established social norms and conventions had to be jettisoned – set aside.

Is there, I ask then a hidden message for us his church? Do we have a responsibility for the wayward youngster or for that matter, the pregnant teen of our society and yes church sometimes? What is our God saying to us as he places the homeless and destitute on our doorsteps? The Christmas story, stripped bare of shepherds, wise men and angels is nothing but, and eye opener for us believers. The God whom we serve, is a God, who looks beyond human frailties and is often more understanding than we are, towards each other. Yes he loved us so much that he came to rescue us from sin and indifference. His message to us therefore this Christmas perhaps is that we should think less of self and more of others; and as we do so, we may just help restore the dignity of those whose lives seem almost like an affront to us. May he grant us the grace to accomplish this. Let me on behalf of Genevieve and the girls, wish you and your loved ones, a Safe, Happy and Holy Christmas.
Fr. Hugh