From the Pastor:
God’s blessing to you and your family this Christmas season. May you have the privilege of spending time with family and friends during this special time of year. May you have the even greater privilege of experiencing the deeper peace and joy of Christmas that we experience when we draw near to God at the manger.
Christmas is God’s invitation for each of us to reflect on the reality of our existence. This comes to us in the grandest of ways, if we take the time to truly consider the events of Christmas. We tell ourselves that we know the story, but do we really? The more we reflect on what took place long ago in Bethlehem, the more deeply we are affected by it. We find ourselves looking differently at every aspect of the world. The further we look into Christmas, the closer we come to God, and the more transformed our lives become.
We know that Jesus was born in a manger because “there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). This is because Jesus came to His own people but they did not receive Him (John 1:11). This didn’t just happen at Jesus’ birth, but throughout His life, especially during His three years of public ministry. The people were too busy to be with Jesus. Some were also uninterested. Sadly, they were interested in God’s creation but not God himself.
The same still happens today. Jesus seeks to enter into the personal world of each of us, into our very heart and soul, yet we turn Him away. Like the people of Jesus’ time, we have many reasons for doing so. We have to ask ourselves: Does God actually have a place in my thinking? Do I want Him in my home? Is Jesus displayed where I live by a picture or statue? Do I devote at least 30 minutes each day to being with Him in prayer? God makes time for us but do we make time for Him?
Draw close to the manger this Christmas and consider the reality of your existence. Consider that we are dependent on God and control very little in this world. Consider also that each of us will one day leave this world. Christmas is the first step of God’s rescue plan for humanity. We need to know that we need rescued and want to be rescued. That means we have to listen to God’s directions and follow them. Politely ignoring God, as is often done today, is not following Him and is not the pathway of salvation.
Concluding, it is not coincidental that the shepherds were the first to see Jesus, the newborn King. That is because shepherds are practical, prudent people who are aware of their situation and surroundings. Shepherds are always discerning and watching. They are not attached to comfort or worldly things. As a result, they are aware of Jesus’ birth and go to be with Him, not waiting till morning, but making the journey even in the middle of the night. Let us do the same!
Praying that your Christmas is merry and bright,
Fr. Miller
Pastor