From the Pastor:
God’s blessing to you and your family this week and the entire 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 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 should 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. God comes to save each of us from ourselves. For this to happen, we have to listen to and follow God’s directions. Politely ignoring God, as is often done today, is self-centered 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
From Kayla Truax:
In the coming weeks, our tri-parish second grade students will be featured in the bulletins. These 20 young disciples have been prayerfully preparing for First Reconciliation, which takes place during Advent each year. As part of their catechesis, they have attended two retreats in the past few months—one being a tri-parish reconciliation retreat and the other a deanery-wide holy communion and reconciliation sacramental retreat. The deanery retreat, creatively named “Dragon Slayers” which refers to facing, fighting, and defeating sin, was hosted at St. Peter and attended by over 50 families. Parents from our tri-parish were interviewed after the retreat and reported that “I greatly enjoyed the parent talk, and it called me to a deeper personal reflection on how I can do more in my family and parish,” and “My child was not excited to come but was so engaged during it and asked if he can come again next year.” Thanks be to God for hearts being touched and holy families being formed!
In addition to the second grade sacramental preparation program, our eighth grade confirmation is underway as well. The eighth grade confirmation candidates are currently working on saint essays based on the saint whose name they have chosen to be their confirmation name. We also have been spending time at the end of class in the church and practicing different ways to pray and be present with God. With all the distractions in the world, sometimes kids need an invitation to enter into stillness and quietness.
Sacramental years are important in the spiritual formation and catechesis of our children, but it’s not the “be-all and end-all” of a child’s faith journey. Receiving the sacraments is not just a box to be checked or a photo opportunity to post on Facebook. Special graces are bestowed upon our children that they may know, love, and follow God. We, as parents, have to make sure our kids are going to Mass and receiving religious education. We are the key stakeholders in their spiritual development, and Advent is the perfect time to reflect on our vocation of parenthood and spruce up our families’ faith lives!