A Letter From Our Pastor
Stewardship Possibilities are Endless at Christmas
My Dear Friends in Christ,
W
hen I think of December, the first thing that comes to my mind is Christmas. I could think of Advent, which prepares us for Christmas. I could think of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), a Holy Day of Obligation and the patronal feast of the United States. I could think of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12), whose popularity has spread far beyond the Hispanic community. December also brings the winter solstice, when days begin to get longer again. And it brings the end of the secular calendar year. Mostly, I think of Christmas — along with Easter and Pentecost, one of the greatest Christian Holidays of the year. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus the Messiah, God Incarnate, the Son of David. It gives us reason to rejoice and worship. However, if you’re like me, you tend to pile on so much extra to your Christmas observance that prayer is often diminished and possibly lost in the hustle. We might send Christmas cards to people we contact at no other time of the year. We put up wreaths, Christmas trees, and lights. We host parties for family and friends. We visit relatives. We plan and prepare Christmas meals. And we have Christmas gifts to give one another. No wonder the Christmas Mass sometimes becomes an afterthought! What if we blend our Christmas activities with our Stewardship Way of Life? Treasure is the simplest. Perhaps the most expensive Christmas present we give should be to Jesus, the one whose birthday we’re celebrating? Being now
risen and glorified, He needs nothing we have. Nonetheless, His Body — the Church — always benefits from additional resources and continues His mission to proclaim the name of Jesus here on earth. Time. Why not spend a little more time in worship and prayer? Maybe stop by the church for a visit to the Christmas Crib and offer a prayer of thanks for the gift of God’s Son. Or attend Mass on some weekdays of the Christmas Octave. Possibly gather your family for prayers together in the morning or at dinner through the Christmas season in preparation for Christmas Day. Talent. There are lots of possibilities to share: Help decorate the Church. Sing in the choir for Christmas. Cook or bake for someone who is homebound. Invite someone who will be alone to share Christmas dinner with your family. Offer to work in a soup kitchen instead of gorging on cookies. The possibilities are endless. Yes, December means Christmas. Yet with some planning, we can make this hectic time a real blessing both for ourselves and for others. Pray for me that I too can keep Christ in Christmas, and I’ll pray for you. Have a Merry Christmas! In our Father’s hands, Fr. Greg Paffel Pastor
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