From the Pastor’s Desk
Dear St. Mary’s Parishioners:
Blessed Christmas to you! 2020 has been quite a year, that’s for sure. God willing, we can draw some hope from our celebration of and reflection upon the Incarnation. When we do ponder the birth of Jesus and the circumstances surrounding His birth, God willing, we appreciate all the more what Joseph, Mary and Jesus went through. And, after our experience of this year, perhaps we can even relate a bit more to the experience of the Holy Family. Departing from three well-known passages from the Gospel readings on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I offer the following reflections.
“While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her first-born son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.” (Lk 2:6-7) Weary from travelling from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary must have been disheartened that they could not find suitable lodging where the Blessed Mother could give birth to Jesus. Still, Mary and Joseph must have trusted that God would provide for them. In the end, some hospitable animals made room for them in their shelter. It was not pretty, but it was enough. With the fires that Californians experienced this year, more than a few people were left without lodging. Like Mary and Joseph, they experienced the poverty of being without a place to stay. In the best cases, those who lost homes in the fire were offered temporary lodging by family and friends. In the worst cases, people had to fend for themselves and are still struggling to recover. We can continue to pray for all those affected by the fires and that God may help them to recover fully from the devastation they experienced.
If our community was rocked by wildfires this year, our whole world has been shaken by the pandemic. Consequently, the pandemic and the accompanying restrictions have affected the way we have been able to worship and, in many cases, have made it very difficult for individuals and families to live day to day. As a friend from England said to me the other day: “I have been locked-down, locked-in and locked-out. The only thing I haven’t been is locked-up.” In any case, we have not been able to celebrate Mass together as we are accustomed in our home, that is, in the shelter of our church, gathering around the altar in the presence of our Blessed Lord. Like the Israelites and like the Holy Family, we have experienced our own kind of exile. We continue praying for all those affected by the pandemic and for an end to the pandemic. We pray that God’s grace may shine and His glory reign through this experience.
“When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.” (Lk 2:15-16) One of the valuable lessons of Christmas is the urgency manifested by the first witnesses to Christ’s birth. We can imagine that the shepherds were poor, humble and uneducated men. Still, they knew in their hearts the importance of the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem. That burning in their hearts translated to an urgent desire to be with the Child Jesus. They wanted to see Him and to pray with Him. They wanted to be showered by the Light that shone forth from the manger, that Light that is so often depicted in paintings by the sacred artists.
Throughout this year, Fr. Steven and I have been edified by all of you who have wanted to be in Our Lord’s presence and receive His grace. Like the shepherds on Christmas night, you have witnessed to us through your urgency and faithfulness. Whether we are having Mass inside or outside the church, you continue to come. And, when we are outside, you have come whether the weather has been pleasant or unpleasant. You have come for Confessions and Eucharistic Adoration. We have continued to celebrate Baptisms, funeral Masses, quinceañera Masses and weddings. You have participated in Mass via live-stream and have conducted meetings, theological and spiritual discussions and catechesis virtually and in-person. And, through everything, you have continued to financially support St. Mary’s Parish. I give thanks to God for your faithfulness, patience and generosity. You have encouraged, inspired and edified greatly Fr. Steven and me and, most importantly, you give glory to God through your holy examples.
“And the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, and the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1:14) The Incarnation reminds us that God will go to the greatest lengths to draw us to Him. “God became small,” as Pope Benedict was fond of saying. God came to us an Infant and like any other baby, He cried, needed to be fed and His diapers needed to changed. God came to us as a Child so that all of us would receive Him. We are drawn naturally to the helplessness and vulnerability of a child and the Child Jesus continues to draw us to Him through His beauty and goodness. Mary and Joseph gave Jesus a home, so that He could dwell among us and so that God’s glory could be revealed. We pray that we continue to give Jesus a home in homes, in our families, in our community and in our lives. May God’s glory shine brightly throughout this Christmas season and into the New Year!
Blessed Christmas!
