December 22, 2019
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He shall be called “Emmanuel”, a name which means God is with us. As Christmas draws near, the Church, on this final Sunday of Advent, relates the conception of Jesus as our Savior. Fully Human and Fully Divine, the Son of God took flesh in the miracle of the Incarnation to demonstrate that God is always with us and for us. The faith of Mary and Joseph, both of whom followed the angel’s command, brought Jesus into the world. We prepare now to celebrate that great feast of Christmas.
At the end of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, Linus reminds us that this is what Christmas is all about: the birth of our Savior. This was always my mother’s favorite time of the year, a time in which her generosity went into high gear. From the cookies she made for all the families in our Oakland neighborhood, as well as all of the clerks at the post office, tellers at the bank and employees of our local Giant Eagle to the gift boxes she made for all of the nuns in our parish and the toothpick Christmas Trees made for our teachers, she embodied the Christmas Spirit. So much love, generosity and good cheer. In her loving service, she made us aware that God is indeed with us. For her, Jesus was The Gift from which all other gifts flowed.
You, my parish family at Saint John Capistran and Saint Thomas More, remind me every day that God is indeed with us. Your dedication, service and generosity are truly an inspiration. You make every day a proclamation that God is with us. For all of your prayers, love and support, I am truly grateful. It is an honor to be a part of your family and your story. Know that I am thankful for all of your gifts, but most especially for the gift of you in my life and in my heart. As Saint Paul write, “I thank my God in every thought and prayer for you.”
And so, it is my prayers that all of the blessings of this holy season be yours today, on Christmas Day and always. Have a blessed and Merry Christmas and a Happy, Holy and Healthy New Year.
With love and prayers,
Fr. Peter