Christmas is Coming

I just sent out a letter to all our parishioners at St. Michael’s with our Christmas Mass schedule.  In what follows, I share with you the first part of the letter for your reflection as we prepare for Christmas.

We are entering into both a very holy time of the year and a very busy time.  It is holy because, as the angel said to the shepherds in Luke 2:11, “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.”

The birth of Jesus is a very special time for us because Jesus is born to save us from our sins.  We look at a manger scene and see something very special, Jesus, the Son of God, as a baby.  While Jesus is consubstantial with the Father, He became human, born like us, to save us.

People celebrate Christmas in many ways, with the exchange of gifts, sharing meals, and decorating.  All of these make for a very busy time of year.  It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness and forget what it is really about.  A few years ago I received a link to a video of the song “Where’s the Line to See Jesus” by Becky Kelley.  Every year, I view this video at least a couple of times.  To be honest, I’ve played it three times while writing this letter and I have tears in my eyes.  You can watch the video online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OExXItDyWEY or just search the title.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff