Hello everybody! Merry Christmas!

At Christmas, we celebrate and remember the actual moment when God came to dwell among us as one of us. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. Jesus’s birth is a light in the darkness. All around us, that darkness can seem heavy, thick, and absolute. Yet, even a tiny light can cast away the darkness. The light is love, God’s love for each and all of us. It is our love for one another. Jesus tells us, “You are the light of the world.” In us, God’s light continues to shine. May we each embody, in this time and place, the love that is the light and life of the world. God is with us. He is the light and life that shines through love, that shines through us. 

As we celebrate this Christmas, renewed with family gatherings, the giving of gifts, eating our favorite dishes, the excitement of children opening presents, rushing from place to place to get it all in, and experiencing the contentment of a gift well given, I hope you soak it all in. We should especially remember that the light of life is a gift and we should relish it. Making the most of our time on this planet takes some intentional effort, investment, and commitment. We want to live a full life, one filled with light and love, but often we’re satisfied with a thrill, trying to fill a void, or numbness. We can grasp at every straw, but often we miss the point: a life of love is about giving ourselves away, not trying to possess. It is in giving that we receive. The only way to live a life of love, to be a light in our world, is to truly and authentically love others. Love does indeed grow as we give it away. 

Christmas shows us that only way we could truly come to love God was for God to love us first. The only way we could ever give ourselves to God was for God to first give himself to us. And, so, a baby was born in a manger, a light shone in the darkness. The baby Jesus, as well as the adult Jesus, shows us who we really are and are meant to be. He enlightens us that we were made in the image of love. Our fully human life is meant for giving and receiving love. As we engage in the fullness of life, we need to be who we were made to be and do what we were meant to do. That is love. I was inspired by a couple for whom I recently celebrated their marriage who shared a foundational value for their lives, “You’re not wealthy until you have something that money can’t buy.” That something is love. In the midst of this season, remember what money can’t buy. More than any gift, give yourself. 

I am reminded every Christmas, and especially this Christmas, what is truly important, namely, love. God born as a baby in Bethlehem is a light to the nations and reveals to us that we are meant to be who we truly are, which is to be a gift for others. In the gift of the baby Jesus this Christmas, find yourself and find what is truly important, what money can’t buy, find the light. It will make all the difference. Time is precious. So, today, with all it’s joys, savor the moment. God is with us, Emmanuel. God is love. He is the light in our darkness. You are the light of the world!

In the Peace of Christ,

Fr. Jeff