I am celebrating my 12th Christmas with you as your Pastor. It gives me time to pause and reflect on where the time went. Some days I feel like I am still new to St. Hubert, and other days it feels like I have been here most of my life. As we begin a New Year, I hope to spend some time in these letters to reflect on different events in our parish since 2005.
The liturgies of Christmas seek to express and shape our spirituality in the context of the Universal Church. In other words, it’s not just about me, nor is it just about my parish, or diocese. We are reminded that we go to God together as a Catholic Church.
The mystery of the Incarnation is not just about a child being born. This miracle happens every day. As disciples of Jesus, we are celebrating that God loves us so much that He became one of us. Just as we are not isolated in our faith, this mystery stands in relationship to all the other sacred mysteries, especially the Paschal Mystery of Easter. All the mysteries make sense to us only because Jesus died, rose from the dead, and will come again.
Advent has prepared us for the Christ child. We have heard the prophets proclaim the One who is to come as a child, to lead us to the unfolding of the Kingdom of God. We hear that He is the one in whom peace is made for all people. The peace is not one that clings to childhood, but develops through the growing and maturing into the persons we are meant to be. It will be through the suffering and darkness of our lives that we will be able to experience the light of Christ. The peace is not just about being calm, but rather, the Word made flesh will stir us up and remind us that He is with us until the end of time. The joy of the season is a joy deep within us that anchors us to Jesus Christ as we go through all the highs and lows of life.
We all know the story about the birth of Christ. Christmas is not just the celebration of the historical fact, but the living the mystery of God’s love for the world. We can ask if Christ is born in us anew. When we are reconciled with a family member or neighbor, Christ is born anew. When we become grateful for what we have and not complain about what we don’t have, Christ is born anew. When nations can cease their warlike activities, and live in peace, Christ is born anew. When justice is done, and love governs our hearts, Christ is born anew. When truth is told, and deceptions cease, Christ is born anew. We can go on; you can come up with your own sentence on how this mystery unfolds.
On Christmas Day, we will gather for Eucharist as a St. Hubert family and thank God for giving us His Son, Jesus Christ.
On behalf of our staff, I want to wish you and your families a wonderful, happy, and peaceful Christmas and a joyful New Year.