Hard to Believe

It is hard to believe, but Christmas is this week, in just a few days, we will officially begin the Christmas season, even though most of the country has been celebrating it for quite a while. Just a reminder, the 4:00 Masses on Christmas Eve are always the busiest and we are limited in the space we will have available this year. We will have signs ready to say if the Masses are full, that we will put out when they are full. We have added a second Mass at 6:30pm as well as adding a Mass on Christmas morning. I pray that many will consider going to a different Mass than the two at 4:00. Last year, we had over 1,000 people attend the two early Masses, this year we will have room for half that.

Remember also… Christmas does not end on this Friday the 25th, but it begins! The season of Christmas goes on for a while, the exact date is dependent on a few things, some would say that the Christmas season goes on until the feast of the Epiphany (January 6th or we celebrate it on the 3rd this year), but most would say that it goes to the feast of the Baptism of the Lord (January 10th), which is the date we will use here, and others would argue that it goes until the Feast of the Presentation (February 2nd). No matter how long it is celebrated, it is a wonderful season, a season of joy and peace, and while the time with family and friends, the food and drinks, and the gift giving and receiving is wonderful remember why we are celebrating in this time. During this Christmas season let us be mindful of the greatest gift that we have been and ever will be given, Christ Jesus, and take some time to reflect on the story. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled… And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

God bless,
Fr. Ken