A Letter from Fr. Paul - December 24, 2017

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK: invite someone who normally doesn’t go to church to accompany you to a Christmas service.
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With the way the calendar fell this year (4th Sunday of Advent followed by Christmas the next day), we had a crisis in the office! (If it’s the worst crisis we ever have, I will be happy). Marlyn, who does such a wonderful job on the bulletin, was wondering if she should use the cover for the 4th Sunday of Advent or Christmas. Our consensus was to go with Christmas (presuming that some people would come for Christmas who would not come for the 4th Sunday of Advent).

I face the same question in writing this letter: do I focus on Advent or Christmas? In a real sense, it doesn’t matter much: while we are celebrating the first coming of Christ 2000 years ago with Christmas, our life is still in Advent, that is, preparing the way of the Lord so that His Light can shine ever more brightly in our own lives and in the world around us. Hopefully, our quiet time these last three weeks has sharpened our awareness that the way we live is vitally important to evangelization, that is, bringing the joy and peace of Christ to others.

I wish each and every one of you a blessed Christmas. I am honored to be a part of the St. Pius X community with you and thank God for the community’s strong sense of social justice and reaching  out to those in need. That is indeed a crucial way of witnessing to Christ and bringing His light into the world. God bless.

-- Paul James Portland, SDS