Fr. Michael's Christmas Message - "Be renewed by Jesus this Christmas"

Be renewed by Jesus this Christmas

Advent and Christmas were always my favorite times of year growing up. While my siblings and I were busy sledding down the hill in our front yard, my parents would be busy at work. They would set up the Nativity scene with a manger that would remain empty until Christmas. They would rearrange our family room in order to fit the Christmas tree in the corner, right next to the window. My dad wired speakers throughout the first floor so that Christmas songs could be heard no matter which room you were in. All the old ashes were shoveled out of the fireplace to make way for fresh fires to warm up the house and dry out our boots and gloves after coming back inside. Christmas decorations could be found all throughout the house.

It felt to me that in Advent and Christmas, the whole world would change. Suddenly, everything was new – and all for a purpose. We were celebrating the arrival of Jesus Christ! At that first Christmas, God became man and dwelt among us. Through the mystery of the Incarnation, God became like us in all things but sin so that He might be able to save us from our sins. In that way, when Jesus came into the world, the world was forever changed. It makes sense then, that each year as we recall the miracles of Christ’s first coming, we celebrate in this season of Christmas by making all things new! Not even our secular society can ignore how much good God has done for us through His birth.

And so, every year as we enter into this season of Christmas, we remember that this world has been, and is being, renewed by Christ. Just as our homes are rearranged and decorated, thus becoming new at Christmas, Jesus invites us into relationship with him so that our hearts and souls can be made new by the graces of Christmas – peace, hope, and joy.

Merry Christmas,
Fr. Michael Courchaine, Associate Pastor