At this time of year we are re-minded to give thanks to God for all the many blessings of life—family, faith, peace, health, employment, living in the United States of America, and even life itself, just to name a few. And this feast of Thanksgiving calls us to also consider what we do with these blessings—do we hoard them for ourselves or do we share them with those we love and those less fortunate?
I am able; as I am sure you are too, to answer both of these tasks of thanksgiving in one fell swoop. God has blessed me with a wonderfully caring family. He has given me life, faith, a great “job,” and has placed me among some pretty fantastic people right here in Simsbury. There are lots for which I need to be grateful.
My family has grown tremendously since coming here in 2007. And, it is more than just an increase in numbers, I have been blessed to see God’s plan for holy people living out that holiness and faithfulness in everyday lives—illustrating to me just how one is to live out a Christian life in a very busy world.
A true blessing: Saint Catherine of Siena Parish. Seminary certainly taught me the theology and philosophy of the Catholic Church, the rituals, the Sacramentals, and even the social teachings of our faith. However, it is the people of God in this parish who continue to teach me how our faith can be lived-out in everyday life, how one incorporates the teachings of Christ, His mission and ministry, in work, in family, in charity, and even on the soccer fields of life. I see how:
- mothers and fathers teach me what exactly self-emptying love is., Opening up and handing over one’s life for the good and benefit of others. It is more than just giving up one’s income to support a home and all who live under their roof. It is even more than giving up one’s freedom (free time) and living out obligations of relationships which at times are joyous and at times irritating—being present after a long, hard day at work coming home to school recitals, Boys and Girls Scout meetings, weekend-long sporting events, and one hundred other activities and commitments that eat into that ever so limited “me time.” They teach me about a faithfulness to a long-term commitment at home all the while caring for a parish community in numerous ministries, mirroring the love of God for His people;
- our youth illustrates to me that in living in an ever-changing and challenging world that offers a-thousand-and-one options which highlight the importance of the self, they choose many times to care about others. In-volving themselves in academics that are full of pres-sure, sports, and yes, faith. Feeding the Hungry; Youth Ministry projects that take them away from the safety and security of an idyllic town to the underside of city life, or making pies for a homeless meal, or walking for hunger and experiencing a lack of food in order to raise food for a local food pantry—being what God has called them to be: young people truly living in the midst of this world;
- our “seasoned” parishioners remind me of our faith’s traditions and the true meaning of life lived in concert with God. Praying for family members and our commu-nity that they will all seek and find the Lord. They are a sturdy foundation of our past rituals and remind us that accepting new things does not require us to forget where we have been. Sharing their wisdom of life is a great gift from God and reminds us of our identity as people, as family, and as faith;
- And let me not forget the many individual leaders in this parish—the teachers in religious education, the volunteers who minister to the sick, our lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, music ministers, decorators and a legion of other unsung blessings.
This is not an unrealistic vision of parish life, but rather it is an actual accounting of a very believing community of faithful people, living out their faith in a very competitive and hectic world. Human beings seeking holiness by imitating the mission of Christ and it is a place for which one should be thankful.
Advent. The season is upon us! “Lord, our god, help us to prepare for the coming of Christ, Your Son. May He find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer.” From the Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Prayer, Monday of the first week of Advent.
The tone of Advent is “preparing…waiting…eagerly…joyfully…hopefully…the coming of Christ!” Advent celebrates Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem in the past, His ongoing coming in our hearts through grace, His glorious return at the end of time. All three times are celebrated—the incarnation and parousia, past, present, and future. The word “parousia” in Greek is translated “adventus” in Latin, and “coming” or “waiting” in English, it carries with it the sense of already and not yet—that in between time.
Advent cannot be celebrated apart from Christmas, just as Christmas cannot be separated from the Paschal Mystery, whose fullness is expressed in the Sacred Triduum. The en-tangled nature of these sacred seasons safeguards us from trivializing or relegating salvation history to a “cute story” of long-ago. Our rituals are not simply nostalgia, but a spiral through which the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ (GNFLYC). The liturgy then, actualizes the past in the present to bring about the future. It is a most holy time to remember what happened, what is taking place right now, and what is to come.
For many, especially those working in the Church, of-ten times we complain about the commercialization of the season right before Christmas. It seems that even before the pumpkins of Halloween are harvested the Christmas trees at the Mall are decorated. But we might nevertheless be awed by the generous serving and giving that takes place and truly marks the season: donations of food, toys, and clothing to those less fortunate. That generous giving is a true gift that marks our American way of life and it enlightens and enlivens the spirit of Advent into a time of great human hope, taking on a very public face, and actually be-coming the feet, the hands, and the heart of Jesus Christ. Perhaps that is a better way to view the season, even if it might not be shared by the owners of malls or those hoping to end the fiscal year’s books on Wall Street. In the midst of what seems to be greed and wanting, comes much desire for peace and generosity.
May the season of Advent’s great prayers bless us and bring us to a greater understanding of the Incarnation of Christ our Savior…and His death and resurrection.
PEACE, FATHER MICHAEL
