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December 25, 2021Dear Parishioners,
Merry Christmas everyone! Once again, we celebrate God’s coming to earth in the most unexpected way: as a little infant. The Christmas story reminds us that the savior of the world has finally come. In trying times, the need for a savior becomes even more obvious. Our Lord’s birth in a manger reminds us that the way to heaven will often involve ups and downs. With no room at the inn the Blessed Family lodged with the animals. The manger reminds us of the Mass. Christ was born in a place where animals ate. At the Mass the altar becomes the stable and we feed on Christ.
Why did God choose to save us in such an extraordinary way? The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists several reasons why God became incarnate:
“…The Word became flesh to make us partakers of the divine nature. “For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.”
Christmas means that we can become sons and daughters of God. Remarkably God took to Himself our human nature. We can meditate on this reality from the point of view of God and from the point of view of humanity. From the standpoint of God our minds are filled with awe knowing that the omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent creator of the universe, who transcends time, squeezes himself in a manner of speaking, into a tiny, helpless baby. Similar thoughts can be had about the Mass and the transformation of the Eucharist.
From the standpoint of our humanity, St. Gregory Nazianzus, one of the great Fathers and Doctors of the Church, responding to the heresy that Jesus Christ had not assumed a rational mind, said the following: “What has not been assumed has not been healed.” Other Church Fathers and theologians have spoken similarly. The correlation here is that whatever has been assumed has been healed and transformed. Hence, not just our rational mind, but every single inch of our humanity has been affected; even our past, present, and future. Our weaknesses and sins mask, deface, and hinder what lies below: the awesome potential of redeemed humanity. Of all the ways that God could have saved us and restored our relationship to him, he decided to take on our human nature. There is no greater gift than this!
A very big thank you to the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Altar Servers, Ushers, Choir, Musicians, and volunteers who helped us celebrate Christmas at St. Teresa Parish. It is a great privilege and blessing from God for me to celebrate Christmas here at St. Teresa as pastor.
May you and your families have a blessed and safe Christmas!
God bless,
Fr. Barrow
