The rush of Christmas events is about to shift into high gear, but before we get too frenzied with activities, I’d like you to consider two things. The first is to make sure to budget some time to consider the enormous significance of the fact that GOD became a person like you and me. We could spend a lifetime just contemplating the fact that God arrived as a vulnerable baby named Jesus. That’s simply amazing—Jesus is the greatest Christmas gift of all time. Come to the Imagine Advent event today (18 November) from 4 to 6 PM, and we can contemplate that together.
Secondly, I ask that when you ponder what gifts to purchase for your loved ones this Christmas, please consider a Christmas gift to the parish. Because we operate on a shoestring budget, we really depend on a BIG Christmas collection to sustain the operations of the church. I know that you have many expenses during the Christmas season, and the economy still stinks, but I’m asking you to consider the church when you are doing your budgeting. (Although, I bet if you are reading this letter you are already supportive of the parish, so think of a way to get the message out to those people who are not so generous!)
At Christmas, we consider God’s unbelievably generous gift to us of his Son Jesus, and in response, it’s natural for us to be generous towards one another. Anything we have to give is a return to God of what God has already given to us. Although we may never fully understand this, I hope that you come to experience the gift of Jesus more deeply this Christmas.