What should I wish you this weekend of December 23rd and 24th? Do I wish you a happy 4th Sunday of Advent or should I say, “Merry Christmas?” Technically, I can say both and not be wrong this year! If I have done my math correctly, I believe this is the 4th time that we have had the 4th and final Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve back-to-back in my 30+ years of priesthood. It certainly has been a very short Advent season and thankfully this only happens every 7 years.
Despite having such a short Advent season, have you prepared yourself to celebrate Christmas? Are you ready to experience the joy that began with the 1st Christmas: That God had sent His Son into the world? This day was what so many people, for so many centuries, waited for. Fast forward 2,000 years: Do we take this day for granted? We should never tire of what God has done.
Yes, God changed the world on this day. It would never be the same again. The virtues of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love are all wrapped up now like a present under the tree. Jesus brings all these gifts to the world to give to us. Then on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, He gives us one final gift: He opens the doors to the Resurrection.
For all these reasons, our celebration of Christmas should never grow old, and we should not grow tired. This Christmas 2023 is a day of rejoicing for Jesus would erase the sin of Adam. This weekend is truly everything wrapped up into one: Advent and Christmas. As we begin our celebration of Christmas, may we never forget what our Lord has done for us!
On behalf of myself, Fr. Jacob, our deacons, and our parish staff, may you and your families have a holy and blessed celebration of Christmas.