Dear Parish Family,

“Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from the store, maybe Christmas means just a little bit more.”

Those are the words from the story of the Grinch and they’re also words that kept jumping into my mind as in the months and weeks leading up to Christmas. We heard all kinds of warnings about getting everything that we needed for Christmas early because of all the supply chain issues. If we wait until the last minute, we were warned, we might not be able to find what you need. As people of faith we know, though, that Christmas indeed doesn’t come from a store and yes Christmas means a little, well actually a lot, bit more. The true meaning of Christmas is found, not under a tree or in any store, but in the God who enters into our lives in a very real way in Jesus Christ.

And the best Christmas gifts that we can give are never going to “fall victim” to any supply chain issues because they can never be stuck on any ship or in any container, though, by our own choice, they can very much be underproduced. These are the gifts of kindness, compassion, mercy, listening, love. These are the gifts of giving someone else our time or our undivided attention. While we all, myself included, enjoy both giving and receiving gifts at Christmas sometimes gifts like these gifts are the best gifts that we can give. And the only supply chain issues on any of them being produced will occur simply if we choose not to produce them.

As we prepare to celebrate these days of Christmas, please know on behalf of myself and our entire parish staff, of our prayers and wishes for a blessed Christmas Eve, Day, and season. May we strive to give to each other more of these true gifts of Christmas as we each strive to make our parish more of a true reflection of the Kingdom of God in our world.

A reminder too that with both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day falling on Saturday’s there will be NO 4:30/5:00 Mass or Confessions for the next two weeks. We’ll return to our “regularly scheduled programming” as we enter into the new year.

Have a blessed week and a Merry Christmas!