Divinity in the Unexpected
My Dear Parishioners,
Every year we have the great grace to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Our Loving Lord and Savior. In his beautiful reflections in his work, The Life of Christ, Blessed Fulton J. Sheen repeats,
“Divinity is always where we least expect to find it.”
At the time of Christ’s birth, no one expected that the Lord to come as a helpless and defenseless child. No one anticipated that the great and awaited Savior would be born in stinky and dirty stable. No one thought that this would be the case because such circumstances were so utterly mundane, if not repulsive. And yet, it is precisely in these circumstances that Jesus came.
While the elite and the well-off of the world failed to recognize their visitation, the shepherds and wise men saw beyond God’s humble trappings and encountered Him as a newborn baby in a stable.
Throughout the last year and a half, the Covid-19 pandemic and the manner in which the Church has handled this crisis has tested the faith and fidelity of many Catholics. For a great while, the doors of the very place you should expect to find Christ and have your spiritual needs met—this local parish—tragically were closed. As a result, a number of parishioners have not returned to our parish.
You, however, like the shepherds and wise men, have persevered and remained faithful. As your pastor, I would like to thank you for your fidelity and for your generosity in sharing yourselves, your talents, and your treasure in an effort to sustain our parish and enable it to remain a place where we can always expect to find Christ in the Eucharist, the sacraments, and each other.
On this Christmas 2021, I would like to wish each of you God’s greatest and most abundant blessings. I pray that, like the shepherds and wise men, God will reward your fidelity by showing you the beauty of His face and the depths of His love. May the wise words of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, “Divinity is always where we least expect to find it,” be a catchphrase for you throughout this upcoming year so that you may remember that Jesus is with us in every situation, but especially in the most humbling and unexpected circumstances.
May God bless you and the joy of Mary, Joseph, and the Christ Child fill your hearts!
Merry Christmas!
Yours in Christ,
Father Arthur
Readings for The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas): Lectionary 14
Readings for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph: Lectionary 17
Tags: #arthurmarat, #christmas, #christmas2021, #frarthurmarat, #holyfamily, #nativity, #reflection
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