Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in these hours before celebrating the birthday of Jesus Christ at Christmas, may we slow down for a moment and contemplate the great Mystery of His love: Jesus took on our human nature, yet remained divine, to save us, to redeem us, to give us Life Eternal in Heaven. May we respond to Him like the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, who completely trusted in the Lord, taking Him into their home. They said “Yes” to God’s will. Mary said “Yes” to God, that by the power of the Holy Spirit she would be the mother of the Savior (Luke 1); Joseph said “Yes” to God, that he would be the husband of Mary and the foster-father of Jesus (Matthew 1). In Saint Paul’s words, Mary and Joseph expressed the obedience of Faith (Romans 16:25-27), for they knew that they belonged to Jesus Christ and were called to be holy (1 Thessalonians 5).
And in His love for us, God calls us to the obedience of Faith, to belong to Christ, to answer His call to holiness. Jesus waits to fill our lives with His love, His grace, wisdom, strength and peace. Christmas proves this love. Good Friday and Easter prove this love. Every detail of our Lord’s life proves His infinite love for us. Yet, His love will not be forced upon us. His love is a gift, the Gift, for God is Love (1 John 4:8).
So, a question for us this Christmas: Are we going to welcome the Gift, Jesus Christ, fully into our home, to the home of our heart, like Mary and Joseph? More than we ever have before, may we welcome Jesus Christ into our hearts and follow Him in prayer, in His Church, Word, Sacraments and communion of saints, grateful for all the blessings that He has bestowed upon us, striving to keep His two great Commandments: love of God and love of neighbor. Please also consider a life-changing visit to Formed.org, Catholicscomehome.org and DynamicCatholic.com. By God’s grace, let us open wide the doors of our hearts to welcome the Savior, trusting in His mercy and love. Like Mary our Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, let us say “Yes” to Jesus and His will, in the obedience of Faith, for we belong to Him and He calls us to be holy, to live a life that is truly life, life in Jesus Christ, the Only Savior of the world.
With peace and prayers in Christ,
Fr. William
Saint Clement Parish 