December 24, 2023

What a wonderful time of year! Thank you for joining us for these celebrations of Advent and Christmas! It is a blessing to be with you as your pastor for this Christmas celebration, and I am grateful that you are here. As your priest, I love blessing and being a blessing to those around me. One blessing I want to share with you is the blessing of the family Christmas tree. The father or grandfather would typically lead the blessing, but anyone can pray it: 

All make the sign of the cross,

the leader says: Blessed be the name of the Lord.

All reply: Now and for ever.

Brothers and sisters, listen to the words of the apostle Paul to Titus: His own compassion saved us, but when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

The leader prays aloud: Lord our God,

we praise you for the light of creation: the sun, the moon, and the stars of the night. We praise you for the light of Israel: the Law, the prophets, and the wisdom of the Scriptures. We praise you for Jesus Christ, your Son: he is Emmanuel, God-with-us, the Prince of Peace, who fills us with the wonder of your love. Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we illumine this tree. May the light and cheer it gives be a sign of the joy that fills our hearts. May all who delight in this tree come to the knowledge and joy of salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Christmas comes once a year, and it is a beautiful time to gather around the Christmas tree and enjoy one another’s company. My advice is not to waste this opportunity to be with the people you love and actively show them how much you love them. The evergreen tree symbolizes Christmas because even in the darkest, coldest days of winter, the evergreen retains its green, vibrant life-affirming color. In the dark days of this world, you and I, along with the families of Saints Aloysius and Benedict, can be a shining light of love for the world. May our color never turn stale so that all who see us remember the everlasting promises of Jesus Christ. God is with us! Emmanuel! May our hearts hold tight to that truth that gives meaning to everything we experience in this life. A Christmas blessing to you and your family!

Two parishes, One Heart

Fr. Adam