Pastor’s Corner 22.12.2024
As Christians, we are called to take Christ to others; To bring others to experience Christ by our positive actions as Mother Mary demonstrated in that generous and selfless visit to Elizabeth her kinswoman. May we leap with joy in God’s presence today and always.
In the Gospel, Luke tells us how two seemingly insignificant women met to celebrate the kindness and fidelity of God. It shows us how sensitive Mary was to the needs of Elizabeth, her older cousin who had miraculously become pregnant in her old age. For Luke, discipleship consists in listening to God’s word and then carrying it out, and Mary does both, to become the most perfect disciple. “ At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving the others with God’s own love and concern.” –St. Theresa of Calcutta
We need to carry Jesus to others as Mary did. Christmas is the ideal time for us to be filled with the spirit of Christ, allowing his rebirth within us. Once Christ is reborn in us, He enables us to share his love with all whom we encounter by offering them humble and committed service, unconditional forgiveness, compassionate and caring love. Let us take the time to visit others during Christmas season, especially the sick, the lonely, the elderly and homeless to bring some inspiration into their lives, and hopefully to bring them closer to God.
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I take this opportunity to wish everyone of you a Blessed Christmas and a happy transition into the Jubilee Year 2025. Christmas is the time to show our gratefulness to God and to others; to God for His generosity in sending His only begotten Son for our salvation and to others for being the blessings in our lives and the life of the parish. As the Pastor, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of all of you in making St. Mary’s a beautiful family. First of all, I am grateful to all our priests who serve at St. Mary’s with such dedication and love, all our ministry groups who contribute to the growth of the parish in various capacities, to our many dedicated fleet of volunteers, to all our donors and well-wishers, to our dedicated staff at the rectory and to all the teachers, students and parents at St. Mary’s school. A BIG THANK YOU to all of you. May God reward you abundantly for all your selfless service.
