Christmas Message from Our Pastor

Dear Parishioners of St Albert!

Merry Christmas! I hope that you and your family have a wonderful, Christ-filled, and joyful celebration this Christmas! This time of year has been one that I have always loved for various reasons throughout my life. I have found that these reasons center around one aspect—giving and receiving.  In that, we recognize how good God has been to us and all that he has given to us throughout the year–from that promotion at work, to welcoming a newborn grandbaby into the family, to a greater conversion to the Lord–all of these things and more have been a gift from God.  God is the one who is the giver of all good gifts.  He gave the gift of creation to Adam and Eve in the beginning when the whole cosmos began.  In so doing, He called Adam to have dominion over it and Eve to be a helpmate to Adam. (cf Gen 2) All these things they received from God. 

Then by our own free will, we offended God by disobeying Him and followed the way of the devil–contrary to God’s way for us. (cf. Gen 3) Instead of leaving it to our own vices and ways–which ultimately do not bring us happiness or fulfillment, God sent us His Son Jesus to be born for us. Instead of letting us wonder helplessly by ourselves, trying to find our own way back to fullness of life with God, God gave us the Way to fullness of life, life with Him, Jesus.  With this, we come to this day we are celebrating–the gift of Christmas. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God is so good, merciful, and generous towards us.  

What is beautiful about God is that He did not leave it there for only a thing of the past–for the people of Ancient Israel.  He gave it away to continue it forward by His guidance.  He gave us the Holy Spirit and the Church.  The Catholic Church is guided by the Holy Spirit–so that we can come to know this same reality that Jesus came to give us in ancient Israel. It says in John’s Gospel– “The Holy Spirit guides people into all truth, and speaks only what it hears.” (John 16:13)  The Holy Spirit guides us into all Truth–to know the Truth that is Jesus Christ Himself.  This Holy Spirit leads us to the fullness of life with Him in the Person of the Church, which is Christ’s body.  

When one is Baptized, one receives this new life that God deeply desires us to receive.  By our Baptism, we get to begin to live a life that was lost to us by Original Sin.  It is by the Holy Spirit that we are able to receive Baptism and the other Sacraments of the Church.  These all point to one reality–life with Jesus. The more one receives these Sacraments, the more one can receive the Gift of God.  It says in the Acts of the Apostles–“People can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit by repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” (Acts 2:38)  

The Church gives us access to this gift of God. I would encourage all of us to look at giving more financially to the Church this year.  It is through the Church that one receives the very life that God wants to give us–a life of true freedom, happiness, and peace with Him. Charitable organizations are good, but they cannot give us the gift of Salvation through receiving the Sacraments. Through the Church of St Albert, we can receive life with God in Heaven; we can receive the gift of Salvation. Why not look to the Church this Christmas to give a gift back to God.  It is from Him that we have all received everything we own and the way of coming back to Him–the Catholic Church. May we this Christmas be ever so grateful for the gifts that God has given to us–especially the Church. May we then give of ourselves back to God as a gift to Him.  As we do this, may we look to give financially to the Church this Christmas and so experience more of the newness of life that God wants to give to mankind.