A Season of Hope

12-05-2021Pastor's CornerRev. Robert J. Deehan, V.F.

What does this season mean for you? Amidst the shopping, cards, decorations and parties, we enjoy a special spirit in the air. It’s a time of hope for happiness and renewed love in our relationships with family members and friends. But, however hard we try to create this atmosphere and come together for fun, there is still something missing… something intangible, which calls from the depths of our hearts.

It’s a hunger that longs to be satisfied with so much more than good food, lovely presents and good cheer. It is our deepest longing – for the God who loves us more than we can imagine. It is Jesus whom we celebrate in this season, who is the Father’s greatest gift to us. He is the tangible expression of the Father’s desire to give us what we need – unconditional love and acceptance even when we feel unworthy and unlovable. God has come into our midst as a human being to confirm our goodness and specialness in His eyes, and to fill that void within our hearts, and enable us to have a very personal and intimate relationship with Him. As a community of faith, we here at Holy Family Parish, celebrate the most powerful loving encounter with Jesus that we can experience - in Eucharist. In addition, we are also privileged to experience our merciful Lord through the forgiveness and inner healing He comes to offer us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession.

Besides these special sacramental moments, we also encounter the Lord Jesus by living out His selfless love though our service to people in need. In this time of gift-giving, may our expressions of care, outreach and love bring us a powerful experience of God’s presence and peace. May it touch the deepest part of who we are - sons and daughters of God, made in God’s image and likeness, and bring into our world a tangible expression of the Father’s goodness by enfleshing His love just as Jesus did. You might say it’s our return Christmas gift to God the Father for all that He has done for us by giving us His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.