"JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON"...CHRISTMAS EVE......2009.........

4:30 pm - With the 4 o'clock pm hour, Christmas 2009 has arrived and as we celebrate Christmas Eve, we begin our Catholic-Christian commemoration of our Lord and Savior's Birth. I just walked over to the church at 4:40 pm and Presentation is full and nearly overflowing, which is the case in most churches tonight and tomorrow. It is wonderful to see the sight of so many people gathered in Christmas joy, but my prayer and hope is we will see them more often throughout the year, as members of the authentic Community of Believers joined in prayer, worship, and ministry, in the Living and True God. CNN is airing a Christmas news special entitled, "In God We Trust : Faith and Money". Their religious demographics at the opening of the program provide an illustrative point. According to CNN, 25% of Americans are Catholics; 16% are Baptists; 13% are Mainline Protestants; 21% are Evangelical, Fundamentalist, and Small Community Christian churches; 4% are Mormon, Jewish, Muslims, and of other non Christian sects; 15% of Americans are Agnostic or Atheist; and 6% Don't Know what They Believe. As Catholic-Christians we believe that Christmas is the door that opens to the Redemption of the World, as the Birth of Jesus the Christ is the beginning of the reconciling and uniting, of the Divine and Humankind. For the baby born in a manger in Bethlehem, is Jesus the Christ, the Savior of the World, who is Emmanuel, "God With Us". And why is God With Us ?, but to redeem and reconcile us, with the Heavenly Father and God's Kingdom. As we celebrate that night of the Holy Birth of the Christ Child, more than 2,000 years ago, gathered with family, friends, neighbors, and fellow believers, with special dinners of festive food and drink, celebratory parties, an exchange of gifts, seasonal songs of joy and serenity, and the most important part : the worship and prayer we make to God for our salvation, make yours authentically wholistic. In the defining phrase that is the title of this blog column, JESUS, IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. Celebrating Christmas without the Savior's Birth being central to what and how we celebrate it, is incomplete. Without Jesus, there is no Christmas, no Easter, no overcoming sin and death unto Eternal Life, no Hope, beyond the here and now...9:30 pm - As I enjoy this Christmas Eve after a delicious Baked Ham Dinner with sweet potatos, corn, and cranberry sauce, prepared by my colleague, Fr. Paul Ricks, who invited me to join him for Christmas Eve Dinner, as he has for Sunday Dinner, a number of times since my return after my kidney transplant convalescence in Phoenix, I have been listening to Christmas music near my creche, and watching TCM Christmas movies, all black and white classics. At 11 pm I will drive over to St. Philomene's Parish to concelebrate Midnight Mass with the Pastor, my ordination classmate, Fr. Eduino Silveira. My CSU-Sacramento Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity brother Scott Vogelsang and his children will be there. He specifically asked where I was celebrating Midnight Mass tonight and I look forward to seeing him and his family at our St. Philomene's celebration. Tomorrow, I celebrate Christmas Day Mass here at Presentation Church at 10:30 am.
Here's wishing you and your families, a very Blessed Christmas Season. JOY TO THE WORLD ! THE LORD IS COME !! May you welcome Him by making the central Christmas you give, the gift of prayer and worship, in affirmation of all that we human beings and His followers have gained through God in Jesus Christ.........
Christmas Joy, Peace, Faith, Hope, + Love, Fr. Troy