Letters from Father Steve

Dear People of St. Anne’s,

 

“He cured many who were sick…Rising very early he went off to a deserted place where he prayed…Then he told them, let us go on…” (Mark 1:34,35,38) (Gather # 993)

 

A long, long time ago, I think in 1981, Henry Nouwen gave the retreat for the seminary I was in at the time.  Some may recognize this widely read author’s name.  He left a deep impression, one that remains with me to this day.  He spent his three days with us talking about today’s Gospel.  He said it formed a “tryptic.” That is three panels, each a distinct story in itself, yet all three related to one another.

 

On the first and third panels, or parts of the Gospel, Jesus is working miraculous healings and travelling the countryside proclaiming the Good News.  But it is the middle panel, said Fr. Nouwen, that reveals the secret of his power:  He spent long hours absorbed in prayer.  His point was “if Jesus needed to spend as much time in prayer as he did working, who do you think you are to do with any less!”

 

This continues the theme of last Sunday where we noted that Jesus’ authoritative words that drove out unclean spirits were filled with peace.  “Be still” he said with a stillness that had come from his hours of solitude with the Father.

 

I also noted last week that Bishop Callahan’s letter about changes in federal law began with the extension of peace.  “Peace be with you,” he wrote.  It takes great stillness and reflection to pick out of the cacophony of things happening in the world today those that are truly most significant and needing top priority.  We include Bishop Callahan’s letter as an insert in this bulletin for those who were not here last week and for those who would like to take action and go to the Bishop’s website for more information.

 

What I understand is that the new Health Care law going into effect requires all institutions hiring or serving the general public to provide health insurance to their employees that includes coverage of birth control.  Institutions that hire and serve people primarily of their own faith are exempt from this requirement.  Thus parishes and dioceses are exempt, but Catholic Hospitals, orphanages, and such are not.

 

As Bishop Callahan says so clearly in his letter, the US Bishops and other religious bodies feel this is a direct assault on the First Amendment Right to Freedom of Religion.  It would require a Catholic Hospital, like St. Clare’s, to either provide insurance coverage for contraceptives for its employees or not offer health insurance at all; both of which are contrary to fundamental beliefs of our Catholic faith.

 

The federal government has given Churches a year to come into compliance.  The Bishops are asking all of us to act immediately to ensure that within this year our civic leaders change this part of the Health Care law to be less restrictive.  Please see the address for the website of the US Bishops on Bishop Callahan’s enclosed letter for links to further guidance on what next steps to take.

 

And while you are at your computer, and after you have gotten informed on this important concern, head to the St. Anne’s website.  This weekend we have Chrystal Collet with us from the Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) publishing company.  One of the services OSV has offered parishes is the printing of collection envelopes.  Keeping up with the times, they now assist parishes with online giving.  As a large company they can negotiate good rates with credit card companies and so make it realistic for parishes to accept contributions through credit cards.

 

Chrystal will be available after all of the Masses this weekend in the parish office and would be happy to show anyone interested how to get set up.  They work with parishes across the US and feel it is what will one day be the way most people handle their parish contributions.  The security, the convenience, the perks, and the automatic record keeping make it an easy choice for those comfortable with doing things online.

 

It is obviously a win for the parish.  Then regardless of who is playing football that day, or what the weather is like, the deeper commitments people make in moments of thoughtful reflection are still carried out and the healing deeds of Christ continue in this world.
Please consider it.  Maybe, rise up early tomorrow morning, go off to a deserted place…. And pray.

-Fr. Steve

 

Dear People of St. Anne’s,

 

“Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and said:  Be still.  Come out of the man.”  (Mark 1:25)  (Gather #990)

 

There does not appear to be anything “still” about the Penny Carnival.  This event that kicks off our celebration of Catholic Schools Week each year is wild and exciting.  Many stalls, each with a different game to play or contest to enter, turn McKillip Hall today into a Carnival that yields wide eyes and big smiles from small children and grownups alike.  There is good food, too, but the real medicine is in all the good people who come together to enjoy the afternoon.  It is just the thing to chase away winter blues, worldly anxieties, and even unclean spirits.  Something about simple games, lots of laughter and good people says to the soul:  “Be Still.  Fear come out.”

 

What is a bit hidden at Penny Carnival will be made perfectly clear on Monday when the whole school gathers in Church for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  Here the real presence of God in our lives will be given full attention.  Gathering as a whole student body, taking time away from all other activities, singing songs from the heart, uniting voices in prayers of thanksgiving, pondering in prayerful silence, the Eucharist enthroned in the monstrance, all demonstrate the reality that God is with us.  Could anything more powerfully say to a young soul:  “Be Still.  Fear come out.”

 

This whole week will include special activities highlighted by the All School Liturgy with Bishop Callahan Thursday at Newman High School at 9:30 a.m.  As beautiful as this gathering will be, it is highlighting the wonderful environment these children experience every day in our Catholic Schools.  What could more powerfully rebuke the unclean spirits of our day than a community filled with God’s Holy Spirit because it lives in a way based on the values and truths of his Holy Word.  From the prayer at the start of each class day, to the assignments in the bible, Christ’s voice is heard:  Be Still.  Fear come out.

 

It is not only our schools, of course, that bear God’s healing word.  The parish community does as well.  And it is with a desire to make that word heard all the more clearly that we begin a new process for welcoming people into our parish beginning next Sunday.

 

The often unhappy children and the long list of people who say they want to join but haven’t, tell us that asking people to stay an hour and a half after the 10:30 a.m. Mass over the lunch hour is not family friendly programming. We also heard back from people that the attention they got the day they joined was wonderful, but then they were left to find their own way after that.  Some felt let down by there being no further outreach once they had “signed up.”

 

Drawing upon the wisdom and experience of Fr. Sweetser, we will begin to welcome new people to our parish in a more hospitable way.  Starting next Sunday there will be a volunteer in the parish office between the 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses and again after the 10:30 a.m. Mass until noon.  The commentator at the end of the liturgy will invite anyone who would like to join the parish to stop in the office after Mass.  There their registration information will be taken, and they will be given a packet of information.

They will also be assigned a Mentor who will call them within the week and set up a time to meet, possibly at Mass the next weekend.  Over the following weeks the Mentor will give them a tour of our parish facilities and go through the information packet with them, helping them get connected with the ministries they are looking for.  If those joining are a family with children, their Mentors will be a family with children.  If a single person joins, a single Mentor will be assigned.

 

Quarterly or so we will invite all those who have joined the parish to the rectory after the 10:30 a.m. mass for a brunch. This will give me a chance to meet them and for them to size up the pastor.  Parish staff will also be invited.  We will again check with people that they are finding the ministries here they are looking for.  We have enough Sunday volunteers and Mentors to start, but more are most welcome.  If you are interested in helping, please call the parish office, Jennifer Gabriel or Jill Warsaw.  It will be a most meaningful way to serve.  People often come to the parish caught in the unclean spirits of our day.  Through you our Lord will speak:  Be still. Fear come out.

-Fr. Steve

 

Dear People of St. Anne’s,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) (Gather #987)

 

“Eighty-seven lives have been forever changed” said Fr. Mauthe as he packed up his boxes after the 10:30 a.m. liturgy.  Eighty-seven children and elderly people were adopted through the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) last weekend.  I asked him if that was good.  “Good?” he said.  “I sometimes drive four or five hours to the middle of Minnesota or Iowa and come back with eleven or twelve children adopted.  This was fantastic!”  You should have seen the smile on his face. He had the look of a fisherman pulling in a full net as he thumbed through those application forms.

 

Many people stopped me to say “bring this guy back again.  He’s funny, but he speaks with power.”  We are working on just that. You probably picked up from his homily that he has a tremendous interest in and passion for the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.  This October 12^th marks the 50^th anniversary of the beginning of that historic event in the life of the Church. An inter-parish committee has begun working on a fitting celebration of this anniversary and Fr. Mauthe has already agreed to come and be part of it. This visit we will be sure to give enough time to really unwind!

 

This coming celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council holds a special meaning for our parish family. Perhaps you know our parish Vision Statement begins:  The Parish of St. Anne’s embodies the vision of the Second Vatican Council which affirms that creation is sacred and the Holy Spirit is at work in all people.   So this coming celebration will be a renewal of our parish vision.  But it will also be a celebration of all that has been already accomplished, since the principles set forth by the Council have been at work in this parish for the last fifty years.  Presently we translate the Council’s words: the Holy Spirit is at work in all people into:  This is a parishioner led parish.

 

We put this theological principle into very concrete form these first months of each year.  At this very time all of our Commissions and Committees are setting their goals for the next few years.  They are prayerfully asking what this parish should look like, what should it be engaged in, where should it be involved, in the coming years.  This is really a beautiful thing.  The Holy Spirit, alive in the hearts of all the baptized, is being listened to by this parish.  What is God calling us to?

 

Once our goals and objectives are clear, we cast the net.  We share them with the parish community and extend the invitation to help make them happen.  The first Thursday of March, this year the 1^st of March, we hold our Gathering of Ministers.  Everyone who is presently involved as a volunteer is asked to gather with their Commission leaders to affirm or amend the goals and objectives the Commissions and Committees have proposed for that ministry area.

 

Once the goals and objectives are agreed upon,  the attainment of those goals depends upon getting the right people, with the right gifts, into the right roles of leadership and service.  Where as in the past we elected or appointed people to various leadership positions from the parish at large, now we are inviting people who have been involved in a ministry area and who have a passion to make it grow even better, to step onto a Committee or even a Commission.

 

I know everyone is very busy.  But I also believe the saying is true, that if you want something to get done, ask a busy person.  For they are engaged in life and putting their gifts to use.  So I dare to ask,  is it important to you that our parish provides quality liturgies, quality baptisms and weddings?  Is it important to you that our sick and elderly receive support?  Is it important to you that our youth remain active in their faith through their adolescent years?  Is it important to you that our parish be engaged in making this world a better place for others as well as ourselves?  If the answer is yes, then mark your calendar for March 1^st.  Come and find the place where your passion can best be expressed in action.

 

Oh you should have seen the smile on Fr. Mauthe’s face.  It was like that of a fisherman pulling in a full net.  And that look, can be yours.

-Fr. Steve

 

Dear People of St. Anne’s,

 

“Come and see.”  (John 1:39) (Gather# 984)

 

Second Sunday of ORDINARY TIME???  Some of you long-time church goers may feel like we skipped something this week.  Where is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which usually brings the Christmas Season to a close?  Well if you feel that way, you are right!  We are not celebrating Christ’s Baptism on Sunday this year.  We are in a kind of Christmas Season Leap Year.

 

Our normal sequence for the Christmas Season is:  Christmas (Dec.25), The Feast of the Holy Family (the following Sunday), Mary the Mother of God (Jan.1), Epiphany (First Sunday of January), Baptism of our Lord (Second Sunday of January).  This year, because Christmas fell on Sunday it took the place of the Holy Family celebration. And since Mary the Mother of God was on the first Sunday of January it moved Epiphany to the second, taking the place of the Baptism of the Lord.  The Baptism of the Lord was celebrated on Monday January 9^th.

Though we are officially out of the Christmas season our Gospel today is the perfect sequel to the Feast of the Epiphany.  The Kings “came to see” the new born king and placed their own kingdoms in his service.  In today’s Gospel Jesus extends the same invitation to all of us:  “Come and see.”

 

I am very pleased at the turn out for our Parish Pictorial Directory.  Even the Olan Mills photographers complemented us on the number of people who have signed up to get their pictures taken.  This is no doubt due in part to the hard work of our co-chairs Barb Laurent and Win Spencer.  We are all grateful for their part in getting this much needed next pictorial directory together.  (Olan Mills will be here yet this week, so if you haven’t signed up for your picture yet, please go to our parish web-site and pick your time and date.)

 

But the great turn out is also due to the strong sense of community many people feel here and the desire by many more for that community sense to grow even stronger.  I hope the new directory will extend to all our Lord’s invitation to “come and see” the wonderful people in this parish.  Look them up.  Call them.  And then, go and see!

 

This weekend we are blessed to have
Fr. Richard Mauthe speaking at all the Masses.  Fr. Mauthe was the campus chaplain at UW-Green Bay for 30+ years where he was affectionately known by hundreds of students simply as “Pa.”
I was one of those students.  In his retirement he is not only helping out at St. Peter the Fisherman Parish in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, but he also travels the Midwest speaking on behalf of the Christian Foundation For Children and Aging (CFCA)

 

Earlier in his life “Pa” would vacation in Mexico.  Being of an adventurous spirit he would wander away from the hotels and tourist areas and find himself at orphanages and schools full of poor children.  He personally helped many of the children there out of poverty and then began looking for a way to touch even more lives.  Through CFCA he has now found sponsors for over three thousand children in Central and South America. He invites us to experience the same joy he has found in putting his gifts at the feet of the Christ child.  He invites us to: Come and See.

 

This coming Thursday, the 19^th, St. Anne’s will be hosting along with many other parishes around the diocese, a Holy Hour for Life.  Bishop Callahan has asked the Deacons of the Diocese to take leadership in the work of upholding the dignity of all life and to lead a Holy Hour as one specific step toward that end.  All are invited to come from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.  This mixture of song, prayer and meditation in the presence of the Eucharist will give us all a chance to rest in God and know again our own dignity and worth.  Then we will be able to share that same sense of dignity with others.  I am most grateful to Deacon Bob and the Gospel of Life Ministry members for putting this together and leading it.

 

Fresh from Christmas, and the mystery of the Word made Flesh, no one can miss that the invitation to look into the faces of fellow parish members, or third world children, or those of the unborn is really an invitation to gaze upon the face of Christ.  Each is an invitation to us no less than it was to his first Apostles.  An invitation to ‘come and see.’

-Fr. Steve

 

Dear People of St. Anne’s,

 

“They prostrated themselves and did him homage.  Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”  (Matthew 2:11) (Gather # 899)

 

The name of today’s Feast Day “Epiphany” was once used to describe the visit of an important personage to a community. The presence of the three kings indicates Christ’s epiphany or “appearing” here on earth is of world-wide significance.   We had a sense of that international flavor in our own Christmas celebration two weeks ago. If you look closely at the pictures on the cover of this bulletin you will see the exact same costumes worn by two different casts. One cast was predominantly Caucasian and told the Christmas story in English. The other case was entirely Asian and told the story in Hmong.  Christ’s birth touches hearts of every kind.

 

Ipads, American Girl Dolls, and ping-pong ball guns we some of the answers I received to the question “what was your favorite gift this year?”  I wonder what Jesus would answer to that question?  What gifts given most pleased him this year?  It’s going to take a while to answer because there are so many gifts to sort through!

 

Just before Christmas we received two gifts toward replacing the badly corroded divider in the men’s bathroom in the south entrance of the Church.  The new non-metal divider will never become the terrible eye-sore the present one has.  Thank you Fred & Rita Straub and Kathy Wilde!  The new divider has been ordered and should be installed in the next few weeks.

 

We have also received a first donation toward fixing the wall paper in the Church.  Surely you’ve noticed the unsightly cracks and wrinkles along the south walls.  Our Buildings & Grounds Committee is getting bids on three possible wall treatments for the walls presently wallpapered in Church.  We are comparing re-wallpapering, painting and dry-walling with insulation.  The present wall paper was glued right to the external cinder block walls.  Moisture wicks through the brick and loosens the wall paper glue.  The extreme dryness inside the church then causes the paper to shrink and pull away.  As soon as we settle on what is going to work best, we will publicize our decision and the cost in case others would like to assist with this project.

 

Sitting in the rectory garage since just before Christmas is a brand new lawn and garden tractor with a 50” mower deck that will make cutting the ball field a snap.  This much needed piece of equipment is a gift to the parish from Ed and Mary Burish.  Ed’s thinking that if we had nicer equipment to operate we might have more volunteers to help with the grounds come spring and summer.

 

Thanks to the gift of professional services from a parish attorney and contractor we are finally making progress on our leaking school roof.  The rubber flat roof installed over the flat portion of the school in 2004 was not installed correctly and leaks have been developing.  After several years of attempted fixes by the installer, just before Christmas we finally, with the help of the attorney and contractor, were able to get the installer’s insurance company to come and acknowledge the problem and the damage it has caused.  What we need is a new roof.  We are still waiting to see what the insurance company proposes.

 

All of these most generous gifts by parish members will have a significant impact on our community life in this coming year.  Thank you!  But I wonder if the gifts collected next weekend might still be higher on Jesus’ list.  Next week Fr. Dick Mauthe will be speaking at all of our liturgies about the Christian Foundation For Children and Aging (CFCA).  You may remember Fr. Mauthe as the priest from Green Bay who spoke here at St. Anne’s on the occasion of my 25^th ordination anniversary. He is a huge hearted man and taking care of children in need has become his passion during retirement.

 

CFCA was brought to our parish Mission Outreach Committee for presentation to the parish by Jan and Gary Yonke.  They saw the presentation in another Church and felt it is a ministry the people of St. Anne’s would want to be involved in. Our Mission Service Committee agreed.  As you will learn next weekend, this is a program where you have the chance to sponsor a child that has been selected by CFCA and through modest monthly contributions give the young person the basics they need to be successful in life.

 

Every gift given out of love to one of God’s children is no doubt pleasing to Him, no less than the gold, frankincense and myrrh of that first Epiphany.

-Fr. Steve

 

Dear People of St. Anne’s,

 

“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”

(Luke 2:19) (Gather # 898)

 

“It is the same light” burning now in the red candle outside our Blessed Sacrament Chapel that has burned in the lamp hanging over the place where Jesus was born for almost one thousand and five hundred years.  With the help of Boy Scouts International the Bethlehem Peace Light came to St. Anne’s this past Christmas.  Flown from Bethlehem in Israel, to Austria, to New York to Wisconsin it was carried into our Church during the liturgies I presided at last weekend.

 

That visible flame, was our metaphor for the invisible flame of hope and love that filled the heart of the Christ Child and now enlightens all of us.  “It is the same light”  shining in Christ’s heart that now shines in ours.  By the power of the Holy Spirit divine life has been conceived in us.  If this gentle little flame is hidden it plunges the world into darkness.  If spread, it has the power to transform, transfigure, even transubstantiate this world.  We ended our liturgies like Mary, pondering what all this can mean.

 

There are so many sights and sounds from our beautiful Christmas liturgies to ponder. We have a long tradition of dynamic music in this parish, but this Christmas took us to a whole new level.  The Children’s Choir, the In the Moment Choir, the Prayerful Praise Choir, the Contemporary Choir, The Hmong Choir, the Joliffe-Kiepke-Blomquist Ensemble and the Jojade family singers…accompanied by Orchestra, Bell Choir, strings, reeds, horns and outstanding pianists…. all so well rehearsed and full of joy were truly inspiring.  More and more voices are maturing. More and more instruments are gaining confidence. When we had a mix up with the 10:30 a.m. liturgy Christmas Day and I got called in at the last moment to preside…. It was a joy… just to be able to take in more of the rich, rich music.  Thank you, directors, musicians and singers for enkindling in our hearts the fire of His love.

 

My ponderings go also to the two wonderful pageants of the weekend.  With almost twice last year’s cast, Mary and Joseph were surrounded by a most beautiful array of angels, shepherds, animals and kings for the grand finale, Silent Night at the 4:00 p.m. Children’s liturgy in McKillip Hall.  Even those who stood along the walls for the entire service lost track of time and space as we were all carried back to Bethlehem by the innocence and purity of our children.  If anyone is looking for a Christmas miracle, just reflect on getting twenty nine children of different ages who don’t know each other to come together in just a few practices to create something so beautiful!

 

Though of smaller cast, the pageant at the 1:00 p.m. liturgy Christmas Day was also moving.  The very same characters of the evening before now took on olive skinned faces and spoke their lines in Hmong.  Everyone was transported.  No one noticed the time, in this case stretching THREE HOURS before Mass, pageant, and the community gift giving ended.  All then went down to Fischer Hall for more singing and a home cooked Hmong meal.  The sprinkling of Caucasians in the crowd were touched by the sense of family the Hmong Catholic community shares.

The beautiful environment also lingers in my memory.  Be sure to spend time before the Crèche this weekend and next.  Each year Ralph Murkowski has added a new piece or two.  Last year he hand painted from scratch the magnificent camel that accompanied one of the kings for Epiphany.  Rumor has it there may be an elephant at the side of another king this year!

 

Perhaps this is the place to thank the team that developed our wonderful “Woven by Christ” Advent theme and the striking symbol of the basket being woven by many small acts of integrity.  They also decorated the interior of the Church for Christmas.  Thank you Marylee Schulta, Barb Knauf, Jim and Rita Bjork, Bill and Mary Mahoney, Ron and Carol Koltz,  and Renee Fredel.  For the beautiful decorations outside we thank the ever- faithful Chuck & Lee Jojade led team, this year enhanced with high school faith formation youth.  The lovely Crèche on the east side of the Church is given and maintained by the Dorothy Rutz family.

 

Alas I am out of room this week and my ponderings are just beginning.  But even with these initial reflections surely you would agree, that in all of the beauty we are enjoying this Christmas season, it is the light of Christ shining among us.  It is the same light.

 

-Fr. Steve

Dear People of St. Anne’s,

 

“… the time came for her to have her child…” (Luke 2:6) (Gather # 892)

 

I pray this Christmas is filled with joy and time with loved ones.  Then… I hope there is some time for stillness and resting in the peace that is God.  This letter is offered as a meditation to help you in that time of quiet to wander out into that deep peace of God.  Maybe Christmas Day evening after the house becomes quiet and you have some time alone. Take out this bulletin again and read until your mind and heart wander off….. with God.

“the time came…”  No word in the Bible is casual or thoughtlessly placed.  Each has rich meaning and often many layers of meaning.  These simple words “the time came” lead out into great mysteries.  They seem to imply that there was a time set for Christ to come. On an everyday level that could mean Mary’s nine months were complete.  But in the Bible phrases like “the day of the Lord” or “the hour” refer not only to the lives of individuals, but to the great moments in salvation history.

 

Was there a set time for Christ to come?  Was it part of God’s plan for the world from the beginning?  Thinking about Christ’s death and resurrection one might say: No!  Christ only came because humanity fell from grace and needed redeeming.  It was not part of the original plan of God for Christ to come. There was no set time.

 

But was freeing us from sin the only reason Christ came?   The Catechism of the Catholic Church  gives a number of answers to the question:  Why Did the Word Become Flesh.  (Paragraphs 456 ff.)

The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who loved us and “sent his Son to be expiation for our sins.”  (I John, 4:10)

 

But the other reasons the Catechism gives go beyond the removal of sin.

The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God’s love: “ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” (I John 4:9)

The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness:  “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” “I am the way, and the truth and the life…” (Mt 11:29 & John 14:6)

The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature: (II Peter 1:4) “For this is why the Word became man… so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.” (St. Irenaeus). “For the son of God became man so that we might become God.”  (St. Athanasius)  “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.” (Thomas Aquinas)

 

It was God’s plan from the beginning to share everything with us, even God’s divine nature. Thus, from the beginning, God intended to elevate human nature into divine life.  This would mean that Christ had to come. The fullness of divinity residing in humanity was God’s dream for the world from the very start. In God’s mind there always was “a time” when humanity would be ready to receive divine life.

 

Did human sin cause a detour in God’s plan?  Was it because of our unexpected failure that Christ had to suffer to remove sin first before continuing with the original plan of our divinization?  Some move in the other direction of saying that what we call sin is a necessary part of the human family’s maturing. For how would we know the sweet joy of forgiveness without ever having sinned?  How would we ever become compassionate if we ourselves never erred? How would we have ever known the depth and height of God’s love except on the cross?  Even the Easter Exultet, an ancient prayer of the Church, cries out: “Oh necessary sin of Adam… Oh happy fault that earned us so great a Redeemer…”

 

Whether through an unexpected detour or a foreseen part of the path, God has shown God’s eternal unshakable commitment to seeing the divine plan through to completion.  And that divine plan included the moment when God would begin to draw human life up into the divine nature.  There was “a time” when creation would be ready.  And so it happened:

 

“… the time came for her to have her child….”

-Fr. Steve

 

Dear People of St. Anne’s,

 

“Go tell my servant David,  says the Lord:  You will build me a house to live in?…..Rather…. it is I who will build a house for you.” (2 Samuel 8:5, 11) (Gather # 889)

 

It is gift.  It is all gift.  The dizzying, overwhelming joy of Christmas is that God gives us all that our souls long for and more… as a gift.   And God does so for no other reason than because God finds joy in seeing his children fully alive.  God is love.  Life is gift.

 

The news on TV gives a constantly changing list of reasons to wonder what this world is coming to.  Is it coming apart?  Or is it just coming together?  The second Sunday of Advent we heard Peter tell us we must be people of integrity to endure the transformation of this world into the Kingdom.  Last week we renewed our confidence in the simple truth that every deed done in faith and hope — with integrity — is a piece of the Kingdom put in place… for eternity.

 

This Sunday we are told in no uncertain terms, that it is God who is building the house. Not us. None of us knows how the Kingdom will look, let alone have the power to get us there.  We are the servants. Life will get exciting for us, as it did for Mary, when we pray:  Let it be done to me according to your will. It is then that we become open to the gift of life in all its fullness.

 

If the world still leaves you numb and closed of heart, I whole-heartedly recommend you take in our Newman Catholic Schools Christmas Concerts.  Monday, Dec. 19^th, the third, fourth and fifth graders will fill McKillip Hall with “Mary Did You Know” and “Silent Night.”  On Tuesday the risers will be turned over to the kindergarten, first and second graders.  They have been practicing for weeks and now know by heart our favorite Christmas songs and the Good News they spread.  It goes with out saying that it is not the demonstration of human skill we come to see.  It is the divine joy and beauty shining through pure human vessels — Spirit taking flesh — that is the wonder of Christmas.  Christmas is not about our work, but God’s gift.

 

We have had a small army of children practicing for our 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Children’s Mass in McKillip Hall.  The shepherd boys of that first Christmas could not have been wilder, nor the angels more fair, than the shepherds and angels you will see bring to life the Christmas Gospel.  And the excitement in these 23 children can only be a touch less than the joy of those taking part in the first Christmas. Our Junior Choir will help us all enter the awesome mystery by lifting our hearts in grateful song.   Come receive the gift God so freely gives.

 

Of course many others have been practicing for weeks as well.  The Blomquist, Jolliffe, Kiepke cousins will lead the singing for the 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve celebration in Church.  The violins, recorder, keyboard and strong voices of the In The Moment Chorale will guide our minds and hearts heavenward at the 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve liturgy.  The Prayerful Praise Choir, Orchestra and Bell Choir are combining forces for the 10:30 p.m. “Midnight Mass.”  Voices of Praise, the mixed (men and women) quartet that made its debut at the Polka Fest Concert this past summer will be singing with orchestra during the caroling before Mass.  Come receive the gift.

 

Christmas Day we begin at the 8:30 a.m. liturgy with this year’s combination of Jojade daughters and grand-daughters. Each year as children grow older new voices appear in this assembly.  The wonder of Christmas Day will be brought to fullness with the instruments and rich harmonies of our Contemporary Choir at the 10:30 a.m.  Come receive God’s gift as Spirit takes flesh in us and among us again.

 

If things run late Christmas Eve or you are looking for some Christmas adventure, the Hmong Community liturgy, this year at 1:00 p.m., will be enlightened with the voices of the newly formed Youth Choir.  Traditional Hmong Chant is being blended with rhythms and harmonies the youth are learning here in school.  There will not be a 6:00 p.m. Mass Christmas Day (Sunday).

 

If you are travelling this holiday I pray you and your loved ones will remember too that over and above the gifts we have carefully chosen or the food we have tenderly prepared, Christmas is a gift God freely gives to all who are open to receive it.  May you be filled with peace and joy this Christmas.

-Fr. Steve