Christmas
December 25, 2007
"Beloved: The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly and devoutly in this age."
Titus 2:11-12

Beloved! A Blessed and Merry Christmas to you!

Beloved, the grace of God has appeared, offering salvation to all and teaching us to live on earth as they live in heaven. That is why we celebrate Christmas. What does this salvation look like and how do they relate in heaven?

A man sat under a tree by the lake on a hot summer afternoon. He saw a scorpion moving towards the water. When the scorpion crawled into the water the man, knowing it would drown, got up and scooped the scorpion out of the dangerous water to dry land. The scorpion stung his hand. Then the man went to sit back down under the tree, looking over his stung hand. Wondering where the scorpion was, for the second time he saw it moving towards the water. Once again, he rescued the scorpion and brought it to the safety of land. In the process, the scorpion stung his hand. As the man was walking to sit back down under the tree a young girl, who had observed all that transpired, came to him and asked, "I saw you pick up that scorpion out of the water twice and how he stung your hand. Scorpions are poisonous and can kill you. Your hand is infected and swelling and you could die. Why did you do what you did?" Genuinely the man responded, "Just because it is the scorpion’s nature to sting it does not change my nature to save."

Beloved, just because it can be our propensity to choose dangerous, life-threatening waters and sting God who has come to save us from them, it does not change God's nature to save. Jesus, who is the appearance of the grace of God, has come to show us that God will never stop trying to save us. He is always with us, trying to save us from all the destruction we do in our relationships by not following him and teaching us to relate in ways of salvation. Each moment, Jesus wants us to learn how they perfectly relate in heaven so we can best try to live that all our days on earth.

What does Jesus want for Christmas? You! He wants to show us all the ways we have chosen dangerous and life-threatening waters in our relationships. He wants us to see how we have stung him by rejecting his saving ways. He wants us to perfectly learn how to love and forgive. Let us turn into him all the ways we have stung him and others and ask him to lead us in the way of love everlasting.

Let us pray: "Jesus, we celebrate you coming at Christmas to save us from all the ways we have stung you, others and ourselves. You have come to bring forgiveness and salvation to all because we had stung you and rejected your ways. Help us to ask forgiveness from you and all who we have stung. All the stinging and rejection threatens the life of our souls. In the power of your offering, we say "Yes" to all your ways of forgiveness and salvation. Thank you for showing us that it is God's eternal nature to save. You are the hope of our souls. And in this hope of your nature to save, help us to put an end to all stinging in our lives. Amen."

Beloved, thank you for walking with me this Holy Advent 2007! Your faith inspires me in my priesthood. Thank you for sharing that most precious gift with me.

I would also like to thank John Brandt who gets these emails out to you. Each day these emails go out to 1,000’s of people and without the generosity and genius of John this would not be happening. Thank you, Beloved John!

Just think, in basically 1 1/2 months (God willing) we will begin our 2008 email journey through Lent. Until then, give all that you are to Jesus and be infinitely blessed!

+ Fr. John