Tis the most wonderful time of the year!

As we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity—the Incarnation of Christ—and the coming of God made man, we also celebrate Easter and the Resurrection with the gift of Eternal Life all rolled into One.

Truly Christmas and Easter are intimately connected because we have faith that what God has planned—the returning home of each one of us to His Divine Life and Love—will be fulfilled. He sent His Only Son into the world to live like us in all things but sin, and to leave for us a perfect example of living out a human life with a divine ending. It is through our choices—to feed the hungry or not, to care for the sick or not, to visit the lonely and shelter the homeless or not, to teach the ignorant about God’s love for them or not, and to pray for the living and the dead or not—which leads us to the gates of heaven.

Our faith teaches us that our choices in life have a direct impact on our eternal life. For at the Last Supper, when Christ looked into the eyes of His disciples, He knew that not all would choose Him. Some shall choose the self, some shall choose another, and some shall choose power, prestige and wealth. As He looked into the eyes of Judas, while saying the prayer over the bread and wine, Christ said, “This shall be poured out for you and the many…” Shall we be among the “many”?

In bringing faith to the world, and in building His Church on earth, Christ left not only the plan but the mechanism to be a disciple. He teaches us through His life’s actions, through His teachings, and through the Church’s institutions to be another Christ to the world. To roll up our sleeves and dive into the messiness of human life and bring comfort where there is affliction and justice where there is injustice. And throughout the ages, Christ has empowered His Church with popes, priests, religious and hundreds of billions of lay volunteers to be His army of Christian soldiers bringing comfort and peace, joy and education, shelter and food to a world in need. Truly, no private entity on earth has done more for the building up of the common good than the Catholic Church. This is God’s plan, and He calls each one of us to be a part of the Divine Plan of Salvation.

While God does not expect everyone to do everything, He does expect (in fact, commands) each of us to do something—some are called to actively participate in ministry, some are called to support it through their resources and all are called to pray for the success of the Church and all her good works both corporal and spiritual. And the opportunities abound. Just drive around any city or urban area and you will see hospitals, shelters, soup kitchens and schools bearing Catholic names and traditions. In parish or school parking lots across urban centers you will find many a Malta Mobile Healthcare Van or outreach center bringing healthcare services to the poor and working poor. Catholic Charities are located in nearly all of Connecticut’s cities providing emergency services as well as educational opportunities for employment retraining; and our refuge centers welcome immigrants today from once unheard of countries just as they did decades ago for the Italians, Irish, Polish and more. The faces and skin colors may change but the intent—God’s Will—remains a constant as does the mission of His Church.

As we once more celebrate the memorial of Christ’s birth this Christmas, let us remember that manager—the first homeless shelter—which welcomed Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus—and all the shepherds and angels who came to gather around Him and praise not just His birth but also our salvation to come. And in the ensuing millennia, as part of His Divine Plan, we recall the Church He created, one though not perfect in its human institutions yet guided perfectly by His Holy Spirit in the Magisterium, is where we play our role so that we continue His mission in ministry in our time and place, bringing His love to a world in need as well as to our souls in need of salvation—and when we properly exercise our roles, we live the life of Christ in and through our words and deeds, making His Kingdom Come.

Let us celebrate Christmas in the most holy way possible: to fully join His Church by enlivening it with our presence—praising Him at Mass as well as in the streets of daily life with a renewed desire to serve Him in a ministry of the Church. There are plenty of ministries to look at and even more in which to be involved. Like the old Breck’s Shampoo commercial illustrated, “…And so on and so on…” the more that join it the more it multiples and the more it multiples the more God’s Will is done.

As we carry out His Will not only will more peace and comfort and more joy and happiness wash away sadness, despair, hungry and sickness but our souls will be made well with the Lord and our mansions in the eternal Kingdom will be ready and waiting for our arrival.

Our faith calls us to trust in the Lord and have faith that the Divine Plan our God has set into motion will be fulfilled—in both the grand scheme of things as well as in-and-through our participation with Him. We have to say “yes” to the great invitation He offers each one of us and which began on
Christmas morning more than 2000 years ago and shall be fulfilled at the Easter Resurrection promised us by the God of all creation and of all salvation. Do I hear a “yes”? Come join the Church in carrying out the mission and ministry of Christ in our time and place. Happy Christmas/Happy Easter!