Christmas
decorations were done. I had redesigned the baskets and substituted the brown
poinsettia for sparkling red. The tree has to be real in our home and instead
of the usual Douglas or Concolor Fir, Doug, the Christmas tree specialist
recommended a Korean Fir. If it was good enough to stand in Doug’s house, then
it’s good enough for Fr. Matt’s home. One change for the tree, no glass
ornaments this year because the kitties might get a little naughty so to
prevent any problems we put up Christmas ornaments of birdies, horses, pigs and cows on the tree with little blue lights. I hung up the outdoors lights
before the first big storm, so I guess I was ready for the season. We are
hosting the family Christmas dinner today in our home. We planned the menu,
the smoked ham had arrived FedEx, yesterday we made the butternut squash and
mashed potatoes ahead of time, I finished making CD copies of our children
giving presents to St. Nicholas for their parents to keep as memories of that
beautiful day.
Then I
remembered, do I have to write Christmas cards again this year? Many folks
stopped this tradition years ago and the new generation sends emails in seconds
with holiday greetings. I got out last year’s Christmas list and reviewed the
names. On this list were some special people, an 88 year-old professor who is
my spiritual mentor, a 76 year old aunt who prays for me daily, a former housekeeper
at the Mercy Motherhouse who took care of me for ten years while I served as
chaplain at Strong hospital, a farmer who taught me how to care
for the land, a fire chief who keeps our tractor tuned and repaired, a retired priest in New Jersey who has become a champion senior archer, a geriatric doctor and his
spouse who love music and chasing for moose in New Hampshire, an in-law in
North Java who raised horses and Susan’s sisters who invited me to ride with
them this summer on the trails in Varysburg with Mary our guitarist leading the
way in her beautiful forest.
I have
a patient who was searching for a “temp sponsor” as he said to help keep him
sober. He admitted that he had been drinking a long time, like over 40 years.
He admitted that he had no control over his drinking but when he wanted to stop
in the past, he was not serious. I like to think that coming to church tonight,
you might be searching for a “temp sponsor” to be your guide as you travel on
this earth. My patient admitted that he was never sober for more than 41 days
and on Thanksgiving this year, he had reached a new milestone. Monday was his
65th day of sobriety.
My
friend shared that the reason he attends his AA meetings is because people do
not judge. At first, he felt a little ashamed but that feeling has gone away because
he believes that every meeting he attends that he is with family, a group of people
like himself who accept him for who he is and trying to lead a healthy, sober
life. Coming to the meetings is a reminder is that he needs this fellowship to
keep him on track or he knows that he would go back to his destructive
behavior. Even his wife is amazed at his transformation, she is still a little
suspicion on how long he will keep his promise not to drink, but he likes the
feeling that his spouse and children support him. Since he stopped drinking, he
pays attention more to the people around him. His family has always loved him
but he didn’t notice because he had spent most of the time away from them
drinking. It’s a good feeling he has now about himself, actually it’s the
feeling of peace.
For
many of us, we promise to do better in life but easily get
distracted and off the track. Coming to church tonight, I like to think that
you are searching for a mentor who can make a difference in your life. My friend
goes to his AA meetings at least 5 days a week. I told him to keep it simple. He
goes not to hear the stories about how other people got themselves into their
messes, but he believes that something important happens at every meeting, he realizes
that he is not alone struggling with his disease. Other people in the group understand
where he was coming from, they were no better nor worse then him, just looking
for support. No shame, no guilt, just a family of humble people who need
someone in their life to lead them to a better life.
Coming
to church, we get a chance tonight not simply to kneel before the Christmas
manger, but allow God to touch our hearts because Jesus wants to be your mentor
for life. He wants us to learn that the true meaning of happiness in life is
compassion. The people of this faith community at Holy Family are very
compassionate. Over the summer, they fed their neighbors while people where
shopping at the Annual Java Garage Sale, later in the summer at the Wyoming
County Fair they set up a booth to invite families to come and join us at our
Sunday celebrations, but at that same fair the parish bid on a pig that weighed
over 240 pounds and gave the money to a poor family in Wyoming County. Only two
weeks ago, they were asked to help 40 families in the County and they returned
in one week with over $4,000 worth of gifts and goods to help desperate
families. You might ask yourself, why are these families so generous and
forgiving?
The
birth of Jesus means that God sent a mentor into the world to teach us the
values that can make a difference on our lives. While we live everyday
struggling with our jobs, paying our bills, searching for happiness, Jesus grew
up and teaught about the true meaning of joy and comfort: “Blessed
are you when you visit the sick, feed the prisoners, help the poor, work for
justice for the meek shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.”
The
families in this faith community are living the Christmas spirit that Jesus
came to bring into our world. On this holy night, we learn that we are special
people in the eyes of God; that all of us have meaning and a purpose. We have a
choice to squander our gifts on what the world markets will makes us happy:
more electronics, bigger trucks, time for selfies on Facebook and Twitter that
lead to jealousy, greed and selfishness, or we can choose to come to a meeting every
week where we learn how we can be the best person God created us to be:
compassionate, generous, kind, thankful, and forgiving.
My sober
friend shared that he attends the meetings and plans to do this for the rest of
his life not to feel shame or failure for his life, but a reminder that he
needs many mentors to keep him on track, sober and responsible and caring to
his spouse, children, family and friends. It’s not all about him he realized in
reading the Big Book and getting himself a “temp sponsor.” He needs the right
tools to live the kind of life that will bring him comfort and joy and coming
AA is part of his recovery and healing.
Coming
to this refreshed church every week means that you will meet many families who
really care about you and promise to help you find meaning in your life. The
people of Holy Family are prayerful, compassionate, generous, kind and
forgiving. I might add very friendly and fun. Did they not greet you at the
door with a smile tonight? In the past year, I have heard people admit that
they are so happy to be there, and it had seems so simple and easy. Why didn’t
every church work this way?’
My
vision for Holy Family is that all people who worship and serve are “sponsors”
and you who have come to this church tonight to celebrate with your family as
our honored Guests. You are part of our family and they need your presence. Despite
the fact that maybe this year you did not get all your decorating done, or you
use an artificial tree, or you did not mail out Christmas cards this year, but made
time in your busy schedules to come tonight looking for a community that treats
you with respect and dignity for no one will judge you here, that is left up to
God. Ask any person who attends Holy Family and you will learn that what makes
them so happy is that they have found a purpose in their life. I believe that
as our Guests you will feel refreshed and renewed when you leave this beautiful
church tonight. Our doors are always open and our hearts want you to know that
you are invited back next Sunday which is the Feast of Holy Family. We need more
sponsors to let the world know that God is alive and well not only in North
Java but in all our towns from where we come from tonight.
Let me
share with you that in the past year, the “sponsors” in this church have
reopened their old school and call it their “parish hall” and invite you to
bring your families, your groups, your organizations and ideas. They restored the abandoned rectory and
sponsor a family of nine who live in the rectory while the children attend the
local schools and make it a true home. Only three days ago, we brought up a
birthday cake for Jesus into this sanctuary and the children sang “Happy
Birthday Jesus.” But the best part was when their teacher asked the kids what
gifts would they give to the baby Jesus and this is what some of them wrote:
pajamas, lots of underware, trains and that baby Jesus would help people and police get along better together.
My fellow
Sponsors and Guests, I am glad that you came tonight, despite our
imperfections; we believe that Our Savior has come to be present not only on
Christmas, but everyday so that we can experience God’s kindness, warmth,
acceptance and love from one another.
Busy
as we have been these past weeks, decorating, buying, making cookies, wrapping,
visiting, and writing those Christmas cards, the presence of Christ is always
with us. The Holy Spirit is eager to guide us in all the circumstances we
encounter. Life’s decisions are often difficult, and indeed painful, if we are
not able to lean on the Lord. He is our ready support and “sponsor” who is with
us everyday in the year. May his coming this Christmas fill your hearts with
joy, so that those we meet will truly experience the Christ in us.
One of
the Christmas cards I received had this message inside that read:“The
magic of the season never ends and its greatest of gifts are family and
friends.” Let me paraphrase this message as a Christmas Blessing:“May
the love of God bring your soul a quiet peace and may you find a blessing in
your family and friends.”
One
final word to our Guests tonight, please come back often for a cup of coffee
and pastries at our Sunday socials and experience the peace of Christ not just
for one night but everyday. Welcome back to your old Saint Nicholas and may the
refreshed Holy Family become an important meeting place that you plan to attend
with your family throughout the New Year.
