Merry Christmas!

A New Video Series: Coffee with Padre

By Fr. Timothy Armbruster, C.PP.S.

Readings for The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Mass during the Night  

• Isaiah 9:1-6
• Timothy 2:11-14
• Luke 2:1-14

Merry Christmas! We celebrate today a day of great rejoicing as we remember God’s promise to be with us always. The birth of Jesus, God’s word made flesh. The fulfillment of the promise made to Mary, and the message the angels delivered that she would bear a Son and he would be named Jesus.

If one were to attend all four Christmas Masses and hear the various readings at each of the Masses, one would hear readings from the book of the prophet Isaiah as well as from the gospels of Matthew, Luke and John.

All these many readings speak of the great joy and excitement people experienced at the birth of Jesus. That same great joy and excitement we share today. What does the birth of Jesus mean to us today? How many times have we celebrated birthdays? Whether it be our own birthday or someone else’s, there’s great joy in the day. Maybe its just another year or maybe it’s a grand milestone, we want to celebrate because someone we love and cherish is still with us to celebrate another year.

Celebrating the birth of Jesus is more than just celebrating another year. It is rejoicing in the goodness of God and God’s promise to be with us always. God’s word comes alive in our hearts and homes in the infant Jesus and we carry that word with us each and every day as we celebrate the many miracles and healings that Jesus shared. A God who became like each of us and lived among us.

The readings from Mass at night have always held a special place in my heart. Isaiah speaks of the people in darkness have seen a great light. In the dark of the night, a light shines bright to lead and guide us. Whenever I find myself driving home at night, especially this time of year, and it’s pitch-black dark, I remember the many times driving the country roads home to the farm. Many stars in the night but otherwise pitch black. Dark, black as far as the eye could see. As I turned the last corner and could finally see the yard light, it was that light welcoming me home.

A light in the far distance that grew brighter as I approached. And the gospel passage from Luke that records the angels appearing to the shepherds. The nobodies out in the middle of nowhere. Luke’s love of those on the margins rings loud and clear. The shepherds were of the first to greet Mary and Joesph.

We too at times might feel like the lost and the abandoned but it is God who reaches out to us always. Welcoming us to the light. “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

It was during the quietness of the night, that the angels appeared to the shepherds.  In the midst of the quietness of our lives, God continues to speak to us today.

Had I been one of those shepherds when the angel appeared, I’m not sure if I would have stayed or would have ran away. I’m hoping my curiosity would have outweighed the fear and stayed to hear the message.

Even the shepherds would have known something of scripture. They would have known the promises of God. Hopefully they too would have been dreaming of the promise of the Savior. As they encountered Mary and Joseph, what great joy would have filled their hearts. What great story they would have shared about the angel. As scripture says, “Mary cherished all these things in her heart.”

This Christmas, what will we hold and cherish in our hearts? Will it be gathering with family and friends? Will it be all the gifts we give and receive? Will it be just the joy of the season? What else will we cherish in our hearts.

Thank you for joining us through this Advent and Christmas season. Please watch for more details as we continue Coffee with Padre into the new year.

On behalf of myself and all of us at Precious Blood Renewal Center, Merry Christmas and Happy new year

All of the videos in this series can be found here: Coffee with Padre

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[Fr. Timothy Armbruster is a Precious Blood priest whose ministry has focused on parish work and retreats for youth and young adults. He holds a Master’s of Divinity Degree from Catholic Theological Union and describes himself as “a clown at heart.” Fr. Timothy incorporates clown ministry into his work to open our hearts, to seek laughter and happiness, and to see the world around us a bit differently. “In the stuffiness of life, we need God’s humor to see things anew,” he says.]

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