Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,

I am very grateful that our Church takes its time in celebrating Christmas. We have the weeks of Advent in which to anticipate the coming feast of Christmas. Then, unlike the rest of the world, which boxes Christmas up on the twenty-sixth, we Catholics continue our celebration of Christmas for nearly two weeks!
During that time we celebrate the birth of Jesus. We reflect on the mystery of the Incarnation, that God took on our flesh. We also celebrate various events, saints, and other mysteries surrounding the birth of Jesus. 

This Sunday we particularly concentrate on the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Most Catholic families honor the birth of Jesus by setting up a Christmas crèche in their homes. These come in all styles, from the very elaborate to the very humble. They all serve a single purpose. . . to remind us of why we celebrate Christmas: because Jesus our Lord was born into our world.

When we gaze upon our home nativity or those pictured in art work or Christmas carols, the scene is always tranquil. Everyone from ox to angel is frozen in a profound adoration. This is really the only way that we can portray such a momentous event. But in doing so, there are some aspects of that eventful night that we are missing. First of all, we miss the very humble circumstances of the birth of Jesus. Joseph must have been frantic in trying to find shelter for Mary to give birth. The way we portray the stable is always very serene and even cozy. In fact, it was a dirty, smelly barn. It was the place where the animals were sheltered. Anyone who knows anything about barns knows that where there are animals, there are also other things deposited.

Why did Jesus choose to be born in such humble circumstances? It would have been so much easier to believe that He was the Son of God if He had been born to royalty in a palace. God sees things differently. He came in poverty with nothing to show who He was. It is no wonder that the Wise Men first went to the palace of Herod to find the newborn king. Yet they bowed down in a stable and presented their gifts to a baby lying in a manger. It is this helpless baby who came to conquer sin and death. He is our Lord and Savior.
As we reflect on His birth, we also reflect on how we live our faith in Him. It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life that we are lost in a cycle of meaningless activity. So many things that we do seem so very important, and then we find we are neglecting the things that lead us to eternal life.

In our heads, we know that the most important things in our lives have to do with our relationships: How are we improving our relationships with God, with our family, with our friends and neighbors? How do we engage our heart to love like Jesus?

As we come in adoration to the Christmas Creche, we ask our newborn Savior to come into our hearts.

Lord Jesus, help us to remember what is important. May we be aware that You are our constant companion. May we live our Catholic Faith in such a way as to give You honor. Thank you for being born to us!

Msgr. Cox
The Holy Family Rafael Flores (1857)