Dear Parishioners:
The Holy Land comes to
mind throughout the Church year, but especially during Advent and
Christmas. Anyone who has taken a
pilgrimage there will be able to tell you — and probably has pictures to prove
it! — that the Scriptures come alive in a powerful way after seeing the land
where it all happened for yourself. I
have often suggested that if you ever have the opportunity to visit the Holy
Land, take it. Don’t hesitate. You won’t regret it.
You don’t have to wait
for a trip to the Holy Land, however, to be able to purchase souvenirs from the
land of Christ’s birth. As we have done
annually for many years, this weekend we are hosting the Bethlehem Families,
who are making available olive wood carvings from the Holy Land. These are real treasures that will last for
years to come. I first encountered them
on a trip to the Holy Land during my time in seminary. Gifts I purchased at that time still serve to
enhance the celebration of the Church’s Faith.
The Good Shepherd statue used by our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program
is an example of this. Now it serves as
a way to draw our children at St. Timothy’s Atrium into a realization of the
Good Shepherd’s love for them.
Your purchase of these
items from the families who still live in the Holy Land is also a way to help our
brothers and sisters who are a minority in that land. Their witness to Jesus in His own land is
important for the world. Peace will come
through the grace and love of Jesus.
Next weekend, we will
celebrate the Anointing of the Sick at all weekend Masses. Please make arrangements to bring loved ones
who would be comforted by the Sacrament to Mass with you. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick gives
healing and strength in the face of illness and the burdens of aging. Our weakness receive strength from Christ’s
Sacramental touch.
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