November 26, 2010

The Feast of St Sylvester

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings in Christ! The year 2010 is now rapidly coming to an end and our Church Year draws to a close tomorrow. On Sunday as we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, we commence a new year of Faith and Service to our Blessed Lord.

Yesterday, on Thanksgiving, we gave thanks to God for all of the blessings He has given to us during this past year. Today it is time for us to look forward and to plan on what we can give to Him. Sunday is our Church’s New Years Day. It is most appropriate for us to make some New Years resolutions that will both serve to improve our Faith and Service to God and  will be designed to demonstrate our gratitude to Him for all the Blessings he continually bestows on us, regardless of our own worthiness.

In four short weeks, we will celebrate with pomp and circumstance the coming of the newborn Christ Child. Where and how will we welcome Him? Will we clean and adorn our hearts and souls as thoroughly as we will our homes. Will we clean them of sin by means of Confession, fasting and almsgiving, and decorate it with good deeds and acts of Faith and Charity as surely as we will the trees, tinsel and lights with which we decorate our homes? Many years ago, the good Sisters gave us children an object lesson on this important duty. On Monday after the First Sunday of Advent, the Christmas Crib was set up in the classroom. None of the figures were there except for the animals and the empty crib. We were told that it was up to us to prepare a soft bed for the Christ Child to rest in, and the only way we could do that was by placing a single piece of straw for each good deed we did in His Name, into the manger. It was a lesson that has stayed with me throughout these many years. It is as valid today as it was then, and not just for little children.

I encourage you to take this lesson to heart too. How soft will the bed and pillow in your heart be when the Christ Child comes on Christmas Eve? How will you show Him your own love and gratitude for all His blessings to you? May you use these next few weeks to sweep the sin from your souls, to adorn the home of your heart with the lights of Faith and Service and to prepare a soft bed with your pieces of straw made up of fasting and acts of charity, so that with the angels and choirs we can sing the words of the Advent and Christmas Hymn: “O come to my heart Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee.”

In Nomine Domini,

Archbishop Edward J Ford, TOR

Primate