Center for Marianist Spirituality & Communities E-News

Christmas --- is not for children.

Although the secular world has promoted Santa Claus over St. Nicholas and produced enough toys to satisfy every child’s craving, the meaning of the day is much more serious than a living room strews with empty boxes. The Son of God has arrived on earth. What a miracle! What a mystery! It is for mature reflection.

And, oh yes, why not read the Christmas story to the children before they tear open the packages. Wouldn't this be more complete telling of the real story and what was important than the night before Christmas?

I re-read our last Christmas’s reflections. I can not improve on them so we are repeating them below.

Christmas --- Life

Although it is prior to Thanksgiving that this reflection is taking shape, the marketing of Christmas has begun. The announcement to buy, buy, buy echoes a familiar phrase which is heard at the start of a race. Who has not heard: Gentlemen, start your engines. Every avenue of communication is calling all to start exercising their credit cards.

Christmas is, of course, also about sharing with others. Does not our scripture say that God cared enough about us to send his son into our world, and into our very lives? Giving out of love is very much a part of the Christmas message. Giving out of love gives life to another. The gift of Jesus brought life to our world, to us.

For me, Christmas is a time to reflect on life. Life is wonderful, challenging, hard, fragile, an opportunity, and especially a gift. Christmas is a time to reflect on the gift of life Jesus brought and bought for us. Jesus paid the price of His gift. The Mel Gibson’s movie is a difficult movie to watch, but it brings home the cost of Jesus’ gift to us. (May the season of Advent help us reflect.)

Appreciation of our own life is often dulled by the routine of our daily existence. Significant experiences can change that. Talk to a parent who has lost a child; invite to your home a neighbor who has lost a spouse. Forgive someone. Visit a hospital, visit some of our wounded arriving home from Iraq, visit a soup kitchen, visit a city like Camden, NJ, Chester, PA, or parts of metropolitan New York and your vision may be sharpened.. Give to charities, parishes and organizations which help the poor, the homeless and the forgotten. Help another and bring life to yourself. These are challenges I need to wake me up to the Christmas messages. What challenges do you need? God calls us to life. May we, with and in grace, live it to the full.

Feasts in December:

Dec 3	St. Francis Xavier—Jesuit missionary to the Far East—Catholic in Japan, and other spots can trace their catholic believe to his work.
Dec 8	The Immaculate Conception of the Bl. Virgin Mary. This is the patronal feast of the Sodality….Foundation of the Bordeaux Sodality and the Family of Mary. This feast was most important to Fr. Chaminade.
Dec 12	The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Dec 25	The Nativity of the Lord.
Dec 27	St. John the apostle -- patron of the Society of Mary
Dec 30	The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

CMSC Activities:

November 19th the NJ Marianist Ministry conducted a Marianist Family Retreat at Corpus Christi parish in Chatham, NJ. Paul Garavente was the coordinator for the day. Some 12 families participated and the evaluations were very positive.

Marie has been working on the MLNNA, and MSJC newsletters and bulletins and has been quite busy. As you know, Ray McCracken is the acting Director for CMSC while I continue on leave for medical reasons.

Please pray for:

Sean Reavey
Tina Bauman
Bob McGowan
Bro. Walter Oberster

A blessed and merry Christmas,

Bro. Walter Oberster, SM, Editor
woberstersm@hotmail.com

Marie M. Wyman, Administrative Assistant
cmscmarie@aol.com