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An Advent and Christmas Message from Your Rector
December 2006 Dear Parish Family: In anticipation of the coming Christmas season, I trust you are having a blessed Advent season. As many of you know, I was recently asked to curate an art show for ECVA (Episcopal Church and Visual Arts) under the theme: “Unto us A Child is Born.” The art show can be viewed online at: http://www.ecva.org/exhibition/unto_us/unto_us.htm; as part of my role as curator, I was asked to write a statement for the show. What follows is an excerpt from what I wrote: “The church has entered the holy season of Advent, a time of wondrous expectation when we gather and ponder the mystery of God incarnate. How could it be that the Creator and Master of the entire physical known universe could become so small, less than the smallest atom on a spec of dust, to be born as one of us? This is a deep and inscrutable mystery beyond all form of human comprehension.” During this season of Advent, I have engaged in pondering this profound and paradoxical mystery. I have come to recognize it as God’s ultimate sign of God’s deepest humility. This humility runs contrary to what the world values in our day and age -- where it is all about power and wealth, fame and prestige, nurturing the ego above all else. Contrary to what the world seems to value most, into the world comes the Christ child, born in a stable to a set of parents that for the moment, have no place to call their home, they are in effect, homeless. As I ponder this, I increasingly become aware of the calling that we all have, to be servants to one another; we are all called to be willing to take the lowest place, so that all may occupy a better place, paradoxically, including ourselves. Next Sunday evening we will gather for our customary Candle Light Choral Eucharist to welcome into our midst the birth of our Lord. It will be a joyous occasion that we eagerly anticipate the birth of a wondrous child, unlike any other birth. Christmas Eve will mark the passage from darkness to light as we receive and celebrate nothing less than the birthing of God in the world. Christmas is a special time in our lives where we celebrate with our families, friends, and loved ones. Through this letter I wish to convey my deepest wishes for a blessed Christmas celebration. May this Christmas be an occasion to ponder the mystery of God entering the world to lead us to light, and may it be a special time of opportunity for family and friends, to come together and make new and wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. May this Christmas season also be a time of hope for the disinherited, and empowerment for all those who believe in the vision of God’s just and marvelous kingdom. May there be peace on earth and good will to all. Merry Christmas, Wilfredo Benitez + The Rev. Wilfredo Benitez, See previous Logs |
