Parish of the Holy Savior

December 25, 2020

Dear Parishioners,

Merry Christmas!  

I must admit that it seems a little strange to speak of being “merry” this year. Like many of you, 2020 has been one of the most challenging and difficult years of my life. The Covid-19 virus has disrupted life as we have known it. It has claimed the lives of family and friends, impacted our economy, closed businesses, and affected the livelihood of many. Yet, for all of us, life has gone on. The past year we’ve had births and deaths, marriages and funerals. We’ve gone to work and to school. We’ve bought groceries and carried on with our daily routines or adjusted and found new ones.

In the Gospel reading for Christmas Day St. John proclaims, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn. 1:14). This is the mystery we celebrate at Christmas. Christmas reminds us that God desires to share His divine life with us. And since we could not go to Him on our own, He came to us. This is the mystery we celebrate with great joy each Christmas. But sometimes, perhaps, it gets lost in the midst of all the other holiday stuff, among the wrapping paper, social gatherings, and Christmas music on the radio. However, this year, with so much disrupted by the Covid-19 virus, with so much taken away from us, perhaps we’ve been given a unique opportunity to reconnect with what is truly essential about this holiday.

Christmas reminds us that God became man to share in our lives and to share His divine life with us. Christmas demonstrates that God doesn’t remain outside or far away. God is not unconcerned or uncaring. The Good News of Christmas is that God does not socially distance himself from us. Further, by taking our humanity to himself, God has allowed himself in His humanity to be disrupted, inconvenienced, and disappointed. And so, by becoming a man, God redeemed our humanity and made our experience of humanity a privileged place of encounter with God.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared, “Blessed are you who mourn, for you will be comforted.” Christmas isn’t about slapping a happy face on everything or denying the dreadfulness of our situations. People experienced difficult Christmases in the past, such as during times of war, economic hardship, famine or disease. For them, Christmas was never about putting on a happy face or keeping a stiff upper lip. But neither was it “bah humbug!” Rather, Christmas has always been, and will always be, about trusting that this moment is precisely the time and place God comes close to us. God is near to us today, here and now. He is Emmanuel, “God-with-us”. Today, God is close to the brokenhearted. Today, God has come to those who mourn. Today, God hungers and thirsts with us as we long for the world we live in to change and for things to return to some semblance of normalcy. Today, my dear friends, a Child has been born. He has been born for us. He is for you and me, Lord and Savior.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. St. John declares on Christmas Day, “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn. 1:5). And “to those who did accept him he gave the power to become children of God” (Jn. 1:12). On this Christmas 2020, the world might seem like a dark and dreadful place. But with Christian faith, we might be able to see some light. The stars in the sky are only visible at night. They are there all the time, but we can only see them against the darkness of the night sky. Sometimes the same is true of the Kingdom of God. It is moments such as these that the Kingdom of God is manifest more clearly- even if it appears as small as a mustard seed.

During the season of Advent, during this global pandemic, I’ve been trying to intentionally look for the light in the darkness, for signs of the presence of the Kingdom of God. One of the things I’ve witnessed has been a parish community that is alive and full of hope. At times, we’ve been restricted in the number of people who could gather in public worship, and there are many who for a variety of reasons have remained at home. Nonetheless, we have not stopped being a community that cares for one another and strives to give glory to God. It has moved me to see many people stepping up, helping out, serving one another as Porters, Ushers, and Cleaners. We’ve donated numerous presents and gifts to nursing homes and to assist our neighbors. We’ve cooked. We’ve baked. We’ve donated craft items. It has been beautiful to see. I made the remark several months ago, that what really defines a community is not so much the ideas they hold in common, but the way they overcome obstacles and challenges together. This Christmas 2020, I choose to turn my attention to the light and I’m grateful for all of you who have shone like stars against the backdrop of this strange and unprecedented year. Truly, Christ has been born and He dwells among us. You have reminded me of that. Merry Christmas!

Wishing you, your family and friends, love, warmth, and light this Christmas season and praying for health, happiness, and peace in the New Year to come,

Fr. Nathan March

Parish of the Holy Savior, Pastor

Diocese of Portland (Maine)