Dec 18, 2014


by the Reverend Father George Kwari, incumbent of the Parishes of Maberly-Lanark &Parham-Sharbot Lake

December is here! During the hustle and bustle of everyday life it seems the months have flown by. Christmas is only weeks away and, although it is a very happy occasion, it is also a very busy time.. The treadmill we are on picks up speed even more quickly at Christmas as we scurry around in search of deals of every kind. We want to get the best quality gifts for our special friends and family. We peruse every newspaper and spend hours visiting several shopping channels or websites. We drive long distances to get these special deals and very soon before we know it Christmas is upon us once again. Gifts, decorations and preparations are foremost in our minds but how do we become aware of the presence of Christ amid this rushed world? If there is anything we should all aim for at Christmas, it is Christ Himself who is the deal of all time and who makes Christmas what it is. Maybe we need to take a few moments to ponder the great truth that God sent his own Son to be born of a woman. Phillips Brooks in his carol “O little town of Bethlehem” has a stanza that is a delight at this point,

“ How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given,

So God imparts to human hearts the blessing of God’s heaven!

No ear may hear his coming ...

Where meek souls will receive him still the dear Christ enters”

No ear may hear his coming in the midst of all rush ....still the dear Christ enters! How important it is that we take to time to see beyond the glitter of the Christmas season. How important it is that in the midst of all the rush and activity of the Christmas season, to take time to rejoice in the joy of Christ’s birth by attending a church service to once again listen to the world’s oldest story before you open your presents and have your Christmas dinner. We can never truly enjoy Christmas until we can look in the Father’s face, receive the nativity story and body and blood of Christ and tell Him we have received His Christmas gift. Plan to attend a church service and then afterwards join in the joyous Christmas celebrations.

On behalf of the Parish of Maberly-Lanark I wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2015.  

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