As we continue through this Advent season & draw closer to our celebration of Christmas, we’re probably all at different points in our Christmas shopping. Maybe we’ve got it all done, maybe we’ve still got a few things left to get, or maybe we haven't even started yet. Maybe we’ve ordered something & are still waiting for it to arrive, maybe we weren’t able to find the gift that we wanted to get for someone, maybe all we’ve got left to do is wrap & bag the gifts that we bought for our loved ones.

Wherever we are on the gift buying, wrapping, & giving spectrum, we are invited in this second half of our Advent journey to reflect on the gifts that we are giving. Gifts that aren’t just found in wrapping paper & bags under trees somewhere. Each & every one of you who makes up our parish family is a gift to me as Pastor & a gift to our parish family. Without you, our parish wouldn’t be the parish that it is.

Each of us is a gift to our parish & we are called to give gifts to our parish. The gifts that each of us can offer, whether those be gifts of our time, our talent, or our treasure are very much valued & appreciated. Going back & forth between two parishes, I realize that I’m not always able to do all that perhaps I would like to at either parish. I rely on you, in so many ways, to help bring about life & love in our parish family. Whether that be stepping forward to help in a ministry need or offering your prayers & support in other ways, please know that we need you & we need your gifts to continue to make our parish a great vessel of God’s love.

Have a Blessed week!