Christmas, during the Holy Year of Mercy 2015

Dear Parishioners,

           The dictionary defines a tuning fork as, “a two pronged metal device that makes a sound of fixed pitch when struck that is used as a reference, as in tuning musical instruments.” 

            The birth of the Son of God in human form is like a tuning fork that God used to resonate his love to all people. This love becomes a fixed pitch, as it were, to touch our minds and hearts. The gift of Jesus at Christmas, and every time we encounter him in the sacraments or in other people, helps tune ourselves to his love and will for humankind. 

             This Holy Year of Mercy, is our Holy Father’s invitation to allow us to resonate, like a tuning fork, to his merciful love, not only within ourselves, but also in all our relationships. The Holy Year calls us to be in tune with God’s desire to bring mercy and forgiveness to a world of darkness, hopelessness, religious persecutions, terrorism, indifference to the killing of the unborn, cruelty to animals, and all that diminishes the dignity of the human person. 

              At Christmas we are reminded that God’s plan for us is not our destruction. As the words of the Prophet Isaiah writes, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” 

              In the birth of the Holy Child we are reminded that the power of forgiveness and mercy are more powerful than hate and weapons of violence. When we choose to be merciful we release the power that these things have over us. Mercy and forgiveness are what drives back Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises. 

               May we allow the tuning fork, which is Christ, to resonate in our hearts this Christmas. That despite our many hurts, disappointments, sorrows, angers, frailties of age or sickness, loneliness, or depression, the love of God will touch us, as it touched Mary and Joseph in the manger of Bethlehem, and as it continues to touch us at Holy Mass, and in the sacraments, and in each other when we resonate with divine mercy and love.

A blessed Christmas to all of you.

Father Gagne