December 29, 2024

Our Lectionary texts for this Sunday, the First Sunday after Christmas, are 1 Sam 2:18-20, 26; Psalm 148; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52.

Christmas is the reminder that God does not remain at a distance. The Incarnation is the remarkable revelation of "God with Us." And yet, that revelation itself reveals to us that God is full of surprises. Carrlo Caretto describes something of the revelation of "mystery":

In the gospel of Jesus, God remains a mystery. The face of the Father, which Jesus came to trace out for us here on earth, remains the face of the unknowable One. . . . But there is a way to unveil the unknowable, to read his intimate thoughts, to gain knowledge of him . . . . That way is to enter into the enclosure of love, guided by love, so that we can reach knowledge of the Father. 'He who loves has eternal life.' And eternal life is knowledge of God.

We will celebrate our Christmas Eve service on Tuesday, December 24 at 6:00 pm. We will  enjoy a wonderful time of readings and carols to honor the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.