My dear parishioners and visitors;
“Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town…… When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy” (Lk. 1: 39-41).
There are only 5 days left to this Christmas! Have you already prepared “a room” for Jesus in “the Inn of your heart”?
We turn our attention on this last Sunday of Advent to Mary and her cousin, Elizabeth. St. Luke gives us two beautiful stories of Mary (Lk. 1: 26-56): the Annunciation and the Visitation. These great stories teach us some basic truths about Jesus Christ and Mary, His mother. Jesus is the Son of God conceived by the Blessed Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is truly the Source and Fountain of our joyful salvation: “the child in my womb leaped for joy” (Lk. 1:41). The free consent of Mary, through her generous “Yes”, is the divine plan for salvation (CCC. 721-726). Her selfless “Yes” became the model of faith, generosity and humility for all of us (Lk. 1:42, 46-52). She shows us how best to receive Jesus, the Author of Salvation. The words of the Angel Gabriel and of Elizabeth become the 1st part of the Hail Mary.
During these final days of 2015 you must be very busy doing different things to prepare yourselves and your family to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Christ, and to welcome the New Year. It is very important, however, to know and to remember that it is only Jesus, who will give us true joy of life and save us. So always have “a room” in the “inn of your heart” for Him, also always go in haste bringing His life of grace and blessing to others as Mary did to Elizabeth and her son John the Baptist.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our 2015 Christmas & 2016 New Year’s masses.
Have a blessed week. Fr. Peter Hoan Nguyen