Verbum Caro Factum Est et Habitabit. As we gather with family, friends, and fellow parishioners this weekend and throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas, we contemplate and rejoice in the gi!s we give and the gi!s we receive (past, present, and future). For us, Chris"ans, central to them all is the gi! of Christ, Himself. Verbum caro factum est et habitabit/The Word became flesh and dwelt in our midst. Not only does he find a dwelling among us, but also within us.
So long ago, and so far away, God was made incarnate—born in poverty and isola"on, without a home as an infant, without a na"on as a child, without a religion at His earthly end—always hunted by villains and sought a!er by faith-filled commoners at the same "me. He came in the past in history; he comes in the present in mystery; He will come in the future in majesty. Long ago and far away He had a mission and He delivered a message. That message of God’s love is to be enfleshed in the earthly Body of Christ in every age that follows. We, at Saint Charles Borromeo, are the Body of Christ in the Kansas City northland today as we find ourselves on the threshold of The Year of our Lord 2017. As the enfleshed presence of God here and now, we are to con"nue His mission and His message.
It includes teaching children the ways of love—the founda"onal purpose of His incarna"on. It includes building up the kingdom of God—the mission He embarked upon as an adult. It includes suppor"ng family life—as we contemplate the stories of the Holy Family during this fes"ve "me. It even includes welcoming immigrants, the homeless and wandering—just as the Holy Family was forced to migrate to another country to escape persecu"on. And, of course, it includes spreading the Good News, as the shepherds, and later the apostles, were sent to do and bring forth gi!s as the Wise Men did through a prevenient foretelling of God’s gi! to the world.
At Saint Charles Borromeo in 2017, His gi! challenges us to build the kingdom in both a physical and spiritual way as we give prayerful a%en"on, and subsequent ac"on, to our Revitaliza"on Campaign that repairs our buildings and rebuilds our community. It means reinves"ng in our school to welcome and educate each child as though s/he is the Christ-child. It means renewing our faith-in-ac"on efforts by serving the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the immigrant, the isolated ones in our midst. It means giving of our treasures and gi!ing ourselves for the greater glory of God as we echo the words of the angel and heavenly hosts: “Glory to God in the highest and peace to His people on earth.”
We will give glory as we open up our Parents-DayOut program in January to assist moms and dads who have to work outside the home. We will give glory as we revamp and rebrand our parish school to meet the educa"onal needs in our society that has dri!ed from classical principles and moral development. We will give glory as we each contribute to the revitaliza"on of our community of faith. There is much work to be done and God, who came to dwell with us, will be right by our side as we advance onward and upward.
In the small village of Nazareth, the Church of the Annuncia"on bears the declara"on: “Verbum caro factum et hic/The Word became flesh here (at his place).” The message of Christmas is that the same declara"on is made at Saint Charles Borromeo (and throughout the earth): God is here! He’s living among us and within us. Let us worthily receive and share His gi! by proclaiming His message and fulfilling His mission.
Have a very merry, holly-jolly, happy and holy Christmas!
~Fr. Don