Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of Saint Benedict:

I hope that you are finished with the leftover turkey. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year and I really enjoy turkey, so I can do leftovers for weeks. The calendar this year is a little off from the usual year as Advent doesn’t start yet for another week. This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. We are drawn to reflect on the Kingdom of God and our participation as disciples in that kingdom. Yet, we are citizens of a country, but all of us are called to citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Perhaps if this was our real perspective, war, conflict, and the division would be a reflection of the past and not looming in our present. Let us all pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Even though Advent is yet a week away we are kicking off the season on Friday night anyway with the annual Christmas tree blessing and the Carols and Lessons Concert. I hope that you will be able to join us on Friday evening for this event. As a reminder, please bring along an ornament from home for the blessing. This year we are featuring our own choirs. Tom and Ellen have been working on this concert along with the many other events that are scheduled for the season. I perhaps do not give them enough public accolades for their work and talent, along with the many voices young and old that raise our hearts, minds, bodies, and voices in praise of our God.

I wish to thank those who have so generously contributed to the outdoor manger scene that I mentioned a month ago. The response has been exceptional so we are able to grace Bethany Road with a dignified and beautiful Nativity Scene. Our maintenance crew has designed and is almost finished with the construction of the crèche itself. We have yet to settle on a date for the blessing of the manger, and I will let you know as soon as we are ready.

In the hustle and bustle of the coming holiday season and all that comes with it, let us be ever mindful of the poor and those impacted by natural, economic, and human disasters. This is a difficult time of the year for so many people. Often, though, more important than our financial and physical generosity is the generosity of time and talent. There are many in nursing homes and other institutions who need a visit, a card, a sense of the love of Jesus Christ and his church. Perhaps closer to home are those among our own families and old family friends, perhaps even coworkers, who also experience a deep sense of sadness and loneliness this time of the year. Many will be alone this Christmas for the first time, suffering the death of a spouse or child. Our prayers are important, yes, but more important is our presence and our compassion. Let us love one another.

There are many things happening in our church in December as we prepare for Christmas. Please look carefully through the bulletin to get a good handle on where to be and when. Hopefully you will be able to attend some event to strengthen your faith and build community during this coming Advent Season.

Have a blessed week ahead!
Fr. Garry Koch