Pastor's Message - December 6/7, 2025

My dear friends in Christ,

What does it really mean to worry about so many things?

A priest friend once shared this humorous but insightful reflection:

There are only two things to worry about: either you are well or you are sick.

If you are well, there is nothing to worry about.

If you are sick, there are two things to worry about: either you will get well or you will die.

If you get well, there is nothing to worry about.

If you die, there are two things to worry about: either you will go to Heaven or to Hell.

If you go to Heaven, there is nothing to worry about.

If you go to Hell, you’ll be so busy shaking hands with friends that you won’t have time to worry!

Prepare the way of the Lord!

Last Sunday, I shared how important it is to remain focused and not get tangled up in the external busyness of Christmas preparations. Our goal is to ensure that our hearts are ready for the great feast of Christ’s coming in our midst. We can become so overwhelmed by anxieties and demands that we drift into darkness or isolation. In today’s second reading, St. Paul reminds us: “Beloved, do not ignore this one!”

We now enter the second week of our Advent journey. Are you still with us? What have you experienced so far? What challenges have emerged along the way?

These questions matter deeply. As I mentioned before, we can become weighed down by many forces during these weeks of preparation, and we may find ourselves crawling toward the finish line without strength or spirit.

This Sunday, we hear the voice of John the Baptist urging us to repent and to “prepare the way for the Lord.” At first glance, John can seem like an unlikely messenger. His wild appearance—filthy, clothed in tattered garments, emerging from the wilderness—made many skeptical. Even the authorities asked him, “Who are you?” Yet those who truly listened were transformed, and those who dismissed him went astray. John’s mission was clear, and his message was simple: the Good News is coming—Jesus Christ!

God has given us a gift this Christmas. Jesus Christ is the GIFT!

But we cannot understand its meaning unless we open our hearts in gratitude. All true gift-giving is an expression of love. And within every gift lies something deeper than what is wrapped—it reveals the sacrifice, thoughtfulness, and love of the giver.

May your journey through Advent be filled with peace, joy, and love. Christmas is not merely a memory we recall—it is the celebration of God’s love made flesh, a love meant to remain alive in our hearts and in the way we live our lives.

In peace and gratitude,

Fr. Geoffrey