From the Desk of Father Jason - December 21, 2025

Dear Saint Francis Xavier Parishioners,

Merry Christmas!

I know this is the bulletin for the 4th Sunday of Advent, but by the time many will read it, Christmas will be here.

When I was a child, Christmas was all about the gifts received. We opened the gifts after Christmas Mass, whether it was Christmas Eve or Day.

One gift that I especially think of this time of the year is the G.I. Joe Racecar Set that I received. It was impressive. It had many different cars and trucks that you could put on the track. You could either be the Joes or Cobra. I played with the racecar set that night. And I played with it for a long time.

But was it a gift that stood the test of time? I do not play G.I. Joes today. The car set either wore out and broke or I decided it was not as fun as it used to be and put it away.

That is the truth about most gifts we receive. They either wear out or they wear out their welcome in our lives. What I received as a child is no longer relevant to who I am today. Might we say that about things that we received 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and maybe a year ago.

What gift lasts?

The gift of God’s love!

God’s love has been given to us. We have been created good. To be created is a gift. We got lost, but then God sent his Son as gift, Jesus Christ, on Christmas. To be rescued by Jesus from being lost is gift. We live in the time of the Holy Spirit and the Church. Being made devout by the Holy Spirit and being members of the Church is gift.

What gift lasts? The gift of God Himself!

Sincerely through Jesus,

Fr. Jason