Saint Francis of Assisi once said: “Let us begin again for until now we have done nothing.” He said this during a time of turmoil in the growing community of followers who had been transformed by his message of humility, simplicity, and service. Saint Francis means that we are never as good or as faithful as we think we are. He also means that every day is a new day for us as individual disciples and fellow parishioners; a new day to rediscover God’s grace and to be changed by it; and a new day to be renewed by God’s friendship, love, and mercy. Everyday is a new day to grow closer to Jesus through prayer, fellowship, and service; a new day to embark on the journey of faith, with all of its ups and downs, joys and pains, consolations and disappointments; and a new day to make a difference in the lives of others by living the Gospel, sharing God’s love, and rebuilding our wounded Church. So, let us begin again.

A conversion can be defined as any turn or change from faithlessness to faith, from sinfulness to repentance, and from laxity to fervency in our personal relationships with the Risen Lord. If we have faith, then we have taken the first step toward conversion. And if we have a conscience, then we know that we are all sinners who are called to pray for forgiveness. But what about the last step? What about our personal relationships with Christ Jesus? Is coming to Mass a chore? Part of life’s weekly routine? Is volunteering with a parish ministry a social endeavor? Just to get out of the house? Is our relationship with God and the Church born of guilt or habit? Deep in our hearts, we know the answers to these questions. So, let us begin again.

Pope Francis once said: “In your relationship with the Lord, if you do not feel that he loves you tenderly, then you are missing something. You still have not understood grace; you have not yet accepted the gift of grace which is his tender love.” I certainly struggle with this part of my spiritual life. If you do, too, then how do we grow closer to the Lord? It is not always easy. There are no simple answers. But we can remind ourselves that Advent and Christmas come every year to remind us that it is time to begin again. It is time to begin again the work of conversion. It is time to wake up, to ignite the fires of faith, and to grow closer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Advent and Christmas come to remind us that Christ comes into our lives; he reaches out to us during every minute of every day; he longs to embrace, enfold, and envelop us in his endless love, mercy, and friendship; and he offers this embrace to every single one of us no matter who we are or what we have done in our lives. So, let us begin again!

But what about our loved ones who do not know the Lord? What about our friends who have left the Church? What about those who have lost their way? How do we share the joy of ourfaith with them? How do we share the joy of our conversion with them? Well, we don’t. Ultimately, God does that. But we can help. We can help by not judging them. We can help by not being angry with them. We can help by not making them feel guilty. We can invite them to join us. And if they don’t come along, then we can still pray for them — for hearts that are open to God’s loving embrace. Several years ago, Pope Francis said: “A Christmas without light is not Christmas. Let there be light in our souls and light in our hearts. Let there be forgiveness for others, which is light; let there be no hostility, which is darkness. Let there only be the beautiful light of Jesus.” As Christmas fast approaches, let this be our hope, our joy, and our prayer for ourselves, for our families and friends, for our parishes, and for everyone we meet along the way. Now more than ever, let us begin again!

Cliff Garvey
Associate Minister
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: cgarvey@ccgronline.com

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (12-16-18) 
Bringing Home the Word (12-16-18)

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The Assisi Project
Saturday with Saint Francis
Saturday, December 22nd