Church of St. Matthew

A visible expression of God's love

  • Home
  • Mission & News
    • Parish Pastoral Council
    • Parish Bulletins & Inserts
    • Staff & Programs
    • Safe Environment
    • Volunteer Opportunities & Parish Needs
    • Liturgical Ministry
    • Music Ministry
    • Funeral Ministry Opportunities
    • Facility Rental
    • Parish History
      • Our History
      • Fr. Steve Homilies
      • West Side Paintings
      • 50th Anniversary of 1968 Church Fire
      • 50th Anniversary of Our Church Building
    • Men’s Club
    • Rosary Society
      • Funeral Ministry Opportunities
    • Serving Our Neighbor
      • Casa Guadalupana
      • Loaves and Fishes
      • St. Mary’s Health Clinic
  • Worship
    • Mass Times & Reconciliation
    • Worship Online
    • Online Mass videos
    • Funeral Planning and Liturgies
  • Faith & Learning
    • Sacrament of Baptism
    • Faith Formation
    • Community of Saints School: Pre-K through 8
    • The Good News newsletter
    • Safe Environment
  • Alums-Family-Friends
    • About Alums & Family & Friends (AFF)
    • AFF Committee
    • The Good News newsletter
    • How to Give to Community of Saints School
    • Alums Scholarship Fund
    • Scrip Fundraising
    • Missing Alums List
    • Class Reunions
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Advent and Christmas / Reflection from Father Steve – December 25, 2022

Reflection from Father Steve – December 25, 2022

Years ago when people talked of simple living and ecology they championed “Small Is Beautiful”.  In some ways the Feast and Season of Christmas celebrates God’s dwelling among us in the small and the beautiful – in a condition a busy and commercial driven world at best disregards and at worst doesn’t even see.

How to celebrate the immensity and at the same time the smallness of this Divine Mystery – the mystery of Emmanuel, “God with us”?

The Christmas Event is not something to grasp intellectually – you can’t get your mind around it. This mystery is to be experienced; and the experience often is reflected in the creative work of artists: music, sculpture, poetry, film, novels and dramas, etc.

Find the mystery in an expression that works for you.

When I was in my junior and senior year at the college seminary it was the practice that students go to confession if not weekly, then every two weeks.  Priests from neighboring parishes and institutions came on Tuesday afternoon to serve as confessors and spiritual directors to the seminarians. I was assigned to go to confession at the confessional on the first floor of Loras Residence. The priest confessor was the Headmaster of Saint Thomas Academy, Father John Roach – later to become our Archbishop. At the beginning of Advent 1962, he urged me to read Mr. Blue, by Miles Connolly. It is the story of a simple, loving, counter-cultural man who lives graciously, gives whatever he has to others and ultimately saves the life of another by offering his own. Father Roach told me that Mr. Blue was a ‘Christ-figure” and that the story is an unexpected insight into the Divine Mystery of the Christmas Feast. He assured me that he read the story every year and found it always inspiring.

I received that advice 60 years ago, the fall of 1962. For the past 60 years part of my preparation for the Christmas Season each year has been to read Mr. Blue.

I encourage you to find a creative piece of human wonder and imagination that speaks to you of the Divine Mystery.

Christmas expresses the longing hunger for God, and so it is with joy that I wish you and yours a blessed and gracious Christmas.

Years ago when people talked of simple living and ecology they championed “Small Is Beautiful”.  In some ways the Feast and Season of Christmas celebrates God’s dwelling among us in the small and the beautiful – in a condition a busy and commercial driven world at best disregards and at worst doesn’t even see.

How to celebrate the immensity and at the same time the smallness of this Divine Mystery – the mystery of Emmanuel, “God with us”?

The Christmas Event is not something to grasp intellectually – you can’t get your mind around it. This mystery is to be experienced; and the experience often is reflected in the creative work of artists: music, sculpture, poetry, film, novels and dramas, etc.

Find the mystery in an expression that works for you.

When I was in my junior and senior year at the college seminary it was the practice that students go to confession if not weekly, then every two weeks.  Priests from neighboring parishes and institutions came on Tuesday afternoon to serve as confessors and spiritual directors to the seminarians. I was assigned to go to confession at the confessional on the first floor of Loras Residence. The priest confessor was the Headmaster of Saint Thomas Academy, Father John Roach – later to become our Archbishop. At the beginning of Advent 1962, he urged me to read Mr. Blue, by Miles Connolly. It is the story of a simple, loving, counter-cultural man who lives graciously, gives whatever he has to others and ultimately saves the life of another by offering his own. Father Roach told me that Mr. Blue was a ‘Christ-figure” and that the story is an unexpected insight into the Divine Mystery of the Christmas Feast. He assured me that he read the story every year and found it always inspiring.

I received that advice 60 years ago, the fall of 1962. For the past 60 years part of my preparation for the Christmas Season each year has been to read Mr. Blue.

I encourage you to find a creative piece of human wonder and imagination that speaks to you of the Divine Mystery.

Christmas expresses the longing hunger for God, and so it is with joy that I wish you and yours a blessed and gracious Christmas.

Father Steve Adrian

  • Share this page to Facebook
  • Share this page to Twitter

Published December 22, 2022. Filed Under: Advent and Christmas, Fr. Steve's Reflections. Posted by Richard Schletty

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Twitter

Parish Bulletins

Download bulletins and inserts

Online Mass Videos

Online Masses as individual posts

Recent Posts

  • Parish Administrator’s Note – January 29, 2023
  • Upgrade the Electrical Box: $150,000 Fundraiser
  • Reflection from Father Steve – January 29, 2023
  • Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 1-29-2023
  • Lector Workshop: Proclaiming the Good News! February 4, 2023
  • Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 1-22-2023
  • Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra Family Concert – Peter and the Timberwolf, with Hip Hop, History and the Arts – 2/5/2023
  • Faith Formation News, January 22, 2023
  • Liturgical ministry scheduling for Ash Wednesday – May 28
  • Parish Administrator’s Note – January 22, 2023
  • Reflection from Father Steve – January 22, 2023
  • Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 1-15-2023
  • Isaac’s Blessing Bags 2022 – Thank You
  • Parish Administrator’s Note – January 15, 2023
  • Faith Formation News, January 15, 2023

See all blog posts

Blog Categories

  • Advent and Christmas
  • Alums & Family & Friends
  • Catholic Leadership
  • Class Reunions
  • Community of Saints School
  • Community Service
  • Faith Formation / Religious Education
  • Fall Festival
  • Food events
  • Fr. Steve's Reflections
  • Free food
  • Fundraising and Donations
  • General News
  • Gospel Readings
  • History
  • Homilies Weekly
  • Job Fair
  • Lent and Easter
  • Liturgical Ministry
  • Maintenance and repair
  • Memorials and Dedications
  • Men's Club
  • Messages from Fr. Bob
  • Music
  • Parish Pastoral Council
  • Pastoral Ministry
  • Prayer and Adoration
  • Reflection
  • Rosary Society
  • Sacraments
  • Scouts
  • The Good News newsletter
  • Vocations/Religious Life
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Worship
  • Youth Ministry

Subscribe to us!
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
Site development and design by Schletty Design • Contact if you have trouble using this website.