The Miracle is Upon Us

by The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe on December 23, 2022

"Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world."

C.S. Lewis

Dear Friends,

We have been waiting... and we have been watching... and now, the miracle is upon us!

We have been waiting for the birth of Jesus; the coming of Christ. Our waiting has been a time of preparation; a time of making ready and making room. Some of us have decorated houses and apartments and placed lights and ornaments on Christmas trees. Others have baked special treats, entertained guests, and mailed Christmas cards. Still others have attended special liturgies and musical concerts, bought and wrapped presents, all in preparation for this high holy day we know as Christmas. Everyone has their own traditions for celebrating Christmas, and all of our preparations are intended to make us more aware of the extraordinary gift given to us in the form of the Christ Child.

Thomas Merton once wrote, "There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the donkey understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem. And it is the same today." Merton was probably right. We struggle to comprehend the magnitude of this miracle when God came to earth in the form of an infant so that we might know God’s love. It’s easy to get it wrong. We can focus too much on the preparations and miss out on the main event. That stable in Bethlehem, as C.S. Lewis observed, really did have something in it that was bigger than our whole world and I hope you will join us in celebrating it.

We invite you to come to St. Bart’s in person, or join us online, on Christmas Eve for the 12:05 pm Quiet Eucharist, the 4:00 pm Christmas Pageant and Eucharist, and the 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm traditional Christmas Eve Festival Eucharists. On Sunday, Christmas Day, we will have a Choral Eucharist at 11:00 am.

I hope you will join us and become part of these wonderful celebrations in whatever ways you can. I believe you will be very glad you did.

May you (and all of your family and friends) have a most joyous Christmas holiday!