Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Peace and well-being to you and your families in these days of cooling fall temperatures and shortening days. As we come to the end of another year and the closing of our Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope, I keep on praying for God’s blessings upon you, and I am grateful for your witness and your active living of the Catholic faith in the Church of our Diocese of San Bernardino!
As we enter the Season of Advent in preparation for Christmas, I want to take this moment to offer a few thoughts, because if we are not careful, we could miss its true meaning and importance. Advent coincides with the “holiday season” Thanksgiving and the secular Christmas time. These are truly joyful and celebratory moments for us as we look forward to spending time with our families and loved ones, eating delicious food together and exchanging gifts, hugs and smiles.
But before we get to the joy, we are called as Catholics to prepare and to reflect on the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For his incarnation is truly the reason for all the festivity that comes later. The biblical readings help us to recognize the foretelling of Jesus’ coming and to know how to respond to this revelation during Advent. Indeed, we are called to not just reflect on Jesus during Advent, but to always imitate his life and ministry through our actions; and central to that is his care and ministry for the poor and most vulnerable.
John the Baptist is a key figure in helping us to “prepare the way” for Christ. Before Jesus began his public ministry and showed us through his many actions and words of God’s special love and care for the poor, his cousin offered a similar teaching, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And, whoever has food should do likewise (Luke 3:11).” Today, right in our own communities, we see many brothers and sisters suffering from hunger as food prices continue to rise and federal benefits that provide nutritional assistance (SNAP) to the poor are in jeopardy. The volunteers of our parish food pantries are seeing more and more desperate faces.
Our diocese is in a new collaboration with Catholic Charities to supply parishes with thousands of boxes of food for families in need. This mission belongs to all of us because we are all called by our baptism to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick and welcome the stranger and the immigrant (Matthew 25); and that’s who we are as Catholics!
Our Pope Leo in his first major writing, the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te, invites us to embrace once again the rich tradition of our Church as a champion of the poor and disenfranchised. He writes, “The condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout human history, constantly challenges our lives, societies, political and economic systems, and not least, the Church. On the wounded faces of the poor, we see the suffering of the innocent and, therefore, the suffering of Christ himself.”
Dear friends, this Advent let us respond to that “challenge” noted by the Holy Father in Dilexi Te and support your local parish food pantry or, if your parish does not have one, consider being part of a new ministry to start one there. Please also consider donating to organizations like Catholic Charities San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, who are on the front lines of feeding the hungry in our communities. And if you are able, include in your Advent observance some time volunteering in a social concerns ministry.
When we offer the work of our hands, our bounty and our loving presence to those in greatest need, we will truly encounter in them the living Christ. Thank you for anything you can do to help someone in need this Advent as you prepare to celebrate love among your family members, relatives and friends at Christmas. My blessings and prayers to all of you for a holy and reverent Advent Season in preparation to welcome the new life of the newborn king, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.