When Jesus comes he comes to lead people into the kingdom of God, to help them find inclusion and blessing from it and not to just drop it on us. During his time in Capernaum he cast out demons and evil spirits as well as healed people, and it is the relationship between these two acts which brings us into the story Jesus is presenting to us.

Jesus has come to us not just as a king and savior, but also as a teacher and guide. He does not just impose the kingdom and its rule upon people, but demonstrates what it brings through his teachings and how they rescue and include the most vulnerable among us.

The season of Epiphany is more than just a time to recognize and confess the truth of Jesus Christ, but a time to gauge how we carry that truth and how prepared we are to see the coming kingdom. The way we do so demonstrates how proud we are to be Christians!

The season of Christmas is a time for the Church to focus on the impact of the gift of Christ by God to the world, to understand what it means that God has chosen to answer our cries in the specific form of his Son. And entering the season of Epiphany we realize the impact that chosen response has on everything in life.

A special Christmas Eve message that seeks to retell and guide one through the story of Christ’s Nativity, and to also reflect on the impact that the gift of Christ brings to the people of God and

to the world.

As individuals yearn to understand what the coming of Christ means to them and what he changes in their lives, the Church also yearns to understand what the coming of Christ means to it as the collective people of God. Understanding the yearning of ancient Israel to see their God act in their time of need, Christians today understand the unique position they have in seeing the salvation of God manifest across the world and time.

As the Christmas shopping season continues, everyone has in mind the one gift they want or want to give that will complete their season. The season also focuses on the greatest gift that God

has given the world, but do we treat it the same way as we do the ones under the Christmas tree?

As Israel prays in the midst of her troubles, the church and the world also pray that the miracle of Christmas be known and experienced again in their lives. In a time where more and more heroes and idols among us seem to be falling short in their offerings of hope to others, God makes it known true hope and peace for all.

In the hustle-and-bustle of the holiday season it is sometimes difficult to know what we are

looking forward to, or even how our seasonal works contribute to that future vision. The Psalms

grant an opportunity to understand how the faithful have responded to God amidst the needs

among them, and how God meets the people in light of his previous saving actions. Psalm 80

reminds the people who gives meaning and opportunity for them to go on with the divinely-

gifted purpose.

As the Church approaches the end of the liturgical year, we understand the unique place it comes

during the season of Thanksgiving with the celebration of “Christ the King” Sunday. We seek to

understand the rule of Christ over us all, and what it means to offer service to the Lord by the

means of the gifts and opportunities he has already presented us.