Christmas 2010

Greetings and Peace!

I thought I would take this opportunity to write to you a Christmas letter. Something I have never really done in my 10 years of adulthood. I am finally feeling a bit settled in life as I finally finished 8 short years of seminary, and survived my first year of priesthood.

Settled is an interesting word, however, as one would think that it carries with it the connotation that I would be living in the same place for more than a year. Nope, I moved again in November, leaving Fr. Matthew who gave me wonderful support during my first year of ordination, putting up with an imensity of all my sins and foibles! Thank you Father!

This year has seen many joys and struggles both in my ministerial life and my personal life. Lent was a wonderful time of growth, but Easter was not. In fact, Easter till Advent came with alot of struggles with prayer, routine, etc. Finally, after this struggle, I am beginning to feel whole again this advent!

This summer I was able to get away for awhile, taking in wine tasting, whitewater rafting, camping, mountain biking, as well as a lot of great reconnections with friends! I was also able to concelebrate at the ordinations of Deacon Geoffery Young and, most recently, Father Roger Rouleau. Further, I was able to witness the marriages of some friends of mine, Dave and Nicole and Chris and Katarina! Blessings to all of you as you begin a new chapter of your lives!

September was back to the grind and, doing things for a second time, I felt I was fitting in more. I had hopes of being more proactive than reactive, but you can't spell proactive without procrastinate. And if you think that last sentence makes no sense, stay tuned for my Christmas homily!

Advent has been a blessing. From the get go the Lord placed many things in my life to show me his presence. It has left me genuinly reflecting on my actions in a very concrete way. Often my prayer has been, "Lord, if you came right now, would you like that I'm "?

Funerals. I have been so privileged to be in the lives of families at the moment of such great loss. A time where God has been using me to bring his comfort to the sorrowing. These have been the source of some of my greatest consolations in my ministry as well as my most exhausting weeks.

Homilies are something that I truly love, and are the reason I first felt called to the priesthood. I take them seriously but also recognize with the utmost humility that when I begin speaking, the words are no longer mine, but the Words of Christ who has foolishly chosen my voice to offer Himself to His people. OMG.

Being in Prince Albert I am closer, geographically, to my family than I have been in 8 years. This has been great but I am still falling short. One of the blessings of celibacy, of having no family of my own, is that I am supposed to be more free to be with my immediate family. Lord, free me from the bonds that shackle me to selfishness and release me into the love of my family!

Well, that's me. Thanks to all of you who sent me Christmas blessings, gifts, letters, and/or prayers.

May Christ truly come into your homes this season and may the Holy Spirit bind you in unity!