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Dear Parish Community,

“Love came down at Christmas,” begins one of my favourite Christmas carols, “love all lovely, love divine; love was born at Christmas: star and angels gave the sign.” At Christmas, we celebrate the miracle of the Incarnation when divine love took on human flesh in the form of a baby born to a peasant couple in a small village over 2,000 years ago.

This nearly two-year-old pandemic has altered all of our lives as we have lived with lock-downs and restrictions. We have all experienced loss, including the loss of neighbours, friends, and loved ones. Love coming down at Christmas reminds us that, despite these circumstances, we will never experience the loss of divine love. God chose to become one with us because God has unconditional and inexhaustible love for us, and nothing can separate us from God’s love. The message of Christmas is that you are loved and that you were created in the image of God, which means that you are a perfect and unique expression of God’s love. As a unique expression of God’s love, your life and love are integral to the fulfillment of God’s plan for the world.

Love came down at Christmas,

love all lovely, love divine;

love was born at Christmas:

star and angels gave the sign.

 

Love shall be our token;

love be yours and love be mine,

love to God and neighbour,

love for plea and gift and sign.

                       By Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

We have much to be grateful for this Christmas, not least of which is that we will be gathering to celebrate the Feast of the Incarnation on Friday at 4:00 PM and 10:00 AM on Saturday. Our online worship via YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwk9JBUn1xD4WUeSNsY_l_w) is available for those who are unable to be with us in person.

I join with Annabelle, our Minister of Music, and Nellie, our Parish Administrator, in wishing all of you a very blessed and Merry Christmas.

The Rev’d Kenneth Vinal