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My dear Brother and Sisters in Christ, the Parishioners of Saint Peter’s Parish:
Every December the 8th the Church celebrates one of the great Solemnities of our salvation: that of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Conceived without the stain of original sin, God granted Mary a special grace in order that she might bear Christ, the Son of God, and we might all be saved by Christ’s coming into our midst. Mary’s Immaculate Conception is an extraordinary event in salvation history that changes the world for all eternity.
One who would feel the impact of the Immaculate Conception most powerfully was Saint Joseph. Because she was conceived without original sin, Mary was able to become the Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God. As Mary came to be with child through the virgin conception of Jesus in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit, not only is Mary’s world, and all of human history changed, but Saint Joseph’s own world was shaken and redefined, as it was many other times in ways beyond his power.
As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception this year, we bring to an end the Year of Saint Joseph that began last year on this same day. Pope Francis asked the Church to reflect on Saint Joseph this past year because he thought that this great saint had some powerful lessons to teach all of us during this difficult time of pandemic when we ourselves face so many events that are beyond our control. In his letter Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis writes of the many ways Saint Joseph is an example of courage, resiliency and creativity from whom we can all learn during these difficult days.
No doubt, like any groom, Saint Joseph had great dreams and hopes for his life with his bride Mary. He must have been shocked and disillusioned to find that she was with child. With great courage, he receives the news from the Angel Gabriel that the child is the Son of God, and he accepts the mission that he has been given by God’s providence. Pope Francis writes of Saint Joseph: “Even through Joseph’s fears, God’s will, his history and his plan were at work. Joseph, then, teaches us that faith in God includes believing that he can work even through our fears, our frailties and our weaknesses. He also teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.” Despite the difficulties and uncertainties of our time, Saint Joseph reminds us that God is always with us.
As Saint Joseph learns that he must flee Israel to take the child Jesus and His mother Mary to safety in Egypt, he could well have been tempted to despair and flee his responsibilities. He may have even thought about remaining and fighting against an overwhelming opponent in a way that would have led to his own destruction and that of the Holy Family. In Joseph, we see one who is wise enough to know he cannot fight the course of history, as we cannot fight the reality of a worldwide pandemic. Instead, as Pope Francis writes: “Joseph set aside his own ideas in order to accept the course of events and, mysterious as they seemed, to embrace them, take responsibility for them and make them part of his own history. Unless we are reconciled with our own history, we will be unable to take a single step forward; we will always remain hostage to our expectations and the disappointments that follow.” Saint Joseph is for all of us, who wish our situations were different, a powerful example of how to embrace our reality and make it life giving so that it may not defeat us.
Yet, while Saint Joseph accepts the realities that he cannot change, Pope Francis tells us: “Joseph is not passively resigned, but courageously and firmly proactive. In our own lives, acceptance and welcome can be an expression of the Holy Spirit’s gift of fortitude. Only the Lord can give us the strength needed to accept life as it is, with all its contradictions, frustrations and disappointments. For “Just as God told Joseph: ‘Son of David, do not be afraid!’ (Mt. 1:20), so he seems to tell us: ‘Do not be afraid!’ We need to set aside all anger and disappointments, and embrace the way things are, even when they do not turn out as we wish. Not with mere resignation but with hope and courage. In this way, we become open to a deeper meaning. Our lives can be miraculously reborn if we find the courage to live them in accordance with the Gospel. It does not matter if everything seems to have gone wrong or some things can no longer be fixed. God can make flowers spring up from stony ground.”
In this letter, I have borrowed greatly from Pope Francis. His words and the example of Saint Joseph speak of the kind of rebirth that we are all in need of after this ongoing time of pandemic. As Saint Joseph was confident that Christ was with him in the uncertainties of life, we are called this Christmas to the same certainty that Jesus is with us in the midst of this pandemic and the uncertainty it has unleashed for all of us. Jesus was born into the poverty of the manger on a night when His parents could not find a place to stay. His birth was followed by the uncertainty of exile in Egypt until it appeared safe for His parents to return. As Christ was with them, we are invited to believe with conviction, He is with us each and everyday. Like Saint Joseph, our faith calls us to live in this uncertain time with courageous creativity and faith. The reason for our courage, creativity and hope is to be our faith that Jesus is with us. His great title, “Emmanuel” means that “God is with us.” As we celebrate this Christmas, let us pray for the courage to believe that this is so and seek the hope to live anew with creative joy.
As we have all learned through this pandemic, we do not know what the future will hold. My hope is that we will celebrate this Christmas with our churches open. The plan is to celebrate Masses on Christmas Eve at 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. and at midnight. On Christmas Day, Mass will be celebrated at 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. As we are not checking for vaccination, the church’s capacity is limited due to social distancing and people will be admitted on a first come first serve basis. Once we have reached capacity, we will have to turn people away. Unfortunately, when we attempted reservations last Easter, so many who reserved did not show up and people were turned away with the expectation that those who reserved would show up. For this reason, the Pastoral Council decided we would not rely on reservations this Christmas. In keeping with the provincial health regulations, masks must be worn by all who attend Mass at St. Peter’s Church. If you are not well, or cannot wear a mask, please watch on our livestream at: www. stpeterstoronto.ca
I am extremely grateful to all who have supported our parish throughout this difficult time. Your continued support is necessary to keep our parish operating and maintained. Thank you very much for whatever support you have been able to offer and are able to offer in the future.
On behalf of the entire parish staff and community, I would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and all of God’s blessings for 2022.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Fr, Michael McGourty
Pastor-St. Peter’s Church
