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The Catholic Church in Cambodia.
On Christmas Eve, the psalm instructs all creation to rejoice–the sky and the land, the sea and the plains, even the trees–because God is coming to rule with world with justice. Likewise, the prophet Isaiah proclaims that the son to be born is cause for rejoicing because he upholds and sustains justice. People who have been burdened will stand up straight; those who walked in darkness will emerge into the light.
Christmas is more than the opportunity to reflect on the innocence of the child Jesus lying among the sheep and the cattle. It is mean to focus our attention on the wonder of God’s desire to become one with humanity and thus all of creation
The St. Boniface Christmas Eve service started with a blessing of the nativity scene.
Today I had a funeral for a parishioner of St. Boniface. It was the first funeral I have celebrated since my return, and it was certainly different from the funerals I had in Cambodia, most of which were held in Buddhist pagodas.
After the 11:00 AM mass today, the parishioners got busy changing the theme of the sanctuary from Advent to Christmas.
Local shepherds were seen near the nativity scene by the sanctuary and were invited to take their places early.
I have a funeral at St. Boniface on Tuesday, but after that we can start setting out flowers and making other arrangements for the Christmas Eve 5:00 PM liturgy.
The readings on the Fourth Sunday of Advent see God speaking to Ahaz, Joseph, and Mary, and giving them instructions. We see how they responded, either acting with faith or ignoring God’s call.
In what way is God calling us to serve those experiencing poverty, loneliness and illness this Advent? Let us bring the joy of Jesus into every interaction during these grace-filled days of Advent. May the Lord guide us toward ways to share His love and hope with the world.
Last night we had an inch of snow and single-digit temperatures that left snow and ice frozen on streets. That was no environment for riding my bicycle so I used Lyft to get to St. Boniface Church for 8:30 AM mass. The streets near Nazareth Home had a lot of snow and ice but downtown the streets were clear.
May we keep choosing love, not because the world makes it easy, but because God is with us.
From Red Letter Christians
Here is some information received from the bishop of Phnom Penh about the conflict on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. Caritas Cambodia, the church relief agency, is organizing tent cities, water, food, toilets, and other assistance. They are probably the main positive force in the renewal of this century-old dispute.