If store decorations are any indication, you would think that the Christmas Season begins the day after Halloween- or perhaps even before it! And certainly, by the end of November, the Christmas commercial enterprise is in full force with the arrival of Black Friday. But in church life we are in the season of Advent, a time of waiting and expectation. Only by December 24, Christmas Eve, do we join together in celebrating the birth of the savior. All of the Christmas music we hear ends on Christmas Day; in church we are just getting underway and about to intone, “O Come All Ye Faithful.” The timing is purposeful. It helps us to focus on the coming of the Savior and not St. Nick. And the season of joy for us will continue right up to the Baptism of the Lord in January.
As Vincentians we are also counter -cultural in another way. In the Christmas Season there are numerous requests for a donation from a variety of organizations. They might show up in your mailbox almost every day. But when it comes to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, we are not a seasonal organization. When it comes to giving and serving the needy, it’s Christmas all year long. Even in the face of the pandemic when we witnessed many closures, conferences still met virtually if not in person and we continued to meet the needs of the poor.
It seems the coming year will be no less challenging than the last and the needs of the poor will be evident. Given the duration of the pandemic, St. Vincent de Paul Society will be called upon again not only to provide basic necessities for those who come to the door, but to lift the spirits of those who have grown weary and to convey a spirit of hope for those who dwell in darkness. What motivates us is the truth that the Savior has come, and we are his instruments in extending the good news and caring for those in need.
When we wish others a happy and healthy New Year, we can say that with confidence knowing that Vincentians will do their part in the face of each new challenge.
