Grand Knight's Christmas Message

Dear Brother Knights,

     A joyous time is fast approaching and I am certain all are busy preparing. Gifts are being purchased and wrapped, cards are being signed and addressed, the house is being decorated, the baking of cookies is probably in full force, yes all the hustle and bustle of the season is upon us.  But let us not forget that before Christmas comes Advent.

“The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lords birth.” (USCCB)

    During this time of Advent we often think of our Blessed Mother and the Annunciation, the shepherds, and yes even the wise men. But this year I would like to focus on Saint Joseph.

     In his book “The Infancy Narratives” the third and final installment of his series “Jesus of Nazareth” Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says, “Where as the angel “came” to Mary (Lk 1:28) he merely appears to Joseph in a dream - admittedly a dream that is real and reveals what is real. Once again this shows us an essential quality of the figure of Saint Joseph: his capacity to perceive the divine and his ability to discern. Only a man who is inwardly watchful for the divine, only someone with a real sensitivity for God and his ways, can receive God’s message in this way.” (page 41)  

   During this Advent we should make the time to grow in our spiritual life. Make the time to pray, read scripture, visit the Adoration Chapel, celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation, then like Saint Joseph you will set the example for your family. But don’t stop there, pray as a family, celebrate the December Feasts ( St. Nicholas on the 6th, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the 8th, Our Lady of Guadalupe on the 12th, Saint Lucy on the 13th), pray and light the Advent candles in your home. So that as the Prophet Isaiah says “A voice cries, in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3), you and your family will be ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.

I wish you all the Joy and Blessings of this season.

Vivat Jesus
Jay Raines
Grand Knight
Council 4057.

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