The Ostende Blog – Fr Christopher Young

Our community has obtained a Christ bambino and an apprentice of St Joseph has crafted for us a wooden manger for the purpose of circulating for veneration in our homes devotion and thanksgiving for the Gift of Jesus’ incarnation. Dr Chad and Jill Kluver are coordinating the sign up for you to receive Baby Jesus, His manger- carrying case, and a devotional binder. Jill can be reached at +1 (563) 271-9672 to sign up or for more info. Priority will be given to those who sign up first, those who live in proximity to the homes of others signing up. (Holy Family parish at large is also offering this opportunity to bring Baby Jesus into you home, if “our baby Jesus” is not at a date convenient to you. See https://holyfamilydavenport.com/ )

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

This is one of the most outstanding expressions of the TRUTH about God and of His inexhaustible MERCY for all of hu-
manity. In the same statement of intent, God expresses His undying love for you and me. God says as we all know that His

undying love demands HIM to GIVE. The characteristic of love is giving. We give and share with those we love. One of our
strongest desires is to love and be loved. In many instances people are scared of having a relationship with God because

they mistake it for a human relationship; they are called to GIVE but it is actually God who is GIVING. God started the giv-
ing at creation when He gave His breath to us. In Genesis this becomes clear, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the

dust of the ground and breathes into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7). God
has always been in the business of Giving.
The Giver of life is coming to us this Christmas. He is about life. Wherever He goes, they make HIM welcome He brings life

and transformation to them. That is the only thing He desires, that we make HIM welcome. Indeed, it does not look like ask-
ing for too much since “He made us”. The Psalm says, “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalm 100:3). The Lord knows of our incapacity and distress since we have
allowed sin to dominate our lives. He is aware of our longing to be saved from the anxieties and depression that plague our
day-to-day activities. He is aware that sickness and illnesses have robbed us of the joy and happiness which characterized us
at creation. That is why we sing during the advent season, “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that
mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appears.” This song hits at the core of the advent season. In another verse,
it continues, “O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem, unto your own and rescue them! From depths of hell your people save, and
give them victory o’er the grave.”
God sends the Infant babe of Bethlehem our way to rescue us from sin. He does this so that we can be back home on the
path of God our Father. The Christmas or actually CHRIST MASS is the first sacrifice to take away our sins. The Christmas

when God distributes gifts and graces. God who is “unfathomable depth of perfections, this affluence of treasures, this im-
petuous infinity of riches” is heading our way at Christmas. We are to play host to him whom the angels adore steadfastly.

We have been chosen to give shelter to HIM “who dwells in unapproachable
lights.” (1 Timothy 6:16). He even begs us that “no earthly undertaking hinder

those who set out in haste to meet your Son.” Do you have any undertaking block-
ing the way for Christ to visit this Christmas? He cannot wait to unload his gifts

and blessings to you and your family. “To those who did accept HIM, He gave the
power to become children of God.” (John 1:12).

— Fr Nicholas Akindele, Pastor, Holy Family Church