Last Christmas, the seminarians of the archdiocese gave me a gift I’ll never forget. They committed themselves to putting on an event for men discerning a possible call to the priesthood. Each seminarian also committed himself to bringing at least one discerner to that event.
Two things touched my heart. First, that the seminarians wanted to invite others to share in their journey of priestly formation. Second, that they understood that some of those they might invite would decline to attend the event.
True to their word, they organized an event during Lent. It began with Mass followed by an informal dinner. Among the invited guests were several who entered the seminary the following August, and others who are still considering the possibility of a priestly vocation.
As Christmas draws near, we’re thinking what to give our loved ones. And this we should do. A gift is an expression of our love for those who are near and dear to us.
But what about the Lord? Should we give him something for Christmas? After all, on that first Christmas night, the Lord gave us something more precious than all the world’s treasures. He gave us the gift of himself. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Eternal Son of God assumed our humanity in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was born for us in a stable. How shall we make a return to the Lord?
One way is to go to Mass on Christmas. The Mass is the perfect act of adoration, praise and thanksgiving. Nothing is more pleasing in God’s eyes than when we give God thanks and praise by sharing in his Son’s gift of self for our salvation.
But is there anything else we might do for the Lord? What could we possibly give to the one who holds the whole world in his hands?
Permit me a modest suggestion.
Why not borrow a page from the playbook of our seminarians? What if each active Catholic pledged to invite an inactive Catholic or an unchurched individual to come to Mass on Sunday – sometime during the new year? It might be a friend, a family member, a neighbor. What if during the month of February or March you invited a couple to attend Mass followed by breakfast or brunch? Or, how about a Saturday Vigil Mass followed by dinner at a favorite restaurant?
There are many inactive Catholics waiting for an invitation. Sometimes, when I talk to inactive Catholics, they will say to me, “No one invited us back.” Or, “I’m not sure how to come back. What happens if I just show up?” Still others got in the habit of watching Mass online (while drinking coffee on their couches); they might need a little nudge to return to Mass.
Such a gift, I think, would please the Lord very much, and for the same reasons my seminarians’ gift delighted me. First, it is a way of bearing witness to your love for the Lord truly present in the Eucharist, a way of saying how much you value gathering with a community of faith to remember and celebrate the marvelous things God has done to save us. Second, it is a willingness to take a risk – a risk that the person we invite might say no. We can’t evangelize without putting ourselves out on a limb, any more than a person in sales can avoid the risk of getting turned down.
Well, it happened to Jesus and to his disciples. It might happen to us, too. That’s OK! The harvest remains rich.
I hope you’ll consider my gift suggestion. And I wish you a most blessed Christmas!
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