News & Events Feed — Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

Christmas

Christmas Prayer

Dear Friend,

Many years ago, when I was the pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Denver, CO, a good friend, songwriter, and fellow priest, Joe Raffa, wrote the following poem. It has always been a source of spiritual nourishment for me and a reminder of who I am in the heart of God and in the church which I carry with me through the Christmas season. Joe graciously gave me permission to share this with whomever I wish. 

Re-Member

Long ago and so far away
When time began in stillness stood.
The Word leapt forth from God to Shine
And re-member stony hearts
like yours and mine.

 Long ago and so far away
In memory of God our names were known,
Now bonded with the Word
We journey day and night
In hopes to trace our way back home.
To loose our bonds of fear
and re-member our hearts of light.

 And still today the Word is heard
Is seen and felt and still leaps forth
In lights that shine in humankind
And strikes the note in the memory of God
of names like yours and mine.

And so we wait this day -
We in cold and stillness stood
With glimmers of the Word - it is heard -
Who once came and
spoke the memory of God.
Will come again
And re-member each of us by our name.

By Joe Raffa 


This Christmas season, my prayer for you and your family is one of hope and peace. I pray that the light of the Christ, born in each of our hearts again, will leap forth and be a beacon of hope, compassion and love in your family, your community, and in our world. 

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Fr. Jack Loughran, OSFS

Former Provincial

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The Art of Presepio: Not Just a Nativity Scene

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This article is about the manger scene set up at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Glen Mills, PA. Pastor Steve Shott, OSFS, has set up this scene at the many parishes he has ministered in over the years.

The presepio, derived from the Latin word presepium, meaning manger, has been the de facto symbol of Christmas for Italian families for dozens of generations, and in the South, perhaps as long as a thousand years. Of course, most Italians also have a modern Christmas tree, but the presepio in its simplest form is a tradition of devotion representing the birth of the baby Jesus. These nativity scenes typically consist of a structure to represent the simple barn where Joseph and Mary were forced to give birth to the Son of God. An ox, donkey, angels, and perhaps the three Wise Men are typically represented. But the presepio is often much, much more, showing village scenes from everyday life. Its components are mostly handmade from a variety of materials: wood, ceramic, cartapesta (Papier-mâché), terracotta, and fabrics. Some scenes include small waterfalls or fountains, houses, buildings, mountains, trees, grottos, livestock, and vendors of all sorts. The presepio in the Social Hall belongs to Fr. Steve and is the work of over 30 years of collecting pieces. Many of the pieces were donated over the years from people in the parishes where Fr. Steve has served in the past. The display has been added to by people from Virginia, Delaware, Florida, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. The presepio will be on display through the Advent and Christmas season. It will be taken down after January 8. The Church is open from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM on weekdays and during scheduled Mass times on the weekends."

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Nativity Scene 800

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Nativity Scene 800

This year marks the 800th anniversary of the first “live” Nativity. Many may have attended or will attend a "live" Nativity this Christmas and experience its beauty. Read about the origins of the tradition started by St. Francis of Assis and how St. Francis de Sales carried out... Read More

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The Incarnation Is the Miracle of Miracles— as St. Francis de Sales Claims!

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The Incarnation Is the Miracle of Miracles— as St. Francis de Sales Claims!

What stirs my mind and heart, leading me from Advent into Christmas is song and, have you noticed how many begin with "O"? For a moment, as you read this reflection, let your lips form the letter “O” and let us hear the power and energy it holds... Read More

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The Light Continues

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The liturgical season of Christmas wrapped up this past Monday with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  This feast should remind us of our own baptism.  The light that came into the world at Christmas is the same light that fills our souls when we are brought into the Church.  This light continues to brighten as each of us grow in our communion with God throughout our lives. 

The Gospel proclaimed on Christmas day was the Prologue of Saint John (Jn 1:1-5) where the Evangelist tells us that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Throughout the weeks of Christmas, I have meditated on this image.  Reflecting on light has been important for me this year since it was a holiday filled with a lot of sadness, death and funerals.   

My Oblate brother and friend, Reverend Joseph Jocco, died on the morning of December 24.   My brother-in-law’s mother (Geri Peek) passed away on December 26.  Colleen Dougherty, the mother of a former student and colleague (Shane Dougherty) lost her battle with cancer on December 31.  On the feast of the Lord’s Baptism, a friend and mentor (Sister Jeanette Lawlor, CSFN) died after a brief illness.  It seemed that from the very first hours of the feast to the very last celebrations of the season, death and darkness were prevailing. 

The challenge this Christmas was to see God in these moments and in these sad situations... even in the clouds, amidst the confusion and among the questions we all have about life, death and our time on Earth.

I know I am not the only one experiencing loss and sorrow during the “most wonderful time of the year.”  Many people experience loneliness, depression and loss during the holidays.  When we are confronted with the shadows and darkness of life, the lights of Christmas can sometimes be a reminder of our emptiness rather than a renewal of our spirit.   

The good news for Christians is that we recognize God is at work in the world - in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, in sunshine and clouds.  In all seasons and circumstances, God is with us, Emmanuel.

At Christmas, God gave us the greatest gift, His Son.  We believe the Savior was born and lived so that we could continue to live.  The modern calypso carol “Mary’s Boychild, Jesus Christ” beautifully announces to us, “Hark, now, hear the angels sing, a new king’s born today... and man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day!”  

Through His Son, God gave us the assurance that as hard as it is, as difficult as it may make life, death will not have the final word.

The Word was made flesh and still dwells among us – in our family and friends, in the love we share and in the spirit of those we have lost. 

So even though the Church concluded the season of the Incarnation this past week (even though the decorations and music have mostly disappeared), the Word will continue, the light will keep shining and Christ will keep being born into our lives – because of Christmas Day!

Reverend Jack Kolodziej, OSFS

Provincial

Wilmington-Philadelphia Province

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Is This Who We've Waited For?

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“Follow the star to a place unexpected

Would you believe, after all we've projected

A child in a manger?

Lowly and small, the weakest of all

Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl

Just a child

Is this who we've waited for?”

These are the opening words of the song “How Many Kings,” written by Jason Germain and Marc Martel of the Christian Rock group known as Downhere.  The song presents the discovery of the infant Jesus as a surprising revelation.  Where is the king?  Where is the mighty warrior?  What am I doing here and why did I make the effort to find Him if this is all there is?  But this is precisely the point; there is more to come, a lot more.  The light of the star only opened the mind of the Magi; it is up to them to open their eyes and see with faith the wonder of God in their midst.

The light of the Star of Bethlehem is symbolic of God’s inspiration that awakens our minds and enlivens our hearts.  In Book 2, chapter 9 of the Treatise on the Love of God, Saint Francis de Sales writes, “Inspiration comes down from heaven like an angel.  It strikes straightway on the poor sinner’s heart and arouses him so that he is lifted up out of his iniquity.”  God always makes the first move, inviting us to find and love Him.  We sense it as “stirrings” within us, writes DeSales.  It doesn’t come with the exigency of a trumpet blast, but simply and gently as a newborn reaching for us, stimulating a flutter in our stomachs and smiles on our faces.

Is this what we have waited for?  A small baby and gentle stirrings?  Not only would Saint Francis de Sales answer in the affirmative, but I also think he would say that it is essential because it allows for a voluntary reception of God’s grace.  Grace will never overwhelm or coerce us.  If we are to love God, we must remain free to choose to accept or reject His inspiration to love and to place our faith in His son born lowly and small.

Is this who we have waited for?  The only way to get a personally convincing answer to this question is to respond to the “stirrings” that God’s inspiration implants within us.  When the Magi returned home, did they leave God’s inspiration behind?  Did their brief encounter open their eyes of faith so they could see that they had to continue to follow the star, the inspiration of God, for the rest of their lives?  What about us?  God’s stirrings are within us, right now, in fact.  Those stirrings lead us to God’s son.  It is up to us to open our eyes in faith and see the one we have waited for is indeed in our midst!

Father Robert Rutledge, OSFS

Holy Infant Catholic Church

Durham, NC

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The Holy Family and My Family

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Tomorrow, as our Christmas celebrations continue, the liturgy observes the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  This is a day to remember the special role the Holy Family had in God’s plan for salvation.  It is also a time to reflect on our own family life.  It’s a day on which we can think about how we can strengthen communication between all family members, how to heal family wounds and walk with one another in daily life.

In my office in Wilmington, I have pictures of my family.   I have my parents, sisters, nieces and nephews.   I also have an image of my religious family - St. Francis, St. Jane, Blessed Louis Brisson and our Oblate founders.  There is one picture of a nun who is not a member of the Salesian family or of the Visitation Order.   That photograph is of my great aunt, Sister Rosalette Szamburska, CSFN (a member of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth).   The Sisters of the Holy Family are called to extend the Kingdom of God’s love by imitating the spirit of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They do this in many ways, but their primary mission is to care for families.  

The picture of Sr. Rosalette reminds me that I am part of many families.  I have my family of origin and my religious family.   Even though the Oblates have a unique charism, I realize that all religious families learn from one another.  St. Bernard of Clairvoux, a Cisterian monk, often said: “I admire all religious orders.  I belong to one of them by observance but to all of them by charity. We all need one another.  The spiritual good which I do not own and possess, I receive from the others.” The life and prayer of all religious communities lift up the entire church.

I have learned from the Sisters of the Holy Family since I was a child.  Sister Rosalette would visit my home when she was back in Philadelphia and she was a visible witness that women and men could dedicate their lives to serving God and the Church and still be a part of their original family. 

After high school, I attended Holy Family College, was taught by the sisters, and saw first-hand the value they placed on education, family and faith. Today I continue my relationship with many members of the CSFN community. They remind me that our common way of life is a way that we can connect with families and with one another.  

As we celebrate the Christmas season, a season of family and faith, let us take time to focus on our own vocation.   Christianity is all about connections and relationships. Saint Francis de Sales reminds us that we all have a vocation, we are all called to do God’s will and to put the Gospel into practice.  My hope is that we can see in our religious communities, our parishes and our families the ways we can do this each day. By living, loving and learning from one another, we can make Jesus present on the earth again. We can make the world holy.   We can make our family holy.

Christmas Season Across the Provinces

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Christmas

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Many things make me smile during the holidays.  One is a memory of a nephew when he was about 6 years old.  A few days before Christmas, I was visiting his family with my parents.  My nephew was sitting in a chair in the living room corner, obviously pondering something.  He was naturally one of those  kids who never stopped moving, so his posture and mood were out of character.  I was looking at him, wondering what was going on in his head, when suddenly he popped out of the chair and announced to the room, “I hate Christmas!”  Asked why he hated Christmas, he stated, “Because it’s never gonna get here!”  His Advent “patient waiting” had reached its limit but he certainly brought a smile to my face.  

In 2012, Father Louis Fiorelli, OSFS, published a short booklet, “Inspired Common Sense: Seven Fundamental Themes of Salesian Spirituality.”  In this booklet, he states, “Saint  Francis de Sales understood the Incarnation as ‘God’s kiss to creation,’ the moment in salvation history when the divine and human hearts, at last, find one another.”

This image is a beautiful one to consider as we celebrate the birth of Christ this Sunday.  The moment of Christ’s birth, marked by dreams, angels, sheep, shepherds and a child in a manger, joins the miraculous with the mundane.  We should all smile at this thought and we do so with lights everywhere.  We light things up to celebrate this fantastic moment - trees, homes, bridges, skyscrapers, zoos, churches and more.  Local and national competitions reward the country’s most elaborate light displays.  Even the Oblate pastor I live with has set up seven Christmas trees in our home.  Why?  It seems a bit excessive but then again, maybe not! 

God is part of our history through the Incarnation in a new way.  We are moving toward the full reign of God.  It may take a few eons, but that is where we are headed, so we light things up to proclaim our hope and joy with this gift and smile.  I hope my nephew, now grown and with a child of his own, can instill this hope and joy in his son.  

So we gather at Christmas trees, parties and Christmas dinner tables and smile.  Smile at the world that says no to peace, happiness or justice.  We smile and say, Christ’s birth is the fulfillment of a promise – a promise God made to be with us always and to bring us glory.  And we pledge to live in a way that proclaims this wondrous and beautiful truth.  We pledge to live in love, to work for peace and to seek justice for all of God’s people!

That’s a Merry Christmas! May God bless us all with this gift! Smile!

Father Jack Loughran, OSFS

Provincial

Toledo-Detroit Province

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Final Preparations

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Immaculate Conception Church, Wilmington, NC. Photo by Justine Deitz, 2021.

This week many students are wrapping up their semester with projects, papers, and final exams. There are websites and media posts dedicated to helping students successfully “cram” for the final weeks of school.  The internet offers various ways to help a student navigate these stressful final days before Christmas Break.

As a faith community, we are moving into the final week of the Advent season and our preparations for the fullness of the Christmas season.  Like a student in December, we may feel worried, stressed, and overwhelmed that Christmas is almost here.  We may feel that we have not done enough on our Advent journey to prepare our homes and our hearts for the season of the Nativity.   

Perhaps we have not prayed as much as we had hoped. Maybe we did not light our Advent wreath as faithfully as we had wanted or maybe we did not get to Church as frequently as we had desired.  Our inaction may lead us to believe that it is too late to ignite the spirit of the Advent season or we may be tempted to “cram” the final week of Advent with extra prayers, devotions and services to somehow “make-up” for our late start of the Christmas cycle.  This does not always turn out well.  We wind up replacing the stress of shopping and decorating with the stress of praying and spiritually preparing. Either way, we are overwhelmed. 

A core message of the Christian faith is that it is never too late.  At the birth of His Son, God gave the world a second chance.  The Nativity of Our Lord is a new beginning for all of creation.  In his message at the Angelus in early December, Pope Francis reminded us, “Let us remember one thing:  with Jesus, there is always the possibility of beginning again.  It is never too late.  And let us not let this Advent go by like days on the calendar, because this is a moment of grace, a grace for us too, here and now.  There is always the possibility to begin again.  Be courageous.  Jesus is near to us.” 

Since Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, the Fourth Week of Advent gives us a full seven days to prepare our homes and our hearts.  Saint Francis de Sales tells us that “God will lead us to perfection one step at a time.”   During these final days of Advent, we are aware of how much we still must do to welcome Christ more completely into our lives.  We are acutely aware of our struggles, our stresses and our lack of perfection.  Let us follow the advice of Saint Francis and take things one day at a time, one step at a time.  

Christmas comes, ready or not.  The celebration of the birth of Jesus comes, no matter the season or state of our hearts, even when we are not always ready to receive him.  The Christmas song “O Little Town of Bethlehem” reminds us that, “No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.”  Christmas comes amid the darkness, the grief and the sins of this life. Christ is born for all of us. Christ is reborn in all of us.  May our preparations, no matter how much or how little, lead us to open our hearts and let the Lord enter into our lives.

Reverend Jack Kolodziej, OSFS

Provincial

Wilmington-Philadelphia Providence

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Christmas Moments, Stories & Carols

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No other season quite brings as much excitement and anticipation as Christmas does.  No other season seems to be as busy as the Christmas season.  Even though many of us have been shopping, decorating and planning for weeks, once the calendar turns to the last page, the pressure to enjoy “the most wonderful time of the year” is even more intense.  With the arrival of December, the countdown to holiday shopping, decorating, baking and entertaining takes on a new urgency.

Despite the cheerful songs and Hallmark movies, for many people, this season can turn into “the most stressful time of the year.”  The added anxiety and pressure to plan the “perfect holiday” can actually cause us to miss the real meaning and beauty of the season.

Many of us are familiar with the forty-year-old classic film A Christmas Story.  Throughout the movie, Ralphie and his family are so concerned about the trappings and details of Christmas, that the setbacks and struggles they encounter during the days of December almost ruin their celebrations.  It is only on Christmas night, with the children in bed and Mom and Dad finally relaxing in the glow of the tree lights, that they seem to really appreciate the moment. 

Saint Francis de Sales was not thinking of department stores or dogs ruining Christmas dinner when he preached about dealing with the circumstances of life.  However, he certainly understood the challenges of living in the world and dealing with the ups and downs of relationships.  His emphasis on the present moment was something he suggested we follow all year long, in season and out of season, not just during the weeks of December. 

The holiday season is a time when we usually connect with family, friends and neighbors.  This is something many of us cherish and enjoy.  However, it is also a time to be aware of everyone around us – especially the poor, the lonely, the outcast and those that others ignore.  The Scriptures last weekend reminded us to “stay awake.”  If we focus on the here and now, if we are attentive to the needs of our neighbor, we can appreciate and help all of God’s children.  We can recognize the light of Christ in each person and see the amazing opportunities that surround us each day. 

In the novel, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.  Each spirit helps Scrooge to appreciate life and inspires him to be transformed into a generous and caring man, a true man for all seasons, a man for others.  The story ends with Scrooge declaring: “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.  I will live in the past, present and future.  The spirts of all three shall live within me.” 

During these weeks of December, if we look around us and live in the present, we will not only honor Christmas, but we will enjoy it.

Reverend Jack Kolodziej, OSFS

Provincial

Wilmington-Philadelphia Providence

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