St. Anselm of Canterbury Episcopal Church

13091 Galway Street

Garden Grove, CA. 92844

12/8/09

Dear Parish Family and Friends of St. Anselm’s:

The magic of Advent is upon us!  Last week I gathered with some of the children from our Latino ministry who come for catechism on Tuesday afternoons and I invited them to enter the mystery of Advent by having them help me decorate the nativity scene that is now displayed on the sanctuary.  They loved it.  After they put all the figures in place I explained that we would have to remove baby Jesus from the manger and that we would return him on Christmas Eve when we celebrate his birth.  They were not too thrilled about this.  I asked them to help me find a place to keep him safe until Christmas Eve.  I suggested a compartment behind the altar and one of the girls said he would be lonely there all by himself.  Then the youngest, Sofia (whose name means Wisdom) said that the altar could be like his mother until he was born, this way he would be inside his mother.  I was stunned by her imagination and immediately said YES.  We all agreed that the altar would be Mary until Jesus was born.  He would remain inside his mother’s womb until Christmas Eve. They were all satisfied with this.  Crisis avoided I then proceeded to give them a lesson on incense, and how to prepare and burn it.  When we burnt the incense, which they also loved, they said they saw angels in the smoke drifting above the sanctuary.  How incredible is that?  Perhaps that is why Jesus said we must have faith like little children?  These kids really made my day.  Sometimes they give me a really hard time but last week they were filled with sacred imagination.  It was a real blessing to be their priest and teacher.   As I look back on that afternoon I realize that I probably learned more from these three girls than they learned from me.  They certainly helped me to get further in touch with the spirit of Advent, and the feeling of enchantment connected to the coming birth of our Lord.  I was pleased when they carried on about how the other kids who were absent from the class had missed out on all the fun.

Certainly Advent is very much a mystical time, a time to penetrate mystery and let the imagination fly.  So much is lost on the “holidaze” frenzy.  It is way too easy to miss the opportunity to stop and ponder the miracle at hand, but sooner rather later it will be December 24^th and we will gather to celebrate Christmas.  The church will be all decked out for it, it will be beautiful and the awe will surround us.   I sincerely hope and pray that we all make the time during this Advent season to enter the mystery, be still and sit in the presence of God.  If need be, this might be a good time to go out for walks alone with God (with the Cell phone turned off).  If you can’t find a quiet place at home go out for a walk or come here to the church, the garden and church are great places to sit alone in prayer.  However we do it, we need to make the time to let that happen.  The story of the girls I mentioned is a reminder of the magic of Christmas.

This past weekend, along with some of our parishioners I attended Diocesan Convention and our Presiding Bishop the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori was there as a preacher and a teacher.  She was wonderful.  On Sunday those of us who attended the Eucharistic celebration at St. John’s Cathedral with her as celebrant were twice blessed.  I was deeply moved by her words and wisdom.  I don’t think I have ever been so taken by a PB in the past.  She is filled with God’s Spirit and I believe she is one of the most important spiritual leaders in our land alive today.  When she looks into your eyes, you have the sense that you are in the presence of an old friend.  There is peace in her gaze.  One of the things I took from her this weekend was the teaching that none would be saved until we are all saved.  That’s what the message of Jesus is all about and that is why Jesus is born to us.  Jesus shows us the way.  Katherine Jefferts Shori is the Advent bishop; she comes to help us prepare the way of the Lord.  We are all God’s instruments of peace and justice.  Our exile from God and each other comes to an end with the coming of Jesus, to our lives and the brokenness that surrounds us.  So, let’s prepare with reflection, prayer, and self-examination for the coming birth and celebration of the Incarnation.  Advent is a time of hope, peace, love and joy.  As we light each Advent candle during we get ever so closer to the birth of our Lord.  We only have two more candles to burn, and he will be upon us, alleluia.

In closing, with this letter below I am including an art image I made from a photograph I took last Sunday of Bishop Katherine.  I’m calling it: “The Advent Bishop.”  There is a feeling in it of the light she announces that is coming into the world.  We await that light, the light of Jesus.

I look forward to our gathering on Wednesday December 24^th, 7:00 PM for our Christmas Eve Celebration.  Our Choral Eucharist will begin as usual with a musical prelude followed by a candlelight Eucharistic celebration.  A reception will follow our worship.  On Thursday December 25^th the Eucharist will be celebrated at 10:00 AM.

I wish you all a blessed Advent and a Very Merry Christmas.

Wilfredo Benitez+

The Rev. Wilfredo Benitez,

Rector