Family Gatherings - Thursday, December 17 (Advent 2020)
Now his [Jesus'] parents [Joseph and Mary] went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
Luke 2:41-42
Each year, families gather together around a meal at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas. In the past years, the Winnebago Tribal Council voted to provide their tribal members with a turkey or ham. This past year, Winnebago tribal members were also provided with the fixings that made these meals into feasts!
Sadly, some do not come together at their family gatherings. There are various reasons - some are separated by distances and limited resources. Others are serving in the military. Some are in the hospital or living in nursing homes. Others are incarcerated.
Some really are without excuse for their absence from family gatherings. They choose to be alone. They choose not to gather with family members, or maybe they were told they were not welcome. How sad is that!?
There is one other family gathering that most choose to not attend. Each and every week the family of God, brothers and sisters in Christ, gather at one of God's houses. Creator God invites and welcomes one and all to gather together in order that they might receive good gifts from Him!
These gifts are offered at no cost to those who come. As a matter of fact, it cost Creator God His One and Only Son's life in order to keep the welcome mat out for you forever. You are invited to give to God, as a goodwill offering: your sorrow for His joy, your weakness for His strength, your sin for His righteousness.
One does not have to be in dire straits, on one's death bed, overwhelmed with depression, in trouble with the law, or overcome with an addiction to come and receive God's merciful gifts. Although those are usually the times we might be most open to accepting God's invitation.
Each and every Sunday, God speaks to us through His Sacred Word as we gather together as a family - His family - brothers and sisters in Christ who come together to hear the Good News of Jesus, our Savior.
Dear Creator God, thank you for welcoming us to your family gatherings and providing us with a place in Your Family where we all belong, bought and paid for through the blood of your only begotten Son, Jesus. Amen.