Catholic Journal

Remembering How to Love

Merry Christmas!

As we contemplate the wonders of this great feast of our salvation, let us take the time to reflect on our past, present, and future.

What has God done? What is God doing? And what will God do for us?

Recently, I saw the play, “A Christmas Carol,” based on the short story by Charles Dickens. I encourage you to re-read it. While Dickens had a bias against religion in general, this story in particular is quite theological.

To a great extent, we are masters of our destiny. We do reap what we sow:

  • If we choose to forget our roots, we run the danger of becoming miserly like old Scrooge.
  • If we fail to use the gifts and talents we’ve been given, we can become hypercritical, distant, and lonely.
  • If we fail to prepare for our mortal end, we may lose out on the greatest gift ever given—life with God.

Scrooge’s greatest sin was not that he was miserly or that he was wealthy or that he was a shrewd businessman. No, Scrooge’s downfall was that he had forgotten how to love. His heart had grown hardened against people. Instead of viewing others as opportunities for encountering God, he viewed people as pawns to be used in his game of life.

This Christmas, may each of us make a recommitment to love.

  • May we recommit ourselves to love those with whom we are close.
  • May we recommit ourselves to love those who are difficult to like, let alone love.
  • May we recommit ourselves to love those with whom we have much in common as well as those who are our total opposites.

In short, let us remember that the Christ Child came to love EVERYONE and to teach us how to love one another.

Just as Scrooge had a change of heart after the visit of the three Spirits who reminded him of his past, present and future, may we too learn to deepen our love for one another.

And as Tiny Tim reminded us, “God bless us, every one!”

Msgr John Kasza

REVEREND MONSIGNOR JOHN KASZA was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1993. He holds a B.A. in History from Wayne State University, Detroit and an Master of Divinity from Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He earned his doctorate in Sacramental Theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Sant’Anselmo in Rome in 1999. Msgr. Kasza has served as an assistant professor of sacramental theology, liturgy and homiletics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary and has also taught at the Liturgical Institute at St. Mary of the Lake University in Mundelein, Illinois. He most recently served as Secretary to both Adam Cardinal Maida and Archbishop Allen Vigneron and was Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Detroit. In July of 2009, Msgr. Kasza became the Academic Dean at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan. Monsignor is currently pastor of St.Therese of Lisieux parish in Shelby Township, Michigan and has authored several articles. His book, Understanding Sacramental Healing: Anointing and Viaticum, is available through Amazon.