The New Wine Press vol 25 no 4 December 2016 | Page 8

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?
by Vicky Otto, Precious Blood Companions Co-director
Precious Blood family who minister to people around
As the calendar page recently changed
to November, one cannot help but start
the world who are not able to be with their families and
thinking about the upcoming holifriends during the holidays. Think for a moment about
day season. Retail establishments,
those who join their families only to face disapproval
radio stations and advertisers
of displeasure rather than the happiest time of the year.
don’t take a breath after Halloween
Think for a moment about all those who are unable to
before the Christmas decorations
join their families for the holidays because their families
are hung in stores, radio stations
have told them that they are no longer welcome, due to
play continuous Christmas music,
the life choices a person has made that the family disapand advertisers remind us of all the
proves of. Whether the circumstances of separation are
things that we must have for a
temporary or whether they are permanent, there is pain
great Christmas.
and a sense of loss for everyone involved.
I believe that we all for
There is a line of the Vision Statement from the
a moment gaze at these
General Assembly that motivates me to respond to this
pictures and long to be
pain and loss. The Assembly wrote, “As a courageous
transported to a place where
community of missionary disciples, the Cry of the Blood
everything is perfect, our
calls us to the edges of society to be ambassadors of
families and friends are perfect, our
Christ for reconciliation and hope as we minister with
homes are perfect, and the food we
the People of God.” As a Precious Blood community,
created for the holidays is perfect. I
we all respond to the cry of the blood and the call of to
also believe that many of you are
be missionaries. Fr. Barry Fischer wrote once that to be
like me, that as we grow older
a missionary “does not necessarily imply that we go far
we enjoy looking at the beautifrom home in the geographic sense. It happens when
ful pictures, yet our gatherwe leave our known centers of security and our familiar
ings are just as beautiful, not
landmarks. It is where our own personal space or terribecause of all the beautiful
tory is opened up to others and where others invite us
decorations, but because of the
into theirs.” There is no time like the holidays to bring
love and togetherness we have
this vision of the General Assembly to life and to become
when we gather with family and
friends. There is a certain release
missionaries by spreading the good news of hope and
that comes when we realize that we
reconciliation in the world.
don’t need the perfect table and the
As we begin this holiday season may we truly become
perfect decorations, but rather what
missionaries, in that we step out of our comfort spaces
we need is the love and compassion
to reach out with love and peace to those on the edges
that comes from being together with
who are suffering in pain during this time. Take the step
the people we care about. This is and
of a missionary by offering a word of encouragement or
should truly be what holidays are all
love to someone who may be alone. Take the step of a
about. It makes the famous Christmas
missionary by sharing an invitation for a meal or other
song, “It’s the most wonderful time of the
activity to someone who may be alone. Take the step
year,” come alive.
of a missionary by taking the time to sit and form that
Despite the decorations, the food, or
safe space with someone who is in pain so that they may
the music, for many people the holidays
share their story as they long for a time of reconciliation.
become not “The most wonderful time of
Holidays can be a time of merriment and joy. Many
the year,” but rather the most painful time
gifts
will be given out during the Christmas season. May
of the year. Think for a moment about all
we make every effort to give the gifts of peace, renewal
those people who work during the holidays
and reconciliation to those in need so everyone can truly
so that each of us can enjoy them in peace and
say, “It is the most wonderful time of the year.” W
safety. Think for a moment about all those in our
6 • The New Wine Press • December 2016