Weekly Reflection – 12/10/24

St. Mary’s Reflection: David Crosson, Stephen Ministry Coordinator

For those who Struggle through Darkness in the Season of Light

For most of us, Advent and Christmastide are seasons of expectation, joy, and shared celebration. But, for others, this is the loneliest time of the year.

This may be your first Christmas without someone dear celebrating with you. Perhaps you are suffering a life-threatening illness or a steady decline in physical or mental capacities. Maybe the demands of providing constant care to a loved one are beginning to take their physical, mental, and spiritual toll on you. Has a child or parent unexpectedly returned? Are you suddenly unemployed? Have people stopped asking, “How are you” because they think you should have “gotten over it” by now? Or are they simply are tired of hearing the same response? Yet, in this season—especially in this season—you may need more than ever for someone simply to listen.

Although you may be lonely, you are never alone. Jesus always is with us, even if we do not feel his presence in the moment. When we are in pain, Christ may seem distant, hard to approach, perhaps even abstract. Fortunately, highly trained, Christ-centered Stephen Ministers are here to walk with you, personally, face to face, in this moment as you are living it now. Their presence may be especially critical during this expectant time of joy shared by so many, but  not by you.

During this time of communal celebration, we encourage you to invite a Stephen Minister to bring Christ’s healing embrace into your life. If you or someone you know would benefit from a Stephen Minister, contact a priest, deacon, or Stephen Minister for referral. Christ always is present with each of us—sometimes most visibly in the very human form of a Stephen Minister.

David Crosson,
Stephen Ministry Coordinator