La famille assomptionniste du monde entier, et en particulier la Province des USA est en deuil à la suite du retour au Père Céleste du Père Gregory L. Boisvert, a.a. (1923-2006) décédé à Kingsport, Diocèse de Knoxville, Tennessee, le mercredi 13/12/2006 à l’âge de 83 ans. Père Greg est né dans l’Etat de Massachusetts. Avant d’entrer dans l’Assomption, le P. Greg avait fait des hautes études de Chimie et de Physique nucléaire. Cette formation lui valu d’être toute sa vie durant rigoureux et précis dans tout ce qu’il entreprenait. Il est entré au noviciat des Assomptionnistes en 1942, a fait sa première profession religieuse en 1943 avant d’être ordonne prêtre en 1951. Pendant 25 ans, il a enseigné le français, l’anglais, les techniques du laboratoire, dans des écoles secondaires et Instituts Supérieurs dans trois pays différents, à savoir, les USA, le Canada, et la Nouvelle Zélande. Depuis, 1973, P. Greg était en paroisse en temps plein. Arrivé en Tennessee en 1976, P. Greg a travaillé à Kingsport, Norris-La Follette, Morristown, Oak Ridge, Dayton, Knoxville, Alcoa et Fairfield Glade. Il a dirigé la commission du Mariage de 1979-2003 au niveau diocésain, régional et national. Il était depuis 1991, directeur de la formation permanente des diacres au Diocèse de Knoxville. Depuis Juillet 2003, P. Greg était Vicaire à la Paroisse Saint Dominique de Kingsport. Le Diocèse de Knoxville ainsi que la famille assomptionniste viennent de perdre ainsi un de ses fils surdoués, zélés pour l’avènement du Règne de Dieu dans notre monde. Son enterrement aura lieu le samedi 23 Décembre 2006 au Cimetière de l’Assomption de Fiskdale, MA (USA).Que son âme repose dans la Paix du Seigneur !
Nous vous proposons ci-dessous une homélie du P. Greg en anglais pour le temps de Noel de l’année 2004 !
Father Gregory L. Boisvert, AA
January 11, 2004
Advent and Christmas
We cannot change a secular world for Christ if we withdraw from society.
I read recently, “Few doubt any longer that the season of Advent has been lost. . . . Instead, we celebrate the season of Shopping.” This strikes me as a most Dickensian statement entirely worthy of the depressing outlook of Ebenezer Scrooge. I too hate with a passion seeing the image of Santa flash on the television screen in mid-November or even October. I too regret the overwhelming influence of commercialism on the season.
But I believe it is exaggerated to describe what we celebrate as the Christmas season to be exclusively commercial. The store decorations might be so. The Main Street civic lightings are perhaps a mix, but the home lightings, the wreath on our front door, the candles in our windows, the cards and letters we send our friends, the manger scenes on the town square and in our homes—these are not commercial. These are authentic celebrations of Christmas.
Paroisse St Dominique de Kingsport
It might be that the Nativity of Christ is not foremost on everyone’s mind at the office party or even in those who decorate their home beautifully. But our December parish parties, the celebrations in our schools, our gathering gifts for the disadvantaged, our friends’ or neighborhood get-togethers—these are not commercial ventures at all but authentic celebrations of Christmas.
Advent is preparation time for Christmas. Putting up decorations; baking cookies; preparing the Christmas family meal; even buying, wrapping, and shipping gifts are all preparations thoroughly in keeping with the spirit of Advent if we make them so.
Granted that in our society the Christmas season has shifted from after Dec. 25 to before, that the 12 days of Christmas are bygone; granted the over-emphasis on buying. What seems to be the wiser course for us to take who want to keep the reason for the season before our eyes? We want to keep preparing for Christmas. We want to keep Christ in Christmas—no mere Happy Holidays, thank you. Should we refuse to decorate, to play Christmas carols, to attend festive gatherings, to partake in the joy of the season—all this because it is Advent?
Perhaps our early Christian forebears have a lesson for us: if you can’t beat them, join them, in a Christian way. It seems that our Christmas celebrations are the Christianized pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. Which is the wiser course: withdrawing from Christmas as it surrounds us or keeping Christ in Christmas as we find it? We can celebrate Christmas and keep Advent too.
We are part of two worlds: our church world and our secular world. We cannot withdraw from the second and bring about the kingdom of the Lord. Our Christian mission demands that we remain part of the world if we are going to change it.
I hold in great respect the venerable custom, still often practiced, of carrying the image of the infant to the crib at the beginning of midnight Mass. But whether for three weeks or three days, the manger scene without the Christ Child because it is still Advent, in or outside the church building, is complete emptiness.
Let’s not let the season of Advent be lost. Let’s keep preparing for the renewed coming of our savior. But let’s not, for an exaggerated holding on to the past, keep Christ out of our secular world’s celebration of Christmas. It is just the opposite we wish to do. Christmas in our contemporary world is celebrated before Dec. 25.
How do we keep the spiritual dimension of Advent preparation? Here enter the leadership of our church community and the creativity of groups and individuals. Prayer services, certainly, possibly weekly: in the evening for the many, during the day for others. Advent reconciliation, to be sure, but Bible prayer services too. All kinds of good seasonal booklets are available for daily reading and prayer at home. The Advent Liturgy of the Hours, a veritable scriptural treasure-trove of inspiration: how could we find them available and learn about them?
Society changes. We cannot afford to let it pass us by. We will not change it by withdrawing from it. We need to face the challenge, purify it, and offer it to the Lord. The Holy Spirit strengthens, inspires, and guides us. Let us be open to his changing our direction if it be his plan.
Father Gregory L. Boisvert, a.a.
Saint Dominic Parish in Kingsport.
.
© 2004, The East Tennessee Catholic
.
Vincent K. Machozi, a.a.
Boston University, MA (USA)
Beni-Lubero Online
