Archdiocese Of St. Louis

O Holy Night! I love that song. Hello! My name is Brian Niebrugge, and I work with the Office of Stewardship and the Annual Catholic Appeal for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Our Jesse Tree reflection today focuses on the Blessed Virgin Mary and our symbol is the lily. Isn’t it wonderful, at this time of year, to see so many images of Mary on display? I know, it is difficult sometimes to see the over-commercialization of Christmas. But isn’t it awesome to walk into a public place and hear “Ave Maria” or “Silent Night” being broadcast through the PA? Isn’t it great to see images of the Holy Family in public places of honor? I am convinced that God uses the over-commercialization of Christmas to draw more attention to his Mother and to keep the mystery of His Incarnation present to an unbelieving world. Mary, like the lily, pure and white, is the Mother of the Church and the Mother of the world. As the Mother of God, Mary received, nurtured, and brought forth the physical body of Christ. Now, she works constan