No matter what the future may hold for St. Joseph's, this will be my last Christmas as your pastor. It seemed to me that I should have some special Christmas homily. But, no matter what the future holds, I will continue celebrating Mass until my health or age prevents it, so my "last" is probably not my last, after all.

So, instead of leaving a legacy, let me tell you a story. It's about Jesse, an old guy who spent his career working each advent as a "Mall Santa."

It's December 24th. The shoppers are mostly gone. Jesse gets up from his Santa chair, stretches, takes off his beard, and steps down off the platform. Like every other evening, he's tired. But like every past December 24th, he's also relieved ... and a little sad.