A Christmas Greeting from CommonSpirit Health
A message from Tom Kopfensteiner, STD, Chief Mission Officer
 

Christmas Light by Br. Mickey McGrath, OSFS (used with permission)

On behalf of CommonSpirit Heath, I would like to wish you an early Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope that this Christmas season is a time of rest, renewal and celebration.

I invite you to take a quiet moment to consider this painting of the nativity scene. In the birth of Jesus, God takes on our humanity to show that God is present to us in our every human experience. We see our “human stories” reflected in the sacred story of Christmas:

• The tender love of a parent for a first child.
• The courage of a family experiencing homelessness.
• The unexpected gifts we give to sustain each other.
• The coworkers who celebrate with us in achievement and grieve with us in loss.

I am mindful of the ways God has been present to our ministry in the past year. God has been present in those walking our halls as caregivers and patients; in those behind the scenes: in the laundry, in the kitchens, in the server rooms, storage rooms, and other sites unseen; in those supporting the work: in boardrooms, in Zoom calls, in remote offices across the country. This season of Christmas is a time to celebrate how God enters into our daily lives and into our health care ministry.

These graced moments in our work, these daily incarnations of God’s healing presence remind us of the sacred story we share. As you reflect this season, take a moment to consider these questions: How did God show up for you this past year? How are you being called to be the healing presence of God in this season?

In this season of reflection and joy may the sacred stories of connection, spirit and meaning from the past year be your most cherished gifts.

Tom Kopfensteiner, STD
Chief Mission Officer
CommonSpirit Health