Dearly Beloved in the Lord, Christmas is preeminently a feast of joy. In the radiant faces of our children and grandchildren, in the sparkle of their eyes, in the exchanges of gifts and greetings, in the warm and melodious sounds of Christmas carols, we see a glimpse of humanity’s deepest longings for joy, peace, sharing, unity, health, love and celebration.
These aspirations are even more evident now, especially during this pandemic, where many of our normal day to day activities have either been altered or curtailed in the abundance of caution, which has been advised by our health officials as well as our government leaders.
Christmas is an invitation to us to seek the fulfillment of our desires through Christ, who became man, lived among us and embraced us with his love. The message of this great feast of the Church is full of hope, for Christ is Emmanuel, God is with Us! Christmas is not merely a promise but already a fulfillment because Christ, God’s priceless gift to us, is already given! All we need to do is receive his gift by faith, an open heart and obedience under the lordship of Christ. Without accepting the call of Christ, without receiving the loving forgiveness of the One who was crucified for us, Christmas remains an unfulfilled dream.
Christmas in many ways will be different this year for most of us but what is constant is God’s love for his creation and for our Holy Church, in which we together Glorify Him for every gift He has given us. Irregardless of our present circumstances there are many ways for us to remember God’s many graces upon us, our children and our grand-children.
Please make every effort to celebrate this Nativity season with all the warmth, love and peace of Christmas’ past but praying especially with fervent supplication, that Our Saviour may grant us good health and prosperity in the coming New Year!
