Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

Merry Christmas to each of you! As we celebrate the birth of Christ we are reminded of how much God loves each and everyone one of us. It is a time for us to remember the promise that God has made us in the Old Testament through His prophets that He would send us a Messiah – a Savior. His promise is fulfilled in the New Testament through the birth of His Son Jesus Christ.

We remember that it is through Jesus Christ that we are saved. Because of His birth, suffering, death and resurrection, we have been restored to the love of God and to sharing eternal life in the heavenly kingdom for all eternity. It is a reminder of God’s great love for all of us and all His creation.

Christmas is a time when heaven touches the earth. Jesus is named “Emmanuel” which translates into “God with us.” God is with us throughout our lives because we are the Lord’s possession. May we remember to make room in our hearts this Christmas for Jesus Christ – the greatest gift ever given to all of humanity.

Christmas is one of the most important days of the Church year, second only to Easter itself. It is the feast of the incarnation, the feast of God becoming flesh (the Latin “(In carne” means “enfleshment”). It is a uniquely Christian teaching, the Divine choosing to become one of us. Because of this belief, God is not only Transcendent, but also wholly Immanent, Emmanuel (God-with-us). While remaining Transcendent (meaning we must rise above our present condition to reach Him), He is at the same time Immanent (meaning he is with us as we rise toward Him). Every Eucharist is like Christmas where the bread and wine are transformed into His flesh, His Body and Blood, and, in a sense, he is born anew on the altar.

The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. During this season, we celebrate the birth of Christ into our world and into our hearts, and reflect on the gift of salvation that is born with Him…including the fact that He was born to die for us.
The Christmas tree and the Nativity scene are popular symbols of the season and a tradition in many Christian homes. It is also traditional to exchange Christmas gifts with family and friends as a way to honor God the Father’s gift of His only Son to the world. Having received the gift of Christ, we naturally want to pass that gift along to our loved ones.

May your Christmas be filled with an out-pouring of God’s Blessings!

Fr. David