Dear Family!

The word ‘Christmas’ dates back to 12th Century. It was two words before - Christes maesse and it became Christemasse. We understand it literally meant ‘Christ’s mass’ referred to the special service to honor the birth of our Savior. We honor God who is incarnated in our human sinful body to make it holy so that Jesus could elevate us to experience God’s image and likeness.

In the words of Pope Benedict, “Today is the great solemnity that shows the world that the Word incarnate, the Savior of mankind, is finally born. God becoming truly man is an enormous event. Something truly happens that goes beyond any evolutionary process: the fusion of man and God, the creature and the Creator. It is not the progression of another step in the evolutionary process, but the eruption of a personal action, founded on love, that from this point forward reveals to men new space and possibilities. (Joseph Ratzinger in God and the World: A Conversation with Peter Seewald, 2001, p. 197).”

We honor God first by adoring Jesus as true God who is born for us. By acknowledging God’s nearness and long for God’s nearness we express our spirit of Christmas personally as well as a community. We honor Jesus in His divinity as well as in His humanity. He is born of Virgin Mary - a sign given to all of us! - A virgin is with a child. We also honor Jesus by realizing more and more the ‘spiritual’ birth of Jesus in our hearts.

As God shares God’s everything with us today (God’s total joy, God’s total love, God’s love self-giving is Jesus), we are inspired to open our hearts to share that God-given joy and love to one another! Merry Christmas to all of you! “I thank my God… Each time I think of you, and when I pray for you, I pray with joy!” (Philippians 1:3)

Let us also be thankful for all the opportunities that God gave us in the year 2022. I thank God for the parish community; you are one of the best gifts of God to me in 2022. Your words of wisdom, encouragement, support and generosity were the highlights of my life in 2022. This New Year has so many blessings in them.

A special word of thanks to our Decoration Committee, Choir, servers, Liturgical ministers, clergy for all their dedication and love for our parish.

Fr. Antony

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