Christmas – 2014

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

To my brothers and sisters in Christ at St. James, Merry Christmas! It is with great joy that I write to you as we celebrate the Mystery and Miracle of Our Lord’s Birth. I pray that you all have been able to share in that joy through the fellowship of family and friends as we come together in the spirit of the season.

That same spirit must now infuse our hearts and minds as we look forward to the New Year. The secular world has been telling us for some time that this is the season of giving, and to a certain point this is true. But the implication is that once Christmas Day has passed, so to has the giving season. As the example of God’s Holy Incarnation has shown us, nothing could be further from the truth. For Christians, Christmas is not a “one time only” occasion for giving, but rather a sign of continual giving; the perpetual giving represented by the Birth of the Son of God. It is in this giving that all our hope, and likewise our joy, is placed.

I pray that you all will enjoy a healthy and prosperous New Year, and that your friends and loved ones will experience the same. But most of all, I pray that each of you will be moved by the Miracle of Our Lord’s Birth to renew your Faith and to inspire that same renewal in those close to you. Let the Mystery of the Incarnation permeate your thoughts, your prayers, your every utterance, as you persevere in the secular world. I pray that you will never lose the hope that we feel in our hearts during the Christmas season. And I pray that you will forever know the Joy.