Beloved brothers and sisters,
Have a Merry Christmas!
Christmas is about Christ! The statement states the obvious. Isn't it? Wait! If it is a clear and common truth that everyone who celebrates Christmas knows, why is there an ongoing campaign by Christians, for example, the Knights of Columbus' project of distributing car magnets with the inscription, "Keep Christ in Christmas? It is apparent then that the culture war on keeping Christ in Christmas indicates that not all who celebrate Christmas consciously adore and praise Christ during the Christmas celebration.
Christmas for us Catholics is Christ's Mass. So we find meaning in the Christmas holiday by going to mass. In Mass, we experience a deep sense of what God did to begin the work of our redemption. We see the effect of the incarnation in mass. The word becomes flesh and dwells among us in the Christmas liturgy. The account of Jesus' birth comes alive, and we can "come and worship" him in his body and blood. God is with us, Emmanuel. The anointed one, Christ, truly becomes one of us to redeem us. Incarnation manifests God's love and the light shone upon our world. Christ is why Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. We are joyful because God took on our humanity to save us from sin and death. Christ becoming human is the cause of our joy.
We share that joy with our families and friends. We share it by giving ourselves and our gifts to each other. We even extend the giving to strangers and many who have no one to share the spirit of Christ with them. We are happy and share our joy because of Christ. So, in the spirit of Christ, we say Merry Christmas!
On behalf of the parish staff, I say Merry Christmas to you all. May the glory that the birth of Jesus brings on that "Silent Night" in Bethlehem when he took our flesh radiate in the heart of every one of you, your family, and your loved ones.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Fr. Bernard "Joy" Oniwe, OP.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Christmas is about Christ! The statement states the obvious. Isn't it? Wait! If it is a clear and common truth that everyone who celebrates Christmas knows, why is there an ongoing campaign by Christians, for example, the Knights of Columbus' project of distributing car magnets with the inscription, "Keep Christ in Christmas? It is apparent then that the culture war on keeping Christ in Christmas indicates that not all who celebrate Christmas consciously adore and praise Christ during the Christmas celebration.
Christmas for us Catholics is Christ's Mass. So we find meaning in the Christmas holiday by going to mass. In Mass, we experience a deep sense of what God did to begin the work of our redemption. We see the effect of the incarnation in mass. The word becomes flesh and dwells among us in the Christmas liturgy. The account of Jesus' birth comes alive, and we can "come and worship" him in his body and blood. God is with us, Emmanuel. The anointed one, Christ, truly becomes one of us to redeem us. Incarnation manifests God's love and the light shone upon our world. Christ is why Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. We are joyful because God took on our humanity to save us from sin and death. Christ becoming human is the cause of our joy.
We share that joy with our families and friends. We share it by giving ourselves and our gifts to each other. We even extend the giving to strangers and many who have no one to share the spirit of Christ with them. We are happy and share our joy because of Christ. So, in the spirit of Christ, we say Merry Christmas!
On behalf of the parish staff, I say Merry Christmas to you all. May the glory that the birth of Jesus brings on that "Silent Night" in Bethlehem when he took our flesh radiate in the heart of every one of you, your family, and your loved ones.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Fr. Bernard "Joy" Oniwe, OP.
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