Dear Parishioners:
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light," the words of Isaiah proclaimed on Christmas Night. We live in the joy of the Christmas season, and it has very little to do with secular festivities. We rejoice because Jesus Christ is Emmanuel – "God with us."
Christians celebrate December 25th not as just another secular holiday but much more deeply as the Messiah's day of birth. This birthday, in the words of St. Leo the Great, is the birth of life itself. God loved us so much that He sent us His only Son to save us. He loved us enough to take on our poverty, doubts, fears, hopes, joys, sufferings, and failures. He became man to show men and women how much God loves them. He was born for that purpose, lived for that purpose, and died and rose again for that purpose. It's never too late to invite the Christ Child, the Messiah, into our hearts, and our homes. Surely this weary world living in the darkness of pandemic needs "the great light" born on Christmas.
Every household living in isolation needs the presence of the Divine Messiah. May God grant each of us, and those we love, the gift of welcoming Jesus Christ into our hearts and homes this Christmas Season and throughout the coming new year. As the great English Catholic author, G. K. Chesterton wrote: "Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home."
We give thanks to the people who make our celebration of Christmas so very joyous at OLM. The Church is beautiful with its decorations, the Christmas music superb, and our altar servers are outstanding. Although it was a different Christmas than we've experienced before due to the pandemic, it was indeed a joyful and faithful Christmas as always at OLM.
We thank our good Franciscan Apostolic Sisters, Sister Emma and Sister Lourdes, for their hard work in making OLM so beautiful at Christmas with their decorating, cleaning, polishing, and setting up for the Masses. Their hard work is done with humility, gentleness, and great joy! We thank Paul Anderson and our OLM maintenance crew for ensuring the Church is clean and safe by hanging wreaths, stringing lights on trees and so many other things they do. During this pandemic, especially at Christmas, they work doubly hard, and we are grateful. We thank our dedicated Altar Servers for their reverent service at Christmas Masses. We are thankful to our Lectors for boldly proclaiming the good news of Christmas. We truly thank our OLM Music Director, Henri St. Louis, for the beautiful music of the Feast of Christmas! It is a blessing to have such good people dedicate themselves to our parish! In your name, I offer deep gratitude and continued appreciation for all they do for OLM!
On behalf of Fr. Barrow, Fr. Connors, Sister Lourdes, and Sister Emma, I offer our thanks to the parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy Parish for your faithful witness and joyful spirit in celebrating Christmas. We thank the many kind parishioners who support our priestly and parish ministry here at OLM. Your many well wishes, greeting cards with warm sentiments and kind words, and generous and thoughtful gifts at Christmas are deeply appreciated, and we are so very grateful. May God bless you and your families, and our parish, with the continued joy and happiness of this season.
The New Year of 2021 is coming soon, so join us on New Year's Day for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. Attending Holy Mass on New Year's is the absolute best way to start the New Year. As the great Churchman of the 20th Century, Antonio Cardinal Bacci said: “Since we are at the beginning of a new year, it is especially important for us to ask God more fervently and insistently, to bless the resolutions which are making for ourselves and the good wishes, which we are showering on our friends. These wishes have no meaning and these resolutions have no force, if they are not accompanied by fervent and persevering prayer!”
On this Feast of the Holy Family, may God bless all families with faith, hope, and love. Stay safe. Be Well. Do Good. God Bless. A Happy Christmas Season and Blessings for a Happy New Year!