Dear Parishioners:
The celebration of Christmas is an occasion for great joy and deep faith. We rejoice in the birth of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. We remember his First Coming in the stable at Bethlehem and long for the Prince of Peace to come into our homes and hearts now.
This year, we long fervently for the Prince of Peace to return to the land of his birth. Christmas is subdued and solemn in the City of our Savior's Birth. No Christmas tree adorns Nativity Square. The City of Bethlehem, which neighbors Jerusalem in the West Bank, is just 30 miles from the war in Gaza. So, our fervent prayer this Christmas must be for peace. Peace in our home and country, Ukraine, the Holy Land, and worldwide. Pope Francis said: "Let us pray for peace: peace in the world and in each of our hearts."
As we look for the meaning of Christmas, we need to unwrap Jesus from all the glitter and tinsel around us. We must see that Christmas is about something other than giving expensive presents or having the perfect meal. Rather, Christmas is about God's precious gift to us, His Son Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
With the violence and destruction of war in too many countries today, we need that "peace that the world cannot give." As the Prophet Isaiah reminds us: "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests, They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace." Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, whose birth two thousand years ago, we celebrate at Christmas, is the same God-made -Man who died thirty-three years later upon the Cross. He did so to bring us true peace and eternal salvation.
Christmas cannot be divorced from the events of Easter. Our faith teaches us that Jesus Christ is the One who can bring true peace to the nations and the peoples of the world. And so, as we celebrate Christmas in peace and tranquility amid the security of our homes and the love of our friends and family, let us remember those who have no peace.
During the First Week of Advent, I made my annual retreat at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. The Monks dedicate their entire lives to ora et labora (work and prayer). Manuel labor daily except on Sundays. Prayer daily, five times a day, beginning at 2:30 am. Yet, to look upon them is to see not only deep faith but also true joy and peace.
On retreat, I read a published letter from a young monk written to his parents at Christmas. In it, he writes of his first Christmas in the Monastery: "You perhaps cannot comprehend how we celebrate Christmas here; on Christmas Day, we stay in our cell all day, except for communal prayer in church, occupied with nothing but contemplating what happened in the stable near Bethlehem. No Christmas carols, no crib, no Christmas tree (not even a little branch of it), no gifts, and no candles: nothing, quite nothing save what happened at Bethlehem. And yet, I can assure you quite honestly that I have never experienced such a joyful Christmas. Here, the joy is deeper." We don't have to go to a Monastery to find the joy and peace of Christmas.
Look for it amidst the noise and distractions of the holiday. On Christmas Day, contemplate the birth of our Savior quietly and prayerfully. If we do, we can gratefully appreciate, truly comprehend, and joyfully celebrate the gift of Christmas: God's only Son born on that cold and dark night in the stable at Bethlehem so long ago. Because of Christmas, we can never be alone.
Those who live in war, injustice, and persecution are not alone. Those in hospitals and nursing homes who suffer from sickness and isolation are not alone. Those who are sorrowful, fearful, lonely, addicted, homeless, and hungry are not alone. For "God is with us!" Emmanuel has come! This is the cause of true joy, the joy of Christians.
Father Mahoney, Father Connors, and I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas. May it be full of joy, peace, hope, and faith! You and your families are remembered in prayer and at our celebration of Christmas Masses. May the blessings of the Prince of Peace be yours this Christmas and in the New Year. A Blessed Christmas Season. Be well. Do good. God Bless. "Peace on earth, goodwill to men!"
