When the Lord Jesus was born of the Virgin, the whole creation lit up. Behold: shepherds keep watch, the Magi adore, angels sing hymns of praise and Herod trembles for the Savior of our souls has appeared in the flesh.
My dearest brothers and sisters in Christ,
Christ IS Born – З Різдвом Христовим
I would, on this glorious feast of the birth of Our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, extend my sincerest best wishes and greetings to all who read this Bulletin. It is my priestly prayer that each of you may truly experience the peace and joy of this feast. May each of you also experience, in some special way, the joy which this feast is meant to bring – a joy which only faith can make real because it tells us that God IS With Us.
It is also my hope that each of you may also be filled with the knowledge that God came into our world in the Person of Jesus, the Christ, so that we might know that we are loved and that He revealed by his incarnation that He truly understands human life. Because of His incarnation, we no longer have to ever feel that we are making life’s journey alone. Our God not only understands the vicissitudes of life’s journey but has experienced them.
As the man Jesus, God knows the joys and sorrows of life! He is familiar with life’s struggles and successes. He is acquainted with friendship and betrayal. He understands the challenges of human life. He realizes the power of forgiveness and gratitude. He grasps the horror of hatred and cruelty. He appreciates loneliness and helplessness.
While our God knows all the challenges and struggles that we must face, He proved humankind’s ability to love instead of hate, to endure instead of give up, to hope instead of despair and to be content instead of anxious. He proved humankind’s ability to trust in God.
One of the wonderful things about this feast is that it expresses God’s overwhelming love for us, His children. Think about it. He voluntarily took on human flesh so that we would never have to feel that we are alone on life’s journey. He showed us how to live in order to truly comprehend the magnificence and beauty of human life.
May your Christmas be filled with an abundance of joy, happiness, peace and love. May your faith be strengthened so that you can truly declare from the bottom of your heart: GOD IS WITH US!
Merry Christmas, Fr. Wayne