My Christmas Wish

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas Day and continue the celebration throughout this joyous, holy season. This was a wonderful Christmas for us. See, the focus was on the birth of Jesus and not as much on the gifts, the cookies or the like. While all these things can be good, they should be the least priority. It was the Christ Mass that, while being unwrapped, filled my soul with a joy and peace that cannot be found in material possessions.

It is very easy to get swept into materialism, but this is not the way of the Christian. God has better things in store for us. No treasure on this earth can even slightly compare to our treasure in Heaven, which is being prepared by God for those who love Him.

If you have been away from the Church for whatever reason, make this the year to Come Home. If you don't belong to a parish or are feeling apprehensive about attending Mass because it has been so long, ask a friend to go along with you. If you are someone who does attend the Sacraments regularly, invite someone to attend with you. We can never know what is in someone's heart, for they just may be waiting for someone to ask.

God has placed various people in our lives for various reasons. A single word or smile can not only brighten someone's day, but can change their whole disposition. Choose your words carefully, as you never know if someone is silently struggling or suffering and your very words could trigger despair. Remember the words of our Mothers: "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all." Though I would go further and remember the words of our Lord: "Bless those who curse you." God is never outdone in generosity - He will see to it that your blessing is returned and then some.

My prayer for you this Christmas is that you be filled with His Love and Peace and that the Holy Spirit renew your Hope that we all can become new. Merry Christmas!



"No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire." St. Ignatius of Loyola