Christmas Is Just Days Away

My Dear Parishioners,

Christmas is just days away and the celebrations have already begun, and we should celebrate and celebrate big!

The Scripture accounts about the Nativity fill us with hope and joy. The Nativity accounts lead us to celebrate as they confirm that a Savior is born to us; God has become man; we can now share in the Glory of God. The Prologue of the Gospel of John joyfully proclaims: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing came to be. What came to be through Him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it……And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth…   From His fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of St. Luke adds to our sense of hope and joy: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Our Christmas Masses begin Christmas Eve at 4:00PM and 6:30PM and continue with our Christmas Masses at Midnight and 7:30AM, 9:30AM, and 11:30AM. I am looking forward to my first Christmas as your pastor.

I will be spending Christmas with my family. Since we are both Polish and Italian descent, we have the best of both worlds when it comes to Christmas dinner. I hope that you will be with your friends and family and also again enjoy your family traditions.

May you carry the hope and joy of the Nativity in your hearts day and night, and if I may, on behalf of our staff, may I offer you and yours an early Merry Christmas!

Fr. Michael J Pawelko, Pastor