December 2009
Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament,
PEACE and PROSPERITY be with you!
On the very first day I set foot on the town of West Point, there was a sign at the back of our church (which is now prominently situated in front) which read: “Keep Christ in Christmas”, that caught my attention.
And let this be the central theme of my Christmas message to all of you. “Keep Christ in Christmas!” Keep the Spirit of Christmas burn in your hearts.
If people ask you, “Where is Christmas today?” May your answer be, “where it has always been – with us!” Christmas is present among the humble and lowly, with those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and with those moved by the Spirit of love, the Spirit of Christ. Christmas is found whenever and wherever there is love – caring and sharing. And love, my friends, exists all around us. Let nothing and no one steal this from us, even when and/or if, we live in the worst of times.
Let the Spirit of Jesus – the Spirit of Christmas—always pervade our lives and may we always feel the embrace of Jesus today and this coming year here and everywhere. May you give “birth” to Jesus today and everyday as you give birth to hope, to love, to joy and to peace in our world. This Christmas, remember your experiences of love and ponder the events around you. Bring to prayer these following points: (1) remember what God has done for you; (2) remember God's very great promises for/to you; (3) accept God’s commands to you; and (4) act on your promises and commitments to God. By doing these things, you too will surely give birth to Jesus.
I was inclined to just greet you, “Merry Christmas”, but (I feel) it will not be enough. Let me greet you instead with these words:
Keep Christ in Christmas!
Celebrate Christmas! Celebrate Jesus!
Celebrate Life and Love and Have a Prosperous New Year!
Your Pastor,
Fr. Edgar Cleofe
2 comments:
Remembering to keep Christ the focus of the Christmas season allows me to "let go" of non-essential elements that could add stress to what should be a peaceful and joyous celebration. Thank you for echoing that sentiment, Father. And thank you, too, for the beautiful Christmas cards you created with the church's stained glass windows. You are a talented artist.
Thank you for keeping it straight and entirely real for us, Father. You are like a roaring fire in a cold room.
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