May the light of Christmas give you peace and joy!
Merry Christmas everyone! During Advent we made special efforts to prepare to celebrate anew the birth of Christ our Savior. As you know, it is the year of Grace and by God’s free gift of grace we are experiencing changes and new life through freedom from sin. Like you, I had many opportunities to serve Christ in others and I found it a special gift of grace to have done so. I was also consciously aware that when I wished someone a “Merry Christmas” at the grocery store, the restaurant or along the street, I intended to be a witness to the real and true meaning for the season – Jesus Christ the Savior’s birthday is here! I wasn’t influenced by fear of offending someone or afraid of not being politically correct. I am proud of my faith as a Catholic and of my God for being so great and good! Christ is present in the world!
One of the first things that St. Paul mentions in his letter to Titus is that the ”grace of God has appeared, saving all . . .” One of the things that has been a source of joy for me is to recognize the way this grace from God has appeared within our own community. People in Lebanon who are not parishioners have told me how wonderful the people of St. Edward parish are. The toy give-away and food-baskets have also shown Christ’s compassionate care for the poor and those in need. The most prominent to me has been the way the communities of St. Edward, St. Thomas, and St. Bernard engage in outreach to those in need. There are many kinds of gifts for which we are thankful and enjoy sharing, and rightly so, but above them all is Christ who brings us to each other and holds us together in his love.
May God continue to bless us and make His light shine through us to all the world! +++ Fr. Peter