Fr. Louis's Christmas Letter, 2006
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“The angel said to the shepherds: ‘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 the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger’” (Luke 2:10-12). Indeed, this Holy Infant, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, fills us – and the world – with joy and hope. When faced with the horrors of our day – the slaughter of the most innocent ones in the womb and those weakened by old age, terrorism and war, material and spiritual poverty, to name just a few – we can be paralyzed by fear. With the birth of Jesus, however, the angel assures us that we need not be afraid! The good news is that “the Word of God, God the Son of God, has taken on our human nature to free us from eternal death” (Saint Leo the Great, Sermon 1.2.1). May we who have been given the gift of faith embrace more fully the hope that is ours at the birth of the Savior!
During the course of the Church’s liturgical year, we celebrate the central realities of the salvation won for us by Jesus Christ. At Saint Peter we observe the Nativity of the Lord on Sunday, December 24, with Mass at 4:00 pm preceded by carols at 3:30 pm. On that Christmas Eve, we also have Mass at Midnight with the musical program beginning at 11:30 pm. On Christmas Day, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered at 8:00 am and 10:00 am.
In his Gospel, Saint Matthew (2:1-12) tells us that the wise men from the East – after having prostrated themselves and given homage to the Infant of Bethlehem – presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In imitation of their gesture of love and devotion toward Jesus, Christians customarily exchange gifts at Christmas or Epiphany. I invite you to give a sacrificial gift of $55.00 (more or less, according to your means) to your Parish of Saint Peter... As always, thank you for your generosity of time, talents, and treasure!
Please be assured that the priests at Saint Peter – Fathers Worzalla and Sakowski and myself – keep you and your loved ones in our prayers in this holy season. Please pray for us! May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, watch over you and your loved ones with her motherly care. Have a blessed Christmas and a holy New Year!
Saint Peter, pray for us!
In the Lord,
Pastor