Dear Friends,

We have just passed the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, and we will now enjoy a little more light each day. Christmas itself is a feast of lights, isn't it? Trees are brought into homes and made radiant with brilliant lights; yards and streets are also illuminated; stores are decorated with lights. The whole world is illuminated. In other ways, too, our lives are aglow with light. Families come together and are sometimes reunited after many years; kind wishes and gift-giving strengthen bonds of love and friendship, and memories are brought back to life while new memories are born. These events of grace truly light up our lives.

As we resume our out-of-season activities, let us not forget to bring Christ our Light along with us. The beauty of being Christ's disciples is that we are transformed into a new creation, a people set apart to proclaim the good news and to bear hope, faith, love, and unity.

The world needs more of God's presence, and this is what Christmas is all about. Mary's boy child, Jesus Christ’s other name, is "Emmanuel or Immanuel" in Hebrew, meaning God with us. Let us commit ourselves to sharing this beautiful story in which God has taken the initiative to communicate his love to us by taking on our own nature. He draws close to humanity, intimately present even in difficult times. He is with mankind, especially the smallest and most vulnerable. Starting with the frightened Shepherds, the message of the Angels is,"....Do not be afraid for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord” (Luke 2:10-11)

God's graciousness to all nations is fulfilled in Christ. St. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, expresses this more clearly. "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father! So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child, then also an heir, through God."

The recent celebration of the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, being the first day of the Year was received by firework lighting up our skies, yet Mary's elevation as the Mother of God honors her unique role as the mother of Jesus Christ, emphasizing her as the "God-bearer" (Theotokos) and a model of faith, marking the octave of Christmas to reflect on Christ's divinity and humanity, and serves as a call for peace in the New Year. The Epiphany of the Lord, which follows after the celebration of the Holy Name of Jesus, reminds us to sing the Lord's praises and, with the Magi, we worship the long-awaited Messiah and King of the whole world. The Epiphany also reminds us of the Light: Isaiah the prophet promises a light full of hope to an entire nation of Israel that had suffered defeat at the hands of the Babylonians. He proclaims that the darkness of despair has been lifted, and a new day of restoration has dawned. "Arise! Shine, for your light has come, the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you." (Isaiah 60:1)

Matthew's Gospel describes a different light; the Magi (the three wise men from the east were led to the child by the light of the star. "When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” (Mathew 2:1-2) In some parts of the world, stars are visible on every clear night, and this makes one wonder, what unique star is this that is talked about in the Gospel? Whether this star was an actual celestial phenomenon or a metaphor for another kind of enlightenment, all interpreters agree that it was a sign of an extraordinary event and a form of divine providence that led the Magi to the Child Jesus.

In contemplating the Christmas events, we are invited to spiritually set out on a journey, attracted by the humility of Him who became man to meet every man. The Magi brought gifts to the newborn King, and that ought to motivate us to be generous and grateful in our own way to show the world that we are blessed by the gift of God's Son, Christ our Light. Jesus, who is the focus and changer of lives, did not wish us peace in a remote manner while remaining at a distance. He took flesh and was born by the Blessed Virgin Mary. He is Emmanuel, “God with us." (Isaiah 7:14, Mathew 1:23)

Jesus' incarnation and birth are for all people, and it is an affirmation of God's ultimate promise to be present with His people, offering strength, hope, and rescue. Christmas and New Year invite us to start a new life following the footsteps of Christ, who humbled himself and became one like us. He was born in a very poor setting, laid in a Manger, and was surrounded by the shepherds and their animals in a dark, cold cave in Bethlehem. His arrival cast away the darkness, “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." (Luke 2:13-14)

Jesus is the shining example of one who intervenes in action, willingly mediating a reconciliation between God and His people. We need to search for Jesus Christ not just in our scriptures and our churches. Let us see Him (Jesus) in every circumstance in life. Like Mary Magdalene, we need to recognize his voice in the caretaker at the cemetery. (John 20:11-18)

Like the discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus, we need to recognize his presence in strangers whose words make our hearts burn inside us (Luke 24:13-35). As we enter the new year, while enmeshed as we are with multiple conflicts of varying kinds and magnitudes, let us not allow darkness and fear to obscure us from God's graciousness to all nations. In and out of Season, our wishes and gifts to one another are meaningless without peace and justice in the world. 

Peace “is the duty that unites all humanity in a common search for justice… peace is the definitive and eternal good that we hope for everyone.” (Pope Leo XIV). If we treat each other as brothers, sisters, friends, or neighbors, our world will be a wonderful one. Oh yes, it will be a wonderful world. Work for peace and cherish peace; let's make true peace in our hearts so that we can continue celebrating our new life with God in Christ, the Light and Savior of the world.

Through the intercession of Mary, the Blessed Mother of God, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and her Blessed Spouse St. Joseph (Patron and Protector of the Church), and St. Andre Bessette, may the Lord grant all our needs and keep us safe, healthy, and happier throughout the New Year 2026. Amen.

Jesus, I trust in you...

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