“In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son” (Hebrews I:1-2).

Merry Christmas to all!

With deep joy and gratitude, I extend to you my prayerful best wishes for a holy and blessed Christmas. As we have come through the beautiful season of Advent in preparation for the celebration of the Incarnation of our Lord, it has been my prayer that each of you would find opportunities to reflect on your own faith and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church.

Whatever it is that our hearts and souls desire, whether we realize it or not, our ultimate desire is joy, peace, mercy, and love; in other words, what we desire is Jesus Christ. For this reason, we are filled with joy and consolation at Christmas to know that all we have longed for has been fulfilled in the person of the Christ Child. I remember a Christmas card with the message, “This Christmas, I wish you Jesus,” on the outside, and on the inside, it said, “Isn't it nice to have everything!”

In the midst of all our current challenges and concerns, the love of God the Father is made manifest to us in the wonderful gift of His Son, Jesus. With the angels in Bethlehem, our faith moves us to sing “Glory to God in the highest and peace to His people on earth!” This time of year, perhaps more so than any other, we recognize that true peace on earth flows from our recognition and praise of God in our lives.

As we welcome our parish family, extended family, and friends to Blessed Sacrament, as well as our brothers and sisters who, for various reasons, have not been to Mass or have not partaken in the Sacraments for a long while, we have a wonderful and grace-filled opportunity to gather and renew our relationship with the Lord and His Church and with each other. Together let us grow in strength and love to know and celebrate together God's presence in our lives and His dominion over all things of this world and the world to come.

As our calendar year comes to a close, as well as my tenure at Blessed Sacrament, I do want to express my sincere thanks to you, the parishioners and staff, for all you have done to build up the Body of Christ at this parish. When I reflect on the three years that I have been here, I marvel—and prayerfully thank God—for the tenacity of all who have remained steadfast in faith, prayerful in duty, and joyful in heart and soul through some very difficult times, not only in our parish and country, but in your personal lives as well. And thank you for letting me part of your life.

As I mentioned in previous writings, and particularly in the last year, our parish continues to evolve and grow in ministry and apostolates, attendance at Mass and formation programs, as well as in enthusiasm and faith.

I see it and hear about it from you after Mass, in communications, and at various activities. Your generosity has kept Blessed Sacrament in a sound financial position, but most importantly, helped so many people, especially our youth, Fr. Williams’ home diocese, and charities directly supported by the parish. As with any parish, more volunteers are always needed, but those who do volunteer give of themselves in so many ways: they not only give to our fellow parishioners, but also give their time and talent back to God.

Of course, we must always remember those members of our parish, family, and friends who have gone before us and now sleep in eternal peace. During this time of year, we can often miss our font ones at gatherings, but we still possess and cherish the memories of the time we had together. Praying for the souls of the departed is an important part of our heritage and tradition in the Church and can go a long way toward healing the grief that comes from the loss of cherished relationships. Any suffering they endured here on earth is over, and let us take comfort in their peace with Christ.

May our Lord Jesus Christ, born this day in Bethlehem, bless you, your families and loved ones at this sacred time of year that is filled with hope and grace. May Mary, the Mother of the Child Jesus and our Mother, watch over you and our beloved parish.

On behalf of Fr. Williams, Deacons Bob, Jeff, and Bill, and the staff of the parish, may you have a blessed Christmas and a joyful New Year. You will always be in my heart and prayers.

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