Christmas is the time of the year when everything is covered with newness. Bright lights shine, love abounds and gift giving is the language that everyone speaks in unison. Sometimes though we can easily be drawn by the glitter of secular festivities and forget the real reason why Christmas is such a joyous memorial. 

We have many challenges ahead of us, but I know that the grace of God is greater than anything else. Your prayers and support are pillars of strength. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us remember that Jesus, the Word Incarnate, came into the world so that we may have life in abundance. 

God bless you and your family and may you all have a meaningful Christmas and continued blessings in the New Year. 

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux said that the season of Advent must prepare us for the three comings of Christ: in flesh, as during the first Christmas, in spirit, as through the sacraments, and in glory, as in the resurrection of the dead. 

The pressing question for us today is how do we prepare ourselves for these three comings, which I encourage you to reflect on during these remaining days of Advent. As a community of faith, we must have a collective response to this challenge. What things does our parish community do to prepare for the coming of Jesus?

Let us commit ourselves during this second week of Advent to the ongoing process of preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord.