The Bishop Writes

(From the Dec. 18, 1997 edition of the Inland Register)

The Advent season is accompanied by a flood of lights on our streets, in our homes, in stores, and sometimes even along the highway.

In our Church, we focus on Advent as a time of preparation and hopeful expectation. Our lights and trees remain up in our churches during the Christmas season until Epiphany indicating our continued celebration of Christ’s coming.

The simple Christmas scene in Bethlehem has a great attractive quality. Young and old alike are held spellbound by its simplicity and the humble surroundings of the birth of the Christ child. I’ve had the opportunity several times to celebrate Mass in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Square. The place has special significance and mystique.

We celebrate the birth of Jesus at Eucharist. Christmas plays and pageants abound. The celebration of Las Posadas in the Hispanic tradition is a wonderful way to keep the Christmas story alive in our hearts.

The Christmas songs in stores, shopping malls, and on the radio reflect the festive spirit amongst us. Many of these carols are religious in nature as we are touched by the tradition that has grown up around this great moment in salvation history.

Events surrounding the birth were at best rather difficult. Yet, the star guided the three wise men, and the great light of that special moment continues to give us a sense of greater perspective and appreciation in our lives.

Our world today in many ways finds itself suffering in pain and alienation. Massive numbers of infants and children die every day. Ethnic and racial hatred as well as intertribal violence afflict people with a terrible impact in many parts of the world.

Yet, as on that first Christmas, the light of Christ shines. That light is especially glorious and powerful because it comes from a vulnerable infant in a manger who is king of kings. Jesus comes as a human being that the human race might know more clearly God’s love and be restored and renewed in relationship to our Father and Creator.

The mission of that coming continues, and we as Church are part of it. Mary carries the Christ Child in her body and mothers him as an infant, child and youth. Through her "Yes," Jesus came into the world as Savior and Brother. So too we carry the presence of Jesus within ourselves. The most important lights in this Christmas season are in each of us and all of us together -- the light of Christ. Whatever sadness and darkness there might be in the world can be overcome by the light of Christ.

Our mission as disciples of Jesus is to keep that light burning in our hearts that others might see the way as we are shown the way. "You are the light of the world" is no idle command. We must take these words very seriously. The light of our lives shining together can especially be powerful and effective.

Christmastime affirms us in the light of Christ and gives us opportunity to make that light shine. Our annual Christmas Appeal for Catholic Charities is certainly one of the ways we as a diocesan community can be a light. We can make a difference in the name of Jesus who asks us to love neighbor. Our generosity can give witness to the kind of vulnerability we find in the Infant Savior who "came to serve and not be served."

I encourage you to be as generous as possible in supporting the work of Catholic Charities. This is an important way of expressing our love in the name of Jesus to our brothers and sisters in need.

Finally, I would like to express to all of you and your families my prayers and best wishes for a blessed and joyful Christmas. May God bless you and give you peace.

Home