Christmas Message for 2024

Greetings my beloved Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus and may God’s blessings be upon each of you and your loved ones. As we celebrate the wonderous birth of the Christ child, try to take some quiet moments to ponder this wonderful feast. Our annual remembrance of God the Father sending us his Son to take on human form in order that our sins are forgiven so that we may spend eternity with our creator. God knew all too well our human weaknesses and failures in keeping to his laws. Since the time of Adam, he continues to shepherd each of us through the Gospels and the prophets which guide us and giving us hope in foretelling of the second coming of the Messiah.

We can only imagine the joy and awe Mary and Joseph must have felt experiencing the birth of baby Jesus. They held the Son of God in their arms and no doubt could feel the presence of God in their midst. Although God knew us all too well, it was through Jesus and his human nature were perhaps a bit revealing. Not only through Jesus’ own perception as the Son of God but also through sharing in the lives of his blessed Mother Mary and Joseph his foster father. Jesus experienced and witnessed so many human feelings and emotions and thoughts which brought him even closer to us if that was possible.

Jesus experienced the tenderness of motherly love and how deeply we are affected by our own mother’s love. A mother’s tender touch and caring concern about our welfare leaves an imprint on our souls. Our mothers nurse us, feed protect and nurture us into the men and women we become. So too our fathers teach us so many lessons of honesty and showed us how to be faithful in our commitment to God as his loving servants. It is by our parent’s example that help shape the way in which we lead our daily lives.

Surely, Jesus witnessed human imperfections, doubts, fears, insecurities and so many other human frailties is which may be why God is so very patient with us. The human nature of his divine Son could have provided our heavenly Father with a deeper insight into just how fragility of our human nature. Jesus was so very patient and loving with all those he met. He could see into the very hearts and minds of the men and women. Scripture tells of his divine mercy and how our suffering touched his merciful heart and how he healed so many through his compassionate love for humanity.

His compassion and understanding are marked by his forgiveness of Peter’s denial of him not once but three times. He knows the depts of human love not only through his loving parents Mary and Joseph but also through his Apostles who loved as well and disciples including Mary of Magdala. Just as we experience the tremendous effects of the bond of human love for one another Jesus too showered his love upon his disciples and all the faithful then as he does today.

Unfortunately, scripture does not tell us much about the childhood of Jesus. Probably many of us would like to know about the childhood of Jesus. Who were his playmates? What games did he enjoy playing? What was his awareness of his divinity in his youth and how did he relate to his friends and family? One thing we can surmise is that he was kind and loving and gracious to all those he met as a child. We only know of the story when he remained behind in Jerusalem to teach the scholars in the temple area. While he was perhaps disobedient in human terms, he may well have been anxious to share and teach the faithful of some small part of knowledge he possessed of scripture and the will of God.

When Jesus was not found among those in the party traveling home after their religious celebration his absence caused the blessed Mother and Joseph to be filled with worry and concern about his whereabouts. They went about searching desperately for him all the way back to Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph were filled with relief and joy when they found him in the temple teaching to chief priests and scholars of the law. As we contemplate his actions it moves our hearts with the knowledge at even a young age Jesus was already doing the work of his heavenly Father interpreting and quoting scripture to all those who would listen to the divine word of God.

Truly this is a time of rejoicing the birth of Jesus and the humble role Mary and Joseph played in the raising of the child Jesus and the joy and love that existed and continues to exist in the Holy Family. Jesus’ love of Blessed Mary and his foster father Joseph is an example for us all. God the Father chose them carefully for he could see into the pure and loving hearts of Mary and Joseph. God the father can also see into your hearts and see the love you have for him and his creations. Let us celebrate together the love we have for Jesus and one another today and every day.

For today God looks into our hearts and minds and finds that they truly belong to him not only in faith but in good works as well. Let us pray that our hearts and minds remain in the love of God the Father, his precious Son our savior and the Holy Spirit. May we remain the faithful children of God in both in word and deed.

Pax et bonum,
+John