Christmas 2016
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
In the Christmas event, the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ, we experience the essence of goodness, beauty and truth. On behalf of Bishop-emeritus Gerald A. Gettelfinger and myself, I wish all a Christmas Season filled with joy, grace and peace.
In his book, “Accepting the Mystery; Spiritual Reflections for Advent and Christmas,” Walter Cardinal Kasper shares the meaning of Christmas. Quoting sacred scripture, “Christ the Savior is born,” he writes: “God has come to us, become one of us, not in the palaces of the rich and powerful; but in the poverty of the manger among poor and simple shepherds in their fields…God’s Son became like us, he took on our meager human nature so that we can share in his divine nature” (p. 27). He goes on to explain how we come to discover both God and ourselves in Jesus Christ.
The discovery of God and ourselves in the Christmas experience is the foundation of our communion as Church, as the Body of Christ, as one human family. That discovery is made possible through personal encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. In and through Him, we are capable of those concrete actions of Christ-like love that Pope Francis exhorts us to embrace; namely, dialogue, forgiveness, accompaniment and acts of mercy. These are gifts finer than even gold, frankincense and myrrh.
May the spirit of Christmas inspire us as missionary disciples to seek out and engage in the grace of encounter through both worship and service. May we be especially attentive to the poor and vulnerable in our midst, taking no person for granted, with particular concern for the family and care for the environment. All this we discover in a manger, in the tiny village of Bethlehem, taking our place with the Holy Family. May our lives, relationships and families remain Christ-centered like that of Mary and Joseph. With assurance of my prayers and best wishes, I remain
Yours in Christ,
Bishop Charles C. Thompson
