Brothers and sisters, Merry Christmas!
“She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”
(Matthew 1)
The prophecies have been fulfilled. It’s all true. Jesus is born. He is not some mythological figure. He is the one who died and rose again to save us – and sends us on mission. Now is the time to rejoice and receive His love.
You don’t have to look far in our world to see the suffering that sin and death has caused. But when we look to the manger and see Jesus, we see the source of our hope.
No one loves us more than Jesus. He was born to lay down his life so we could be free from the enemy.
During these recent weeks of Advent, I invited our parishes to focus on the foundational message that describes our faith: God created us out of love, but we were captured by sin and death. God became one of us to rescue us, defeat death, and invite us to join him on mission to redeem the world.
As we now enter into the Christmas Season, I pray that the message of being rescued by Jesus will resonate with you more deeply. I invite you to open your heart to the endless love of Jesus – and share that love with others.
I pray that you will know that God has come to save not just humanity generally, but you personally. In this season of Eucharistic revival, may you experience the reception of Holy Communion as an intimate encounter with Jesus. Renewed in that love – make a concrete resolution to reach out to someone in need – whether that need be material or spiritual. Invite a friend to join you for Christmas Mass. Share a special gift with someone who might not expect it. Let them know the love of Jesus is for them, too.
The best gift we can possibly receive has already been given to us: Jesus Christ. No matter how bleak the world may seem, no matter what challenges we face – Jesus came to rescue us and give us eternal life. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn 1).
Trust Jesus. He loves you … and he will give you what you need to continue his rescue mission. I will be praying for you.
Your servant,
Most Reverend Robert J. McClory
Bishop
Diocese of Gary