Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Christmas is the celebration of the Christ Mass. Christmas is the day when we remember, with the celebration of the Mass, that God came as the Christ or the Messiah to be our savior. The celebration of Christmas reminds us that God is with us Emmanuel.
In the past two years we were faced with many spiritual and emotional challenges in our parish community as many experienced the loss of a loved one, the loss of work, the loss of family gatherings, the loss of inperson education or the loss of our communal celebration of the Mass. It has affected us all in different ways. As we grieve and look back, we are called to focus on the newborn Christ, the light of the world. He is here to enlighten us with his light and with his presence with us in the midst of uncertainty. He brings hope in our life. Let us pray that this joy and hope remains with us as we prepare to journey into New Year.
The backbone of our parish are those who volunteer and our staff members. We have a long list of those dedicated and committed members too numerous to mention. As your pastor, I treasure the gift of you and the dedication, sacrifices, and hard work you have shown to make this parish a beacon of Christ’s love and joy and I say THANK YOU. Once again, I ask you to remember your parish church at Christmas. Your continued financial support is sincerely appreciated.
Let us not forget that we are a “Mission Oriented Parish”. This time of the year is a perfect time for you to ask a family member or friend who has stopped attending Mass to come along with you. We are all asked to reach out to those who, for whatever reason, have chosen not to attend Mass or the sacraments.
Allow the light of Christ to penetrate deep into your hearts and souls so that rediscovering your faith, renewing your commitment to Him, you will truly have a blessed and Merry Christmas. May our Lord Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem, bless you, your families and loved ones at this blessed time of hope and grace. Maranatha and Don’t be afraid I, together with Deacon Jim Hensel and the parish staff, wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Fr Shafique Masih
St. Mary, Cause of Our Joy Catholic Church 