Come Emmanuel, God with us, come!
Dear Sisters and brothers, you are always in my heart and prayers, but even more so at this time when we celebrate Christmas, God is with us! We continue to remember and celebrate this amazing day when God became one like us in everything except sin. More than the beautiful decorations, generous gifts and delicious foods that we enjoy – this is the meaning of Christmas: God’s unconditional love for us, his creation. The birth of Jesus is God’s presence making history with us on earth in order to reconcile us to God our merciful Father. This is the greatest Christmas gift that has ever been given – and we are fortunate to receive it every year, and at all times!
Let us open our hearts anew to receive God’s love in the person of the newborn King, the redeemer and the lamb of God. We may be tired, we may be worried, we may be discouraged by the happenings in our world today. But the hope and joy of Christmas gives us a chance to ‘reset.’ God surely wants us to celebrate this as a season of joy and gratitude, and to renew the bonds of love and affection we have for our families and for each other through festive activities. It’s not what’s under the tree that matters most, it’s who’s around it, our family and friends. When you get a chance, pray for those who are less fortunate around us and, if possible, do something to help them.
Dear Catholic Family, this Christmas above all, on behalf of all my dear brother priests, religious sisters and brothers, our Deacons and their wives, our seminarians and their families, I wish you God’s love and peace, joy and every blessing. Let us keep one another in our prayers; let us pray for peace in our hearts, in our families, in our neighborhoods, in our countries, and in the world. May the love and joy of Christmas remain with you at all times. Merry Christmas!
In Christ’s love,
Bishop Rojas