Dear Parishioners and friends,
Jesus was born in a manger to reveal God’s extraordinary message of love, hope, joy, and peace. He asks us to accept one another, to be reconciled to one another, and to have love for one another.
“I have come so that you may have life,” Jesus says, “and so that you may have life in abundance.” By his coming at Christmas, Jesus promises that our salvation has been achieved, that we have been saved from slavery to sin, and that now, as God’s adopted children, we will never wander in darkness but will walk always in the light of Christ.
Each of us has been entrusted with a special gift, a sacred responsibility: to show others how the mystery of God is unfolding in our midst. We are called to go out into the world and share the message of God’s love with all humankind.
We pray, then, as we approach the Christmas holy days, that the Christ child will penetrate our hearts and souls, so we may change our lives to become peacemakers, to love others, and to love God above all things.
With gratitude for all you have been and continue to do to engrace St. Joseph’s parish community, please know that I am praying for God to bless you with peace, joy, hope, and love.
A blessed Christmas to each of you,
Fr. John Mahoney