The Bishop’s Note
Blessed Christmas to you all! We have had our four great feasts of the Christmas week—of course, the Nativity itself, as well as St. Stephen the first martyr, St. John the Beloved Disciple, the Holy Innocents. The week of celebration is not over just yet! Who can forget St. Thomas à Becket today, or Pope St. Sylvester I on Tuesday. Oh! and the Circumcision of Our Lord on Wednesday, the Infant of Prague on Thursday, and First Friday and First Saturday, the Holy Name of Jesus on Sunday, the Epiphany and its Octave next week! We Catholics who hold to the true Faith are just getting started with the Christmas celebration.
It is more than a bit sad to see how the world does everything opposite the Church. They were already celebrating Christmas while the Church was doing penance, and now that we are rejoicing at Our Lord’s Birth, they have gone back to “normal life”—whatever that is for them. As hard as it is, be sure not to lose the spirit of joy and hope that the Church wishes us to cultivate at this time. The spirit of the world will try to take it away. Don’t let it! Whose spirit are you following?
Fathers Ercoli and Romero are going to be visiting us over the weekend and will stay through the Epiphany. Fr. Brueggemann sees them each month when he visits the seminary, but it is a rare occurrence for the rest of us to be able to get together with them. It will be so nice to see them this Christmas season.
I know there has been a lot going on, but I hope you won’t forget First Friday All Night Adoration! It is the perfect way to begin a new year. Certainly, we have plenty of things from last year for which to thank Our Lord, and there are many graces to ask Him for as we think of the coming year. Our Savior awaits us from the monstrance! Come, shepherd-like, to adore our newborn King!
May all the blessings of the Christmas season be
yours!
– Bishop McGuire