I hope and pray that your Christmas is going wonderfully! I have been very blessed this year with many graces from God. He has encouraged me and given me more hope and peace than ever. I do have joy in my heart. Praise God for that!
I received a file from a parishioner in the last couple of days of a video. The video is short and it is at the beginning of the Midnight Mass with Pope Benedict XVI. Two seminarians from my parish, Jamie Baxter and Michael Bower, are in the midst of the crowd as Pope Benedict XVI moves in procession. Also, other seminarians from the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana are in the crowd (Kyle Neterer, Stephen Geer) and Jeff Bower, the father of Michael. Of course, where our seminarians are so is our vocation director Fr. Brian Doerr. Look carefully at the video below to see these familiar faces. It must have been so amazing to be in Rome for this Christmas Mass. This experience will be something they will never forget. Enjoy the video!
I also wanted to encourage you this Christmas with the gift we have been given from our God... His Son Jesus, our Emmanuel, God is with us!
In my homily this year, I explained that God did not give us the gift of His Son in wrapping paper or in a gift bag, but rather, Jesus was placed in a manger filled with hay. I also pointed out that the original purpose for the manger or crib was a feeding trough for animals. It is interesting that Jesus Himself would become food, spiritual food, for our souls. He gives Himself in the Eucharist so that we could have life and grace. What a gift we have to be able to bring Jesus Christ into our hearts in the Eucharist. Please read my Christmas homily if you have time!
God bless you and Happy Feast of the Holy Family,
Fr. Joshua
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