From the Pastor’s Desk: Christmas 2024
Dear friends,
Merry Christmas!
I joyfully welcome each of you to your spiritual home-St. Peter’s Church. Whether you are here every week or praying here for the first time in a while, I am delighted to celebrate the birth of our Savior together. Christmas is a time of hope, peace, and renewal, and I am reminded of God's boundless and unconditional love for each of us. Today invites us to draw near to Jesus Christ, whose light shines brightly in the world, offering us warmth, healing, and a new beginning.
To those of you who have been away from church for some time, I want you to know that you are deeply missed, and your presence here today brings us all great joy. The doors of our church are always open to you, and there is no better time than Christmas (Christ’s Mass) to rediscover the peace that He offers. We understand that life’s challenges may have kept you away, but we are here to walk alongside you in faith, offering a community of support and love. This is a season for returning, for new beginnings, and for embracing the hope that Christ’s birth brings into our lives.
As we celebrate the miracle of Jesus' birth today, I am reminded that Christmas is not just a day like the others. Christ came into the world not just to witness our joy, but to be with us in our struggles, to offer forgiveness, and to call us to a life of deeper faith. This day marks the beginning of a journey—one where we are all invited to grow in love, compassion, and grace. Together, let us celebrate this sacred season with open hearts, eager to receive the peace that only Christ can give.
I invite you to look through the opportunities in this bulletin. Maybe something that we are doing here at St. Peter’s is an opportunity for you to reconnect with God who created you and cares so much for you. Maybe this is the year to read the Bible. Join us in the daily Bible in a Year Podcast! Maybe your search for community will bring you to Mass on the weekend followed by donuts and coffee (or wine and cheese on a Saturday night!) Perhaps you are looking for a pilgrimage to grow in your prayer life. Consider joining us on a spiritual journey to France this October.
As we look forward to the coming year, I invite you to do so with hearts full of gratitude and hope. Christmas is a reminder that no matter the darkness we face, the light of Christ has come into the world, and it will never fade. We are a people of hope, and we know that with Christ, all things are possible. May this Christmas Day fill you with a tangible experience of His love, and may the year ahead bring you closer to Him and to those He has placed in your life.
Merry Christmas, and may God bless you all abundantly.
Fr. AJ, Fr. Paul, Deacon Paul and the entire staff of St. Peter’s Church
