On behalf of the entire staff of the Windsor Heritage Catholic Family of Parishes, I want to wish you all a merry and blessed Christmas!
The message of the Christmas season is one of joy, peace, and good will. This is the message that the angels proclaim to the shepherds when they announce the birth of the Saviour. We have been journeying with this joy throughout the Advent Season, and now as we celebrate Christmas, that joy bursts forth in the song that the angels sing to the shepherds. It is this joy that motivates the shepherds to go to Bethlehem, and see what has taken place. Today, it may be hard for many of us to find that joy.
As we celebrate our second Christmas during the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves faced once again with rising case counts, renewed restrictions, and uncertainty about the future. We may be facing personal struggles that make it hard to feel the joy of the season. In moments of uncertainty like these, I think we are invited to reflect more deeply on the source of true Christian Joy. I think one of the most important things to remember is that Christian joy does not always equal happiness.
The joy that we experience at our Saviour’s birth is not a joy that comes from having security in this world, or from having a life free from suffering. It is, however, a joy that comes from knowing that Christ took on human flesh to save us from our sins, and to gain for us the promise of eternal life with God in his kingdom in Heaven. It is this joy, the joy that comes from knowing Jesus, that sustains us in the deepest and darkest moments of our lives.
This joy reminds us that something far greater than we could ever ask for or imagine awaits us beyond this earthly life. It is this joy that we are called to cling to, now more than ever! It is my hope that during this Christmas season, you can invite Christ to come into your life, and help you to find that spark of joy deep within your soul. May he strengthen your hope in his promises and help you to know the true joy of this Christmas season.
In Christ,
Fr. Steven Huber, CSB