Is it Christmas Already?

Well, yes, it is.  However, the celebration has been going on - for let's not fool ourselves - we have been celebrating His birth for weeks: office parties, friends meeting together since Thanksgiving before going 'home' for traditional family gatherings.  Finally close family and friends join this weekend and maybe all next week to unite, to remember former holidays, to renew what Christ has been doing all the years of our lives: that He is reminding us that He is one in and with us.
Our parish family has also been gathering for weeks: we celebrated Our Lady of Guadalupe, then Posadas, (and fresh tostadas!) as well as the Filipino Christmas novena of Simbang Gabi, when Bishop Salazar came to our annual event last week.
Now is it YOUR and your family's time to acknowledge and recognize who Christ is for you and yours. Let's start with you.  You are, and have been, busy about all the others in your life.  STOP now.  You are also, you are even more(?) important, right now than those you love.  I say this because what you bring to those you love actually does stem from your intimacy with Our Savior. Your relationship with Him influences how you treat, how you act, how you like, how you relate to everyone in your personal circle of family and friends.
Your relationship with Jesus is essential for you own happiness, and to some degree, the happiness of those you love. So this is an important time in your life and theirs. GIVE IT THE ATTENTION IT IS DUE.  In doing so you, and they, will indeed have a very blessed Christmas.
This is the prayer for all of you from of all of us on staff here at your parish.
—FR. JIM

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