Merry Christmas

I wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Each of us has made a journey of some kind throughout Advent. The Christmas story is filled with journeys. We have the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem for the census. We have the journey of the shepherds to see the child and back to their fields. We have the journey of the angels to earth to make their proclamation and sing their song before returning to heaven. And of course, there's the baby's own journey from the womb into the light. When the shepherds heard the message of the birth of Jesus, they said, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see it for ourselves." The life of the Christian is a journey of discovery. it involves coming to find out for myself the truth and the reality of what I had been told by my parents, teachers, or preachers in church. I have to cross that bridge. the gospel is in between two phrases. At the beginning, we are invited to "come and see," and, at the end, we are instructed to "Go and tell."

The spiritual journey helps us to come out of illusion into truth, out of darkness into light. Let us play our part in spreading the light and peace of Christ from heart to heart, from person to person, in our homes, communities and world this Christmas. 

The Bethlehem Peace LIght Prayer
Light of Bethlehem:  burn in our hearts this Christmas;
Light of Peace:  heal the bitter wounds in our community; show us the path of forgiveness and love;
Light of Joy:  fill our homes with happiness - cast ou the darkness of conflict or worry;
Light of Comfort:  strengthen the sick, the needy, prisoners and all those who cannot be at home on Christmas day;
Light of Hope:  guide our way forward as we begin a New Year;
Light of the World:  teach us to love you more and more each day;
Light of Bethlehem:  shine in our lives this Christmas and always.
Amen.
Happy Christmas and my God bless you all. Amen.