Dear Parishioners,
Christmas once again brings us a Gospel message that is quiet yet powerful—simple, yet deeply moving. On the night Jesus was born, God did not come with fanfare, power, or outward splendour. He did not come to those who considered themselves important, self-assured, or absorbed in their own plans. He came suddenly and unexpectedly—as a child, in the silence of the night, laid in a manger.
The Gospel tells us that the first to recognize Him were the shepherds. People on the margins of society, worn by daily life, yet open of heart. They were not scholars or the powerful, but ordinary people who knew how to listen and were ready to move when they heard God’s call. It is to such people that God still reveals Himself today: the humble, the quietly faithful, those who sincerely seek to do God’s will in their everyday lives.
God still comes to us gently and without force. He does not impose Himself through noise, but knocks in silence. He comes in the moments when we choose patience over judgment, forgiveness over revenge, peace over conflict. He comes when we dare to truly see our neighbour, to recognize their need, and not turn away. He comes where love is sought instead of resentment, where reconciliation is chosen over hostility.
Christmas also teaches us an important truth: faith is not lived by constantly expecting something from God, but by asking what God expects of us. True faith is not a transaction with God, but a trust that is lived out daily through action. It is a hunger to do God’s will in the small things—through honesty, patience, faithfulness, quiet service, and the acceptance of the crosses that life brings.
The shepherds did not come with plans or demands; they came with open hearts. They did not understand everything, but they believed and set out. We too are called to set aside our own expectations and our ideas of how God “should” act, and to allow Him to surprise us.
May this Christmas be an invitation for us to grow quiet, to let go of harsh judgments, old resentments, and closed hearts. May the God who comes quietly, yet brings true peace, find a place in our families, in our parish, and in each one of us.
To all of you and your families, I wish a blessed and joyful Christmas, filled with peace, love, and hope—made visible in the small, everyday acts of goodness.
A Merry and Blessed Christmas to you all,
Your Pastor.
