St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Community
MESSAGE FROM YOUR PASTOR
Christmas 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Peace of the Christ, the Emmanuel , be with you!
I pray that the blessing of Christmas be in your household to give you joy and hope. Once again, we commemorate the coming of our Savior to us. God entered into our human history as one like us, except sin, and we have known him as Jesus, the baby that was born in a stable in Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago. He is the Emmanuel, the one prophesied by all the prophets-- the one that, according to Isaiah will give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, make the mute speak and the lame walk and will announce the good News of God's Kingdom to the poor. This Lord is the one that we are following now. We follow his teachings and way of life. We even give meaning to death by looking at his own experience of it, and we believe that just as he conquered death by His resurrection, we too will rise with him when we die. In his birth, life and death, he gave us a powerful message: God so loved us that he is willing to let His only begotten Son be born like us and give His life for us. God wants us to be redeemed and to experience life to the fullest. His birth gives us hope. His death brings us life. If there is one lesson that Christmas gives us every year we celebrate it, it is to remind ourselves that just like Christ, we must be an agent of life. Just like Christ, we must focus on those things that brings light, hope, peace, joy in life. We must be life-giving. We must seek what unites us rather than dwell on those that divide us. We celebrate Christmas this year while the war in Ukraine continues to destroy life and properties. Let us remember our brothers and sisters who are suffering because of this cruel war. Let us keep them in prayer. Christ came to us as the prince of Peace, but oftentimes people would take the side of violence and destruction. Christmas calls us to be on the side of the Prince of Peace. God respect the choices that we make, but the Christ in the manger is asking us to choose the path of unity and peace, the path that will lead humanity to walk from darkness to light.
On behalf of Fr. Steve, Fr. Miguel, Deacons Mark, Armando, Vic and the whole Parish Staff, I would like to thank you for your love and care to our parish. May we all continue to always choose what gives life, what brings peace and unity ! We are the people in darkness that have seen the great light. We are Children of the light and the star that we follow is the star of Christ!
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! And may the year 2023 be a year of peace and blessing to all of us and to the whole world.
Fr. Dennis
" Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ( Phil. 4: 4-7 )
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Community, Inc.