On behalf of the parish team and the Jesuit community, I would like to wish you all a very happy and merry Christmas.  It fills me with great joy to see our beautiful church welcoming so many people this year.  So far the weather is cooperating.  The choirs are filling the church with vocal and musical beauty.  The decorations of the church inspire one to pray.  The crib prepared by some of our young people excites old and young alike.

The Christmas Lunch appears to be progressing well.  The upper hall is decked out beautifully.  We are preparing to welcome a near record number of guests.  This lunch repeatedly humbles me.  The amount of work to bring this joyful event about is staggering.  The generosity of parishioners with their time and money is inspiring.  May all who have made this possible find Christmas day a joyful family experience.

I ran across an article describing the origin of the Christian celebration of Christmas on the 25th of December.  It helps to correct the myth that it was originally a pagan festival transformed by Christians in the fourth century.  Rather it is to fix a date relative to the day thought to be of Christ's crucifixion.  Go there for an interesting perspective.

Once again have a wonderful Christmas.