My dear parishioners in the Rio Grande Valley,

december 20, 2008

One silent night in Bethlehem,
God filled the earth with hope so real,
Joy so pure and love so true,
That our hearts still rejoice today.

            We gather today to commemorate that silent night when in the quiet fields near the little town, shepherds were startled by their angel guests singing, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). That joyous song heard on that holy night by a handful of shepherds has resounded throughout the earth and through the ages. We are hearing it today in this festive celebration of the Eucharist.

            God fills the earth with hope.  In the midst of the economic challenges that we face, a lingering war and the threat of terrorism, we place our hope in the power of the Son of God who became like us, so that he could save us from our sins.  May he endow the leaders of our nation, indeed the leaders of all nations, with the wisdom and courage they need to address these and other crises with determination and with respect for life and for the dignity of the human person. May the leaders in the Church be a beacon of hope that lights the way for establishing God’s universal kingdom of justice, love and peace.

            God fills the earth with joy. As we think of the tiny Babe in Bethlehem, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and the love of God he represents, our happiness is undaunted.  We have decorated our homes, perhaps more sparingly; we have bought and exchanged gifts that were conceivably less costly, but the spirit of celebration over God’s gift of his Son perdures; it fills our hearts with joy.

            God fills the earth with love.  His love for us is contagious.  It moves us to love him in return and to express our love for the Divine by loving and serving the people that he loves, by loving and serving each other. We love the members of our family and remain united, in good times and in bad. We love the immigrant without papers, and extend a helping hand. We love our priests, and we work with them to carry out our mission. We love those who do not love us, because we know God loves them. We love our Church, because it is God’s family on earth.

            God has been so good to us that we joyfully join in the angels’ song: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

May you enjoy all the gifts
That Christ was born to bring.

Haz todo con amor,
+ Raymundo J. Peña, Bishop of Brownsville

last updated 11-Jan-2010 8:22 sitemap