December 25, 2009

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

"Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord."

With great joy, we celebrate the birth of Christ. How blessed we are to be followers of the Son of God!

Joy is evident in our faces and in our voices as we herald the arrival of our Lord on Christmas Day. Our hearts leap with gladness! I pray that this sense of joy will remain with us throughout the Christmas season.

As we celebrate this holy time, know that God is with us, even now. That is the cause of true wonder and awe, and the sublime joy of Christmas, namely, being a friend of God. That means, if you are with many others at Christmas, or if you are alone, what matters most is that God is with us.

In the words of St. Teresa of Avila, "Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices."

Please know that I will remember you and your loved ones as I celebrate Midnight Mass and Mass on Christmas morning at St. Joseph Cathedral.

May you have a blessed Christmas and a joyful, peace filled New Year!

Yours in Christ,
+Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec
Bishop of Buffalo