We wish a most blessed and merry Christmas to each and every one of you. It is our great joy to present our gift of Masses and prayers offered for you, our family, friends, and benefactors, for your intentions and for your needs.
During the weeks of Advent, the Church has prayed and prepared for the coming of the Redeemer. Over and over again, the liturgical prayers have repeated the urgent plea: Come, come to save us! At Vespers, on December 23, we chanted the last of the “O Antiphons”:
“O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation, thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!” We must, each and every one of us, make this plea our very own. As we watch the world fall deeper and deeper into sin and apostasy, we are reminded of our need of and utter dependence upon Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
The holy Liturgy is not simply a happy remembrance or commemoration. The precious and pivotal moments of salvation in history are actually renewed upon the altar. At holy Mass, the moments of Christmas night in the cave of Bethlehem are made present to us. These moments are filled with profound hope to the world. We are also offered a foretaste and participation in the final and infallible victory, the completion of Christ’s coming, which has yet to take place. The great mystery of redemption, both its beginning long ago, and its consummation yet to come, are united in the present moment, realized in each individual soul during the holy Mass. What joy should be ours! A true sharing in the victory already won!
The true joy of Christmas will always be irrepressible, keeping our faith alive even through the darkest of times. It is like a great flaming torch that we can hold high above our heads, the flame of God’s love, which turns despair to hope, sorrow to joy, and death to life. This torch cannot be extinguished, and it is a living flame in the hearts of those who cling to the true meaning of Christmas. May God bless each and every one of you abundantly this Christmas and throughout the new year.
In our Infant King,
Your Capuchin Sisters
Capuchin Sisters of St Joseph 
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