24/12/2025
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us!" In Bethlehem was born a child who revealed God to the world in the endearing weakness of a baby; surrounded not by the important and powerful, but by shepherds, by men and women accustomed to respond to nature in simple, ordinary ways. The Gospel reveals this light, shattering the darkness of the night sky, as the glory of God shines on the face of a tiny infant. God offers this gift of light to each of us and to all those we love. Kabay nga sa sini nga adlaw sang kalipay sang pagkatawo sang aton Ginuo, mabatyagan man naton ang himaya sang Diyos sa aton tagsa ka kabuhi. Ang iya himaya nga nagadala sang matuod nga paghidaet sa aton taguipusoon, ang iya himaya nga nagasanag sa aton dalanon, ang iya himaya nga nagapahimpit sang aton pagtuo kag paghigugma sa aton isigkatawo.
As the Letter to the Hebrews tells us that God in the past spoke to us through many prophets and judges. But now "he has spoken to us through his Son" โ because the Son is the Word of God. This Son is the "radiant light of God's glory" and "the perfect copy of his nature". In seeing all that Jesus says and does, we are being put in touch with the very nature of God. Born in utter simplicity without many of the conveniences of life that we would take for granted and regard as essential; Mary and Joseph welcome Jesus into this world, away from home, rejected by every place of shelter in the town and first visited by 'shepherds'.
It is important to be aware that this scene is not just for pious contemplation. It contains a message. God has become a human person like us; he has come to live and work among us. He has entered our world to bless it and to liberate all those enslaved by oppression, by hunger and homelessness, enslaved by addictive habits and substances, enslaved by fear, anger, resentment, hatred, loneliness, and depression. Then too, some of us are so caught up in the cares and occupations of life that we normally do not find time to worship God and enjoy the intimate communion with Jesus that is central to the life of the Christian community. There can be other reasons as well: reasons of hurt, rejection, confusion. Yet, such is the attraction of this day when God embraced humanity in all its life-giving goodness and in all its destructive wickedness, that we want to be here to celebrate Christmas. I hope everyone feels welcome because this Church is for you, this community is for you, and Jesus, truly present here in the Eucharist, longs to give himself to you. Ang Diyos nga nangin tawo naghatag sa matuod nga kalipay sa aton kabuhi sa pihak sang mga kabudlayan kag sakripisyo nga aton gina-agihan kag naaguman. Naghatag man ini kapawa sa madulom nga bahin sang aton kabuhi. Naghatag man ini sang kabakud kag inspirasyon nga magkabuhi sang matarong suno sa ginapaabot sang Diyos sa aton, kag labaw sa tanan, naghatag sa aton sang bag-o nga panulok sa kabuhi nga kita may misyon nga ipalapnag ang gugma, kaluoy, paghidaet kag wala'y tupong nga kaayo sang Diyos sa tanan nga katawhan. Know that the open arms of the baby in the crib are open for us and for all those we love open to forgive us, open to comfort us, open to embrace us in the simplest and most beautiful way. For God is love. God created each one of us for love and will never cease inviting us. Of all the journeys we will ever make, the most important journey is the journey to the heart. As the Christ child comes into our hearts in communion this Christmas, let us therefore allow our weary souls to experience his profound and unconditional love.
Malipayon nga Paskwa sa inyo tanan mga pinalangga nga mga tumulo sang Parokya sang Nuestra Seรฑora dela Paz!
Fr. Nits & Fr. John Rey
