Christmas Blessings

SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA CHURCH
853 THIRD AVENUE
ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY 07202
908-351-3300         [email protected]

A Blessed Christmas and a 2017 rich in health, happiness and grace to you and your families!

     As we come together at this time of year – a time for family and friends – it is good for us to also spend some time reflecting on the “reason for the season” – Jesus Christ, the Lord! It is important that we welcome Him to our homes and to our celebrations, remembering that, as Christians, we celebrate Christmas not as a secular holiday, but as a proclamation of our faith that God so loved the world He sent His only Son…..and that the Word became flesh of the Virgin Mary and dwells among us.  In a world that wants to make Christmas only about presents, and food and Santa Claus and self-indulgence, we, as Catholics are not ashamed to profess our Faith: Christmas is about the Incarnation of the Lord and our salvation history.  We are not ashamed to say “Merry Christmas.”  We are not ashamed to send out “religious” Christmas cards, which celebrate his birth to our friends and family members.  We are not ashamed to have the “Manger Scene” in front of our homes, in our homes and in our streets.  We are not ashamed to give witness to Jesus in the midst of so many counter-testimonies.  We are proud to be disciples of Jesus and we want all to rejoice with us as we celebrate His birth!

     As we ready ourselves for the celebration of Jesus’ birth, putting up the tree, doing the baking and cooking, going shopping and wrapping the gifts, decorating the house with lights and all the other many things that go into making this such a special family time of year with our own cultural traditions, it is good for us to remember that the best preparation is to make a good confession so that we can worthily receive Him in the Eucharist at Christmas Mass.  I invite all of you to take advantage of our confession schedule where a priest is now available every Saturday evening from 4:00 to 5:00 PM – come and receive God’s merciful love and forgiveness in this wonderful sacrament.  Come to Christmas Mass to praise and thank God for the gift of His Son Jesus.  Bring someone with you who perhaps has not been to Church for a while or just needs a ride!  It is my hope to be able to greet all of you at one of our Masses.

     To all of you and your families, I extend the greetings of each of us here at St. Anthony.  Be sure that each of you is in our prayers and thoughts in this holy season, and our wish is that your hearts may know the joy of the presence of the new Born King.  May the Virgin Mary and her Infant Son, Jesus, the King of Peace, fill your hearts and lives and homes with the choicest of blessings at Christmas and throughout the New Year!

     Merry Christmas and a Happy and Grace-filled New Year!  God bless you!