Dear Sunday Mass Faith Community and Friends,

"The people who walked in darkness, have seen a great light…”(Isaiah 9:1)

Yes, Christmas is a time light that shines through the darkness and of great joy and love. It is a wonderful Holy Day and holiday. It is a time of meaningful prayers, beautiful liturgies and heartfelt music. It is also a time of family, friends, decorations, gatherings, good food and excited children and adults. But as I have mentioned in past Christmas Letters, for me Christmas is a time to remember my dad, who died on Christmas morning forty-three years ago. You might think that his death on Christmas morning makes it a sad and difficult time. But through the years, I have come to celebrate Christmas in a much more faith-filled way since my father’s death. It is special to remember Christ’s birth into this world and my father’s birth into eternal life on the same day!

The Christmas Season can be joyous and wonderful but it can also be a struggle. It can be the best of what life is but it can also amplify the struggles and difficulties that we all live with from time to time. Our challenge is to focus on the gift of God’s love and how that love touches our lives even in the midst of difficulties and struggles.

As we make our way through Advent, the Christmas Season and into the New Year let us remember that some of us struggle with loneliness, the pain of remembering family and friends who are no longer with us, the negativity, lack of truth and hate encountered in our world and the busyness of life. Wherever we find ourselves during this holy season let us take time to be touched by its true meaning. The meaning of Christmas lies beyond gifts, trees, decorations and merriment – these things are good and helpful – but the true meaning of Christmas lies in the profound love that God offers us in the gift of his own Son, Jesus Christ. The truth that can set us free!

Through the gift of Christmas, Jesus touches our world in a life giving way. He came amongst us some 2000 plus years ago and continues to come amongst us by being born in each of our hearts every day of our lives.

The most profound way that we can celebrate the gift of this season is through the Eucharist and once again we offer you a special one-hour Christmas Mass. We hope to make this year celebration a wonderful encounter with the most profound gift that God has given us. The celebrant for our Christmas Mass this year will be me, Fr. Paul! Why no special guest? Well, this is my tenth Christmas as the Executive Producer and Host of The Sunday Mass, so I thought I would celebrate my time with you by sharing my Christmas thoughts. I hope you don’t mind. Our special guests will return next year!

Please check your local TV listings for the times that The Christmas Mass will be aired. Even though Christmas is not on a Sunday, The Christmas Mass will air nationwide on three different channels, the UPTV Channel at 5:00 am, on the BUZZR TV Channel at 7:30 am, and on the WETV Channel at 8 am. If the channel you usually watch The Sunday Mass on is not one of these check the local listing of the channel you watch The Sunday Mass on for their airing of the Christmas Mass. Remember you can always watch it on our web site www.TheSundayMass.org and on our You Tube Channel. It will be available for viewing beginning on Christmas Eve morning.

Please know that during this most holy time of the year we would like to remember your Intentions in a prayerful way. Please use the form attached to this letter to tell us who and what you would like to hold in pray for during this Christmas season.

We will place your Intentions next to the altar throughout the Christmas season and lift your prayer to God as we lift our voices, minds, hearts, and spirits in prayer during The Sunday Mass celebrations.

May the blessings of God’s joy, mercy and love be upon you and those you love throughout the Christmas season and always.

Peace in the Child Jesus,

Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P.
Shepherd and Host of The Sunday Mass

Loving Jesus, Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace, the Light of the World, as we celebrate your birth may we begin to see the world in the light of your gift of understanding with which you grace us. As you chose the lowly, the outcasts, and the poor to receive the greatest news the world had ever known, so may we celebrate you in meekness of heart, wonderment of love and joyful hope. May we bring your hope and love to all we meet today and always. Amen.