My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, God's love embraces our world. The birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem brings us joy as God is seen in human form. We remember the events that took place in the stable in Bethlehem and the joy of that holy night as the shepherds find Mary and Joseph and the Baby lying in the manger. With the angels, who heralded the newborn Savior's birth, we join in giving glory to God by lifting up our hearts in praise of God and by living His peace on earth and sharing goodwill and love with others.

In a few short sentences, we can summarize the greatest event known to humankind, the birth of Jesus Christ. But understanding the meaning of His birth is more challenging.

Jesus' birth heralds the promise of true peace and the hope that His coming instills in all who believe in His name. God's gift of His Son to the world is meant for all people of every age. When the Savior is born, the world begins anew. All creation welcomes Him and rejoices at the enormity of this event. (cf. Romans 8:19) On Christmas Day, through the inspired words of the Apostle John, the whole Church proclaims, "We saw His glory, the glory that is His as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14).

As His disciples, you and I appreciate the meaning of His birth. Yet the message and meaning of Christ's birth often remain hidden because we fail to share with others what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, and, what we, like Jesus, must do for others.

Each Sunday, at Mass, we welcome Jesus anew and we profess in faith His coming into our world: "For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man." (Profession of Faith) The Solemnity of Jesus' Nativity celebrates this truth of our Faith and calls us to welcome Jesus into our lives. When we embrace the meaning and spirit of Christmas, we allow Him to become flesh in our acts of service, in our words of forgiveness and compassion, and in our praise and worship of God the Father.

Christmas is God's invitation to us to make a place in our hearts, in our homes, and in our families to make room for His Son, Jesus Christ, and to live the message of His peace, His justice, and His love.

How? We make room for Him by recognizing Him where He abides: "I was hungry, you gave me food. I was thirsty, you gave me drink. A stranger, you welcomed me. Naked, you clothed me. Ill, you comforted me. In prison, you came to visit me." (ef. Matthew 25: 42-45)

This Christmas, will we welcome Christ into our lives? Will we allow the birth of Divine Love to conquer the selfishness that hides His love, the pride the refuses His peace, and the indifference that ignores His presence? In a world where war and terror, suffering and need are real, through the Word made Flesh we receive the strength to witness to the God who changes us and our world by the gift of His own life and who loves us so much that He gave us His only begotten Son.

This Christmas, the babe in swaddling clothes seeks room in our lives and in the cradle of our hearts. Now it is our turn to herald this awesome event so that people of our day will know what God has done for us. In the infant born of Mary, God's promise is fulfilled and God breaks into our lives as He awaits the birth of divine love in our hearts. The child born to us in Bethlehem waits to be born in our compassion, our reverence, our love for others, and most of all, in our worship, in our praise and thanksgiving to God our Almighty Father.

In the spirit of this Holy Season, I wish each of you a holy and joyful celebration of Christ's birth. May His peace abide with you and all whom you love this Christmas and throughout the New Year!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Michael R. Cote

Bishop of Norwich